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Stranded in Provence #3
Accent on Murder
Murder is murder no matter how you pronounce it
Trying to learn a foreign language can be murder--especially when your French tutor is strangled to death hours after your last lesson and your best friend is arrested for the crime.
Normally that wouldn't be a problem for stranded super sleuth and intrepid expat Jules Hooker except she just got her ONE chance to go back to the US and sticking around to help a pal means she's back to being stranded in a foreign country with no lights, no language skills and no real future.
Will she give up her chance to go home?
Will she continue to step on the toes of the handsome village police chief in order to help free her friend?
And finally, will Jules find out who the murderer is before the killer decides to permanently eliminate one very pesky very stubborn American sleuth?
206 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 15, 2018
459 people are currently reading
275 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
October 4, 2024
If jumping to conclusions were a sport, Jules would def be an Olympic!
I don’t think I’ve ever read a weirder or worse cozy mystery than this one.
Aside from the setting (post apocalyptic France with no elecricity and internet), the main character is also annoying as hell and honestly rather dumb. Always jumping to conclusions, just trusting her feels, not thinking things through AT ALL (when people’s lives are at stake!) and also rather unfair (honestly can’t be angry if you break into a house that’s a crime scene and then get arrested for it lol)
She was annoying af but reading this book was also like watching some sort of car accident where you just can’t look away
Also, there are some parts where rather weird opinions on minorities and other stuff shone through and it just felt completely out of place and more like a placement of the authors opinion. But who knows. It made me feel very uncomfortable. Also the way the murder of the second victim was discussed, very handwavy “she deserved it” kind of stuff. Disgusting.
I don’t think I’ve ever read a weirder or worse cozy mystery than this one.
Aside from the setting (post apocalyptic France with no elecricity and internet), the main character is also annoying as hell and honestly rather dumb. Always jumping to conclusions, just trusting her feels, not thinking things through AT ALL (when people’s lives are at stake!) and also rather unfair (honestly can’t be angry if you break into a house that’s a crime scene and then get arrested for it lol)
She was annoying af but reading this book was also like watching some sort of car accident where you just can’t look away
Also, there are some parts where rather weird opinions on minorities and other stuff shone through and it just felt completely out of place and more like a placement of the authors opinion. But who knows. It made me feel very uncomfortable. Also the way the murder of the second victim was discussed, very handwavy “she deserved it” kind of stuff. Disgusting.
November 28, 2019
As the third book in this post-apocalyptic mystery series opens, we learn Jules has solved a case (bottle washer at a bar was sneaking wine) and is enjoying her payment (two free glasses of kir a day at the bar).
Thanks to handsome Luc, the village chief of police, Jules now lives in a French farmhouse just outside of Chabanel with the two elderly twin sisters (former WWII resistance fighters) she met in the previous books. Jules has acquired a couple cats and a dog and is taking French lessons (not too successfully) from the former schoolmistress in the village.
The residents of Chabanel still have candles and batteries for lamps (although I swear, I thought they didn’t have them in the previous book). And Jules and the twin sisters have an abundance of food both from the farm’s garden and from locals who regularly bring them food and wine.
Jules gets a chance to go back to the U.S. on a ship out of Marseilles, but within hours of this opportunity one of her friends is arrested for the murder of her tutor. Jules has a huge fight with Luc over the murder and about her leaving, and the two barely see each other for most of the book, and when they do, they are not friendly. Of course, Jules decides to stay and solve the murder to free her friend. And of course, being Jules, she gets in a lot of trouble in her investigation.
In the previous books it seemed France was coping better with the new world than the U.S. However, in this book Jules learns the U.S. apparently now has electricity and some form of mass transit. In contrast, things are going downhill in France. Black markets have sprung up all over, and at the one near Nice numerous people are killed every day. There are rumors the guillotine has been reinstated, and criminals are being shipped off to mysterious locations.
I found the mystery interesting and continue to like the world the author has created. The author surprised me with the resolution of the murder, and I look forward to seeing what happens to the characters in the next book.
Thanks to handsome Luc, the village chief of police, Jules now lives in a French farmhouse just outside of Chabanel with the two elderly twin sisters (former WWII resistance fighters) she met in the previous books. Jules has acquired a couple cats and a dog and is taking French lessons (not too successfully) from the former schoolmistress in the village.
