Mastering the Art of French Murder: Book Review

Mastering the Art of French Murder is the first book in a new cozy mystery series by Colleen Cambridge. With an anticipated release date of April 25, 2023, Mastering the Art of French Murder finds readers in Paris in 1950. Tabitha is an American living in Paris with her estranged grand-pere and uncle, who suddenly finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation.

I want to thank Kensington Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Mastering the Art of French Murder. All opinions presented here are solely mine.

Synopsis from Goodreads

As Paris rediscovers its joie de vivre, Tabitha Knight, who recently arrived from Detroit for an extended stay with her French grandfather, is on her own journey of discovery. Paris isn’t just the City of Light; it’s the city of history, romance, stunning architecture . . . and food. Thanks to her neighbor and friend Julia Child, another ex-pat who’s fallen head over heels for Paris, Tabitha is learning how to cook for her Grandpère and Oncle Rafe.

Between tutoring Americans in French, visiting the market, and eagerly sampling the results of Julia’s studies at Le Cordon Bleu cooking school, Tabitha’s sojourn is proving thoroughly delightful. That is, until the cold December day, they return to Julia’s building and learn that a body has been found in the cellar. Tabitha recognizes the victim as a woman she’d met only the night before, at a party given by Julia’s sister, Dort. The murder weapon found nearby is recognizable, too—a knife from Julia’s kitchen.

Tabitha is eager to help the investigation but is shocked when Inspector Merveille reveals that a note in Tabitha’s handwriting was found in the dead woman’s pocket. Is this murder a case of international intrigue or something far more personal? From the shadows of the Tour Eiffel at midnight, to the tiny third-floor Child kitchen, to the grungy streets of Montmartre, Tabitha navigates through the city hoping to find the real killer before she or one of her friends ends up in prison . . . or worse.

My Opinions

Tabitha is a young woman trying to figure out her place in the world after World War II and living in Paris with her grandfather. Her closest friends are Julia Child and her sister Dort who live across the street. One day after visiting with Dort and some of her theater friends, Tabitha finds herself thrust into a murder investigation. Taking offense that the police are focusing on Julia and herself, Tabitha decides to do a little detecting of her own. If Nancy Drew, Miss Marple, and Hercule Poirot can do it, why can’t Tabitha?

This historical cozy mystery is the first in the An American in Paris Series by Colleen Cambridge. The author includes a note at the beginning of the story stating that Paul and Julia Child and her sister Dorothy (aka Dort) were real people living in Paris; the story is complete fiction. But isn’t it great to imagine what Julia Child was like in Paris in the 1950s? What adventures did she have when she wasn’t attending Le Cordon Bleu?

Cambridge has written a complex cast of characters and given each their own personality, thus making it easier to relate to them. Julia is portrayed much as she was in the movie Julie and Julia, bigger than life with a burning passion for making French cuisine. Tabitha is a woman in her mid-20s who is trying to figure out who she is after the war’s end and her beloved grandmother’s passing. Grand-Pere and Oncle Rafe are such mischievous gentlemen with interesting backgrounds.

If I can give one fault to the book, it is the mix of French and English. I understand the book is set in Paris, so the characters mostly speak French. But is it necessary to drop French phrases repeatedly? I found myself stumbling over them a little from time to time as I do not speak the language.

Another fault with the book was that I guessed who the culprit was halfway through the book. I didn’t know the motivation until the end, and even with the one given, I feel like more could have been done. Maybe what I see as loose ends were left open, so Cambridge had a way to move the series forward?

A third fault with the book is the distinct lack of recipes at the end! How can you have a book talk about food so much and not share any recipes? Though there is a scene that involved Julia instructing Tabitha on the proper way to roast a chicken.

Are you a fan of cozy mysteries? What about reading books with fictionalized versions of real people? Do you feel like Nancy Drew helped create the person you are now? What about Agatha Christie? Or Julia Child? Then you should give Mastering the Art of French Murder a read!

Looking for some more books to read? Check out my bookish lists, book reviews, and monthly reading wrap-ups.