Macaron Murder

Patisserie Mystery #1

by Harper Lin

Includes 5 Special Macaron Recipes!

French native Clémence Damour returns to Paris after traveling around the world for two years. She’s dog-sitting for her parents in the posh 16th arrondissement and overseeing the family patisserie, a famous franchise known for their delectable gourmet pastries and sweets in Paris and around the world.

To get off on the right foot with la gardienne, the caretaker of the apartment building, Clémence gives her a box of their luxury macarons. The next morning however, the half-eaten box of macarons is found near la gardienne's dead body. An incompetent inspector accuses Clémence of being the killer, which prompts her to clear her name and solve the case herself.

Join Clémence and her friends as they solve murder cases, bake macarons and other treats, and fall in love in The City of Lights.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, France, Chick Lit, Food

154 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 24, 2014

About the author

Harper Lin is the 3x USA Today Bestselling Author of several popular cozy mystery series—8 and counting!

When she’s not reading or writing mysteries, she loves going to yoga class, hiking, and baking with friends and family. 


Be the first to hear about early bird discounts and new book releases by signing up for Harper's Newsletter: https://goo.gl/R7XmFR

www.harperlin.com

Reviews

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Because this was a free book on the kindle store, I thought I would give it a shot. It was just ok. The main character was a bit unbelievable and a little snotty. You can tell that we were supposed to like her, but I didn't. I'm not sure why either. Maybe because she was so wealthy and had traveled the world, that I just couldn't relate to her when she would compare things she was seeing to her past travels. I just didn't work for me.

The actual mystery was very elementary and simple. Even though I didn't know who had committed the crime, I had worked out an even better ending than the one written. That's pretty sad because I'm not a genius- I'm pretty dumb.

I don't know, it just all felt a bit simple. Like a book to read in elementary school, but with adult themes. There is an entire series from this author, and I'm not sure I would read any more of these. I'm a huge fan of the Hannah Swenson series and keep reading these books for find something that rivals it. Haven't found one yet.

For a free book, it's ok. If I had to pay for this, I would have been very disappointed. Definitely not a series I would ever pay for, so if I do grab another, it would be from the library.

I've made macarons before and the recipes look good. I'm not sure about all of the flavor mixtures, but could be good. Here is what is included in this book:
Lychee Macarons with Raspberry Buttercream
Classic Chocolate Macarons with Chocolate Ganache
Matcha Green Tea Macarons with Matcha Buttercream
Black Sesame Macarons with Red Bean Filling

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed with this book, too many introductions of characters. Not sure I liked the main character much either. And the self revelation wasn't what I was expecting nor the abrupt ending. I much prefer the first series. Won't carry on with this one.

[Vibha · Rating 3 out of 5]

It had Macaron recipes🤤😍

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun easy read. I enjoyed the Paris setting and the macrons sounded good and there were recipes included at the end if you wanted to try making your own. The mystery was good and the characters likeable.

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young French lady returns to Paris from travelling the world. Settling into her parents' apartment, the superintendent is murdered. The incompetent police suspect the sleuth, who investigates to clear her name, and prove that the police are inept.

Formulaic, but the French setting keeps things fresh.

[Miranda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick, cute read with fun characters who, if the story were longer, would have unfolded nicely and still might in future short novels in this 6+ story series. Not rocket science, but a beautiful backdrop and delicious sounding desserts with several recipes included. Looking forward to more, I think.

[Nancy H · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great little mystery set in Paris, one which evokes the patisseries and the entire Parisian atmosphere. It is a gem of a book.

[Marie F · Rating 2 out of 5]

Written a bit better than the Emma Wild/Killer Christmas story, but the same formula and simple unpractical plot. If I weren't so quirkily compelled to finish out stories, I would have given up on this one early... It was very bland and way too reminiscent of the other one I read by this author. The bonus recipes don't sound all that thrilling either, but perhaps if one of those turns out interestingly it will slightly redeeming. Rather grateful it was free, but even at the cost of only the time it took to read it I wish I had passed.

