This charming cozy mystery, set in Paris during the postwar years, had me at hello. Tabitha is an American expat, and her best friend, Julia Child, is teaching her how to cook. But one evening, during one of the Childs’s many soirees, a woman is murdered…and the knife in question came from Julia’s kitchen! To make matters even worse, the victim was carrying a card with Tabitha’s name and address on it when she was found. For some young women, this would be a wakeup call, and the morning would see them on the next available plane to Detroit; but Tabitha is made of sterner and more curious stuff, and so she begins snooping.

My thanks go to Net Galley and Kensington Books for the review copy; this book is for sale now.

To cope with the horror of the previous night’s events, Julia is roasting a ham. “I just had to take my mind off everything. Can you even believe it, Tabs? Someone murdered a woman in this building—with my knife! That means they had to have been in my kitchen! This kitchen!”

Like many an amateur sleuth in other mysteries, Tabitha begins poking around. Sometimes she has smart ideas, and at other times she is breathtakingly dense, but there is never a time that I am thinking about the author rather than the protagonist, and that means that I believe the character. There are some familiar tropes and the occasional cliche: “She knew too much!” But it never becomes a problem, possibly because this is a novel that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Now and then the author breaks down the fifth wall, or nearly so. For example, Tabitha tells us that she knows what to do because she has read plenty of Nancy Drew mysteries.
The solution to this whodunit is fairly transparent, and I am able to predict the solution, along with the conclusion of the additional thread of incipient romance early in the book, but the whole thing is so adorable that I never become annoyed. “Just like an Agatha Christie novel—all the questions answered at the end, and the villain is caught, and everyone else is happy.”

Because I had fallen behind, I supplemented my review copy with the audio version, obtained from Seattle Bibliocommons, and narrator Polly Lee does a brilliant imitation of Julia Child! In fact, all of the passages involving Julia are brilliant, and that is my favorite aspect of this story.

Sometimes an author manages to step on multiple pet peeves of mine, and yet I emerge pleasantly entertained anyway, and that’s what has happened here. This is light reading, but it isn’t insipid. I look forward to reading the next in this lovely new series. Recommended to cozy readers.

Mastering the Art of French Murder is the first book in a new series by Colleen Cambridge. The author blends the traditional cozy murder-mystery plot with historical fiction and fun characters extremely well. The setting of Paris is fantastic, the characters are engaging, and I was in food heaven. I was utterly entertained. Highly recommended.

I was hooked from the title and it never disappointed me. This murder mystery in post-war Paris was exactly what I wanted and more. I'm a sucker for books about Paris and food and anything war related so this was right up my alley. I'm also a HUGE fan of Julia Child and I read this just like her and made for the perfect read!

A delicious murder mystery in post-war Paris that ncludes subtle social history information. Transform your reading experience: put the voice of Julia Child into your head — fantastic!!

I love a good culinary cozy mystery, and this one has set itself apart from the rest. This was enjoyable, quick, and captivating to read. I loved that it was a cozy mystery in all the usual aspects, but also set in France post-WWII and incorporated Russian spies (yeah, I was baffled too). Oh, did I mention that it’s also based around Julia Child, the iconic chef? Truly, this was one of the wackiest books in such a good way!

Mixing food, Paris, and murder? Sign me up! This book was really enjoyable and I was so excited to receive a copy. I loved the twists and getting immersed in the Parisian life.

I’m going to state this upfront: I only agreed to read and review this book because it was Julia Childs historical fiction. I had low expectations for it. But I ended up devouring the novel and wanting more (thank god Cambridge is making this a series). Mastering the Art of French Murder actually focuses on Childs’s (fictional) close friend and neighbor, Tabitha. After a late night party at Childs’s house, Tabitha finds herself embroiled in the murder of another party guest. In order to clear her name, she starts investigating on her own and stumbles into a mystery that gets more and more confusing. This is a great mystery for all cozy mystery lovers and Childs fans.

This is a quick read and cozy mystery set post WWII - I was drawn to it for the connection to Paris, Julia Child and a spunky young woman turned investigator. I found it to be a fun read - light on the mystery but with likeable characters.

Tabitha moves to Paris, living with her grandfather and uncle, after she is no longer needed in the American wartime factories. Friends with Julia Child, Tabitha becomes embroiled in a murder after attending a party with Julia’s sister, Dort. The murdered woman works in a theater company with the party attendees. Tabitha worries her and Julia are suspects, so she starts to investigate on her own. A good first book in a new series. Recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

As someone who enjoyed Nancy Drew as a kid I do believe this is a great mystery. Some aspects were in fact predictable, but I overall enjoyed this book.

Watching Tabitha put the pieces of the puzzle together while almost getting killed twice was nerve wrenching. The struggles that Julia Child had with mastering the art of mayonnaise making was a hoot.

Highly recommend this book.

Mastering the Art of French Murder is the first book in a new series by Colleen Cambridge. The novel is set in post WWII Paris, where Julia Child’s fictional best friend, Tabitha, is living with her Grandfather and “Oncle” Rafe. Fans of Julia and France will be happy to see that details about both were well researched and Cambridge depicts them in loving detail. Tabitha worked in a factory during war time in Michigan and feels at odds with returning to a world where women are expected to wear dresses and simply get married, so takes the opportunity to temporarily relocate to Paris and works as an English tutor, while trying to decide what her next chapter in life will be. She also struggles in the kitchen and looks to her friend for cooking tips, which allows for some fun, light hearted moments amongst a mystery committed with Julia’s own chef knife. I enjoyed Tabitha and her interactions with her family and friends, but the mystery itself is also a clever one that draws from historic details. I’m hoping there will be many more in the charming American in Paris Mystery Series. I received an advanced reader’s copy from the publisher and Netgalley so I could give an honest review.

