This one started out strong. I love the idea of working with Julia Child in Paris but I found Tabitha a little annoying, especially with her need to slowly spell out details of the murder. This got tedious about halfway through and only picked up towards the end, where the ending fortunately saved it for me. Julia Child is a welcome addition but she feels added in just to give the reader something to look forward to; the sections with her, while informative, seem forced and don’t really fit in the story. The writing was easy to follow but was repetitive and overly descriptive in some places. Not sure if I will continue with the series.

A murder mystery set in the late 1940’s post World War II Paris, Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge is the definition of cozy. Tabitha Knight is a woman looking for her place in life. She was once a typical young woman of her times, then War came. She became a Rosie-the-Riveter, then the war ended and, like others at a time of cultural change, didn’t know where she belonged. She finds herself in Paris through familial connections and becomes neighbors and the best of friends to Julia Child. Yes, she is friends with the Julia Child. And yes, there is food, lots of deliciously described food. Oh, the butter had me salivating.

The relationship between Tabitha and Julia is a well-developed friendship in that each has what the other lacks. Julia is vibrant while Tabitha is of a calmer nature. They are also each other’s biggest cheerleader. It is a beautiful relationship, as is the relationship Tabitha has with her grandfather and honorary uncle, her messieurs. Did I mention that many of the terms are in french? I had to dig into my 5th grade French lessons to remember how to pronounce certain phrases. They are peppered throughout the novel so as not to be too overwhelming.

Now, for the mystery, it was not overly complicated. However, it was evident that the plot was influenced by Agatha Christie right up until the very end. References are made to Christie’s books and characters. There was even a reference to Christie’s book And Then There Were None, which is referred to as Ten Little Indians. (Typing that out makes me feel dirty, but not nearly as dirty if I used the real name of the book. That is something for another time.)

All in all, if you are looking for an easy read and like Agatha Christie novels, I would encourage you to give this story a try.

3.5/5

Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge is the first book in a new series that features the iconic Julia Child as a character. And it is a delicious and delightful whodunnit!

Post-war 1949 and Tabitha, an American from Detroit, who had worked as a "Rosie the Riveter," is now on an extended visit and living with her grandfather in Paris. She has befriended another ex-pat American, her neighbor Julia Child, who has just started studying at Le Cordon Bleu. When a woman who had been a guest at a party thrown by Juila'as sister is killed with one of Julia's knives, Tabitha finds herself wrapped up in a murder investigation.

I loved every minute of this! The world-building is excellent--atmospheric and exciting, with Paris coming out of the austerities of WWII. The characters are vivid and fantastic, notably, Julia Child, who was so charming and well-written that I could hear her famous voice in my head. Cambridge just nailed the energy of that iconic character. I also loved Tabitha's grandfather and Oncle Rafe, and Tabitha herself. The food descriptions are fantastic and include Julia teaching Tabitha some cooking tricks. I plan to make an omelet according to Julia's instructions! The mystery is well-plotted, with exciting and suspenseful scenes and interesting historical facts, and Agatha Christie references woven throughout. A well-written, original, and clever start to a series I cannot wait to read more of! Mystery lovers, you'll want to grab this one. Highly recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to review this ARC. I loved it!

A very fun and tense mystery! The author did a great job of weaving in the history and culture of 1950s Paris. Having read Julia Child’s biography, the character of Julia seems pretty accurate and a fun accent to the story. The ending was a bit obvious, but still very fun and well foreshadowed.

What an immensely enjoyable read. I like cozy mysteries in general but for years haven't been too satisfied with the ones I've picked up - found them too predictable and boring and too trope-filled to be a genuine and enjoyable read. That is not the case with Colleen Cambridge's Mastering the Art of French Murder.

I wasn't even planning on requesting this on NetGalley (being bored of the genre at the time and not the biggest fan of the time setting), but saw the main character shared my name, and being as uncommon as that is I decided to try it out of curiosity. That and because it features Julia Child as a side character. I'm a fan of hers, she was a fascinating personality, but also a big one... so I wanted to see of Cambridge could do her justice without it coming across as too silly or too much. I think Cambridge walks that line well; the story can be a bit silly at times but it's in a charming way, reminiscent of the set up of films from that era (the book is set in 1950s Paris).

