A Fashionably French Murder
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4.2 • 6 Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
American expat Tabitha Knight has found a new life in postwar Paris, along with a delightful friend in aspiring chef Julia Child. Yet there are perils in peacetime too, as a killer infiltrates one of the city’s most famous fashion houses.
If there’s one art the French have mastered as well as fine cuisine, it’s haute couture. Tabitha and Julia are already accustomed to sampling the delights of the former. Now fashion is returning to the forefront in Paris, as the somber hues of wartime are replaced by vibrant colors and ultra-feminine silhouettes, influenced by Christian Dior’s “New Look.”
Tabitha and Julia join a friend for a private showing at an exclusive fashion atelier, Maison Lannet. The event goes well, but when Tabitha returns later that evening to search for a lost glove, she finds the lights still on—and the couturier dead, strangled by a length of lace. The shop manager suspects that a jealous rival—perhaps Dior himself—committed the crime. Tabitha dismisses that idea, but when another body is found, it’s apparent that someone is targeting employees of Maison Lannet.
Meanwhile, Tabitha’s Grand-père and Oncle Rafe are in the midst of their own design-related fracas, as they squabble over how to decorate their new restaurant. And there are strange break-ins at a nearby shoe store—but are the crimes related? It’s up to Tabitha to don her investigative hat and find answers before someone commits another fatal fashion faux pas.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
American expat Tabitha Knight and her neighbor, Julia Child, return to sleuthing in Cambridge's delicious third cozy featuring the food-loving gumshoes (after Murder Most French). In 1950s Paris, Julia recommends Tabitha as a translator for a wealthy American acquaintance who's shopping for his daughter's couture wedding dress. After all three leave a private showing at Madame Lannet's atelier, Tabitha realizes she's left a glove behind. When she returns to the shop a few hours later, she finds the designer dead. As Tabitha digs into the matter, Lannet's manager implies that Christian Dior might be killing his competitors. Initially, Tabitha writes it off as a crackpot bit of industry gossip; when someone else is murdered, however, she starts to take the idea seriously. Buttressing Tabitha's investigation are witty culinary tips from Julia (including pointers for making crepes "as delicate as a man's ego"), vivid historical tidbits about postwar Paris, and elegant descriptions of couture gowns. Shrewd, fair-play clues and vibrant characters who continue to evolve as the series progresses are a bonus. This is terrific fun for foodies and Francophiles alike.
