Review
NOTE: this review was written for the book under it's original title, Toujours Dead.
Ooh la la! What could be more romantic than spending a carefree, rent-free year in the South of France with a tall, hunky Frenchman who loves to cook? If you're Maggie Newberry, you might be hard pressed to find an answer to that question, despite the few inconveniences she discovers upon arriving in Provence to help boyfriend Laurent settle affairs with an inherited vineyard.
It's not enough that several locals are breathing down Laurent's neck and pressuring him to sell his land, but Maggie appears to have her own collection of detractors. Sneering Gaston LaSalle, the spawn of gypsy stock, has made harrassing Maggie a top priority, while local tart Babette (who, appropriately, works in the bakery) is hell-bent on seducing Laurent. It's a sure bet Maggie would tell them what to do with themselves...if only she knew enough French.
Oh, and did I mention the dead body found in the basement of Maggie's house on Thanksgiving? That the house was also the scene of a brutal multiple homicide committed fifty years ago which continues to haunt the village and her residents? Come to think of it, maybe Maggie could think of more romantic things.
If you're looking for something mysterious, a mystery with a French twist, consider a stop in Provence with Susan Kiernan-Lewis's Toujours Dead. Toujours follows Maggie through her adjustment to country living, her friendship with expatriates Grace and Windsor Van Sant, and ultimately the murder of a brash American opportunist which she believes is connected to the half-century-old massacre that happened on her front steps. Lewis paints a desirable picture of Provence and creates in her townsfolk an array of interesting characters one would hope to meet on a European vacation.
Especially Laurent. A gorgeous Frenchman who cooks? If anyone needs me, I'll be at Priceline.com.
Ooh la la! What could be more romantic than spending a carefree, rent-free year in the South of France with a tall, hunky Frenchman who loves to cook? If you're Maggie Newberry, you might be hard pressed to find an answer to that question, despite the few inconveniences she discovers upon arriving in Provence to help boyfriend Laurent settle affairs with an inherited vineyard.
It's not enough that several locals are breathing down Laurent's neck and pressuring him to sell his land, but Maggie appears to have her own collection of detractors. Sneering Gaston LaSalle, the spawn of gypsy stock, has made harrassing Maggie a top priority, while local tart Babette (who, appropriately, works in the bakery) is hell-bent on seducing Laurent. It's a sure bet Maggie would tell them what to do with themselves...if only she knew enough French.
Oh, and did I mention the dead body found in the basement of Maggie's house on Thanksgiving? That the house was also the scene of a brutal multiple homicide committed fifty years ago which continues to haunt the village and her residents? Come to think of it, maybe Maggie could think of more romantic things.
If you're looking for something mysterious, a mystery with a French twist, consider a stop in Provence with Susan Kiernan-Lewis's Toujours Dead. Toujours follows Maggie through her adjustment to country living, her friendship with expatriates Grace and Windsor Van Sant, and ultimately the murder of a brash American opportunist which she believes is connected to the half-century-old massacre that happened on her front steps. Lewis paints a desirable picture of Provence and creates in her townsfolk an array of interesting characters one would hope to meet on a European vacation.
Especially Laurent. A gorgeous Frenchman who cooks? If anyone needs me, I'll be at Priceline.com.
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