The other big inspiration is that of Agatha Christie. I've read a couple books recently that claimed to be reminiscent of Christie and all were disappoints in the end. This one doesn't try to mimic her; it feels more like a loving homage to the mystery genre. It definitely helps that Cambridge is an accomplished writer, and even more impressive that she manages to write to the time period in a way that somehow feels like both a reflection of the era but also modern. I think it helps that Julia could be forward in that sort of way, and that even though she was from that time she feels almost contemporary. She honestly felt almost like a stand-in for me, the reader, following along excitedly as the main character goes about her (somewhat clumsy) attempts to solve this mystery.

Having now finished the book I'm feeling a bit sad... I've really enjoyed my weekends with the story and am really looking forward to going back if a sequel ever comes out!

Set in post-World War II Paris, American expatriate Tabitha lives with her grandfather and "uncle," where they live across the street from budding chef Julia Child. Tabitha tutors students in French and English and enjoys mingling with actors and other expats. When an actor is found murdered in the basement of Julia's building after a late-night party at Julia's apartment, Tabitha feels compelled to find the killer.

Since I credit Julia Child's television series and cookbook with the fact that I can cook well, this title screamed my name. It's a decent mystery but unfortunately the narrative is slow-moving. The main character has to explain everything in detail, usually more than once - it's more interesting to show that action rather than describe or explain what's going on. I started to skim about halfway through. The author does get Julia's voice right - you can almost hear her saying things - and there are fun cooking tips along the way (like how to make the perfect mayonnaise).

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

I once spent a lovely afternoon with Julia Child. True story. During my beloved bookstore years, I was delegated the welcome task of being her assistant over the course of a book signing and cooking segment. Not to worry, I only touched the books!

If this seems a non sequitur, rest assured I have a point. In this utterly charming cozy mystery, Julia Child is a character.

Tabitha is living in post war Paris with her grandfather, tutoring Americans in French and trying to learn how to cook from friend and neighbour Julia Child. Everything about her time there is a pleasure until the day she and Julia return from the market to discover that a dead body has been found in the building. And the victim is a woman they had met the night before at a party hosted by Julia’s sister.

Tabitha is powerless to reign in her natural curiosity, especially when clues found with the dead women direct the police to her and Julia. And really, can she help it if clues just keep showing up in her path? Soon enough she is in full amateur sleuth mode.

As well as a delightful romp of a mystery, the author creates charming characters across the board, but the most applause must be reserved for how perfectly she captures Julia Child. From the quirky diction to the sheer joie de vivre!

Mastering the Art of French Murder is a deliciously good, Agatha Christie like who-done-it with the added and I must say most enjoyable addition of Julia Child as the sidekick! It mixes a wonderful murder mystery with a few good food mysteries as well as delicacies from Child’s own book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

Tabitha Knight has come to Paris via Detroit to take care of her grandfather and adopted “uncle”. There she accidently meets Julia Child who lives across the street and the two become very close friends. Julia in fact is trying to get the skittish cook, Tabitha, to start preparing more difficult foods.

So, when Tabitha is invited to Julia’s to a dinner party with a group of Theater people who work with Julia’s sister Dort whom Paul and Julia live with, she jumps at the chance. As the party begins to wind down, Tabitha decides to leave and takes the elevator to the ground floor with another female guest. They said their goodbyes and Tabitha went home while the woman waited for a cab.

The next day as she’s going to see Julia, she discovers there had been a murder right outside Julia’s building and to her shock, the dead woman is the same one she left the building with! They soon find out the murder weapon was one of Julia’s own kitchen knives. No one can believe this has happened, but Tabitha and Julia seem to be sure it must have been one of the guests who attended the party.

Tabitha soon decides she must try and figure out what happened. As she develops clues, much to the angst of the Inspector in charge of the investigation, she becomes a suspect! There was a piece of paper in the dead woman’s pocket with Tabitha’s name and phone number. And it was in Tabitha’s own handwriting.

Most of her suspects seem to be the workers from the Theater. Dort asks her and she accepts the position of coat checker, the same job the woman held. Unfortunately for Tabitha the agreement could possibly be a deadly mistake. Her own!

Then as Tabitha is biking, she is suddenly almost hit and killed by a car who seemed intent on hitting her. She must be getting close!

At the same time, Julia herself has quite the culinary mystery on her hands. Her mayonnaise has gone bad. To say, she can’t seem to make the recipe anymore without it failing. As you can imagine, Julia is beside herself.

As Tabitha begins to put the pieces of the puzzle together, she truly could be the next dead body. The ending is quite the surprise.

Mastering the Art of French Murder is a brilliant idea! It’s filled with suspense, wit and Julia Child’s famous voice in your head. As you read this enchanting story, you will continuously smile and eat up the mystery! Hopefully Tabitha and Julia will be back for more. Bon appetite!