The residents of Chabanel still have candles and batteries for lamps (although I swear, I thought they didn’t have them in the previous book). And Jules and the twin sisters have an abundance of food both from the farm’s garden and from locals who regularly bring them food and wine.
Jules gets a chance to go back to the U.S. on a ship out of Marseilles, but within hours of this opportunity one of her friends is arrested for the murder of her tutor. Jules has a huge fight with Luc over the murder and about her leaving, and the two barely see each other for most of the book, and when they do, they are not friendly. Of course, Jules decides to stay and solve the murder to free her friend. And of course, being Jules, she gets in a lot of trouble in her investigation.
In the previous books it seemed France was coping better with the new world than the U.S. However, in this book Jules learns the U.S. apparently now has electricity and some form of mass transit. In contrast, things are going downhill in France. Black markets have sprung up all over, and at the one near Nice numerous people are killed every day. There are rumors the guillotine has been reinstated, and criminals are being shipped off to mysterious locations.
I found the mystery interesting and continue to like the world the author has created. The author surprised me with the resolution of the murder, and I look forward to seeing what happens to the characters in the next book.
September 9, 2024
Don’t like stupid protagonist
I really dislike protagonist who repeatedly says and does stupid things. It’s very irritating and I just can’t relate. Everyone can and does make mistakes but when they become regular and predictable I lose interest.
I really dislike protagonist who repeatedly says and does stupid things. It’s very irritating and I just can’t relate. Everyone can and does make mistakes but when they become regular and predictable I lose interest.
June 18, 2017
Fun, fun, fun! This is such a cute cozy mystery series. The protagonist Jules Hooker was stranded in Chabanel, a small town in Provence after an EMP* bomb goes off over the Mediterranean (*my electrical engineer husband said that is an Electro-Magnetic Pulse). All electric power, inc. all computer and transportation, systems have been destroyed or disrupted all over the world. It sounds dire but believe me that's just a clever plot device for a great mystery series!
In this 3rd book in the series Jules has finally decided she should learn French and is taking lessons from Madame Toule, a reclusive, retired school teacher. After a very few lessons the teacher is found strangled to death, and the murder is pinned on Jules' friend Thibault. Jules gives up a chance to get back to the US in order to prove her friend's innocence. In the meantime her relationship with Luc, the police chief, is going nowhere, gangs are wreaking havoc on Nice, and another murder occurs in Chabanel. Will Jules solve the mystery before the murderer gets rid of this pesky American sleuth?
I have enjoyed this series as well as the author's Maggie Newberry series and look forward to new ones in both.
In this 3rd book in the series Jules has finally decided she should learn French and is taking lessons from Madame Toule, a reclusive, retired school teacher. After a very few lessons the teacher is found strangled to death, and the murder is pinned on Jules' friend Thibault. Jules gives up a chance to get back to the US in order to prove her friend's innocence. In the meantime her relationship with Luc, the police chief, is going nowhere, gangs are wreaking havoc on Nice, and another murder occurs in Chabanel. Will Jules solve the mystery before the murderer gets rid of this pesky American sleuth?
I have enjoyed this series as well as the author's Maggie Newberry series and look forward to new ones in both.
December 8, 2019
Having learnt that the grass isn't always greener, Jules is back in the village and has been allocated an elderly farmhouse on the outskirts of the village. Her friends, the 90ish-year-old twins, have joined her in the large dwelling where they are happily setting up a garden and producing their own wine! Jules has a chance to return to America, but that may be quashed when her friend is accused of murder.
Previously, the character who has been arrested didn't seem to be that much of a central player and to describe the person as such a close friend seems a bit of a stretch. When I read the blurb, I honestly thought that it would be another of Jules' friends who needed help. Jules, oh dear Jules, is a bumbler and not a true detective. She puts things together, but always at the last minute and always (it seems) when she's in danger. This wouldn't be an issue if she wasn't planning to set up a business as PI for the village and its environs.
As much as I'm grumbling, I really like this series. It's very imaginative in its premise and very well written. Yes, here and there are a few editing problems but they really don't detract from the telling.
