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anabel_unker 's review for:
Mastering the Art of French Murder
by Colleen Cambridge
*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity.*
Tabitha Knight, far from her hometown of Detroit, Michigan, has begun a new life in the romantic city of Paris, France. After losing her job as a riveter at the end of the Second World War, Tabitha was invited to live with her grandfather and 'uncle' in the City of Light and hasn't looked back since. Her life is full with the joys of exploring her new city, tutoring fellow Americans, and sometimes wearing daring (but fashionable) pants as she cycles through the city. Her friend and neighbor, Julia Child, is also helping her improve her skills in the kitchen-- but that's definitely a work in progress. However, Tabitha's life is turned upside down when an acquaintance is found murdered in the Child's building and she finds herself (and those she loves) in the midst of a harrowing investigation.
MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH MURDER is a delightful and fun murder mystery-- with just enough self-deprecation to keep it from slipping into cheesy territory. There were several twists that weren't completely unexpected, but were entertaining none the less. Plot aside, it was the characters that truly shone in this book. Tabitha is a wonderful mix of gritty and feminine (without quite going into the 'I'm not like other girls' trope, but then she literally said that line at one point... so...) and she makes a compelling main character and amateur sleuth. Julia Child, already a larger-than-life person in real life, is such a treat to experience in fiction.
And I have to give an accolade to the audiobook narrator. Polly Lee did SUCH a wonderful job of bringing every single character to life-- the reading was full of well-executed accents (including a spot-on Julia Child impression!), unique voices, as well as an effective dramatic reading overall. I love it when narrators follow the natural ebb and flow to the dialogue, including volume changes, and Polly Lee did such a good job executing Tabitha's wit I found myself laughing out loud more than once.
Tabitha Knight, far from her hometown of Detroit, Michigan, has begun a new life in the romantic city of Paris, France. After losing her job as a riveter at the end of the Second World War, Tabitha was invited to live with her grandfather and 'uncle' in the City of Light and hasn't looked back since. Her life is full with the joys of exploring her new city, tutoring fellow Americans, and sometimes wearing daring (but fashionable) pants as she cycles through the city. Her friend and neighbor, Julia Child, is also helping her improve her skills in the kitchen-- but that's definitely a work in progress. However, Tabitha's life is turned upside down when an acquaintance is found murdered in the Child's building and she finds herself (and those she loves) in the midst of a harrowing investigation.
MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH MURDER is a delightful and fun murder mystery-- with just enough self-deprecation to keep it from slipping into cheesy territory. There were several twists that weren't completely unexpected, but were entertaining none the less. Plot aside, it was the characters that truly shone in this book. Tabitha is a wonderful mix of gritty and feminine (without quite going into the 'I'm not like other girls' trope, but then she literally said that line at one point... so...) and she makes a compelling main character and amateur sleuth. Julia Child, already a larger-than-life person in real life, is such a treat to experience in fiction.
And I have to give an accolade to the audiobook narrator. Polly Lee did SUCH a wonderful job of bringing every single character to life-- the reading was full of well-executed accents (including a spot-on Julia Child impression!), unique voices, as well as an effective dramatic reading overall. I love it when narrators follow the natural ebb and flow to the dialogue, including volume changes, and Polly Lee did such a good job executing Tabitha's wit I found myself laughing out loud more than once.