Thank you #NetGalley #KensingtonBooks #ColleenCambridge #MasteringtheArtofFrench Murder for the advanced copy.

This was an adorable cozy mystery. Julia Child is hilarious, her and Dort being side characters to their neighbor's sleuthing is great. Makes me want a baguette and to go back to Paris

Colleen Cambridge has visited Lincoln’s White House (as C.M. Gleason) as well as Agatha Christie’s household. In this novel, she takes the reader to post war Paris. Her main character, Tabitha Knight, lives in a mansion with her grandfather across the street from Julia Child. Like Julia, Tabitha is American – from Detroit no less (she worked at the Willow Run plant during the war) and the two women have an easy affinity as they peruse the markets together. Tabitha is not a gifted cook and her grandfather and his companion are constantly wishing that Julia would be the one cooking for them instead (and who can blame them!)

There is not a ton of cooking in this book, though Julia is trying to puzzle out why her mayonnaise has suddenly decided not to work properly. There is a nice set piece where she talks Tabitha through the proper way to roast a chicken (I was taking notes as I tend to overcook the darn things). However, this is a murder mystery, and as the book opens the two women discover a body on their way back from the market.

The woman seems to be connected with Julia’s sister Dorothy, who lives with her and works at a theater. Cambridge skillfully creates a suspect pool of various theater denizens, and even cleverly allows Tabitha to be on the spot, as she takes over the coat check at the theater as the dead woman had been running it. This allows her to ask questions and nose around, which also, of course, gets her into trouble.

There’s a perfectly capable and implacable seeming police Inspector – Inspecter Merveille (excellent name) – who constantly and patiently warns Tabitha to back off. Because Tabitha’s grandfather and his partner were involved in the resistance, they have a number of connections and they try and keep an eye on Tabitha as well.

Tabitha (in one case, with Julia’s help) does seem to be able to uncover clues, but she’s constantly putting herself in danger, which results in several bad outcomes for her. I can take one such incident in an amateur sleuth novel, but a repeated inability to learn on the part of the heroine sometimes sets my teeth on edge. That said, this is a wonderfully and cleverly constructed mystery, and there’s an excellent wrap up scene at the end combining Inspector Merveille, Tabitha, and Julia in the kitchen with pots and pots of mayonnaise.

The setting of post war Paris is wonderful, and Cambridge really gives the reader a feel of being there as things begin to open back up after the war. There’s a wonderful scene where she describes seeing all the lights come back on after the long wartime blackout, including the illumination of the Eiffel Tower. It brought a little tear to my eye and often, that’s all I require for a satisfying read.

3⭐️

If you're a fan of The Great Julia Child, the movie "Julia & Julia," and/or cozy murder mysteries, I doubt you'll be disappointed! There are several cameos made by the fictitious versions of Julia, Paul, and her sister Dorothy. A few recipes are sprinkles in as you read.

I gave 3 stars because of pacing. The author includes a lot of historical facts that were relevant but long winded. I felt the story could've moved faster.

Tabitha is on extended stay in Paris taking care of her Grandpere and Oncle, while her neighbor, Julia Child, helps teach her how to cook. Julia is there attending Le Cordon Bleu school while her husband works at the embassy. Tabitha is also tutoring some of the visiting families Julia’s husband knows what to learn French on the side, as well as other side jobs. Even murder investigations it seems even if it is only to clear her friends and herself from the inspectors list of suspects.
This is a fun book especially if you are a murder mystery and Julia Child fan. The characters are eclectic but great together. Tabitha the girl from Detroit that spent her war building warplanes fits right in with the group. This book will appeal to many diverse readers, as it is fun in so many ways.

Sink your teeth Mastering the Art of French Murder by author Colleen Cambridge, the first of the An American in Paris series. Paris in 1949 was a time of relief and regeneration after the war devastated the world. Tabitha Knight, Julia Child's best (fictional) friend from America is living with her Oncle Rafe and Grandpère in Paris where she spend time with Julia and her husband Paul in their wee apartment. Mastering the art of French cooking was a daily event for Tabitha and Julia was thrilled to teach her. Julia's real-life effervescence and vim is beautifully captured...it was magic to feel part of her kitchen! Oscar Wilde and Madame X are noteworthy characters as well as Thérèse. But death is on the menu in the form of a body in Julia's cellar. Inquisitive Tabitha has always secretly delighted at the thought of murder investigation (though felt terrible for the deceased). She sifts through the multitudinous clues but is a reluctant sleuth and doesn't want to tread on Inspector Merveille's toes.

