Colleen Cambridge has done it again! Surcharge a fun mystery with fashion houses, murder and Julia Child. I love this series!

I really love this series. Tabitha Knight is a charming protagonist and Julia Child is a fun supporting character. Each book expands Tabitha's knowledge of Paris while giving her new murders to solve.

I will be honest, at the beginning I wasn't sure I was going to like this book as much as the previous two. I'm not the most fashion-focused person and I wasn't overly interested in the world of the haute couture. But by the end I found this to be my favorite of the series.

The murder of the owner of a new haute couture house leads to an interesting examination of life in Paris after an occupation. As each character shares their feelings about the German occupation and what people did to survive (and sometimes thrive), Tabitha begins to understand the complexities of survival.

I loved the other two books and this one was no different. A cozy mystery with some fun elements that make it enjoyable at every page. Unlike the other two, Julia Child was more peripheral and only appeared when she was gossiping or cooking. It didn't seem like she served any purpose. Also, the main character made some questionable choices throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

This series gets better and better! Tabitha Knight—an American living in post-war Paris—encounters yet another body, and entangles herself in another mystery in the latest installment. Her loyal sidekick, Julia Child, provides delicious food and loads of amusing lines, while the police inspector seems to grow just a bit more enthusiastic about her abilities. This book also provides a look into the world of haute couture and all of the people (designers, models, patrons) involved, which I found fascinating. Cambridge has created a cast of characters that I have grown to love, and the setting could not be better. I highly recommend this series. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to provide an honest review.

The series' third installment involves deaths in a haute couture fashion house. Interwoven is the history of occupied France by the Germans during WWII and who were collaborators and who were resistance fighters. Different characters have strong feelings about the grey line between being a collaborator and just trying to survive the occupation. We get to see more of the relationship between Tabitha’s grandfather and “uncle” and learn a bit about their history which I enjoyed. It felt like a little less Julia was involved and more time spent on Tabitha exploring her feelings on dating and who she is interested in, having more than one option now. Tabitha also attempts to aid the cat who saved her life and is not doing well out on the streets. I have to say, as a cat lover, I was not pleased with how she seemed to forget about him at the end of the story. I hope to see him show up again in the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.

Colleen Cambridge has designed another delightful and suspenseful adventure for one of my favorite cozy mystery series. 'A Fashionably French Murder' has the series' strongest historical elements and slow burn romance so far while still delivering a twisty mystery and interesting characters.

If you enjoy reading amateur detective novels, then I recommend this book to you! I am eager to read book four!

Special thanks to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A FASHIONABLY FRENCH MURDER (An American in Paris Mystery Book #3) by Colleen Cambridge once again returns the reader to post WWII Paris as experienced through the eyes of an inquisitive young American who continually happens upon dead bodies. Her best friend and neighbor is Julia Child who is attending classes to learn French cuisine. This addition to the series is another well-paced murder mystery which is easily read as a standalone historical mystery, but I have read this series in order of publication to follow the evolution of all the charming characters.

Tabitha Knight is helping one of Julia’s friends as a translator at an exclusive haute couture fashion house. When she realizes she lost a glove and goes back to retrieve it, she discovers the famed designer dead. On the same night, a fashion shoe store across the alley is broken into.
Inspector Merveille once again must deal with the inquisitive Tabitha who is asked to investigate the shoe store break-in. He knows she will not stop there and after a second murder at the fashion house, both are determined to bring the killer to justice.

I always enjoy Tabitha’s escapades and drool over the recipes Julia is teaching Tabatha to prepare or she is cooking for others. Tabitha is a wonderful protagonist and amateur sleuth even as she “accidently” stumbles over so many dead bodies. The relationship between her and Merveille is still up in the air and that makes it always interesting. In this book in the series, besides the food, the reader gets a glimpse into the workings of a Paris house of fashion after the war and the beginning of Dior’s reign at the top of Paris fashion scene.

Ms. Cambridge does an exceptional job of balancing all the interesting historical facts of postwar Paris life and atmosphere with the twists and red herrings of the murder mystery plot. She is able to intertwine everything together into an entertaining, intriguing, and satisfying historical mystery read.

I highly recommend this addition to the series, and I am looking forward to following Tabitha and Julia in future books.

I love this historical cozy series, and the latest installment is absolutely enticing (realky, each book has been fantastic).. The characters are charismatic, the mystery is complex and well-written, and the author has researched the setting and historical era to showcase not only the Parisian theme but to illustrate several historical events, historical figures, and infamous places. Recommended, especially if you enjoyed the previous books or the author's other works. Wickedly funny and some of the best armchair cozy stories around.

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This is the third installment in the American in Paris series, featuring Tabitha Knight as an amateur detective. I admit I haven’t been blown away by this series prior to reading this one, but I loved Cambridge’s other series so much, I chose to give this another try and I’m so glad I did! This installment was a really solid addition that I truly enjoyed and I think the series has found its stride.

