Penguin SA to publish Sally Andrew’s Tannie Maria cookbook

Sally Andrew, creator of the inimitable Tannie Maria, will publish her first cookbook with Penguin Random House South Africa (PRHSA) in May 2024. RECIPES TO DIE LIVE FOR features recipes from Sally Andrew’s first four murder mystery novels, as well as some tantalising new additions.

RECIPES TO DIE LIVE FOR is not only a celebration of Tannie Maria's delectable recipes but of her philosophy, of South Africa’s Karoo region and of life itself, Andrew explains. ‘I am so excited about RECIPES TO DIE LIVE FOR. It is the most beautiful book I have ever seen. The food styling, the design and the photographs are spectacular.’

The cookbook is a collection of the recipes Tannie Maria (the unforgettable agony aunt with a knack for righting wrongs with a recipe) has shared with readers in her column in the Klein Karoo Gazette. In the four novels – RECIPES FOR LOVE AND MURDER, TANNIE MARIA AND THE SATANIC MECHANIC, DEATH ON THE LIMPOPO and THE MILK TART MURDERS – Tannie Maria has won hearts and whetted appetites with mouth-watering creations, including the famous Venus Cake, Muesli Buttermilk Rusks and even Spekboom Ice Cream.

PRHSA’s Lifestyle Publisher, Beverley Dodd, says: ‘Spiced with enjoyable sayings from the four novels and seasoned with photographs of the food and the beautiful Karoo, RECIPES TO DIE LIVE FOR is as warm and witty as Tannie Maria herself, guaranteed to delight fans and newcomers to the series.’

The book showcases more than 80 recipes, including vegetarian and vegan options. Many of the dishes are slow foods and traditional South African recipes, but there are also quick meals and new inventions. Whether you are craving a Karoo lamb pie or a vetkoek with mince, or are lus for a melktert or koeksister, you will find it among Tannie Maria’s gastronomic delights. As Sally sums it up so succinctly: ‘Enjoy cooking. Enjoy eating. Enjoy life. Why not?’

The Tannie Maria book series titles are all bestsellers in South Africa – regularly in the Top 5, with THE MILK TART MURDERS shooting straight to the top of the combined fiction and non-fiction charts on publication in March 2022. It also won the 2023 Nielsen SA Book Award for Fiction.

The first in the series, RECIPES FOR LOVE AND MURDER, was recently adapted for television to great acclaim. Acorn TV hold distribution rights to the series for the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, while Multichoice holds rights for Africa. Following the pick-up by Japan’s Mystery Channel, the first season has now sold in 94 countries. A second series was recently announced, and is due to start filming in April 2024.

Sally is currently working on the next instalment in the Tannie Maria series, with more details to be announced soon.  

About Sally Andrew

Sally Andrew is the best-selling author of the Tannie Maria Mysteries series. She lives in a mud-brick house on a nature reserve in the Klein Karoo with her artist partner, a giant eland, and a secretive leopard. She also spends time in the wilderness of southern Africa and the seaside suburb of Muizenberg. She has a Master’s in Adult Education from the University of Cape Town. Before settling down to write full time, she was a social and environmental activist.

Her first novel, RECIPES FOR LOVE & MURDER: A Tannie Maria Mystery was a Kirkus Best Book of 2015, A Wall Street Journal Best Mystery Book 2015, The Bookseller Fiction editor’s Choice 2015 and A Good Housekeeping Book of the Month.

Her work has been translated into thirteen languages.

Praise for the Tannie Maria series

‘Vivid, amusing and immensely enjoyable… A triumph.’ – Alexander McCall Smith

‘Take a pinch of Alexander McCall Smith, a dash of Diane Mott Davidson, and add a smidge of the wild veld and you’ll get a taste for this lekker story (that’s “delicious” in Afrikaans). While the tone is heartfelt, Andrew doesn’t shy away from the realities of spousal abuse or the shadow of South Africa’s tumultuous history. With a fascinating setting, engaging characters, and a full complement of drool-worthy recipes, this is sure to leave readers craving more.’ – Library Journal, starred review

‘An intriguing mystery in an exotic locale, a work of enormous charm.’ – Wall Street Journal