Was I ever in the mood for this! Reading it practically made me giddy as a passionate cook and baker and prompted me to make a luscious French omelette with wild asparagus which is just coming into season for supper. Tabitha and Julia make a fun, witty and carefree team. Multisensory descriptions made me feel as though I was back in Paris.

Historical Fiction fans who enjoy wondrous food descriptions written better than most, this will satiate you. Yes, it's refreshingly cozy but also packs oomph and originality. Author Colleen Cambridge writes with that je ne sais quois which is often lacking. Her writing is consistently brilliant, rife with humour and historical details of the place and era. The jaunty cover belongs next to my Mastering the Art of French Cooking in my library.

My sincere thank you to Kensington Book and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this mouthwatering book! This series is certainly one to hungrily anticipate. I'm very curious to see which road Colleen Cambridge takes her readers down next.

I really enjoy this author’s Phyllida Bright series so I was eager to read this.

Tabitha Knight, arrived from Detroit for an extended stay with her French grandfather, is in Paris after the war and befriends neighbor and fellow ex-pat Julia Child. Everything is delightful until after a party a body is found in the cellar and the murder weapon is a knife from Julia’s kitchen and her sister Dort is a suspect. Tabitha begins to investigate, much to Inspector Merveille’s dismay.

I’ve read a few of Julia Child’s books and biographies about her, and I enjoy food writing, so I got a kick out of Julia herself and Tabitha’s experiences with food. Sometimes, Julia was a larger presence in a scene than Tabitha was. We can envision Julia’s voice and energy so well, and Tabitha pales only in comparison. She didn’t have a big impact on the investigation but she’s so likable and the setting and supporting cast so charming that I’m already eager for book 2.

It’s 1949 and young Tabitha Knight has recently moved from her Detroit home to live with her grandfather and honorary uncle in Paris. Tabitha already speaks French, thanks to her mother and grandmother (the latter mysteriously separated from her grandfather), but this is her first stay in the City of Light.

A few months after her move, Tabitha is shopping for groceries at the street market, where she runs into her friend and neighbor, Julia. Julia just happens to be Julia Child; the not-yet-famous Julia Child, but a Julia Child having finished her course at the Cordon Bleu and passionately devoted to French cooking.

After a party at the Childs’s apartment, given by Julia’s sister Dorothy (or “Dort” as she is called), a guest named Thérèse is found murdered in the alley, and apparently Tabitha was the last to see her alive. Enter Inspecteur Merveille, a handsome but severe police detective. When he seems determined to view Tabitha and the Childs as suspects, Tabitha decides to investigate.

Tabitha’s investigations will take her from Thérèse’s mysteriously bare apartment to a seedy nightclub and to the labyrinthine backstage of the theater where Dort is stage manager and the party guests also worked. Naturally, Tabitha’s life will be endangered, and more than once. In calmer moments, we read about Julia’s sudden-onset inability to make mayonnaise (a mystery she solves at the same time as Tabitha solves the whodunnit), and Tabitha’s misadventures in cooking, from which she is often rescued by Julia.

This is a light, simple mystery, likely solved by the reader before Tabitha or the police. The characters are pleasant, with a fair representation of the popular concept of Julia Child, and the Paris setting is charming despite its being placed in mid-December. While the novel doesn’t have much depth or complexity, it’s an enjoyable read.

Tabitha, a former "Rosie the Riveter" in Detroit, moves to Paris to stay with her wealthy "Grandpere" after she loses her job to men returning from war. She is fortunate to be living next door to Paul and Julia Child. Paul is an official at the U.S. Embassy and Julia is taking classes at the famous cooking school, Le Cordon Bleu. When a woman is murdered behind their building, the murder weapon is found to be Julia's own chef's knife. Knowing that someone at a party in Julia's apartment during the night of the murder had to be the killer, Tabitha begins to investigate.

I just adored this through and through. The lively personality of Julia Child draws the reader in right away. Julia is not directly involved in the investigation, but she is behind the scenes, making suggestions about the investigation, teaching the culinary-challenged Tabitha how to cook, and trying to line up eligible men for the quite single Rosie the Riveter. We also meet Julia's sister "Dort," who is staying with her at the time and partying the night away after working at the Théâtre Monceau. When Tabitha realizes the murdered woman worked at the same theater, she slowly begins to put the pieces together. The mystery is captivating and has plenty of red herrings. Also woven into the story are trips to the market with Julia and "Tabs" for fresh herbs, eggs, poultry, and gossip, plus Tabitha's quest to fix her Grandpere and her "Oncle" Rafe something tolerable to eat.

