Dressed for Death in Burgundy

Shea’s unhurried sequel to 2017’s Love and Death in Burgundy finds artist Katherine Goff, an American expat, shuttling a group of American tourists around the French village of Reigny-sur-Canne. When the group stops at Château de Bellegarde, Katherine says she’ll act as translator for elderly Madame Roussel, who curates the château’s museum. Inside the museum, they discover a horrible tableau: a display mannequin has been replaced by the posed, costumed, very dead body of the butcher’s wife. Madame Roussel is overcome; Katherine is dismayed. But Katherine’s British friend, Pippa Hathaway, who fancies herself a mystery writer, sees this as an opportunity to do some amateur sleuthing. Since this is a cozy, Katherine and Pippa stumble and bumble their way into danger as they attempt to solve a crime that feels less consequential to the story than descriptions of the scenic village and its quirky denizens. Nonetheless, Francophiles will look forward to Katherine’s next adventure in Burgundy. Agent: Kimberley Cameron, Kimberley Cameron & Assoc. (May)