‘A delightful debut, tender and funny. The mystery takes on the worldwide problem of abused women while revealing both the beauties and problems of South Africa. And the recipes will make you want to drop everything and start cooking.’ – Kirkus, starred review

‘Utterly delicious, to the very last morsel.’ – Deon Meyer

‘Chock full of good food and interesting characters.’ – Kerry Greenwood, author of the PHRYNE FISHER and CORINNA CHAPMAN series

Visit Sally’s website

Follow Sally on X (previously Twitter) and Instagram

RECIPES FOR LOVE AND MURDER renewed for second series

We’re delighted that the much-loved RECIPES FOR LOVE AND MURDER series has been renewed for a second season, with the new eight 45-minute episodes to begin filming in South Africa in April 2024.

Based on Sally Andrew’s hugely popular Tannie Maria series, RECIPES FOR LOVE AND MURDER is centred on Tannie Maria, a food and advice columnist who becomes embroiled in a murder investigation, along with her best friend Jessie. Season two of RECIPES FOR LOVE AND MURDER will take up where the first season left off – following the events of the second book in the series, THE SATANIC MECHANIC.

RECIPES FOR LOVE AND MURDER  is a co-production from Acorn TV, Multichoice and Cape Town-based production company Both Worlds Pictures, in co-operation with Global Screen. The series is produced by Both Worlds Pictures’ founder Thierry Cassuto, in collaboration with Paris-based Paradoxa.

The series stars Maria Doyle Kennedy (OUTLANDER), Tony Kgoroge (INVICTUS) and Kylie Fisher, and the first series was selected for the Berlinale ‘Series Markets Selects’ in February 2022, and began broadcast in South Africa on M-Net in March 2022 to fantastic reviews. The series was nominated for three awards at the 2023 South African Film & Television Awards (Best Supporting Actress in a TV Drama, Best Achievement in Editing in a TV Drama, and Best Achievement in Directing in a TV Drama), Best Writing for a Television Series at the 2023 WGSA Muse Awards, Best Cinematography at the 2023 Venice TV Awards, and was also shortlisted for a Rose d’Or Award. Acorn TV hold distribution rights to the series for the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, while Multichoice holds rights for Africa. Following the pick-up by Japan’s Mystery Channel, the first season has now sold in 94 countries. You can watch the trailer here.

The Tannie Maria book series titles are all bestsellers in South Africa – regularly in the Top 5, with THE MILK TART MURDERS shooting straight to the top of the combined fiction and non-fiction charts on publication in March 2022. It also won the 2023 Nielsen SA Book Award for Fiction.

About Sally Andrew

Sally Andrew divides her time between Muizenberg on the Cape Town coast and a nature reserve near Ladismith in the Klein Karoo, South Africa, where she lives with her artist partner and various wildlife (including a giant eland and a secretive leopard). Sally has published a number of non-fiction books on adult and environmental education.

Her first novel, RECIPES FOR LOVE & MURDER: A Tannie Maria Mystery was a Kirkus Best Book of 2015, A Wall Street Journal Best Mystery Book 2015, The Bookseller Fiction editor’s Choice 2015 and A Good Housekeeping Book of the Month.

Praise for RECIPES FOR LOVE AND MURDER TV show

‘Gentle… the TV series offers the same mix of human drama, gorgeous landscape, local colour and mouth-watering cooking, quietly threaded through with the more serious issues of domestic abuse, racial inequality and the legacies of apartheid… Despite the murders and simmering racial undertones, the show keeps its warm, humorous tone through the quiet, grounded character of Maria, with her empathetic, practical advice – and recipes – in response to the letters she receives.’ – Roslyn Sulcas, The New York Times

 ‘A quirky, colourful murder mystery set in the South African outback.’ – Christopher Vourlias, Variety

 ‘Mild comic, romantic and criminal misadventures in a picturesque setting…  a one-of-a-kind heroine.’ – Mile McCahill, Variety