Julia is also trying to solve a smaller mystery which she lets the whole market know about. She suddenly cannot produce a successful mayonnaise. As I read this clever mystery, I also learned how to best make an omelet and roast a chicken. And I think I figured out why my homemade mayo never works.

I received a free copy of this book from Kensington Books. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

Mastering the Art of French Murder is set in 1949 Paris. American Tabitha Knight lives with her grandfather and uncle Rafe after leaving her job as a riveter during WWII. Tabitha is learning to cook from her neighbor, Julia Child. During a party at the Child's apartment, one of the guests is found murdered with a chef's knife from Julia's kitchen. Inspector Merveille is suspicions of Tabitha since a letter with her name and address is found in the dead woman's pocket.

This debut had such promise but fell short for me. Tabitha is too willing to put herself in dangerous situations. Julia is a charming supporting character but I wish there were recipes in the book.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and Kensington Books. All opinions are my own.

"Set in the City of Light and starring Julia Child's (fictional) best friend, confidant, and fellow American, this magnifique new historical mystery series from the acclaimed author of Murder at Mallowan Hall combines a fresh perspective on the iconic chef's years in post-WWII Paris with a delicious mystery and a unique culinary twist. Perfect for fans of Jacqueline Winspear, Marie Benedict, Nita Prose, and of course, Julia Child alike!

As Paris rediscovers its joie de vivre, Tabitha Knight, recently arrived from Detroit for an extended stay with her French grandfather, is on her own journey of discovery. Paris isn't just the City of Light; it's the city of history, romance, stunning architecture...and food. Thanks to her neighbor and friend Julia Child, another ex-pat who's fallen head over heels for Paris, Tabitha is learning how to cook for her Grandpère and Oncle Rafe.

Between tutoring Americans in French, visiting the market, and eagerly sampling the results of Julia's studies at Le Cordon Bleu cooking school, Tabitha's sojourn is proving thoroughly delightful. That is, until the cold December day they return to Julia's building and learn that a body has been found in the cellar. Tabitha recognizes the victim as a woman she'd met only the night before, at a party given by Julia's sister, Dort. The murder weapon found nearby is recognizable too - a knife from Julia's kitchen.

Tabitha is eager to help the investigation, but is shocked when Inspector Merveille reveals that a note, in Tabitha's handwriting, was found in the dead woman's pocket. Is this murder a case of international intrigue, or something far more personal? From the shadows of the Tour Eiffel at midnight, to the tiny third-floor Child kitchen, to the grungy streets of Montmartre, Tabitha navigates through the city hoping to find the real killer before she or one of her friends ends up in prison...or worse."

I love the new direction Collen is taking with her writing, cozy yet historical.

3.5 stars, rounded up

Tabitha has recently traveled from Detroit to Paris to visit her French grandfather and to experience the City of Light. Her friend and neighbor, Julia Child, is teaching her how to prepare French meals, and Tabitha is tutoring Americans in French, and she is having the time of her life – until a body is found in the cellar of Julia’s building and the police are eyeing several of their friends as their prime suspects. Tabitha conducts her own investigation to clear her friends’ names.

This is apparently the first book in a new series by an author I’ve never read before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I have not yet been to Paris, but it’s high up on our bucket list, so I hope we get there before we’re too old to enjoy it. Over the years, I have learned a lot about Julia Child, and found her character in this book was well-done. I like Tabitha and the other major characters, and am excited about watching their characters develop and relationships grow as the series progresses.

The mystery in this book had lots of twists and turns, with several red herrings that sent me in the wrong direction. I began to suspect one of the characters based on one of my personal theories about mystery books, especially cozies. <spoiler>The character who is right by the side of the one investigating, the person who appears to be most helpful, is often the murderer, trying to stay abreast of what the investigator and the police have figured out.</spoiler> In this case, I was right, but the motive was something I never would have guessed.

I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

Overall, I enjoyed this book! I sort of figured out who was the killer about halfway through, but I still found it enjoyable. I found all of the characters likable, especially Rafe and Grand-pere.I wish we got more information about them. The only thing I didn't like was how repetitive it was with Tabitha saying she wasn't involving herself in the investigation, when she was. I found it annoying but not enough to stop reading. I'll probably look out for the next one!

Thank you NetGalley & Kensington Books for the eARC!