Master of the Art of French Murder

 In this blog post, I reviewed Colleen Cambridge’s Master of the Art of French Murder. The first installment in the American in Paris historical mystery cozy series, you’ll be transported back in time to post-war 1950s in Paris, France. For Tabitha Knight, she’s learning how to cook from Julia Child and tutors French to young students. When she discovered a note with her name on it in Therese Lognon’s dead body, it was up to her to find out more about her. She had run into some people that had thrown her some curveballs, while she worked behind the scenes as a coat check girl in a French theater. She had gotten to know the potential suspects without getting into the crosshairs of the potential killer. When someone else had turned up dead unexpectedly, and was almost hit by a car, it made her more curious as ever to connect the dots without butting heads with Inspector Merveille. As soon as she figured it out, she learned the truth without being discovered to call the police before it was too late.

This compelling historical mystery will leave you hooked on every page.  It’s gripping and puts us front and center of a ghastly crime. I cared for Tabitha, who was simply an American woman, who had gotten into the thick of it all, but had a  good eye for detail. I loved the 1950s settings to transport us to Paris after World War II. The theme is secrets and lies will get you into a heap of trouble.

I rated this enthralling historical cozy mystery novel, four stars.  If you love gripping historical mysteries with plenty of twisted turns and red herrings to throw you in a loop, Master of the Art of French Murder will give you goosebumps. This book is recommended for fans who love historical mysteries like Jacqueline Winspear and Margaret Truman.

Murder Most Fair

 In this blog, I reviewed Anna Lee Huber's Murder Most Fair, the 5th installment in the Verity Kent historical mystery series, this newest edition would raise eyebrows and keep you in suspense. It all started for Verity Kent, a former Secret Service Agent for Winston Churchill, when she relaxed by their London home to enjoy their time together in November 1919. For five long years, the war was tiring to fight their enemies, even when she thought her husband was presumed dead. But when her German great-aunt Ilse arrived at their doorstep, claiming she'd thought she'd seen a second deserter from the war. To calm her great-aunt down, she talked to her about how she was afraid for her life back home in Germany and how someone threatened her life. From London, Verity returned to her hometown of Hawes, when her homecoming was nothing more than bittersweet with her family. The tension was high in the air, even when her great-aunt was ill, and she still mourned her late brother Rob who died in the war a few years ago. In the midst of this all, one of her great-aunt's maids was acting suspicious among the family and was later found dead in the barn by a pitchfork. Now it was up to Verity and Sidney to find out who killed her and why, even if it brought her answers close to home and closer to danger to find out the answer in the end.

 This was a scintillating and intriguing  historical mystery that transported us to the World War I and how it changed history and shaped the world. I cared for Verity, who was a young auburn-haired wife, who loved her family, husband, and entranced life of working for the government. I could see how her estrangement had affected her and her family after Rob's death, even  in her own marriage to Sidney. She had a lot of spunk and tons of courage to put on a brave face. I loved the countryside of Hawes and how the small-knit community came together and supported her family, even when they treated her aunt like a stranger. The theme of the story, which is so related to the past wars of yesterday, is that how it changed people's views and shaped people's lives today: it affects everybody, no matter what side you were on.

If you love daring historical mysteries that deal with factual drama from the past, intriguing suspense, and plenty of non-stop action to keep you hooked on reading, this delightful book is a must-read for you.