Mastering the Art of French Murder: An American in Paris Mystery

This enchanting series launch from Cambridge (A Trace of Poison) pairs a fictional amateur sleuth with Julia Child for a murder investigation in postwar Paris. The night after Child’s sister, Dort, hosts a party at Child’s apartment, a guest is found dead in the basement—and the murder weapon is one of Child’s knives. Tabitha Knight, a hopeless cook and fellow American expat who’s befriended Child in hopes some of her culinary skills might rub off on her, takes interest in the crime. Tabitha’s investigation leads her to a local English-language theater where Dort worked with the victim, and where most of the suspects are rehearsing an Agatha Christie play. While Tabitha serves as a competent narrator for this spry, sturdy whodunit, Cambridge captures Child’s distinct voice and energy so perfectly—especially as she prepares meals like Madame Poulet and Monsieur Jambon—that readers will wish the chef played a larger role. Still, expect to leave this vacation hoping for a return trip. Agent: Maura Kye-Casella, Don Congdon Assoc. (May)