Almost one year ago I read Mastering the Art of French Murder, which I had won from goodreads. I posted a review, my first review, and I’ve been hooked ever since. Coincidentally I just finished A Murder Most French, the second book in this series by Colleen Cambridge, and I loved it. I still read Julia Child’s dialogue in her very distinctive voice, I am still rooting for the romance that is blooming, and I still think Tabitha is a fantastic detective. I love the 1950 setting, I love the supporting characters (her 70-something year old messieurs) and I love the beautiful, artistic descriptions of post war Paris. This is a series I will stay with always. 5 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing, and Colleen Cambridge for allowing me to read an electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this second installment of Colleen Cambridge's 'An American in Paris' series! The main character, Tabatha, is Julia Childs' neighbor and friend in the post WWII period of Paris. One of Julia's beloved cooking instructors is poisoned while sampling a very old, very expensive bottle of wine that was gifted to him, but no one knows who sent it or why. Tabatha and Julia happen to be present when this atrocity happens, and then the two become involved when the murderer strikes closer to home!

I love the period and location details that the author uses to tell her story! It makes me feel like I'm sharing a glass of fine wine and excellent food with Tabitha and Julia Childs in 1949 Paris! (Chef's kiss!)

4.25/5⭐️

This second outing in this Tabitha Knight/Julia Child mystery series set in post WW2 Paris was even better than the debut.

It centers around valuable bottles of wine showing up as gifts but containing something other than just grapes. As Tabitha investigates against Inspector Merveille’s wishes, she finds herself in danger from a surprising source.

Great historical research including trips into the Catacombs and fun cooking lessons from Child.

I’m really enjoying this unique series.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and Kensington for providing the free early arc of A Murder Most French for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

All the stars! 5/5! I absolutely love this series and already want more. Please tell me more are coming.

I got the first book for Christmas 2023 and absolutely loved it. How thrilled I was that the second was not only already on its way but also available on Netgalley to request. My deepest thanks to Netgalley and Kensington for approving me.

This mystery had me guessing to the very end. I adore all of the food descriptions (I love a good food writing book and novels centered around food. I also love a classic Agatha Christie who-dun-it so this series is a marriage of all my favorite things. Colleen Cambridge is a master author who does wonderful things with her characters, history, and expertly planning a mystery I couldn't solve without her help! I really like Tabitha and her messieurs and I can't wait to see more of them.

Highly recommend to food lovers, mystery lovers, history lovers, and anyone who likes a well-crafted story.

"The City of Light is surging back to life in the wake of war, and its citizens are seizing every opportunity to raise a glass or share a delicious meal. But as American ex-pat Tabitha Knight and chef-in-training Julia Child discover, celebrations can quickly go awry when someone has murder in mind...

Set in midcentury Paris and starring Julia Child's fictional best friend, this magnifique reimagining of the iconic chef's years at Le Cordon Bleu blends a delicious murder mystery with a unique culinary twist.

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've been a fan of Colleen's under many different names for years I'm so glad so many people are embracing this new series of hers!

I laughed a lot with that one. As a French reader I really appreciated the depictions of the after war Paris and I must say the author did a very good work with all the French vocabulary. Especially with the very specific slang. I gapped in shock at a character in the background talking about "les Bosches"...
The culinary ambience was a delight and I still wonder how one of the characters managed to fail at making a fricassée ! It's definitely a fun read for cozy murder fans and on the plus side : you can learn some French !

