In this second adventure we rejoin Tabitha and Julia for a wine themed murderous mystery. Someone is after renowned chefs, sending rare, thought lost to Nazi greed, bottles of wine laced with poison. Tabitha needs to figure out what’s happening, while still exploring the wonders of post WWII Paris cuisine. The author once again charms and leads us through the story’s mysterious murders lined with historical fact and delicious foods with Julia Childs. The story had me guessing, kept me enthralled by the cuisine and viticulture, and intrigued with the historical depth built into this world.

I don't say this very often, but I think I enjoyed this even more than the first book in the series. I enjoyed book #1, Mastering the Art of French Murder but I think it concentrated more on the characters over the mystery. Since we've already gotten to know Tabitha and Julia, A Murder Most French was able to really dig into the main mystery plot. It had just the right amount of intrigue and twists to keep me engaged and curious how mystery would end. The post-war Paris setting adds another layer of intrigue. I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys cozy murder mysteries!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for providing me a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I liked this book even better than the first one in the series! The characters are so lovable and the mystery was easy to follow but not easy to solve. Another helping please!

I liked the start of this new series. I reviewed it here. Although I’m in no way a fan of the food discussions, mostly because I’m a vegetarian myself, it will definitely be engaging to those vaguely interested in French cuisine.

In the last story, our leading lady was almost killed by the culprit, but she has not really learned her lesson. When she’s invited to watch a food demonstration that then goes wrong, she starts to ask questions no one is making her.

Poisoned wine is making its rounds and Tabitha needs to get to the bottom of it because the killer made it personal. There’s exploration of the post war sentiment in the book, it shows how the average public must have worked to get the feeling of normalcy back into the city of Paris. Amidst those sentiments, there are market stall holders who seem to be getting vandalized. The two stories may or may not be linked.

I liked the investigation itself. It was very methodical and straightforward. I guessed the killer just a little before it struck Tabitha herself.

I’m actually liking the tone and the protagonist in this series as compared to the other one that I’m reading by the author with a fictionalised version of Agatha Christie’s life

I would recommend this book to fans of the historical mystery genre.

I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Tabitha and Julia Child return for a second murder mystery in Paris. This time, people all around them in the cooking world seem to be being murdered and nobody can figure out who it is or why. I really enjoyed this second installment. The mystery was intriguing, and I loved the Julia Child character in this novel. I also enjoyed that a lot of the same characters returned, which made the story more enjoyable for me. I was invested in finding out who the murderer was and in the personal lives of our main characters.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the e-ARC to review. This book released in April (I know. I am so far behind 😭😭). All opinions are my own.

What a wonderful trip through Paris in this cozy mystery! With each installation, the characters grow and settle more firmly into their worlds. Here, there are delicious moments to savor as we experience post-war France along ex-pat Tabitha and chef-in-training Julia Childs.
Recommended for cozy readers and francophiles alike!

This is the second book in the American in Paris mysteries and what a great book it is. You can't fault a setting like Paris and you can't fault a book that has food, wine and mystery in it. In this book Tabitha and her side kick Julie Child (love it) find themselves in the middle of the investigation of a Cordon Bleu chef who was poisoned.

This is just a great, fun and entertaining cosy mystery and was the perfect read while sitting on a plane and at airports when on my recent holiday. I loved the theme and the mystery but especially the fact that Julie Child is a sleuth.. And I now can't wait to see what happens next for these two wonderful characters. What a wonderful series and author Colleen Cambridge is bringing fun and mystery into readers lives.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Book Review: A Murder Most French by Colleen Cambridge

Rating: 4 Stars

As someone who loves a good mystery, particularly when it’s set against the backdrop of postwar Paris, I was thrilled to dive into A Murder Most French by Colleen Cambridge. The cover alone drew me in—how beautiful is that? But once I started reading, it was clear that the story itself would keep me captivated.

In this charming historical mystery, we meet American expat Tabitha Knight, who is navigating life in a Paris that is just beginning to sparkle with life again after the war. She’s close friends with Julia Child, who is training to become a chef at the famed Cordon Bleu cooking school. The story kicks off with a tantalizing demonstration at the school that takes a dark turn when one of the chefs suddenly collapses after sipping a rare vintage wine. And just like that, we are thrown into a whirlwind of poisonings that quickly become personal for Tabitha when someone close to her receives a deadly gift of cyanide-laced wine.

What I truly adore about this book is how it weaves together rich descriptions of Parisian life with a compelling murder mystery. Tabitha is such a relatable protagonist; her curiosity and resourcefulness shine through as she tries to piece together the clues surrounding the murders. She’s led an interesting life and is still figuring out what she wants to do next, which I think many of us can relate to. Plus, her detective father’s influence gives her a unique edge in solving the case.

The inclusion of Julia Child is not just a delightful nod to culinary history; it's also a clever twist. Her cooking scenes made my mouth water but also served as fantastic red herrings throughout the plot. As Tabitha navigates fine wines and French cuisine, the tension builds, and I found myself engrossed in every twist and turn.

I also appreciate the historical context woven through the narrative. The discussions surrounding fine wines, the Parisian catacombs, and the recent memories of the German Occupation added depth to the story. The hints about Tabitha’s grandfather and uncle’s involvement in the Resistance provided an engaging layer to the mystery and made me eager to learn more about their pasts.

One of my favorite aspects of this book is the growing personal connection between Tabitha and Inspector. Their interactions added a delightful layer of complexity to the story—who doesn’t love a little romantic tension?

Overall, A Murder Most French is an enchanting mix of historical intrigue and cozy mystery that kept me turning pages well into the night. I can’t get enough of this series and am eagerly awaiting what Colleen Cambridge has in store for us next! If you enjoy a good murder mystery sprinkled with rich food and fascinating history, this book definitely deserves a spot on your reading list.

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

Colleen Cambridge continues her An American in Paris mysteries with a Murder Most French. Tabitha Knight, half American-half French i heritage and all Parisian as she lives in Paris with her French grandfather and uncle, pairs up with Julia Child who at this point in her career is a student at the Cordon Bleu cooking school. Tabitha is learning to cook with Julia and sharing in buying supplies for the dinner table at the vegetable market. She goes to a cooking demonstration as Julia's guest and by happenstance delivers the wine bottle that is laced with cyanide to the guest sommelier-chef. The chef drops dead in front of the audience and the police are called in. More bottles of wine kill Parisians connected to restaurants and wine. Whodunit? Will Tabitha let the police do their work? Have fun following cooking and other clues.

As a lover of Julia Child I was so excited to hear her character in suspenseful whodunnit books was continuing in A Murder Most French by Colleen Cambridge. This focuses on her (fictional) best friend Tabitha Knight as she inexplicably gets involved in a murder mystery and somehow is able to offer more constructive detective work than the pros. The setting in this book is also magnifique. If you're a fan of cozy mysteries, you'll enjoy this one. But I do recommend that you read Cambridge's Mastering the Art of French Murder first.

An entertaining historical mystery that blends culinary delights with a unique murder. The plot is clever and i really enjoyed the characters.
Many thanks to Kensington and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is not the first Collen Cambridge book j have read and it won't be my last! I have been a fan of this author since their Stoker and Holes series for teen audiences and I am pleased to say that a Murder Most French is even better than the first book of this series! I love the post WWII Paris setting and the relationship between Tabitha and Julia Child keeps getting deeper and more enjoyable. I cannot wait to see where they go next!

"A Murder Most French" is the second installment in the An American in Paris mystery series, which features Julia Childs as one of the main characters.

Julia's fictional best friend, Tabitha Knight, lives across the street with her grandfather and uncle in Paris, where the two Americans meet and form an unlikely friendship. Tabitha is a disaster in the kitchen, although Julia is starting to fix that, and she enjoys tagging along as Tabitha puts her intelligence and ingenuity to the test, trying to solve two murders that took place right in front of the ladies.

I really enjoyed seeing Paris through their eyes, as they explored the food, wine, markets and catacombs of the city. And the mystery led us all on a merry chase as well.

This was a well-written mystery, and I look forward to future installments in the series.

Thank you to Colleen Cambridge, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

A Murder Most French whisks readers away to the heart of Paris, where the city serves as a backdrop to a tantalizing cozy mystery. Tabitha Knight, friend of the iconic Julia Child, finds herself entangled in a the mystery of a series of poisonings which eventually threatens those closest to her.

The characters are skillfully crafted, each with their own motivations and secrets that add depth to the story. Tabitha's determination to uncover the truth. Her friendship with Julia provides adds an interesting aspect to the story and it's clear that the author did enough research to portray Julia in a delightful way.
This mystery contained well-paced twists and turns that kept me guessing until the final revelation.
I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series!

A scrumptious whodunnit mystery. A delight for historical mystery fans that enjoy a cozy but still want a good solid mystery. My new favorite series!!!