Not sure I could recommend it to anyone unless they mentioned liking the Emma Wild's (in which case they could easily find it themselves)... I suppose Harper's style must be someone's cup of tea, but I am not sure I know anyone beyond the recommender who insisted this was better than the Killer Christmas one. It is a strange format and genre to me, but I imagine she could develop a cult following... If you like her style, she certainly seems to repeat it and that could be like slipping into a favorite cozy pair of slippers.

[Avigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Macaron Murder is a sweet cozy mystery. The Parisian atmosphere and ambiance are so welcome that traveling the world, and I prefer doing it through books.
I got the book for free a couple of years ago, and getting the book for free with a couple of dessert recipes is a win-win situation for me.
The murder mystery was slow to start and, like many heroines, not handled with a lot of brainpower or safety-first, but it was intriguing. It's not one of those mysteries with many clues you can solve yourself so go along for the ride.
I want to continue reading the series and more of Harper Lin's other books.

[QNPoohBear · Rating 2 out of 5]

Clémence Damour, a half-American, half-French woman returns to her parents' home in the 16th arrondissement of Paris after travelling the world. Her parents are gone on a trip to Asia to open new patisseries there and Clémence is left to manage their apartment, watch their dog and deal with their upstairs tenant, Ben. Clémence never expected to have to clear her name of murder charges! The historic building comes complete with a cranky caretaker known only as la gardienne, a woman who hates everyone and everything. Clémence's parents note the woman's weakness is their macaroons so Clémence gives la gardienne a box in hopes the woman will cease hating her for no reason. When Clémence comes home from walking the dog, she notices la gardienne's door open, the macarons half eaten and la gardienne dead. Of course the bumbling inspector would jump to silly conclusions. It's up to Clémence to figure out which one of her neighbors wanted la gardienne dead.

I don't really have to say what I think because Sara already did so in her review. This book just didn't interest me much. The plot was simplistic and unrealistic and the characters felt flat. Like Sara, I couldn't connect to rich people problems. I don't even like macarons so I didn't bother reading the recipes.

Clémence is supposed to be French but thanks to her mother's heritage she can switch to speaking English flawlessly. It's a little weird because French doesn't sound like English. To have the dialogue go from French to English and back again on the same page but all written out in English sounds weird. Clémence is annoying. She has had this amazing opportunity to travel the world, her parents are wealthy and own patisseries and she sounds bored. Clémence likes to slut shame and victim blame. She thinks a woman who wrote a poem about being seen as a sexual object is actually a long brag about being so beautiful she is. UM WHAT?!! Clearly Clémence needs to get with the program in the 21st century and realize men treat women as sexual objects even if they're not beautiful and that feeling of being powerless is valid. Seriously Clémence, look up the MeToo movement. No it hadn't gone viral yet but still, she could be more empathetic.

I find it hard to believe the inspector would jump to a quick conclusion like that. Yes it's OK to be annoyed her dog potentially contaminated the crime scene but that doesn't make her a suspect. Cyril St. Clare is the worst detective. He didn't even find the clues Clémence noticed right away and she chalked up his lack of trying to find a certain suspect as a man thing. I would think a competent police detective would pursue all avenues of investigation and try to find out who saw the victim last to put together a timeline of events.

I do love Miffy, the West Highland White Terrier but I don't think she's typical of a Westie. I've never heard of an "introverted" dog let alone a Westie! All the Westies I've ever met think they rule the world and everyone should adore them. No way is a Westie laid back enough to stay home alone. Yes they will chew the furniture if they're bored and alone. At least that part was right. She needs more than a quick walk and playtime to drain that terrier energy. She needs a good romp in a dog park with other dogs, especially the Dubois's Jack Russell.