The third book finds Tabitha exploring the world of high end fashion in the era of Christian Dior in post-war Paris. The author deftly takes on the feelings after the German occupation of the city and the delicate topic of collaborators and spies. Without any spoilers, I can say that the explanation for the crimes made sense but in some parts felt rushed. I love Tabitha’s friendship with Julia Child and the descriptions of food as well as her loving grandfather and uncle.

The one downside for me was the slow development of the love interest and the fact that Tabitha can be a bit snotty about investigating where she’s not meant to be. I can’t wait to read future installments and hope the author continues to develop the characters as well as she did here. This is 3.5 stars for me rounded up to 4!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this early copy! All opinions of the book are my own.

I drool as I read the opening passage in book three of this charming mystery series, with its description of Julia Child's tiny kitchen at Roo de Loo, as she and her husband call their apartment on the Left Bank of Paris. It's February 1950, cold but sunny, and Julia is teaching her American friend Tabatha how to make the creamiest potato leek soup:

“You just let those chunks and slices mingle nicely in a gentle, quiet bubble bath. They’ll sort of dance together—not like the bunny hop,” she added quickly with a laugh, “but more like a waltz. We want our potatoes and leeks to be genteel and proper when they’re simmering—simmering, Tabs, not boiling and hopping about—and then when they’re nice and soft, you blend them together.”

Ooh la la. I am so into these descriptions of food that I cannot put this delightful histfic novel down, even though I want to root through my kitchen to find anything simmering and creamy to sate my now ferocious appetite. Passages like these are why I adore the author's fab new book, which is soon to heat up when Julia and Tabitha attend a Dior fashion show, and find a couturier dead, followed by the death of another high fashion atelier employee. The haute couture murder mystery is afoot!

It's one of my fav histfic mystery series, with characters I've grown to love and a 50s Parisienne setting I adore. Plus amazing food and gorgeous gowns. Who could ask for more?

We have another delightful installment in the French Murder Series. Our favorite characters
continue to entertain in their relationships, with delicious food, haute couture and …
a few murders to help tell a story. Julia Child and her bestie, Tabi, have some great
trips around Paris and Julia continues to share her culinary skills with Tabi and her
family, in some random bits of history. We would not be here if not for the “fashionable”
murders that bring the group together when Tabi stumbles upon bodies. This brings
her back in the sights of Merveille, and given his possible availability, we will have to
wait for the next book to see where this may lead.
This book, and the series, is just fun!
My thanks to Kensington Books, via NetGalley for the download copy
of this book for review purposes.

"An American in Paris" is a fun series, getting to follow Tabitha's adventures in post-war France. They aren't great literature but are always enjoyable, and I always learn a bit about the historical setting. I also like the fictionalized appearances of Julia Child. A nice historical cozy. I will eagerly read the next in the series.

amateur-sleuth, cozy-mystery, culinary, ex-pat, family-by-choice, famous-persons, friendship, historical-figures, historical-mystery, historical-places-events, historical-research, historical-setting, historical-thriller, history-and-culture, investigation, jealousy, Julia Child, local-law-enforcement, murders, Paris, pets, post-WW2, read, relationships, relatives, suspense, suspicion, thriller*****

Set in Paris in the 1950s, this fun cozy has a lot of real background to make it even more interesting! The story is set in the world of high fashion in a time when money was still very tight and the fashion houses we now know as titans of the industry were only just coming out of the disaster that was the German occupation. Tabitha’s Grand-père and Oncle Rafe are good friends with a young bride who is taking lessons in French cooking and teaching Tabitha the things that she learns. Her name? Julia Child. Tabitha is from Michigan and is learning so many things while in Paris, but learning about murder and the Parisian gendarmerie is what the plot is all about. There are devious red herrings, and surprising plot twists, but it's the delightful characters that really make this a 5-star winner!
I requested and received a free temporary uncorrected efile from Kensington Books, Kensington cozies via NetGalley. Thank you!
Avail Apr 29, 2025 #AFashionablyFrenchMurder by Colleen Cambridge #AnAmericanInParisBk3 @Kensington Publishing #HistoricalMystery #Culinary #FamousPersons #CozyMystery #1950s #Paris

Fashion, Food And Mystery..
The third instalment in the American in Paris series as the reader rejoins ex-pat Tabitha Knight and aspiring chef Julia Childs in Paris. As fashion returns to the city, the duo are invited to a private showing but, unfortunately, the evening is to end with a fatality - which will not be the last. Let the investigations begin. Another delicious outing in this series, this time combining food with fashion, with a well crafted cast of characters populating a pacy plot with a wholly atmospheric background- and, of course, a solid mystery at its heart. A worthy addition to this superlative series.