A quick read and cozy mystery, Mastering the Art of French Murder: An American in Paris Mystery by Colleen Cambridge is set after World War II, when people are starting to appreciate the better things again but coffee is still rationed and intrigue still lurks in the shadows. The American protagonist Tabitha recently moved to Paris after a Rosie the Riveter commitment to the war effort and a broken romance gave her cause and confidence for an enhanced outlook that makes for an entertaining read. Julia Child, husband Paul, and sister Dort are her neighbors and friends.

When I finished the book, I found myself wishing for more scenes featuring the lively Julia and less focus on the mundane Tabitha. The book came to life whenever Julia's vibrant energy was present. Hopefully, the next installment will have more Julia and delve deeper into the backgrounds of Tabitha's grandfather and Rafe, as there must be more to their stories.

The concept of Russian spies in France was intriguing, and the suggestion that the Child’s, particularly Paul, might be spies compelled me to pay closer attention. However, since this speculation was never confirmed, I appreciate that Colleen Cambridge did not jump to any definitive conclusions.

Whether or not I will continue reading the series, I am undecided. While I adore Julia, I could do without as much focus on Tabitha.

An interesting mystery set during post WWII when Julia Child and her husband were in Paris and she was taking lessons at the Cordon Bleu cooking school. Julia’s sister lives with them and is working at a theatre. Tabitha Knight, an American living with her grandfather is a neighbor to the Childs and sets our to clear both her name and Julia’s when a woman who they both barely knew (a guest of Julia’s sister for an evening party) is murdered using one of Julia’s kitchen knives and has a note from Tabitha in her pocket.

Paris, cooking, and a mystery, say no more. Really enjoyed this book, highly recommend, will be re-reading again soon at a slower pace so I can enjoy it again.

I so enjoy a good cozy mystery and was delighted when I came across one set in 1950s Paris featuring Julia Childs, and a murder mystery. The first in a new series Mastering the Art of French Murder follows American Tabatha as she leaves behind her factory work during WWII and steps into the post-war world of Paris. Of course, murder, mayhem, and some delicious food ensues.

Always intrigued by the 1950s and life during that time, this book truly set the stage for Paris and the daily functions of life at the start of the Cold War. I liked the imagining of how Julie’s home and the start of her career was. Her friendship with Tabatha was such a positive one and each really was looking out for the other.

Speaking of Tabitha, her sleuthing adventures were entertaining, and I’m curious to see what she will get up to next. Certainly a fun start to a new series and one I will continue as stories are added.

This is the first in a new cozy mystery series that takes place in Paris in the 1950s. Tabitha comes to Paris to live with her Grandfather and becomes involved in a murder case. Her neighbor and friend is Julia Child, who is of course, trying to teach Tabitha to cook. A fun story, with interesting characters, I’ll look forward to the next one.

I loved this book!! The mystery, the who-done-it had me on the edge of my seat until the end. I highly recommend this book!!!

MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH MURDER, a historical mystery by Colleen Cambridge, is a LibraryReads selection for April and the first book in a new series subtitled An American in Paris. Cambridge has written numerous other mystery stories and this one's twist is that budding chef Julia Child is neighbor and friend to the protagonist, Tabitha Knight. The story takes place in post-WWII Paris and a young woman is found dead after a late night party at Julia Child's residence. Tabitha (recently arrived from Detroit) sets out to solve the murder and keep blame from falling on Julia and/or her family. Unfortunately, Tabitha seems rather naïve and impulsively reckless, leading to some unnecessarily dangerous situations. For me, the time period and the descriptions of the city itself (with scenes near the Eiffel Tower and in Montmartre) were stronger aspects than the puzzle of the murder; the party guest list in effect limited suspects to a narrow, sometimes hard to distinguish, list. However, the series has potential and fans of historical mysteries (and, as others have noted, of authors like Jacqueline Winspear and Rhys Bowen) are likely to enjoy MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH MURDER.

Do you enjoy cooking? Do you have a favorite chef?

I love cooking, but I haven’t watched cooking shows that much. I love reading and learning about Julia Child, but I’ll admit, I’ve never seen her classic show!

Tabitha Knight has recently moved to Paris to stay with her French Grandpere. She has become friends with Julia Child who lives across the street from her. After a woman is discovered dead in the basement of Child’s building, killed with one of her knives, Tabitha is using all of her skills to solve the crime before her friend is put into jail.

I loved the description of France and the delicious food. I was ready to fly to Paris when I was reading this. I loved the 1950’s setting and the characters. Julia Child was larger than life and had a great repartee with Tabitha. Tabitha was the narrator of the novel and she was originally from Detroit. I loved the Detroit references that were in the novel. I also loved Grandpère and Oncle Rafe. There were hints of a great backstory for the two of them in World War II and I am hoping we learn more about it in future novels. Their dog and cat were cute as well. The mystery was cozy and kept me guessing. I am ready for book 2!