Previously, the character who has been arrested didn't seem to be that much of a central player and to describe the person as such a close friend seems a bit of a stretch. When I read the blurb, I honestly thought that it would be another of Jules' friends who needed help. Jules, oh dear Jules, is a bumbler and not a true detective. She puts things together, but always at the last minute and always (it seems) when she's in danger. This wouldn't be an issue if she wasn't planning to set up a business as PI for the village and its environs.
As much as I'm grumbling, I really like this series. It's very imaginative in its premise and very well written. Yes, here and there are a few editing problems but they really don't detract from the telling.
August 20, 2024
Accent on Murder (Stranded in Provence, #3) by Susan Kiernan-Lewis is an excellent, enjoyable read. Ms. Kiernan-Lewis' books (that I've read) easily flow, hold the reader's attention because of good storylines and writing and no jarring grammatical or spelling errors.
In Accent on Murder, Jules is stranded in Chabanel, France after an EMP went off months earlier and there's no way to get back to the United States. From her behavior with Madame Toule, Jules is only playing at learning French. She really doesn't seem to want to learn the language, even though, due to EMP, she may be stranded for quite some time. Later on Madame Toule is murdered and the sleuth in Jules surfaces.
Each character in Accent on Murder is nicely fleshed out, well except for two and well written. Even Madame Toule is fleshed out in her character.
The author does an excellent job at all the clues to who the murderer is but she also hides the murderer well in her cast of characters.
In Accent on Murder, Jules is stranded in Chabanel, France after an EMP went off months earlier and there's no way to get back to the United States. From her behavior with Madame Toule, Jules is only playing at learning French. She really doesn't seem to want to learn the language, even though, due to EMP, she may be stranded for quite some time. Later on Madame Toule is murdered and the sleuth in Jules surfaces.
Each character in Accent on Murder is nicely fleshed out, well except for two and well written. Even Madame Toule is fleshed out in her character.
The author does an excellent job at all the clues to who the murderer is but she also hides the murderer well in her cast of characters.
August 14, 2025
I wanted to love this book so much but I just couldn't get into until about half way through. It is a good read it was just a bit slow for me.
The book focuses on Jules who is from the United States and goes on vacation to Europe when an EMP goes off grinding everything to a halt. She wasn't able to get home. She ended up finding a pair of sisters who were willing to take her in and help her out.
Jules has been wanted to get close to the local Luc is a police officer doing the best he can with no technology. There is a murder in the town and a friend of Jules is blamed for it even though she feels it's not him. She is determined to figure out what is going on and starts digging into the past to try to figure out who the killer is.
Read to find out if she solves the murder first or if Luc does. There is some crazy stuff that goes down in the story making the second part way better of a read for me personally. I would recommend this anyone who wants a cozy mystery.
The book focuses on Jules who is from the United States and goes on vacation to Europe when an EMP goes off grinding everything to a halt. She wasn't able to get home. She ended up finding a pair of sisters who were willing to take her in and help her out.
Jules has been wanted to get close to the local Luc is a police officer doing the best he can with no technology. There is a murder in the town and a friend of Jules is blamed for it even though she feels it's not him. She is determined to figure out what is going on and starts digging into the past to try to figure out who the killer is.
Read to find out if she solves the murder first or if Luc does. There is some crazy stuff that goes down in the story making the second part way better of a read for me personally. I would recommend this anyone who wants a cozy mystery.
March 29, 2021
Jules is stranded on a farm with the elderly sisters that Luc had arranged. She loves the French countryside and helping them sell their wine but murder is afoot with bodies showing up and the night market is unsafe. Jules is on the case but it's full of red herrings, twists and turns. The sisters want Jules to sell their wine at the night market hoping to get a better price so her friend Katrine has offered her big husband to accompany her to sell their cheese. Romain is set to go after Jules but is intercepted by Luc and put in a cell. However on the way to market Jules starts to feel very unsafe. Edge of your seat mystery. Enjoyable read
September 12, 2024
This Private Investigator Mystery is a consummate tale. Jules Hooker, a stranded American ex-pat detective, is trying to learn the local language (French) until her tutor turns up strangled to death. Now, it's a choice between going home immediately or helping a friend falsely accused of murder.
