Join bookshop owner Flora Steele and handsome writer Jack Carrington as they set off on a French adventure and solve a chilling crime!
Jack is stunned to receive a call from his estranged mother, Sybil, asking him to drop everything and come to France. Together with Flora, his fellow sleuth, they pack their suitcases, dreaming of fragrant lavender fields and freshly baked pain au chocolat. It’s only when they arrive that they discover the shocking truth – Sybil’s friend was killed on a street in Paris, and she is desperate for their help.
The case leads them to a picturesque village in the south of France where life should be rosé, but even the bright blue skies can’t hide the fact that something is very wrong. And the mystery only deepens when Flora discovers that Sybil was in fact the intended target. Who would want her out of the way?
Perhaps Sybil’s relationship with wealthy Italian count Massimo Falconi has something to do with it. His darling daughter Allegra, ruthless business partner Pascal and his jealous estranged wife Isabella all have reasons for revenge…
Then when another person in the small French town dies in suspicious circumstances, Flora is convinced the two untimely deaths must be connected. Just when the case seems impossible to crack, a chess box provides an unlikely clue.
Can Flora discover the truth before Sybil meets her end? Or could trouble in paradise spell a final au revoir for the detective duo?
I'm delighted to be the Books on Tour host for Murder in a French Village today. Many thanks to Merryn Allingham, Bookouture and Sarah Hardy for inviting me and for my advance digital copy of the novel.
Murder in a French Village is the seventh book in the Flora Steele Mystery series which is predominantly set in the fictional Sussex village of Abbeymead. However, as with the third novel in the series, Murder at Primrose Cottage, the action this time is away from the village as Flora and Jack head to France for a trip which turns out to be even more dramatic than usual for this pair of amateur sleuths. I've followed this series since the beginning and while the new mystery in each means they can be enjoyed as standalones, the ongoing development of the relationship between Flora and Jack means I recommend reading the books in order, if possible.
As much as the mysteries in the books are compelling, this is really a character-led series and it's predominantly Flora and Jack's personal lives which keep readers coming back for more. Murder in a French Village introduces Jack's estranged mother, Sybil when she calls him demanding his help. Despite their difficult relationship, he agrees to travel to Paris to look into the hit and run accident which killed her friend. Sybil is convinced the tragedy was no accident and that she was the actual target. Following an acrimonious split from Jack's father some years ago, she is living with an Italian count but not everybody is happy they are together.
When Jack asks Flora if she would like to come to France with him, she is initially a little conflicted. Her love for the All's Well bookshop is well established but she also bears the burden of guilt sometimes living up to her beloved Aunt Violet's standards. However, her feelings for Jack and the realisation that she can shut up shop for a short time soon sees them on the ferry to Dieppe. Flora also has her own reasons for going to France, beyond wanting to be with Jack but although she needs the resolution, she is scared as to what she might discover about her past.
Merryn Allignham’s rich descriptions are engrossingly transportive and the vibrant sense of place throughout Murder in a French Village is excellent; as the title of the book suggests, the killing of Ruby King in Paris isn't the only murder and much of the storyline is set in Provence. The contrast between the beautiful scenery and the rather oppressive interactions between Massimo Falconi's family at Chateau Constantin is striking. Sybil is an imperious figure who is difficult to like but her treatment by others is undeniably awful and the brief flashes of her vulnerability ensured I was able to feel some sympathy for her. As other strange, suspicious accidents take place, Jack and Flora become convinced that somebody really is trying to hurt or even kill Sybil and their resulting investigation is cleverly plotted to baffle readers into suspecting almost everybody at one point or another – particularly as the novel is populated with unlikeable characters.
The undeniable charms of the bucolic landscape with its long and varied history, especially in the haute-ville, isn’t enough to hide the darkness which brings very real danger to Flora and Jack. They might be a long way from Abbeymead but as always, their determination to uncover the truth finds them risking drawing the attention of a ruthless killer. After a number of twists, turns and potential leads, in what is a frustrating case, the tense conclusion is actually quite tragic. Meanwhile, Flora and Jack's relationship undergoes significant changes as a result of their stay in Provence and without giving anything away, I'm looking forward to seeing what the future now holds for them. Murder in a French Village is another evocative, heartwarming cosy murder mystery – I hope more death and deception continues to find Flora and Jack soon!
Murder in a French Village is published by Bookouture, it can be purchased here.
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About the Author
Merryn lives in a beautiful old town in Sussex with her husband. When she’s not writing, she tries to keep fit with adult ballet classes and plenty of walking.
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