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

In this latests installment of the beloved <I>An American in Paris Mystery</I> series, our Tabitha Knight expands her social circle and resume as murder investigator. Given the opportunity to translate for an American woman searching for an haute couture dress, Tabitha is formally introduced into the fashion world of post-war Paris-- but finds herself embroiled in yet another death when she discovers the body of up-and-coming designer and atelier owner. As the clues (and the crimes) start piling up, Tabitha has to make the decision of what and who to investigate while balancing her burgeoning social life.

A FASHIONABLY FRENCH MURDER earned its spot as my favorite book in this series for its sheer ambition! Cambridge has expanded Tabitha's social circle to include a new charming cast of characters, while deftly deepening her long-standing relations. Grand-père and Oncle Rafe no longer hide in the shadows, but have their own plot and provide interesting commentary on occupied Paris. Julia Child's role as friend and cook extraordinaire remains firmly in place, but Tabitha's will-they-won't-they relationship with Inspecteur Merveille enters into the next phase.

Cambridge also deftly took on the discussion of German collaborators during Occupation and the grey area of what collaboration meant that many people even today struggle to define. Tabitha struggles to navigate her own feelings as an American living in Paris as they redefine and reconstruct post-WWII, while also learning about some of the atrocities people endured in her new home.

All the while, the readers are treated into an inside look of Parisian haute couture during the era of reconstruction! Tabitha has (and thus, we have) the unique opportunity to experience the world of fashion not only as a customer, but also from 'behind the curtain' with her new friends who work as mannequins. It was such a treat to find which pictures of the gowns Cambridge described, and it was a real testament to the author's dedicated research!

Fun and charming and full of delicious food and fashion, A FASHIONABLY FRENCH MURDER left me hungry for Tabitha Knight's next adventure!

This story was my favorite American in Paris Mystery book to date. I loved learning the background of haute couture, which just made the mystery even more enjoyable on top of the food comments made by Julia Childs during the story! I'd love to see a recipe in the back of her famous recipes at the end. Great mystery, love Tabitha's adventures.

In her third An American in Paris Mystery series, A Fashionably French Murder, Colleen Cambridge delivers a delightful mystery set in 1950 Paris. Tabitha Knight can't imagine returning to Detroit, as she has forged a life for herself living with her wealthy grandfather and his paramour, "Oncle" Rafe, and tutoring American women in the French language. But, of course, she finds two more bodies, both from the newest and trendiest purveyor of haute couture .

The murders shock the fashion industry and uncover hidden intrigues, not to mention still-simmering bitterness from Paris's involvement in World War II. Having found both victims, Tabitha feels some responsibility to help her favorite member of law enforcement, the dashing Inspecteur Merveille, to investigate, as she rightly points out that women will often open up to her rather than to the police. Julia Child is again a character--this time not involved in the mystery but providing close friend Tabitha and her "messieurs" with delicious food as she studies to become the fabulous chef we know and love.

The mystery is interesting, but what I enjoyed most were the insider look at Parisian haute couture, including a trip to Dior's studio, and the mouth-watering dishes prepared by Julia. I also appreciated the relationship between Grand-Pere and Oncle Rafe--their bickering over the décor of their soon-to-be-reopened restaurant is fun, but the serious matters on which they differ are also engaging to read.

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

I adore this series and how Tabitha's character continues to develop as she settles into life in Paris.

In this installment, Tabitha supplements her usual tutoring work with being a translator for an American woman who wants to buy an haute couture gown at a Parisian atelier. Tabitha winds up finding the designer dead and can't help but notice some clues. There's a break-in at the shoe store nearby, where a friend works, and another death along the way.

Inspector Merveille is back as the detective working the case and a potential love interest. However, another love interest emerges while Tabita is trying to take care of the stray cat that saved her life in the previous book. I'm rooting for one of these characters, but I imagine we'll have to wait a few books to see how Tabitha's love life works out.

It was wonderful to see Tabitha's social circle expand in this book. Julia Child has been her close friend from the beginning, but she meets some women working in fashion and becomes friends with them.

I really enjoyed this story and the setting was uniquely French! The real dresses described during Tabitha's visit to Dior had me searching for pictures of them (I voted for the Mozart!). It seems funny to describe a book with two murders as fun and charming, but there it is!

This is an enjoyable next installment in this delicious series set in Paris in the 1950s. Tabitha is an expat lining with her uncle in post-war Paris. She is friends with Julia Child. Fun and quirky characters. This mystery is set in the fashionable showrooms of the haute couture designers.

. . . An absolutely delightful light mystery for Francophiles and food lovers.

This was a romp through post-war France through the eyes of a vivacious American in Paris. I loved the warm family life of our heroine and amateur sleuth ( a.k.a. “ busybody”) . But, perhaps the most lively sections of the book were those featuring friend and neighbor Julia Child. The famous chef’s character rang true to her tv persona ( chirpy and ebullient) but, she also proved to be a good friend and neighbor.

This was a light, frothy mystery, but it also included interesting tidbits about haute couture and the post war stress in Europe. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.