A Fashionably French Murder

American ex-pat Tabitha Knight is now well settled into her new life in post-war Paris. Happily ensconced in her own apartment in her French grandfather’s house, she is enjoying giving English lessons, visiting the markets and cafés, and making new friends.

Her new best friend Julia Child (yes, that Julia Child, currently attending cooking school in Paris) has been teaching her to cook so she can prepare delicious meals for her grandfather and his partner, Rafe, to thank them for their hospitality.

The daughter of a detective, Tabitha is getting a bit of a reputation for coming across murder victims and then helping the police find their killers—so no one is surprised when she finds another body in this third episode of the series. This time, she was accompanying an English woman to a private showing at Maison Lannet, an exclusive haute couture atelier, to act as her translator. After she left the viewing, Tabitha realized she must have dropped a glove, so she went back to the salon to look for it. The door was still unlocked and the lights on, so she went in—and found the body of the couturier, Rose-Marie Lannet, lying on the floor, strangled to death by a piece of lace.

Colleen Cambridge’s novel takes us into the intriguing and competitive world of 1950s Parisian fashion. After the deprivations of the war made fabric scarce, haute couture is making a comeback, with fabulous new fabrics and designs leading to the rise of the New Look fashion movement, with Christian Dior at the helm. Through her network of friends, Tabitha meets the mannequins who model the exclusive gowns and hears many of the secrets of the fashion world and those who work in it—including Rose-Marie Lannet.

Although Tabitha’s favorite (handsome but engaged) detective, Étienne Merveille, tries to discourage her from doing any sleuthing in this case, she can’t help asking questions—especially of people who are unlikely to open up to the police. The mystery is a good one, with a plot that becomes more complicated before it resolves, and is peopled by delightful characters from Tabitha’s household and circle of friends. Julia’s cooking adventures and her loving descriptions of her recipes, as well as Tabitha’s descriptions of her attempts to cook them, add another entertaining dimension to this charming historical cozy mystery.

With thanks to Kensington Publishing for a copy to read.