'Recipes for Love & Murder' Cooks Up a Season 2 Premiere Date

There's been reporting on and off about how bad the local journalism crisis is, but most people don't realize that it's not limited to the U.S.; it's literally a global crisis, whether you live here in the U.S. or in the U.K., or.... anywhere that has local papers. The issue has become pronounced enough that it's the basis for not one, but two cozy crime series renewed for Season 2. There's the Irish-set Obituary on Hulu, where the death notice writer starts hurrying the elderly residents along so she can stay employed, and the South African-set Recipes for Love & Murder, where the food columnist is forced to switch sections, only to get involved in solving local crime. The latter has now set the table for a return date on Aocrn TV.

As the adorable title suggests, Recipes for Love & Murder, like Obituary, is supposed to be funny and light-hearted even as it focuses on murder. After all, the series premise is based on the cookery columnist becoming the town Agony Aunt because everyone has Food Network, only to realize her letters are often from victims who turn up in the local unsolved crime section. There's going to be a lot of food puns to help the murders go down easier.

However, Season 2 of the series starts off with a surprising twist, which may be just a little too close to home for some U.S. viewers.

Here's the Season 2 synopsis, which notably seems more geared to a season-long arc than Season 1's mystery of the week format:

When a massive fire engulfs the small town of Eden, a fateful chain of events is triggered, and Tannie Maria, Jessie, and Khaya get dragged into a multiple murder investigation that unearths the town’s darkest secrets. 

The episode titles also bolster the theory that this season, the cases of the week will all lead back to the main plot arc.

• Episode 1: “Once Upon a Time”  (March 3)
• Episode 2: “A Little Guilt Goes a Long Way” (March 3)
• Episode 3: “The Heart Wants What the Heart Wants” (March 10)
• Episode 4: “His Favourite Snoek” (March 17)
• Episode 5: “Crash Bang Wallop” (March 24)
• Episode 6: “Home is Where the Bearnaise is” (March 31)
• Episode 7: “Come Home to Roost” (April 7)
• Episode 8: “Always Look After Your Pots” (April 14)

Maria Doyle Kennedy (Outlander) returns for Season 2 as Tannie Maria, with Kylie Fisher (Troukoors/Wedding Fever) as her partner in crime-solving, Jessie and Tony Kgoroge (Black Sails) as Chief Detective Khaya Meyer. Most of the supporting cast returns as well, including Khadija Heeger (White Lies), Elton Landrew (Spinners), Arno Greeff (Blood & Water), Jennifer Steyn (Master Harold and the Boys), Grant Swanby (Invasion), Kazi Khuboni (Devil's Peak), Terence Bridgett (G20), and Lee Duru (Mama Jack). Season 2 will add Wynand Ferreira (Wyfie), Gerard Rudolph (Donkerland), and Hlubi Mboya (Blood Psalms). 

Karen Jeynes returns to pen all episodes of Recipes for Love & Murder Season 2, with new director Jozua Malherbe taking over from Season 1's Christiaan Olwagen and Thierry Cassuto producing. 

Recipes for Love & Murder Season 2 debuts with two episodes on Acorn TV starting Monday, March 3, 2025, with one a week to follow through mid-April.