A Murder Most French (An American In Paris Mystery)
In Paris in January 1950, American Tabitha Knight is settling back into her usual routine of tutoring the children of other expatriates in math, science, and French, as well as improving her cooking skills under the careful tutelage of her friend Julia Child, the future famous chef. Just a few weeks ago, Tabitha and Julia were involved in a murder investigation after a woman was found dead in Julia’s apartment building, and Tabitha was nearly murdered herself in the process.
Eager to hone her cooking skills to better feed her “messieurs”—her French grandfather and his partner with whom she lives—Tabitha is happy to attend a cooking demonstration with Julia at the culinary school Le Cordon Bleu. But when the famed chef giving the demonstration drops dead in front of the audience after taking a sip of a rare vintage wine, Tabitha finds herself dragged into another murder investigation that eventually hits very close to home.
Cambridge has delivered another delightful cozy that takes readers on a trip through the spookier side of Paris, including memorable scenes in the catacombs that run beneath the city’s streets. While the scenes with Julia Child are sprightly and entertaining, where Cambridge really shines is in her descriptions of postwar France. For the cast of characters, the trauma of the Nazi occupation of Paris is still fresh, leading the citizenry to view their own police force with suspicion. Combined with some clever plot twists, the deep setting immerses readers in the mid-century world of Tabitha Knight and her best friend. This one is definitely worth a read.
