The world with its troubles stops in its tracks for me when a new addition to Bruce Beckham’s “Detective Inspector Skelgill Investigates” series is released. For hours I lose myself in Beckham’s vivid fictional world, eager to spend time with his appealing trio of detectives: DI Daniel Skelgill himself, DS Emma Jones, and DS Leyton. This book features the haute cuisine of Cumbria’s finest restaurants, as the detectives try to discover whether several poisonings are accidental or intentional. They race against time to try to prevent more poisonings, fearing that “murder is on the menu”. The theme of poisoning is a mainstay of classic detective fiction, and here it receives a fresh and inventive twist. When I finished the book (practically nonstop), I gave myself a short break before diving back in for a second reading, as always even more enjoyable and satisfying than the first. This is the 26th book in the series, and I continue to marvel at Beckham's rare ability to spin a compelling tale, develop lovable characters, and evoke the beauty of the Lake District. "Murder on the Menu" is now my new favorite book of the series.