 ‘The highly watchable Maria Doyle Kennedy takes the lead in this very fun and quirky crime series, which is based on the book of the same name by Sally Andrew. Tannie Maria (Doyle Kennedy) is a recipe-creator-turned-advice-columnist who gets caught up in a murder mystery based on one of the letters she receives for her column. Teaming up with an investigative journalist to get to the bottom of the case, the pair clash with local police as they run amok across crime scenes.’ – Jenna Guillaume, Flicks, ‘7 TV shows arriving in September that we’re excited for’

 ‘Though there is some darkness to the series, as well as social seriousness, it’s kept cozy by its very much post-apartheid, classically eccentric community and the sweetness of its characters. There is a bit of flirtation, and unexpressed longing. And there is food – Maria’s effective love advice always includes a recipe – which we see prepared, step by step.’ – Los Angeles Times

 ‘RECIPES FOR LOVE AND MURDER is a delight… There's plenty of humor and wit, and the mystery elements fairly snap along.’ – Janet Mullaney, Telly Visions

Visit Sally’s website

Follow Sally on Instagram and X (previously Twitter)

THE MILK TART MURDERS by Sally Andrew shortlisted for 2023 SA Book Awards

THE MILK TART MURDERS, the fourth in Sally Andrew’s much beloved Tannie Maria series, has been shortlisted for the 2023 SA Book Awards in the Adult Fiction category.

The awards aim to recognise bestselling books written and published in South Africa, as voted for by South African booksellers. The titles are selected from a longer list of bestselling South African titles, as measured by Nielsen BookScan South Africa in 2022. The winners for each category will be announced at a virtual ceremony in October 2023, along with an overall winner who received the highest number of bookseller votes. Each category winner will be awarded R5000, while the overall winner gets R20000.

The other shortlisted titles in the adult fiction category are: DOOLHOF by Rudie van Rensburg, MERCY by Jackie Phamotse and THE END by Dudu Busani-Dube. You can read about the other categories here.

In THE MILK TART MURDERS Tannie Maria, Ladismith’s famous crime fighter and agony aunt, once again finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation… but that is not all that troubles her. Newly estranged from her policeman boyfriend, Tannie Maria must wrestle with the complex feelings she has for him and for food…

The Tannie Maria series titles are all bestsellers in South Africa – regularly in the Top 5, with THE MILK TART MURDERS, shooting straight to the top of the combined fiction and non-fiction charts on publication in March 2022. Sally is now working on a Tannie Maria Cookbook, which Penguin SA will publish in April 2024.

TV rights for a 10-part series based on the Tannie Maria books were bought by French-South African Both Worlds Productions, with the support of Edinburgh-based Pirate Productions and with Creative Scotland contributing to funding. The series was selected for the Berlinale ‘Series Markets Selects’ in February 2022, and began broadcast in South Africa on M-Net in March 2022 to brilliant reviews and social media praise. The series has been nominated for three awards at the South African Film and Television Awards and was also shortlisted for a Rose d’Or Award. Acorn TV distribute to the rest of the world. Watch the trailer here.

About Sally Andrew

Sally Andrew divides her time between Muizenberg on the Cape Town coast and a nature reserve near Ladismith in the Klein Karoo, South Africa, where she lives with her artist partner and various wildlife (including a giant eland and a secretive leopard). Sally has published a number of non-fiction books on adult and environmental education.

Her first novel, RECIPES FOR LOVE & MURDER: A Tannie Maria Mystery was a Kirkus Best Book of 2015, A Wall Street Journal Best Mystery Book 2015, The Bookseller Fiction editor’s Choice 2015 and A Good Housekeeping Book of the Month. It was recently adapted for television and is available to stream on Acorn TV in the UK, US, Australia and New Zealand, and Latin America.

Praise for THE MILK TART MURDERS

‘Sally Andrew is baaaack! This time with THE MILK TART MURDERS. Tannie Maria and Henk are at the movies when Oom Frik dies, and it might be murder because the Oom had many sought-after treasures. A second death occurs and there is a clue – a letter addressed to Tannie Maria asking for advice and a milk-tart recipe.’ – Jennifer Platt, Sunday Times, ‘Books To Look Out For This Year’

‘The characters in The Milk Tart Murders will have you laughing out loud at some of their antics. Andrew has a magical way with words, creating characters we are all acquainted with: The grumpy old man, the town flirt, the rule-breakers… this book features them all! But Andrew does more than perfectly capture small town life, she has created a cast of characters who tug at your heart strings with their flaws and troubles... The mystery is compelling and has many twists and turns that will have you hooked from the first page.’ – Carmen Coetsee, The South African

‘For me this was one of those rare, comfortable, easy, stay up after midnight reads that I devoured with a few giggles along the way… Andrew's storytelling, pace and attention to detail are delicious. Every chapter ends with a cliff hanger that had me wanting to finish that elusive “one more chapter”.’ – Karen Watkins

‘Sally Andrew’s unexpected turns of phrase leave one laughing out loud, along with several “didn’t see that coming” plot twists and turns. Her characters are larger than life – some much larger – but all totally believable… The Milk Tart Murders is truly recommended as a wonderfully entertaining novel.’ – Barry Meehan, ArtSmart

‘Twists, turns, suspicions, ‘journalistic investigations’, agony aunt recipes – all falls into place, as expected. In a crazy world, Tannie Maria is the coziness you need right now.’ – Roelia Schoeman, The Life and Times of a Boozy Foodie

Visit Sally’s website

Follow Sally on Instagram and X 

Acclaimed series RECIPES FOR LOVE AND MURDER shortlisted for a Rose D'or

We are delighted that the television adaptation of Sally Andrew’s beloved Tannie Maria series, RECIPES FOR LOVE AND MURDER, has been shortlisted in the Comedy Drama and Sitcom category at the Rose d’Or Awards. Established in 1961, the prestigious Rose d’Or Awards celebrate excellence and achievement in International TV and Audio programme making. The nominees for Rose d’Or 2022 will be announced at the start of November, ahead of the Awards which will be presented on November 28th.

Originally broadcast in South Africa on M-Net, RECIPES FOR LOVE AND MURDER is available for streaming on Acorn TV in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, United States, Canada and Latin America. The engaging 10-part series can also be watched on Acorn via Amazon Prime.

Irish actor Maria Doyle Kennedy, whose credits include OUTLANDER and THE TUDORS, stars as series heroine Tannie Maria alongside Tony Kgoroge (INVICTUS), and newcomer Kylie Fisher. See Maria Doyle Kennedy talking about preparing for her role (filming in South Africa, but with a Scottish accent – and with a chicken co-star too!) here.

The series has already received glowing reviews. Christopher Vourlias describes it as ‘a quirky, colourful murder mystery’ and his Variety  piece includes an interview with producer Thierry Cassuto. Roslyn Sulcas praised it in The New York Times writing: ‘The TV series offers the same mix of human drama, gorgeous landscape, local colour and mouth-watering cooking, quietly threaded through with the more serious issues of domestic abuse, racial inequality and the legacies of apartheid… Despite the murders and simmering racial undertones, the show keeps its warm, humorous tone through the quiet, grounded character of Maria, with her empathetic, practical advice – and recipes – in response to the letters she receives.’

Based on the bestselling series debut by Sally Andrew, RECIPES FOR LOVE AND MURDER follows Tannie Maria, a South African advice and food columnist, who finds herself caught up in the death of the husband of one of her correspondents.

What to Watch reviewer Ian MacEwan called the series ‘an unusual mix of food porn and murder mystery, in which cook turned agony Tannie (‘auntie’ in Afrikaans) Maria (Maria Doyle Kennedy) solves crimes, in between sharing her mouth-watering culinary creations.’ You can watch many of the recipes, which also feature in the novels, being prepared step by step onscreen!

As an example, you can catch a glimpse of an episode here – and watch out for Morag’s entrance!

 Filmed in South Africa and Scotland, the series is a co-production between M-Net, AMC Networks’ Acorn TV, and Both Worlds Pictures, in co-operation with Global Screen. Thierry Cassuto, who founded the International Emmy-nominated Cape Town-based Both Worlds Pictures, produced the series in collaboration with Scotland’s Pirate Productions, with development support provided by Creative Scotland, and Paris-based Paradoxal.

The show was adapted for TV by Karen Jeynes, who is also executive producer, along with Scotland-based writer-director Annie Griffin. The series was directed by Christiaan Olwagen and Karen Jeynes.

The full Tannie Maria book series – RECIPES FOR LOVE AND MURDER, THE SATANIC MECHANIC, DEATH ON THE LIMPOPO and THE MILK TART MURDERS – is published by Umuzi (Penguin Random House SA) in South Africa, and the first two books are available from Canongate in the UK and Ecco Press in the US among others – with more news to follow. The Tannie Maria series titles are all bestsellers in South Africa – regularly in the Top 5, with the fourth book, THE MILK TART MURDERS, shooting straight to the top of the combined fiction and non-fiction charts on publication in March 2022.

See here for a letter to Tannie Maria asking for advice, along with Tannie Maria’s response, excerpted from RECIPES FOR LOVE AND MURDER – along with a lamb curry recipe.

And you can watch Sally Andrew herself talking about the film adaptation, the script, some of its characters and stars and what’s she learned from Tannie Maria here. 

About Sally Andrew

Sally Andrew divides her time between the Cape Town coast and a nature reserve near the small town of Ladismith in the Klein Karoo, South Africa, the setting of her hugely popular Tannie Maria novels. She lives with her wildlife artist partner, among various wild creatures (including, as she says, ‘a giant eland and a secretive leopard’). Sally has also published a number of non-fiction books on adult and environmental education.

Praise for RECIPES FOR LOVE AND MURDER TV show

‘The TV series offers the same mix of human drama, gorgeous landscape, local colour and mouth-watering cooking, quietly threaded through with the more serious issues of domestic abuse, racial inequality and the legacies of apartheid… Despite the murders and simmering racial undertones, the show keeps its warm, humorous tone through the quiet, grounded character of Maria, with her empathetic, practical advice – and recipes – in response to the letters she receives.’ – Roslyn Sulcas, The New York Times

 ‘A quirky, colourful murder mystery set in the South African outback.’ – Christopher Vourlias, Variety

 ‘The highly watchable Maria Doyle Kennedy takes the lead in this very fun and quirky crime series, which is based on the book of the same name by Sally Andrew. Tannie Maria (Doyle Kennedy) is a recipe-creator-turned-advice-columnist who gets caught up in a murder mystery based on one of the letters she receives for her column. Teaming up with an investigative journalist to get to the bottom of the case, the pair clash with local police as they run amok across crime scenes.’ – Jenna Guillaume, Flicks, ‘7 TV shows arriving in September that we’re excited for’

Visit Sally’s website.

Follow Sally on Instagram and Twitter.

Sally Andrew’s RECIPES FOR LOVE AND MURDER to be adapted for television by M-Net

Principal photography has begun on the new South African murder mystery series RECIPES FOR LOVE AND MURDER, based on the Tannie Maria novels by Sally Andrew. Starring Outlander actor Maria Doyle Kennedy and Tony Kgoroge, the series will premiere on M-Net (DStv 101) in March 2022 in South Africa and Acorn TV will then bring the show to the US, UK, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. Further territory information will be announced in due course.

The ten-episode series being filmed in the Karoo and Scotland is a co-production between South African network M-Net (part of the Multichoice Group), AMC Networks' Acorn TV, German distributor Global Screen (a brand of Telepool) and Cape Town-based Both Worlds Pictures, who are producing in collaboration with Scottish indie Pirate Productions.

M-Net will hold exclusive rights to the series in Africa and Acorn TV will hold exclusive rights in the US, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand, while Telepool-owned Global Screen will handle distribution for the rest of the world. This quirky, heartwarming and deliciously food-filled  murder mystery series is based on Sally Andrew's acclaimed novel RECIPES FOR LOVE AND MURDER: A TANNIE MARIA MYSTERY and centres on Maria Purvis (played by Kennedy), an advice columnist who investigates the murder of one of her correspondents.

When a woman who has written to Maria about her abusive husband is found dead, Maria joins forces with a courageous rookie journalist, Jessie September (played by newcomer Kylie Fisher). Together the two women set out to solve the small-town murder and catch the killer – before the local police find more victims. Tony Kgoroge plays Khaya Meyer, the local Chief Detective.

Read what Sally Andrew has to say about her experience of optioning film rights to her bestselling series:

https://www.paperturn-view.com/penguin-post-magazine/penguinpost14?pid=MTk198872&p=23&fbclid=IwAR2qX4l6Xgc4n5lWPFJsTQomNYrgImkmtc88cE4OxUpyaxyed6Aqv1H8fBI

The series will also star Elton Landrew (Trackers, Ellen: The Ellen Pakkies Story) as Constable Piet, Arno Greeff (Vaselinetjie) as Warrant Officer Regardt Snyman, Jennifer Steyn (Goodbye Bafana) as the editor of the local paper, and Lee Duru (Mama Jack) as Grace, a domestic worker whose story shakes up the town.

The novel was adapted for television by South African writer Karen Jeynes. Christiaan Olwagen (Kanarie, Poppie Nongena) and David Isaacs (Swartwater, Joe Barber) will direct the project. Karen Jeynes is also an executive producer along with Annie Griffin on the Scottish side, Christiaan Olwagen, star Maria Doyle Kennedy, Acorn’s MD Catherine Mackin, Lesley Pemberton, M-Net’s Yolisa Phahle, Allan Sperling and Jan du Plessis, and Both World’s Thierry Cassuto and Karen Jeynes.

Thierry Cassuto of Both Worlds Pictures says: ‘We are thrilled to partner with M-Net, Acorn and Global Screen to produce this ambitious series brilliantly adapted by Karen Jeynes from the delicious Sally Andrew novels. Viewers can look forward to a dazzling cast and a very intriguing story with a unique tone, which brings together small-town life, murder, love and mouth-watering food, which our extraordinarily talented director Christiaan Olwagen likes to present as The Killing meets Chocolat.’

Yolisa Phahle, CEO of General Entertainment and Connected Video for MultiChoice said: ‘MultiChoice is delighted to partner with Acorn TV and Global Screen on this brilliant murder mystery series. We are proud to be working with South Africa’s talented writer Karen Jeynes and award-winning directors Christiaan Olwagen and David Isaacs. This partnership will continue to put MultiChoice on the forefront of high-quality African television that promotes our ongoing commitment of being Africa’s most-loved storyteller.’

Acorn’s Mackin said: ‘We look forward to bringing this first-ever TV dramatization of Sally Andrew’s renowned novels to life. This series is a prime example of the kind of fascinating, masterfully written stories set around the globe which we’re proud to offer.’

Sally Andrew’s Tannie Maria series has been published in 14 languages and across 5 continents, RECIPES FOR LOVE AND MURDER and THE SATANIC MECHANIC are available from Ecco Press in the US, Canongate in the UK and Penguin Random House South Africa, who have also published DEATH ON THE LIMPOPO . The fourth instalment in the series, THE MILK TART MURDER, will be published by PRH South Africa in March 2022.

Both readers and viewers are in for more Tannie Maria treats!

You can see lots of excellent video clips – featuring beautiful nature and appetising food –  on Sally’s YouTube channel and get a glimpse of Sally and Tannie Maria’s world on her website.

Praise for Sally Andrew’s Tannie Maria series:

‘Sublime’ – Publishers Weekly

‘Vivid, amusing and immensely enjoyable …. A triumph.’ – Alexander McCall Smith

‘Utterly delicious, to the very last morsel.’ — Deon Meyer

‘Detection, recipes and a cracking mystery. An irresistible page-turning debut.’ – Woman & Home

‘An intriguing mystery in an exotic locale, a work of enormous charm.’ — Wall Street Journal

‘A delightful debut, tender and funny.’ – Kirkus

About Sally Andrew

Sally Andrew divides her time between the Cape Town coast and a nature reserve near Ladismith in the Klein Karoo, South Africa, where she lives with her wildlife artist partner, among various wild creatures (including, as she says, ‘a giant eland and a secretive leopard’). Sally has also published a number of non-fiction books on adult and environmental education.

The Tannie Maria series titles are all bestsellers in South Africa – regularly in the Top 5 – and Sally is a firm festival favourite. Sally also receives a stream of fan mail from all around the world – often enquiring how soon the next delicious instalment will reach readers!