Upstairs in a seedy little studioette apartment lives Ben, an Englishman and writer. He only has an IDEA for a book. How can he afford to live in Paris even in a garret room? He seems like a ladies' man but not in a slick way. He's more of an "I can't help it girls think I'm cute" kind of guy. He seems nice and I don't want him to be a murderer but I have a bad feeling he did it. The other apartment in the building is occupied by the DuBois family. They have a grown son, Arthur, whom Clémence does not like. Arthur is a spoiled rich kid who live in his parents' studioette because he doesn't want to give up his cushy lifestyle but doesn't want to remain living with his parents. He's a ladies' man of the worst sort and Clémence feels the need to mentally "slut shame" his partners. Arthur turns out to be the only character that shows any depth. Clémence thinks Arthur is a good suspect for murderer. He had motive, means and opportunity.

Another suspect is Lara, who lives in another seedy studioette upstairs from the Dubois family. She's a cleaning lady and has a chip on her shoulder because she feels everyone else is judging her. She wants money badly but not enough to be pleasant to people. She was the only person who called la gardienne a friend. Also on the list is Philippe, the dentist who has a practice in the building. He seems friendly and nice. I don't think he's the murderer. Not only is Arthur Dubois a suspect but his parents are as well. Madame spoils her children and Monsieur is never home. They both had motives to kill.

Recurring characters will be Sebastien and Berenice, siblings who work in the patisserie. I don't like him very much. He's one of those anti-bourgeois sorts even though he is one. His sister sounds fun though. There's also Celine, a hostess at the patisserie. She's rather silly and man crazy. Rose, Clémence's best friend, is introduced late and randomly. She doesn't have much personality. Sam, Ben's best friend, seems sweet.

I don't have any desire to read any more books in this series.

[JuliesBookhismus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Für Zwischendurch
Die Macarons hätte ich zwar gern selbst gesnackt, aber es nützt ja nichts. Clemens kommt
Paris zurück und fängt im Geschäft ihrer Eltern an. Einen Tag später wird die unbeliebte
Hausmeistern tot aufgefunden und da die Macarons neben ihr standen, fällt der Verdacht des
hiesigen Kommissars direkt auf Clemens.
Der Kommissar ist ein Widerling, die Nachbarschaft das reinste Chaos und dann werden hier
und da noch kleine Erpressereien aufgedeckt. Ganz schön was los dort. Und zu allem
Überfluss bekommt man ständig Hunger auf Süßes.
Ein schneller Krimi für Zwischendurch, der eine Autofahrt auf jeden Fall sehr verkürzt und
Bock auf mehr macht

[Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a very simple book, a quick read. it was also a free download! I didn't find the mystery particularly mysterious or compelling, and the main character's decision to get involved and investigate seemed somewhat contrived. the resolution was laughable - an abrupt confession, a climax with almost no tension.

if I had been reading this as a mystery, it would be a huge disappointment. however, I was having more fun trying to figure out who the main character was supposed to be set up with - her neighbor, the foreign writer? no - he seems to hit it off with one of her friends at a poetry slam. or her snotty other neighbor, Arthur, who's actually quite handsome and not such a cad? (which we learn in a short summary of a satisfying conversation Clémence has with him rather than the actual dialogue.) or Sebastien, the reserved but secretly caring and handsome baker? I didn't even like the characters that much (they have very little substance, it's difficult to form a strong opinion either way), I guess I was just in the right kind of mood for some fluff.

[Kem · Rating 2 out of 5]

This hit me like a book written for teens. No meat, no edge, characters hokey, dialogue unreal, plot not well written. Just plain weird. Only reason it got one star from me is the heroine, but not even she was fleshed out well.

[Debra Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marcaron murder

Pretty good for a short story. If you have read other Harper Lin books you will like this on too.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent, quick read, with a Paris setting. 3.5* from me. I didn't find it as bad as some reviewers have, and will be reading the next to see where the story goes.

[shanghao · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could use better editing (sentences like “Lara noticed Arthur glaring at Lara”) and this seems to me more suitable for young high school readers.

