Mastering the Art of French Murder
Overall Ranking 4) Totally Optional
What is the book about?
Ooh La La, Someone’s Been Murdered! Picture this. It’s 1949. Paris is freshly liberated, the wine is flowing, and the butter is... well, it's everywhere. We follow two Americans navigating the City of Light: Tabitha Knight, a former "Rosie the Riveter" who traded building bombers in America for a quiet life in France, and her neighbor, a tall, boisterous, and slightly eccentric woman obsessed with discovering the joys of French cuisine (and who will eventually bring it to America via television and a bestselling cookbook series) named Julia Child.
While the duo spends their days navigating the gorgeous street markets, a gruesome discovery turns the city of lights ugly. A young woman is found dead, stabbed through the heart with Julia Child’s own chef’s knife. Suddenly, our favorite culinary icon and her plucky neighbor are the prime suspects in a recipe for disaster.
Would I recommend reading it?
As a writer, I always feel the itch to uncover a hidden truth or find a never-before-seen twist. To be perfectly honest, I doubt anything I have to say today hasn't already been whispered about Mastering the Art of French Murder, but I’m going to plate it up my way regardless.
If asked to describe this book in one word, I’d say it’s pleasant, though "charming" is trying its hardest to elbow its way into the conversation. Colleen Cambridge can write, and she can write well. There is a certain mastery at work here regarding her characters, particularly Julia. She is likely the reason you’re picking this up, but Cambridge is smart enough to let her shine without letting her overwhelm the plot. It never feels like a dry term paper on Julia Child research; it feels like having a very passionate, very loud friend.
The scenes are painted with distinctive, buttery strokes. All of the characters feel like fully fleshed-out human beings with real motivations. Tabitha, in particular, is a delight. When she investigates, she wavers between being brilliantly intuitive and dangerously naïve. She misses obvious clues and then obsessively chases down tiny ones that stand out to her but may not stand out so much to us, acting exactly how a rational, non-detective human would behave when dropped into a homicide.
If there had been no murder at all, I dare say I would still recommend this book. It is such a joy to wander the Parisian streets, smelling the markets and meeting the colorful French personalities. However, the "whodunit" side of the menu is where I have my notes. I’m not saying the resolution is bad, but it left me with a few lingering aftertastes. My first moment of pause was the sheer volume of red herrings. It makes the plot feel a bit cluttered with untied ends. Maybe that’s how life works, but in a cozy mystery, too many dead ends (that weren't even explored really) made me feel like I'd been led into a maze with no exit.
Without giving away any spoilers, I’ll say that the investigation steps are realistic. There are no "dummies" floating bad ideas here; everyone is putting forth their best deductive reasoning, even when they’re off-base. Like any good mystery, you’ll likely deduce the culprit (give or take a suspect) just before the book spills the beans.
Where it loses me, though, is the final reveal. The climax is a touch abrupt—it’s like thinking you’re at the bottom of the stairs, only to have your stomach leap into your mouth as your foot falls one step further than expected. It’s a logical-ish ending, but it requires an entire chapter of "let me explain everything" to make the pieces fit. If you don't mind a talking-it-out finale and you’re in the mood for a stylish, atmospheric trip to Paris, you’ll eat up every last page. Just maybe keep an eye on your chef’s knives.
Books to Bowls OUT!
*This post contains affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you make a purchase through my links. Don't worry, it doesn't cost you anything extra, and it helps keep the lights on here. Plus, I only recommend stuff I actually like. I'm not trying to sell you a bridge here... unless it's a really cool bridge
Comments
Post a Comment