After reading the first book in this series, and now A Murder Most French, the sequel, I've decided that this series isn't for me. I can't seem to overcome the fact that it seems to paint Julia Child cartoonishly. Although all accounts certainly paint her as a larger-than-life and joy-filled individual, something about the portrayal in this series doesn't sit right. The plots of both books are well crafted and on par with other cozy mystery series books in recent years. I enjoy the historical nods that happen throughout the book. I even like that we get wonderfully detailed food descriptions. The details about France and a glimpse into the lives of the people who colored Julia Child's experience are nice to get immersed in, but it might just go a bit too far over the top for me.

Tabitha Knight once again finds herself attending an event with friend and neighbor Julia Child only to end up witnessing a murder that will lead her down the rabbit hole of amateur investigation.
I truly enjoyed this second outing of Tabitha & Julia in post-war Paris. While the first book in the series felt like it was fighting between being a cozy mystery and a historical mystery this one did a perfect job of balancing the cozy and historical elements. The historical elements, sumptuous food descriptions, and amateur sleuthing all blended together to create a fantastic read. Overall, a great addition to this series and one that leaves me wanting more.
Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for access to this title in exchange for an honest review.

A Murder Most French is a delicious addition to the Tabitha Knight/Julia Child imaginative murder mystery series. The second to be exact, and hopefully not the last. The series revolves around a young American chef in training who becomes friends with the not yet too famous Julia Child, and they find themselves in extraordinary dangerous predicaments which they along with an eclectic funny cast try to assist the police in solving. All the while, Tabitha's mentor, Julia, helps to teach her student how to cook mouthwatering dishes which the reader is fortunate enough to glimpse.

As the story opens, we find Tabitha and Julia at the French outdoor market buying ingredients for Tabitha's dinner which she will prepare (hopefully correctly) for her Oncle Rafe and Grand-Pere whom she lives with while living in France.

When Julia invites Tabitha to the Cordon Bleu Cooking School where Julia is studying to watch a presentation on wine, never in either of their wildest dreams did they imagine they would witness a premiere chef open a very old, expensive bottle of wine, take a sip and drop dead!

Unfortunately, the bottle had been given to Tabitha to give to the chef by a young street boy. It was sealed and had a tag on it. But when the police arrive and confiscate the bottle, Tabitha realizes the label is missing. Why?

Of course, Tabitha becomes a suspect along with everyone else in the room and decides she must poke around to see how this could have happened. And of course, her detective frenemy tells her to stay out of it! And then a second chef is killed in the exact same way only this time the tag is still on the bottle. Finally, a clue! But what does it mean?

As Tabitha and Julia go down Alice's rabbit hole of trying to figure out just what is happening, they soon learn of tunnels under the restaurants which store vintage and expensive wines brought over by the German during the war. Could this be a clue?

As Tabitha takes the reigns and Julia cooks the meals, Tabitha, against the advice of the lead detective with whom she has a love-hate-love relationship with finds herself in a dangerous situation as she discovers the killer is on to her.

A Murder Most French is a wonderfully humorous story with a delightful plot, scrumptious recipes (which are from Julia Child) and of course, a surprise ending. As I wrote when I reviewed the first book in the series, Mastering the Art of French Murder, as you read, please hear Julia's words as you know she would say them. It makes the story even better!

Thank you #NetGalley #Kensington #ColleenCambridge #AMurderMost French for the advanced copy.

The second book in the "An American in Paris" series - Tabitha finds herself in the middle of another murder, or two or three. There is food, mystery and history - all entertaining.

The graceful domes of Sacré Coeur, the imposing cathedral of Notre Dame, the breathtaking Tour Eiffel . . . Paris is overflowing with stunning architecture. Yet for Tabitha Knight, the humble building that houses the Cordon Bleu cooking school, where her friend Julia studies, is just as notable. Tabitha is always happy to sample Julia’s latest creation and try to recreate dishes for her Grand-père and Oncle Rafe. The legendary school also holds open demonstrations, where the public can see its master chefs at work. It’s a treat for any aspiring cook—until one of the chefs pours himself a glass of wine from a rare vintage bottle—and promptly drops dead in front of Julia, Tabitha, and other assembled guests. It’s the first in a frightening string of poisonings that turns grimly personal when cyanide-laced wine is sent to someone very close to Tabitha.
What kind of killer chooses such a means of murder, and why? Tabitha and Julia hope to find answers in order to save innocent lives—not to mention a few exquisite vintages—even as their investigation takes them through some of the darkest corners of France’s wartime past. I love the idea of Julia Child as a detective! These two characters are great fun as they solve this mystery and cook fabulous food!