The French Riviera is the place to be this summer. I know it is the off-season as it can be unbearably hot, but more and more people are vacationing there earlier. I just saw the Lord and Lady Grantham there when I watched the second Downton Abbey movie a couple of weeks ago. Now Lady Eleanor Swift and her staff have taken a villa on the seaside to enjoy a nice, quiet rest.
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| May 2022; Bookouture; 978-1803143224 audio, ebook, print (300 pages); cozy mystery |
The story opens with Eleanor taking in the wonderful view of the Mediterranean sea and the reader is immediately transported to the French Riviera. I don't know about you, but I could use a nice, quiet seaside vacation just about now.
Unfortunately, the very thing that Clifford had hoped Eleanor could take a break from is discovered mere hours after they have arrived. The trunks and cases haven't even been unpacked yet, when Clifford, the ever efficient butler, stumbles upon a dead body while taking inventory of the wine cellar. Surely the French police can handle the case and Eleanor can continue her vacation in peace.
Enter French police inspector Damboise. Immediately I thought of Agatha Christie's Inspector Poirot. And I got to test a little bit of my French. Don't worry if you don't speak French - it's just a few phrase here and there and they are usually translated or you can tell their meaning from the rest of the text.
The little village that Eleanor is vacationing in is hurting for money - as are many small tourist locales following the Great War (WWI). An American movie production has chosen a nearby town as a filming location and the mayor is keen to keep Americans (and their strong American dollars) coming to the area. So Eleanor is coerced into helping with the murder investigation.
I really enjoyed this delightful cozy mystery. I have been reading this series for a while now (though I still haven't had the time to go back to pick up the first couple of novels I missed at the beginning of the series). While this is book 10, I think you can pick up with this book even if you haven't read any of this series before.
I really did find everything about the book delightful. Perhaps it is just my desire to travel again and need for a vacation, but I loved the French Riviera setting. Though I'm sure it is quite different now than it was in the 1920s (the time period of the story), I still want to visit.
I loved the French Inspector. He is quite the foil to Eleanor's British Chief Inspector. I still love Hugh, but I really enjoyed the carefree nature of Damboise.
When they are in England, I always picture a somewhat dark (I always think it is overcast there) and kind of depressed (probably because I also always think it is cold there) in the winter sort of way. In stark contrast, the French Riviera setting gave me the impression of gaiety and bright, warm sunshine which immediately uplighted my mood when I opened the book.
If you are needing a mental vacation, why not join Eleanor, Clifford, and the rest of the cast on the French Riviera? Even with a murder to be solved, there will be plenty of fun for you to enjoy.
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Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.
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Hi Donna - thanks for your wonderful review. I haven't had a chance to see the new Downton film yet - was it good? I was in the French Riviera recently and it's still quite magical. And I do live I the UK. The weather is nowhere near as bad as people think - London, for instance, is much drier than Paris. However, I think I'd still live on the Riviera if I could :)
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