Recipes for Love and Murder, season 2, moves forward with the story of Tannie Maria (Maria Doyle Kennedy) and her new life in Eden, South Africa. She gives advice in the local newspaper, creates beautiful food, and helps solve some new murders.

Recipes for Love and Murder is one of my all time favorite series. Season 2 did not disappoint. Most of the main characters from season 1 remain the same.

Here’s a quick review of the characters who returned. Maria is back, of course. Working with her in the newspaper office are Jessie (Kylie Fisher), the ambitious investigative reporter, and Hattie (Jennifer Steyn), the editor. Hattie runs for mayor this season and the mayoral race is an ongoing story.

Also returning is Khaya (Tony Kgoroge), the police chief. Khaya and Maria started a romance in season. It sputters a bit in season 2. The policeman Piet (Elton Landrew) is back and relentlessly investigates the new murders. The policeman Regardt (Arno Greeff), who is romancing Jessie, is still around.

New faces this season include Jackie (Hlubi Mboya), a new undertaker in town. She’s very attractive and distracting to a certain police chief. Ricus (Gérard Rudolf) is a mechanic/therapist and goes by the name The Satanic Mechanic. He’s attractive and distracting to a certain advice columnist. Regardt’s younger brother Jaco (Wynand Ferreira) comes home from a stint in rehab. He’s attractive and distracting to a certain investigative reporter.

Most important, however, are Maria’s sister-in-law and her husband from Scotland – Aileen (Robyn Scott) and Gordon (Richard Wright-Firth). Gordon is determined to prove that Maria killed her husband in Scotland because Aileen is named in the will as getting half of her brother’s estate. Meaning, Aileen is entitled to half of Tannie Maria’s home and land. If Gordon can prove Maria guilty, Aileen will get it all. Gordon wants to get his hands on the house and land ASAP and sell it for big money.

The first murder is of a man who wrote to Maria for advice about infidelity. He and his wife Georgie (Kazi Khuboni) were active in the church. There is more than one murder, but it would be a terrible spoiler to reveal who the others were so I’ll keep quiet.

There you have the plot strands for season 2: Maria’s in danger of losing her home, the race for mayor, and the murders. Mixed in with those plotlines are more delectable looking meals prepared, the ups and downs of love among the various lovers, and advice columns about coming out as gay, feeling lonely, and getting a good night’s sleep.

Because of everything Tannie Maria went through in season 1, she’s a little tougher and bolder this season. She’s not holding on to her secrets quite as hard and makes some major confessions about what she’s been running from. We see into her character with more clarity. Maria Doyle Kennedy is so lovely in this role. She makes Tannie Maria someone to love.

One thing that changed from season 1 was the music. I remember really loving how some of the music in season 1 had an authentic African feel and vibe. Season 2 features more pop music, including a Maria Doyle Kennedy song playing during the credits. There’s nothing wrong with a pop song when the lyrics fit the plot, but I did miss that authentic feel to the soundtrack.

Recipes for Love and Murder is streaming on Acorn TV. The series is based on the Tannie Maria Mystery Novels by Sally Andrew, the series was adapted for television by Karen Jeynes who also directed some of the episodes.