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Parisian Capers: A Fashionably French Murder & Love (and Trouble) in Paris

30 Apr

A Fashionably French Murder
by Colleen Cambridge

A Fashionably French Murder is the third in the charming American in Paris series. The series focuses on Tabitha Knight who grew up in America, but is now staying with her French Grandfather and his companion in Paris. Tabitha tries to help out by cooking for the two gentleman, but is only slowly gaining skills from her famous ex-pat best friend, Julia Child. The novels bring in interesting details from history and about Julia Child and other notable Parisians lives as well featuring interesting mysteries. In this story Tabitha is helping translate for a mother of a bride at a haute couture salon where the rising star designer is murdered. Could the infamous Dior be involved? I enjoyed learning more about the history of French fashion such as the fact that the models at the designer’s studios were referred to mannequins. Although I was originally interested in the series because of Julia Child hook, Tabitha and the other original characters are so engaging that I enjoy the series even when she is taking more of a background role such as in this story. You can read my previous blog posts about books one and two. Book one in the series for today, 4/30/25, is part of Hoopla’s Bonus Borrows, which means you can borrow it without using one of your Hoopla checkouts for April until midnight!

Love (and Trouble) in Paris
Love (and Trouble) in Paris is a fun French Rom-Com from 2022 that will appeal to Francophile fans of Sex and the City. Thirty-six year old chronically (and comedically) clumsy Julie, played by Maud Baecker, is tired of fielding questions from her family about when she will be getting married. On a cab ride home from her sister’s wedding she hears a message from her dream guy declaring his love, unfortunately it isn’t her phone but that of another woman left in the cab. That doesn’t stop Julie from trying to hook up with her ideal Mr Right played by François Vincentelli. Meanwhile Nicolas, Paul Deby, has moved in with Julie, who believes he is one of the candidates from a website designed to match straight women with gay male roommates, but secretly Nicolas is straight and beginning to develop a crush on Julie. Added to this over the top chaos are Julie’s two bffs: Ava, an overwhelmed mother, and Manon, the queen of hook ups. Manon is played by Isabelle Vitari and Ava is Nadia Roz, who also played a mom in Louis XXVIII. If you enjoyed Emily in Paris, you may enjoy seeing this French take on romantic comedy set in the City of Love. The first two episodes have me hooked and I look forward to binging the rest when I have some time.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

Mind-Blowing Murder Mysteries by Romance Authors: Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder and Murder By Memory

19 Mar

Check out these two new mysteries whose author makes the jump from solving the mysteries of the heart to writing intriguing murder mysteries. Of course they couldn’t resist including a little romance in there too!

Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder
by Bellamy Rose

In Pomona Afton Can Solve a Murder, Pomona, a New York hotel heiress, is frozen out of all her accounts when her grandmother dies under suspicious circumstances. In order to get back the lifestyle she has grown accustomed to she will have to figure out what really happened to her grandmother. The son of her former Nanny, Gabe, gives her a place to crash and a helping hand; his mom’s retirement is also on hold till the killer is found. Though Pomona wonders if the money might be worth less than having Gabe’s love in the long run. I enjoyed the many twists and turns the mystery took and the romance between Gabe and Pomona was sweet, but I thought the novel also had interesting things to say about friendships, familial relationships and the pressure that money can put on even the best people to make not so ethical decisions. This reminded me a bit of the funny sitcom Two Broke Girls if they had to solve a mystery. Rose writes romances under the name, Amanda Elliot, including Love You a Latke and Best Served Hot.

Murder by Memory
by Olivia Waite

Murder by Memory is a novella that packs a lot into its short length with a mystery set on a generational ship, the Fairweather, where death doesn’t have to be the end as long as a person’s memories are properly backed up. During an electric storm, Dorothy awakens from a long rest after her previous lifetime, but not in her own body. She is one of the ship’s detectives and this case is particularly important since someone is not only killing bodies which can be replaced, but also deleting minds from the storage library. I enjoyed the cozy mystery aspect of the story and also the interesting science fiction world building of the story which includes drinks which can bring to life memories like summer thunderstorms. I hope we see more of Dorothy and the Fairweather in the future. Fan’s of Waite’s Feminine Pursuits series of historical lesbian romances, The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics, The Hellion’s Waltz, and The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows will enjoy the bit of romance that Waite also infuses into her Murder by Memory plot.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager