Thanks to @doubledaybooks for sending me Cursed Bread by Sophie Mackintosh. This book!! I did not want to put it down. It centers on Elodie, a baker’s wife in a the small French town of Pont-Saint-Esprit, where she lives a modest life after World War II. Elodie feels trapped in a marriage devoid of intimacy, and longs to be touched, though she doesn’t see herself as attractive or desirable. When a mysterious new couple arrives in town, an ambassador and his glamorous, put-together wife Violet, Elodie is swept up by them. She’s easily flattered by extra attention, and searches for meaning in her private moments with the interlopers.

Elodie is a complicated character. She is the archivist of the town’s secrets, but she is slow to piece together clues when it comes to looking inward and understanding her own circumstances. This book is based on a true mystery - the poisoning of a town - but even knowing the end, the slow burn to unravel the full story kept me reading.

This book reminded me a lot of Bitter Orange by Claire Fuller, so if you liked that one, put this one on your list! Overall, I really liked this one. Keep it in mind for when you’re in the mood for a dark, compelling story of enigmatic relationships and devious intentions.