Julia Child, family-by-choice, famous-persons, local-law-enforcement, poisons, amateur-sleuth, post-WW2, ex-pat, pet-dog, friendship, relatives, relationships, culinary, murder, investigation, cultural-differences, historical-novel, historical-research, historical-setting, history-and-culture, Paris, suspense, suspicion, tunnel, historical-places-events, thriller*****

I loved the first book and I love this one, too. The murders and investigations are well done and have lots of distractions and twists as well as wonderful atmospheric descriptions of the Paris catacombs.
Tabitha Knight is from Detroit, Michigan, has French grandparents, is living with French relatives and has been taken under the wing of Julia Child, the energetic and excitable American who is just now finding her niche in the world of cooking as the French do.
No recipe section at the end, but there are so many hints and tips that are so well added that I could smell the deliciousness.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely read any others as they come along!
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Kensington Books, Kensington cozies via NetGalley. Thank you!
#AnAmericanInParisBk2 Available 23 Apr 2024

American ex-pat Tabitha Knight and her friend and neighbor chef-in-training Julia Child are back in postwar France when a celebration goes awry when someone murders a chef with cyanide-laced wine.

This is a great follow up to Mastering the art of French Murder. Tabitha continues to be likable even if her presence is sometimes overshadowed by Julia’s larger than life personality. She’s a stronger force here than in book 1. The setting comes alive and the mystery is satisfying. Inspector Mervaille is back and enigmatic as ever. Julia isn’t the only one shipping those two.

If you’re not a foodie or a history fan, some of the descriptions and explanations might bore you. A little less food and catacombs would help the pacing. But I’m ready for book 3.

Colleen Cambridge is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine.

I love this series. The thought of Julia Child playing detective, even if only a little bit, to help her good friend Tabitha (Tabs as Julia would say) to solve the murders she stumbles across, is a hoot. The writer’s words make it easy to hear Julia especially as she discusses food and cooking. The story was full of friendships, family, food, and good wine. In fact, the wine was a character in and of it’s self. In between the fictional story, the author weaved episodes of historical moments. A wonderful read that shouldn’t be missed.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions are my own.

1950 Paris. Who is killing chefs with poisoned wine. Attending the Demonstration Hall with Julia Child, Tabitha Knight, is one of many witnesses to the first murder, that of chef Beauchene. She decides to investigate.
Overall an enjoyable cozy mystery though it does get a bit slow with all the description of the foods.
n ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars
Thank you to Kensington Press for a copy of book 2 in this series!

Please do not look at 3.5 stars and pass over this book. I really enjoy the characters in this series and the descriptions of food are to die for. Tabitha's personality reminds me of the Veronica Speedwell character who I also enjoy immensely. The addition of the catacombs to this story was also fun as I would love to see them myself some day! The mystery is solid and it comes together really well. My only qualm about this one is it dragged in the middle a bit.

But overall this is a fun cozy series!

This follow-up to Mastering the Art of French Murder is just as entertaining as the first book. The setting is Paris post World War II where Julia Child is attending the Cordon Bleu cooking school. Julia and her fictional best friend Tabitha investigate poisonings which hit a little close to home.

Just loved this book! Such a great murder mystery. I love all of the details in the background about Paris and Julia Childs' enthusiasm over her cooking experiences. Look forward to the next one!

This series began with last year’s Mastering the Art of French Murder. This second title is every bit as delightful.

Here is an historical mystery set in post WWII Paris. It features a fictional protagonist, Tabitha, and a friend of hers. That friend is the larger than life Julia Child. Together the two become involved in murderous situations.

This time, chefs should beware what they drink. Not too far into the novel, two have died after imbibing what should have been very special vintages. Tabitha and Julia are on the case even if the police inspector (and possible romantic interest for Tabitha) does not want their help.

What I like best in this book (and in the first one) is the evocation of Paris. When Tabitha and Julia visit a market it is easy to visualize the food and want to start cooking. And speaking of which, every time Julia is around food, and that is often, the book is so much fun.

Highly recommended to those who are foodies, those who love Paris and those who like historical mysteries. I hope there will be a third book soon

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

This second installment of An American in Paris cozy mystery series is just as enjoyable and fast-paced as the previous novel. Loveable and realistic characters, with Julia Child and her cooking described as if you're sitting there learning along with the MC. Set during post-WWII, the author nails not only the time period but the atmosphere of Paris as well. The mystery is well-written too. Loved it. Recommended, especially if you devoured the first in the series.

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In the second An American in Paris Mystery, American Tabitha Knight is enjoying her new life in post-WWII Paris. Her friend and neighbor, Julia Child, is studying at the Cordon Bleu cooking school, and Tabitha is benefiting from delectable dinners at the house of Julia and her husband, not to mention demonstrations open to the public by the school's master chefs.

But when one of the chefs dies from a poisoned bottle of valuable vintage wine, Tabitha is tempted to get involved in the subsequent investigation, as she did in the previous book in the series. And when she feels her "monsieurs," her beloved grandfather and his male partner, are threatened by subsequent poisonings, she knows she has to take action. Never mind that Inspector Merveille insists she stay out of danger. Tabitha has skills that she feels will help her get out of tough situations.

Wine is at the center of the mystery--how did the poison get into the corked and sealed bottle, where did the bottle come from, who had the motive and opportunity to poison? Part of the pleasure I derived from the book is from the author's wonderful descriptions of 1950s Paris, and especially the underground catacombs, which Tabitha was able to access with the local mushroom grower/seller. The information about how the Germans took over the locals' wine collections for their own purposes during the occupation is also fascinating.

This is a fun series for those who enjoy a high-stakes historical mystery with no graphic violence, along with an irresistible Paris setting . . . and Julia Child!

My thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

This is a wonderful story. I enjoyed the backdrop, the characters, and their relationships and activities.
Everything about the lives of the guests and locals of the Meredith Hotel and surrounding town are just
delightful. The story does take a bit of time to get going, but it was just a nice diversion from my usual
fare. My thanks to Random House Publishing Group via NetGalley for a download copy of this book for
review purposes.

3.75 stars

This second in a series features Julia Child in her early Paris days as neighbor to the main character Tabitha. As is the way of cozy mysteries, Tabitha is both insatiably curious and prone to stumbling over dead bodies. She is American but fluent in French thanks to her Parisian mother, and lives with her grandfather and his partner.

She is not a cook, and is grateful that Julia is her neighbor and often either cooks for or with her. The Julia details are charming, with attention paid to Julia's personality and history.

The mystery: someone is sending poisoned bottles of wine around. So far 3 people have died, and Tabitha was either present for all three deaths or discovered the body. She tries desperately hard to insert herself into the investigation but the handsome police inspector isn't sympathetic.

Great fun, nice background of Paris after World War II. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Life in Paris continues to enchant American expat,Tabitha, despite nearly being killed in the previous title in the series. She loves living with Grandpere and Oncle Rafe, shopping daily with neighbor Julia Childs at the market and exploring post-war Paris. She has a job tutoring Embassy children in French and a new Renault courtesy of Grandpere.
Julia has invited Tabi to attend a cooking demonstration at the Cordon Bleu but the demonstration goes awry when the famed chef takes a sip of a rare vintage wine and drops dead. Soon after she attends a dinner party with food prepared by yet another famous chef . It's deja vu when the chef sips a rare wine and drops dead. Handsome police detective Merveille isn't surprised to find that Tabi was witness to both deaths and warns her not to involve herself in the investigation. The body count rises and Tabi knows there's a connection and she's determined to find it. Her detective work takes her into the Paris catacombs and puts her and her beloved Grandpere and Oncle Rafe in grave danger.
Cambridge puts the reader in the heart of Paris with all it's glorious sights. Trips to the market and the stall vendors are lots of fun and the meals Julia prepares are mouthwatering. There's also lots of history about the Nazi occupation of the City of Lights. Mystery and foodie fans alike will enjoy this latest in the series. Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington for the ARC.

This book is the second in a series but worked fine as a standalone. I really liked the setting - post WWII Paris, and the inclusion of Julia Child as a character, just learning the French cuisine she became famous for. I also liked the historical detail about how the French defied the German occupation (the hiding of rare wines) and the signs of the war's aftermath everywhere. The MC is a likable character and the mystery itself was pretty intriguing.
Overall, I would recommend this to cozy mystery readers!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!