Mastering the Art of French Murder
Mastering the Art of French Murder (An American in Paris #1)
By: Colleen Cambridge
“I suppose if one could count having a father for an investigator and reading mystery novels as the groundwork for real-life detection experience, I was as prepared as anyone.”
I would probably classify this book as a ‘cozy mystery.’ (Even though there is a bloody knife and skulls and crossbones on the front…)
There is a double murder to solve and a killer at large, but it’s within the context of a light-hearted friendship between Tabitha (our protagonist) and Julia Child (the not-yet-famous chef). Hence the play on words with the title.
Tellingly, the first line of the book is: “Julia Child had a mayonnaise problem.”
This is a work of fiction even though Julia Child is a character. The author takes artistic liberties with Child. Basing this book in Paris while Child, an American, is studying culinary arts at Le Cordon Bleu, befriends a neighbor— Tabitha— who is also an American, and a terrible cook.
In between Tabitha’s Nancy Drew escapades, she is learning how to cook from Julia so she can prepare meals for her grandfather and uncle (who is not actually her uncle) at their house where she is living for awhile post-WWII. (Also, why didn’t we find out more about Tabitha’s investigator father?)
And, of course, Julia is working on making mayonnaise.
Not to spoil it but…. “we celebrate the solving of two mysteries this week: The Murder With the Chef’s Knife and The Problem of the Bad Mayonnaise!”
It’s a book that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Tabitha even makes remarks as she sets out to investigate on her own that if things ‘were like a Nancy Drew story’ then coincidences would actually be clues, etc.
And Julia says, “‘Just like an Agatha Christie novel— all the questions answered at the end, and the villain is caught, and everyone else is happy—’”
So, in case you were wondering, they DO solve the mystery. I had my suspicions and the killer wasn’t out of left field but it was still a nice mystery and I second guessed myself a few times.
Having just watched The Pink Panther with my kids, I couldn’t help but read the French detective in Steve Martin’s French accent, haha.
I am not a pet-person so all the comments about their pets and cats got a little old, but apparently:
“Cats seemed to be just as much an integral part of Paris as her food and lights.”
And I just googled it to confirm: There are 13.5 million cats in France— the second (to Germany) highest number in all of Europe.
I guess Cambridge did her research!
Another thing that annoyed me was all the times we were told they laughed at something funny. Sometimes I prefer to decide for myself if the characters laughed. I can usually tell when something funny is written. But this is a nit-picky thing.
I thought it was interesting that the author indicates that she wanted to write about a female who had had ‘a man’s job’ during the war (a.k.a Rosie the Riveter) but then were at a loss when all the men came home and worked their jobs again.
Tabitha is one such woman.
“I’d always been a bit of a tomboy, to the dismay of my very ladylike French mother and grandmother.”
No longer needed to rivet on planes, she has taken a leave in Paris. Using her ‘detective skills’ gives her a bit of purpose… and a reason to wear trousers, which is illegal in Paris unless riding a bike.
I also learned about coca-colonization which began during the time period this book is set in. The French did not like the expansion of Coke in their country as they associated it with the Communist party and feared it was a distribution system for spies.
Which reminds me… have any of you tried Faygo pop? (It makes a cameo in the book. Shout out to Detroit… or should I say De-twa…)
In conclusion, this is not a hard-hitting intense thriller. But it’s a cozy, clean mystery with a twinge of historical fiction and has it’s own suspense at the climax of the book.
I would recommend this book to readers looking something lighter but still with a decent plot.
And to readers who would like to learn how to cook a chicken and make mayonnaise.
[Content Advisory- clean book- no swearing or sexual content]
**Received an ARC via NetGalley**
This book releases in April, 2023. You may preorder a copy of this book using my affiliate link below.
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