The characters are mostly voyeurs and fancy themselves the arbiter of superior human beings, in my opinion. Most of them have comments about almost everyone (a tool for character descriptions perhaps), but a lot of those comments are judgmental ones. A bit too much of author projection vibes for my liking, and the dialogues aren’t very realistic, even when giving some berth for fiction work.

Some of the descriptions of Paris are nice but a little too touristy, especially with superfluous cultural anecdotes such as staring people in the eye as you drink wine otherwise you’ll have x years of bad sex. The main protagonist sounds and behaves more like a North American than French or European, as far as I could tell.

I bought this because I love macarons and mystery novels, and the premise of both seemed so promising. I suppose I could try out the recipes but then again, the story has dampened my enthusiasm for it.

[Madhuri · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cozy Parisian mystery that begins with promise but wraps up far too abruptly. The red herrings are glaringly obvious, as is the identity of the murderer, which takes away from the suspense. This isn’t Harper Lin’s strongest work.

The protagonist has some potential but ultimately lacks depth or memorability. Maybe in the next few parts of the series?

[Valareese · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whats not to like? The french, pastries, and murder. I was not ready for the reveal!!

[Jody Holford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute start to a new series

[Carolyn Injoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free kindle copy of Macaron Murder (A Patisserie Mystery with Recipes Book 1) by Harper Lin from Amazon for fair review. I gave it three stars.

Clémence Damour had gone to school in America then travelled. She returned to Paris to dog sit while her parent who run a bakery travel to Japan to further spread their business. Soon after she arrived, the caretaker was murdered. A cynical inspector actually accuses Clemence of being the murderess. He is described as the man "with the buggy green eyes & parentheses smirk".

Arthur is a resident of the boarding house her parents own. He lives upstairs. She had seen him before "coming out the side of the building with a different girl each time: good looking girls in tight clothes & heels, doing the walk of shame."

Clemence's English was nearly without accent unless she was fatigued. When that happened her French accent became prevalent. That caught my attention because I don't sound Southern unless I'm fatigued, or angry.

Berenice & Sebastien both work for Damour's. Clemence & Berenice were talking about the rude Inspector Cyril. "Oh please, he's all talk. He was probably acting superior because he has no clue how to proceed. You know how Frenchmen are. They're like insecure little boys who need to act arrogant to mask their insecurities."

Celine, another worker at Damours has a bit of a crush on Sebastien & wants to Clemence to find out if he has a girlfriend. This led Clemence to ask: "What exactly is your taste?

'She has to be soft, light & sweet.'

'So your next girlfriend is going to be a meringue?' Clemence laughed."

Clemence is still looking for clues & sees Arthur walking the dog. She rushes to join him. "Something about him repelled her. It was the same way Cyril repelled her--the arrogance, the entitlement, the haughty attitude."

Clemence searches for clues everywhere. She doesn't slow down until she actually is struck upon the head & lost consciousness. Will she find the killer before the killer finds her?

This is a light weight & fun mystery.

Link to purchase: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I...

[Kjirstin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute little story! A quick read, where a young woman returning from an extended round of world travel comes back to her home in Paris and becomes embroiled in a murder investigation that happens in her apartment building. The characters are fun and relatable, and the mystery itself has the light touch that is needed -- although I did find I was rather surprised by the killer's sudden self-revelation; it didn't quite feel like it flowed organically from the rest of what was happening.

I really enjoyed some of the little details about life in Paris, such as the thin walls and the construction of the Haussmann buildings, with little rooms in the attic that used to be servants' quarters. All very interesting and appropriate to the setting. However, I was a little thrown out of the story by some of the very un-French attitudes and backstory of the protagonist. For instance, there's a section about how much she loves "la tour Eiffel" and the view of it from her neighborhood that screams "Displaced American!" rather than native Parisian. And I found the notion of a wildly-successful patisserie becoming that way by incorporating American twists into traditional French desserts so unlikely as to pull me out of the story. Yes, that kind of thing would work in the US, but in France? I am very skeptical. Am I overthinking things? Absolutely, which is why I'm not dinging the story for this. But it did throw me out of the narrative more than once.

I greatly enjoyed the little band of characters that the protagonist had gathered around herself by the end of the book, and foresee more fun and hijinks from them as the series continues. Definitely recommend it as a light, enjoyable read. I will very likely be picking up additional books from the series.

[Heather Pearson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun, quick story set in Paris. This murder mystery of a neighbour leaves relative newcomer, Clemence, determined to solve the crime and clear her name.

Clemence is perturbed at the seemingly inept police inspector, but she doesn't offer to share the additional information she has gathered. Along the way, she gets to know her new neighbours in ways she hadn't expected.

I enjoyed following Clemence as she visited with, and questioned her neighbours, particularly Arthur Dubois. It shows one of the flaws in her character, that of jumping too quickly to conclusions. Not a good trait in an investigator.

I would read more mysteries by Canadian author Harper Lin. Not sure that I will try any of the recipes for the macarons at the end of the book, but they do sound tasty.

#IndigoEmployee

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really short book, basically a short story. I'm not really into short stories, I prefer more character development and detailed mysteries. I'm reading this as part of a boxed set of four short stories, so I will keep going. Maybe more character development will happen over the series, although I'm not sure how detailed the mysteries can be at this length.

I did like the main character, as little as we know about her, and the setting in France. Other reviewers thought more could have been done with the atmosphere of the setting and I think that is another limitation of the short story genre. It's cute and fun enough for me to at least finish the box set, it remains to be seen if I will buy any more beyond that.

[Lori Henrich · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clemence has just returned to Paris to take care of the bakery business that her parents started. Her parents our out of the country working on expanding the business. When the la gardienne is found dead in her apartment, Clemence is at the top of the list of suspects. Realizing that if she is going to be taken off the suspect list, she will need to take on the investigating on her own.

I didn't care for the foreign language usage, but otherwise this was pretty good. I didn't pick up on the killer right away. I will probably read one more before I make a finally decision. The recipes look tasty but not much of a baker, so kind of useless for me.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Set in France, this cozy mystery was short and quick. Good for maybe when you're waiting for a dentist appointment or something. I was surprised at how abruptly the story ended, but I'll keep my eye out for more, as the characters have potential. Were this a longer story, the characters could have been flushed out a bit more, but the plot may have suffered. Just right.

*A few typos/grammatical errors throughout, but nothing so distracting that you couldn't finish.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, although I should point out it´s really more of novella length. That is why I immediately bought the next ones to have a short and fun read the next time I want that :-)
I´ve read some cozy mysteries, all set in the US and mostly the typical "little town where everyone knows everyone" setting and so I liked that this one is set in Paris for a change. I liked the story and the cast and now am curious what will happen next in the life of Clémence!

[Yvonna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Youth creates a flippant attitude with main character

The mystery would have played better if Clemence's attitude toward her friends, work, and her life had not been as if she were privileged. She kept talking like she didn't expect special treatment, but her actions "spoke" volumes otherwise. Her carelessness, however, is very understandable considering her youth. I'll hope for better in the next book.

[Valentina Markasović · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short and fun read, although I couldn't really connect with the MC. Am I wrong for liking Arthur, on the other hand?
Overall, I liked it, and I liked finding out more about the Parisian culture. I've been there once and the description of the people mostly captured my own experience.
Looking forward to continuing the series!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Well Done... Really Felt The Flavor of France...Although raised under Posh Circumstances Clemence is very Down to earth... Perfection is Acquired At "Damour Patisserie With only the best Staff.. Temperamental;) Delicious
Read with Trying to Solve Murders...Have "Eclair Murder" to read I hope it's longer...

[Jacque · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ended very abruptly. There wasn't much foundation laid for the ending. Spent more time introducing all of the different characters and how Clemence felt about them than developing the mystery, which felt more like a sideplot than the main foundation. I kept hoping for more. I do think the author shows promise.