Andrea's Reviews > Mastering the Art of French Murder

3.5★ rounded up

Completely irresistible to me with it's promise of post-war Paris, combined with sumptuous food and cosy crime, this book (first in a planned series) mostly delivered. The main characters were engaging, the food was mouth-watering, Julia was believable and the mystery itself kept me turning the pages. While it started off really strong, I felt it became a bit repetitive and drawn-out in the second half, but overall I enjoyed it very much.

Tabitha Knight has been in Paris for about nine months, living free of charge with her Grandfather and Oncle Rafe, in exchange for a little cooking and care when the twin housemaids are off-duty. Tabitha's not much of a cook, but luckily she has been befriended by Madame Julia Child, who lives in an apartment opposite with her husband Paul and sister Dort. The two women visit the local market together where Julia helps young Tabs to select the best produce, plan meals, and then instruct her on how to prepare them. On the way home from one of their market forays, they are distressed to discover that a woman's body has been found dead in the basement of Julia's building. Tabitha recognises the woman as a fellow guest from one of Dort's regular post-show parties the previous evening. Soon the young and handsome but formidable Inspecteur Merveille is on the scene, and it turns out that the murder weapon is very familiar to one of the women...

Tabitha in particular is a great character, and will be strong enough to carry the series forward if that's what happens. She is complex and has a background that supports her language skills, inquisitiveness and 'new feminism' in the era of the story. I'm not overly familiar with the Julia Child mythos other than the basics, but the author's take on her felt authentic, and the story would not have had quite the same spark without her there. Special mention must go to grand-père and Oncle Rafe, who were a delightful couple and a welcome distraction from the murder investigation.

Anyone who loves Paris, food or cosies will enjoy this book, and if you love all three you'll be delighted with it.

With thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an eARC to read and review.