Language, culture, and miscommunication are essential components of this mystery. The French police make unraveling the crime all the more difficult. The clues (she finds) put her directly in the sight of the killer. The end (even though it leaves Jules flustered) is delightful.
Easy-to-read. Entertaining. Haunting. Romantic. Scary. Tragic. Unpredictable. Wonderful characters.
Language, culture, and miscommunication are essential components of this mystery. The French police make unraveling the crime all the more difficult. The clues (she finds) put her directly in the sight of the killer. The end (even though it leaves Jules flustered) is delightful.
Easy-to-read. Entertaining. Haunting. Romantic. Scary. Tragic. Unpredictable. Wonderful characters.
November 6, 2024
I didn't realize until I were finished that this was book 3 in the series. That said, I wasn't too far into the book before I knew I wasn't enjoying the read. I like a goid cozy mystery and I love her Maggie Newberry series but this...She doesn't explain what has happened world wide and why the heroine is stuck in France. I didn't see the ending coming at all and as far as I was concerned, she didn't drop any little hints on why the villain was so. So, foe me, thus was very disappointing.
January 16, 2025
Definitely a book to keep you on your toes while reading. I did get somewhat confused about what was happening and what EMP stood for. Jules is a visiting American who is stranded in France because of the EMP. She is stayng safely with elderly twin sisters that don't speak English. The local head of police, Luc, likes her a lot. Jules is not aware of this. A murder happens and she works to solve it. I had to keep reading in order to find out who did it.
August 22, 2024
In some ways the story is a standard cozy mystery but the author has added an electromagnetic pulse which has taken out electricity, technology, transport world wide.
The main character is stuck in France with no way to return to the USA and she has very limited knowledge of the French language.
Overall, I'm unsure how enjoyable the story was.
The main character is stuck in France with no way to return to the USA and she has very limited knowledge of the French language.
Overall, I'm unsure how enjoyable the story was.
March 18, 2023
This made slightly more sense that previous book. However now that it is part of a series, who knows when it ever end. Jules of course jumps to wrong conclusions but yet gets closer to the truth than policeman Luc does. Helps Thiboult get proven innocent.
October 18, 2024
I enjoyed this book, the setting and characters. Overall it proved an easy holiday read as it wasn’t a ‘heavy’ storyline where you needed to concentrate too much. It flowed well and the twists added to the enjoyment.
January 2, 2026
sometimes irritating, sometimes boring
Not sure how I feel about this book. Though I skipped a large chunk of it in the middle, I still felt I hadn’t missed much I couldn’t piece together at the end. So I guess that says it all.
Not sure how I feel about this book. Though I skipped a large chunk of it in the middle, I still felt I hadn’t missed much I couldn’t piece together at the end. So I guess that says it all.
July 30, 2017
A fun French cozy
Book 3 continues with the post apocalyptic theme of an American stranded in Provence. It's a fun read written by one of my favorite authors.
Book 3 continues with the post apocalyptic theme of an American stranded in Provence. It's a fun read written by one of my favorite authors.
February 17, 2019
Cute and light hearted
September 17, 2019
I think the books in this series gets better. Jules is really showing what kind of a good person she is and yes can have ditzy moments but her heart is in the right place :)
February 3, 2020
I like this series a lot. It's very comforting. Who knew dystopia + southern France + amateur sleuth cozy mystery could be such a delightful combination of elements?
May 31, 2020
how many murders can there be in on small town? But still enjoyed
February 20, 2021
Action aplenty in this fast paced witty delight with mystery and deception galore! I think this is my favorite in the series so far a true witty delight.
March 6, 2021
very enjoyable read
September 20, 2021
Another cozy mystery. Jules is not my favorite protagonist but she is growing on me. Do we Americans all act like she does?
August 27, 2024
Excellent Read
Fast paced action with characters that have depth of personality and just enough quirky humor to balance out the storyline ( added bonus with the humor) ENJOY
Fast paced action with characters that have depth of personality and just enough quirky humor to balance out the storyline ( added bonus with the humor) ENJOY
September 15, 2024
Lots of imagination
A crazy little story . If you like logic , this probably won’t be a favorite, but if you love anything French, you just might like it
A crazy little story . If you like logic , this probably won’t be a favorite, but if you love anything French, you just might like it
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews