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Maggie Newberry Mysteries #16
Murder à la Mode
With the wine harvest behind them, things had just started to calm down for Maggie and Laurent in their French village of Saint-Buvard when a team of food industry entrepreneurs and celebrity judges arrives to put on a contest to decide in a blind taste test which country makes the best chocolate éclairs—the Brits, the Americans, the Germans or the French.
When one of the contestants ends up stabbed to death, the suspect is a close friend. Maggie will need to find a way past the woman's obvious motive and the damning circumstantial evidence to free her friend—without putting herself or Laurent in the hot seat in the process.
(Bonus: Laurent’s classic chocolate éclair recipe is at the end of the book.)
This book is a clean read: no graphic violence, sex or strong language
Genre: light culinary cozy mystery, women amateur sleuth, cozy animal (dog)
When one of the contestants ends up stabbed to death, the suspect is a close friend. Maggie will need to find a way past the woman's obvious motive and the damning circumstantial evidence to free her friend—without putting herself or Laurent in the hot seat in the process.
(Bonus: Laurent’s classic chocolate éclair recipe is at the end of the book.)
This book is a clean read: no graphic violence, sex or strong language
Genre: light culinary cozy mystery, women amateur sleuth, cozy animal (dog)
392 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 15, 2020
817 people are currently reading
403 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 31, 2023
Maggie Newberry Dernier has been asked to host the competitors for a baking contest. The festivities get off to a bad start when, during a scavenger hunt, one of the participants is found dead. Maggie's friend becomes the number one suspect, and she fears that the police have concluded their investigation, leaving an innocent woman in prison. To right a wrong, Maggie must do her own sleuthing to get the real murderer behind bars.
I tore through this mystery and finished it in record time. (And I'm fairly sure my e-reader is smoking from the effort.) This series is so addictive. Though the murder is the draw, checking in with the main characters and seeing how their lives progress is a delight in itself. Time does not stand still in these books - there's always some new event happening in Saint-Buvard.
I absolutely recommend this series for cosy readers.
I tore through this mystery and finished it in record time. (And I'm fairly sure my e-reader is smoking from the effort.) This series is so addictive. Though the murder is the draw, checking in with the main characters and seeing how their lives progress is a delight in itself. Time does not stand still in these books - there's always some new event happening in Saint-Buvard.
I absolutely recommend this series for cosy readers.
March 31, 2024
3.5 - 4 Stars
Murder à la Mode is the sixteenth book in the Maggie Newberry Mysteries by Susan Kiernan-Lewis.
The Maggie Newberry series of books by Susan Kiernan-Lewis turned out to be a great cozy mystery series that kept me engrossed the whole way through. Throughout the series we follow thirty-something, Maggie Newberry, an advertising copywriter who has been unlucky in love. Her ‘normal’ life gets upended when her sister, who has been missing for quite some time, turns up dead. Then to add an extra layer of complication, Maggie must now travel to Frace to locate her young niece that she didn’t even know existed. Arriving in France, thing take a dangerous turn when her sister’s murderer then sets his sights on Maggie and her niece. Add in a sexy Frenchman to add a little extra layer of intrigue, plenty of dramatic developments, secrets, lies, crime & investigation, and the story takes an engrossing turn.
From book #2 onwards-
Maggie’s sexy (French) boyfriend, who we met in the first instalment has inherited an ancient vineyard in a small rural village in France- so Maggie quits her job and sets off for a year abroad. But trouble soon follows, when a vicious murder takes place, thrusting them into the middle of an investigation that links to a 50year-old murder. What happens makes for intriguing reading….and so the series unfolds, with each book bringing another cozy mystery for Maggie to investigate. Sprinkled with mystery suspense, tension, drama, danger, romance, marriage, motherhood, travel, and recipes- made this series a memorable read. It is a light-hearted and enjoyable series, the ‘clean’ stories mean there are no sexy times, violence, or profanity.
Happy Reading…
Thank you, Susan Kiernan-Lewis!
Murder à la Mode is the sixteenth book in the Maggie Newberry Mysteries by Susan Kiernan-Lewis.
The Maggie Newberry series of books by Susan Kiernan-Lewis turned out to be a great cozy mystery series that kept me engrossed the whole way through. Throughout the series we follow thirty-something, Maggie Newberry, an advertising copywriter who has been unlucky in love. Her ‘normal’ life gets upended when her sister, who has been missing for quite some time, turns up dead. Then to add an extra layer of complication, Maggie must now travel to Frace to locate her young niece that she didn’t even know existed. Arriving in France, thing take a dangerous turn when her sister’s murderer then sets his sights on Maggie and her niece. Add in a sexy Frenchman to add a little extra layer of intrigue, plenty of dramatic developments, secrets, lies, crime & investigation, and the story takes an engrossing turn.
From book #2 onwards-
Maggie’s sexy (French) boyfriend, who we met in the first instalment has inherited an ancient vineyard in a small rural village in France- so Maggie quits her job and sets off for a year abroad. But trouble soon follows, when a vicious murder takes place, thrusting them into the middle of an investigation that links to a 50year-old murder. What happens makes for intriguing reading….and so the series unfolds, with each book bringing another cozy mystery for Maggie to investigate. Sprinkled with mystery suspense, tension, drama, danger, romance, marriage, motherhood, travel, and recipes- made this series a memorable read. It is a light-hearted and enjoyable series, the ‘clean’ stories mean there are no sexy times, violence, or profanity.
Happy Reading…
Thank you, Susan Kiernan-Lewis!
January 26, 2020
I always rate a Maggie Newbury Mystery the most stars I can, I always enjoy these stories they are good clean fun. Maggie is always funny, sarcastic, smart, devilishly inquisitive and of course she drives her handsome, talented, taciturn, mysterious husband crazy. The only thing they really have in common beside their mutual love for their children is their love for each other. There seems to always be a murder that Maggie is driven to solve which usually lands her more trouble leading her to multiple injuries, I think in the 16 books I have read she has had a least a dozen concussions, broken arms, legs, ankle, she's been stabbed, shot, kidnapped, shoved over a cliff, trapped in a sewer (two sewers) dropped down a hole in a ruined church, locked in a creepy warehouse, thrown overboard, beaten up in a bakery and now pushed down an abandoned elevator shaft. Maggies method of solving murders is to suspect absolutely everyone, her process of elimination usually goes on to the end when she finally gets it right and is almost murdered herself. There is a formula here but it is fun to solve the mystery with Maggie and to enjoy the fabulous meals that the hunky Laurant prepares for anyone lucky enough to be around.....yes, he cooks too!
August 11, 2023
A baking contest turns vicious.
Laurent and Maggie and her friend Grace are each hosting participants in a small baking contest sponsored by a publication. Tempers flare at a dinner for the participants held in Maggie and Laurent’s home. The scavenger hunt Maggie planned in the vineyard at night ends with the discovery of one of the bakers murdered. Maggie is an investigator and when the bakers’s wife is arrested for the murder, Maggie leaps to her defense. There is not a lone suspect; Maggie finds a motive for each of those involved. Her questioning even causes problems between her and her best friend, Grace. This is a complex mystery, with conflict between friends family, and contestants. Teens Luc and Zou Zou play important parts in the book, with interaction with friends and family running throughout the mystery. I enjoyed the suspense and the writing is great.
Laurent and Maggie and her friend Grace are each hosting participants in a small baking contest sponsored by a publication. Tempers flare at a dinner for the participants held in Maggie and Laurent’s home. The scavenger hunt Maggie planned in the vineyard at night ends with the discovery of one of the bakers murdered. Maggie is an investigator and when the bakers’s wife is arrested for the murder, Maggie leaps to her defense. There is not a lone suspect; Maggie finds a motive for each of those involved. Her questioning even causes problems between her and her best friend, Grace. This is a complex mystery, with conflict between friends family, and contestants. Teens Luc and Zou Zou play important parts in the book, with interaction with friends and family running throughout the mystery. I enjoyed the suspense and the writing is great.
July 1, 2025
I found this book to be too long to read, but then I gave in and kept on until done. It was one of those high-brow readings for me because I am not one for following recipes/cooking, or pride in one's country as being the best of the best.
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What did I like about this reading?
Who is the best pastry chef: Germany, France, England, or the Americans? There’s been a death, and by the end of this reading, we find that the murderer wanted the prize and honor all to themselves. Yet, which country makes the best desserts, and does it matter? This reading was too long with too many chapters, however short. There was humor with discrimination in the pride of one’s country—a high-brow read that I had declined to read, but changed my mind, with this short snippet of a review.
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What did I like about this reading?
Who is the best pastry chef: Germany, France, England, or the Americans? There’s been a death, and by the end of this reading, we find that the murderer wanted the prize and honor all to themselves. Yet, which country makes the best desserts, and does it matter? This reading was too long with too many chapters, however short. There was humor with discrimination in the pride of one’s country—a high-brow read that I had declined to read, but changed my mind, with this short snippet of a review.
June 4, 2025
Maggie is at it again. When she and Laurant host a dinner at their home for an upcoming pastry competition, things go terribly wrong when one of the contestants is found murdered in their vineyard. Of course, Maggie has to get involved and doesn't trust the police to find the read killer. I like these stories but Maggie was obnoxious in this book, so much so that Laurent is extremely upset with her. Couldn't put it down. There are some editing problems, not too many, but names are mixed up several times.
August 4, 2023
The first I’ve read in this series and I’m going to have to read more of them! A twisty mystery set in France, where , as a promotion for a new magazine, a Best Pastry chef contest is scheduled between bakers from France, America, Germany and England. But shenanigans ensue and you’ll never believe who wins the contest! Oh, and one of the contestants is murdered and everyone is a suspect! This one keeps you guessing!
April 16, 2024
Brilliant!
Murder a la mode was another unputdownable read. Susan Kiernan-Lewis certainly knows how to put together a riveting tale with many interesting and complex characters. Maggie is always determined to catch the culprit whatever the cost to herself. Looking forward to more of the same. Thank you Susan.
Murder a la mode was another unputdownable read. Susan Kiernan-Lewis certainly knows how to put together a riveting tale with many interesting and complex characters. Maggie is always determined to catch the culprit whatever the cost to herself. Looking forward to more of the same. Thank you Susan.
July 1, 2025
as Always, a terrific story with any twists and turns.
More new and interesting characters.so many suspects and great character developments. Lots of intrigue. Until the last the true murderer was “ up in the air”. I can usually figure out the murderer. Great read. C. A. W
More new and interesting characters.so many suspects and great character developments. Lots of intrigue. Until the last the true murderer was “ up in the air”. I can usually figure out the murderer. Great read. C. A. W
July 8, 2025
Sorry but it bored me to tears
I wasn’t even 25% into this book before I got bored. It was a chore going any further. I’m not sure if it was the story or the French words with translations. Ugh!
I wasn’t even 25% into this book before I got bored. It was a chore going any further. I’m not sure if it was the story or the French words with translations. Ugh!
April 2, 2020
Best Maggie adventure yet
I couldn't put this book down once I had started it.. I can't wait for the next one to hear what happens.
I couldn't put this book down once I had started it.. I can't wait for the next one to hear what happens.
August 3, 2020
I loved this story as well as all the others! The story line and the relationships are wonderfully real.
January 21, 2021
Love this series
March 11, 2021
Another murder adventure in Provence to be solved by Maggie! Fun books to read. I like keeping up with the family. I'm ready to read the next one to find out what's in store with Luc.
August 2, 2023
Always enjoy reading one of these series.
August 11, 2023
Very enjoyable and tasty
Murder, a loving family and tantalizing food in a small French village make for a good read. Plus a yummy dessert recipe at the conclusion. Win Win!
Murder, a loving family and tantalizing food in a small French village make for a good read. Plus a yummy dessert recipe at the conclusion. Win Win!
August 27, 2023
Great
As usual, the book was fun to read. These stories go on on. The characters and places are well described.
As usual, the book was fun to read. These stories go on on. The characters and places are well described.
August 27, 2023
This book had me going in circles. Nearly everyone was a suspect. I went round and round and still didn't guess right. Took me by surprise. Fun mystery!
August 28, 2023
Though I have been a fan of Susan's storytelling and Maggies tales especially-this one did not do it for me-I thought it was a weak and poorly told tale -
March 13, 2024
Still one of my favorite settings but the behavior of the characters grated on my nerves in this one.
June 10, 2025
A good story but a little too long. Lots of characters and suspects.
June 12, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy mystery. I couldn't stop grabbing my Kindle to read more of the story every second I was able to.
July 5, 2025
Another excellent Maggie Newberry book. Keeps you guessing with all of the twists and turns. I always enjoy these page turners.
July 8, 2025
A great whodonit
Twist and turns to the very end. Maggie loves to solve murders. This time she needed to save a friend. A cooking contest with a twist of murder.
Twist and turns to the very end. Maggie loves to solve murders. This time she needed to save a friend. A cooking contest with a twist of murder.
August 9, 2020
Another murder in Provence and Maggie is right there in the middle!
Such a treat connecting again with Maggie, Laurent, Grace, Danielle, Luc, Zouzou, Jemmy, and Mila, a real family I have grown to love over the years. Another body....this one a patisserie chef found in the vineyard of Laurent and Maggie's mas (home) in Provence (must be at least 16 bodies since the series started!). And Maggie, as usual, feels she must find the killer, while Laurent tries to rein her in to no avail. Too many suspects, all with possible motives, and opportunity keep Maggie busy while the day to day family routines continue. There is a new, female police detective with whom Laurent appears to have a connection. Secrets, lies, danger...ingredients for another wonderful mystery in this series.
Such a treat connecting again with Maggie, Laurent, Grace, Danielle, Luc, Zouzou, Jemmy, and Mila, a real family I have grown to love over the years. Another body....this one a patisserie chef found in the vineyard of Laurent and Maggie's mas (home) in Provence (must be at least 16 bodies since the series started!). And Maggie, as usual, feels she must find the killer, while Laurent tries to rein her in to no avail. Too many suspects, all with possible motives, and opportunity keep Maggie busy while the day to day family routines continue. There is a new, female police detective with whom Laurent appears to have a connection. Secrets, lies, danger...ingredients for another wonderful mystery in this series.
May 28, 2020
Wow!
Susan has outdone herself with this one! I love how she keeps changing the direction on who did it with Maggie's realizations along the way. It just makes me try to read faster. This is most definitely a page turner. I actually teared up at the end. I most definitely am in love with Laurent!
Susan has outdone herself with this one! I love how she keeps changing the direction on who did it with Maggie's realizations along the way. It just makes me try to read faster. This is most definitely a page turner. I actually teared up at the end. I most definitely am in love with Laurent!
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews