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Maggie Newberry Mysteries #15
Murder in St-Rémy
Some say that Saint-Rémy-de-Provence is the most beautiful village in all of France. That’s especially true at Christmastime when the scent of baked gingerbread mingles with the fragrance of evergreen boughs and wafts deliciously through the village’s quaint cobblestone lanes. It’s hard to believe anything sinister could be waiting in any of its many charming streets and alleyways.
But when American ex-pat Maggie Newberry finds a pregnant, homeless teenager there she’s thrust into a whirling maelstrom of enmity and treachery that quickly reveals in devastating clarity that not all families are created equal.
In fact, some are so badly damaged nothing can fix them.
Except possibly murder.
But when American ex-pat Maggie Newberry finds a pregnant, homeless teenager there she’s thrust into a whirling maelstrom of enmity and treachery that quickly reveals in devastating clarity that not all families are created equal.
In fact, some are so badly damaged nothing can fix them.
Except possibly murder.
319 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 29, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
December 12, 2020
It's Christmastime in Provence! (And here too!) Naturally, Maggie is very busy getting ready for the season, but when a young teen gives birth in her outbuilding, she gets caught up in another family's drama. That's never good; it always leads to murder.
I loved this time in the French countryside. Susan Kiernan-Lewis has a way of writing that draws you into culture and experience that solidifies the very different daily life of living at a vineyard in France. I'm right there with Maggie as I sniff (somewhat suspiciously) at the new foods and enjoy their customs.
I've been with this series since the beginning - many moons ago and, after a shaky start, grew to adore Maggie and her loud, mad family. As always, I'm a little impatient with her acceptance of her husband's patriarchal attitude. At last, in this book, she expresses a modicum of regret that her children don't see her as an equal partner in the relationship and maybe there'll be some movement there.
Overall, Murder in Saint-Rémy was a fabulous seasonal read. The murder was well-thought-out and kept me guessing. And, Maggie, was her usual intrepid investigatory self and followed the evidence to a stunning conclusion.
I loved this time in the French countryside. Susan Kiernan-Lewis has a way of writing that draws you into culture and experience that solidifies the very different daily life of living at a vineyard in France. I'm right there with Maggie as I sniff (somewhat suspiciously) at the new foods and enjoy their customs.
I've been with this series since the beginning - many moons ago and, after a shaky start, grew to adore Maggie and her loud, mad family. As always, I'm a little impatient with her acceptance of her husband's patriarchal attitude. At last, in this book, she expresses a modicum of regret that her children don't see her as an equal partner in the relationship and maybe there'll be some movement there.
Overall, Murder in Saint-Rémy was a fabulous seasonal read. The murder was well-thought-out and kept me guessing. And, Maggie, was her usual intrepid investigatory self and followed the evidence to a stunning conclusion.
December 6, 2020
Wish my library had this author, unfortunately they do not.
December 19, 2020
A cosy murder mystery set in Provence. Maggie, a writer and an American ex-pat from Atlanta has an almost idyllic life in the pretty town of St Remy with her Parisian husband and their vineyard.
Laurent had made Danielle’s favorite parmesan soup along with duck breasts grilled over dried grapevines.The husband is very skilled at cooking and there are almost hagiographic descriptions of French cuisine from foie gras to duck confit to chocolate souffle, the book even comes with a recipe for Coquilles St Jacques. Unusually for a murder mystery, this story, set around Christmas time begins with a birth in Maggie and Laurent's garden shed, not quite the stable of yore, the mother a troubled unmarried teenager from England. There is a murder a quarter of the way in, there is a butler, too, Eugene, who is important in the story but I won't say any more. The story has some twists and turns, but I would have liked more mystery. The characters seem to think nothing of travelling from the South of France to London and back in a day, which seems a little optimistic even with the French TGV and Eurostar. If Goodreads allowed half stars I'd rate it 3.5, it was a pleasant enough read but closer to a three star book for me than a four star one.
December 17, 2020
Slow
Slow moving and at times I wanted to scream at the main character. It was a short read, don't know if I'll read another of this authors
Slow moving and at times I wanted to scream at the main character. It was a short read, don't know if I'll read another of this authors
December 27, 2020
Quick who done it. Loved the setting. Will definitely red more books in series.
December 27, 2020
A pleasant book to fall asleep with during the holidays
February 3, 2021
Murder in Sainte-Remy is not a cozy which is as “sweet” and “warm” as some of the delicious French pastries made by protagonist Maggie’s husband (apparently something of a former cat burglar in the south of France something like the one at the start of the film, To Catch a Thief) and daughter, Milo, seem always to be baking. Maggie Newberry, U.S. ex-patriate in the south of France, is the kind of empathetic, good-natured woman who injects herself into numerous situations as a problem-solver. She is well-intentioned (and effective) enough to help even when the individual is more of an acquaintance than a friend and the individual in question can be described as: “The woman was basically unhappy and getting worse with each creeping year. Stay away from toxic people. Isn’t that the first rule of how to have a pleasant life?” (p. 15). Readers will wish that pleasant life for Maggie, but she can’t seem to stay away from toxic persons. Of course, the problems aren’t always at the level of murder, even though some of the non-homicide problems can be life or death problems.
This book is the 15th in the Maggie Newberry series. Previously, I read #10 in the series simply because of it location, Murder in Cannes. I liked it, but “downgraded” it in terms of stars because of some elements that were so improbable that they jerked me out of my suspended disbelief. In Murder in Sainte-Remy, I don’t have such problems. Even the two most improbable circumstances (one on a “chunnel” train to London and one in a relatively deserted area near the hospital where van Gogh was kept for a time) are set up properly so that one goes, “I can see that!” rather than “Huh?” There is one other that I thought was inconceivable until it was explained. I’d share it, but it would spoil one of the non-homicidal mysteries in the book. There is also an ironic comment toward the climax of the book when Laurent tells Maggie not to do something and Maggie promises she won’t (actually intending to keep the promise but readers know that isn’t going to happen).
Another point about Murder in Sainte-Remy is that it is an incredibly “human” book. Maggie isn’t a detective; she is a former advertising agency representative from Atlanta. Yet, she cares enough about people that she gets caught up in situations where many of us readers would just walk away. For instance, at one point in the novel, Maggie holds back some information from a French authority because it would unnecessarily complicate the life of a juvenile who is, as far as we know at that point, a victim. Maggie takes this dissembling as the lying that even omission of information can sometimes be and we read that even for a good reason, there is a cost. “She sat back in her chair and felt like she’d run a marathon. Is this what lying does to you? Takes it out of you at every level?” (p. 52). In case you haven’t noticed from the two quotations I’ve provided so far, Susan Kiernan-Lewis, the prolific author of the series, tends to provide italicized reflections from time to time so that she can telegraph more complex inner dialogue without using the space (or pace) to expose the internal considerations fully. This is a very good technique that works very, very well for these stories. I wish more authors used it.
In Murder in Sainte-Remy, one reads about Maggie’s tendency to get involved in her sleuthing and have difficulty returning to her vineyard home in time to meet family expectations. Also, in both of the novels I’ve read in the series, she always seems to meet a surly French police detective (the one in this novel somewhat surlier than the rest). And, of course, she always seems to end up where she is either in danger of being arrested, suspected, or worse. This story is no exception.
Murder in Sainte-Remy is something of a “fable” (in intent rather than form and structure) about morality. The murder is logical and has so many plausible suspects that I did not solve the mystery—something that rarely happens to me, especially in the cozy species (genus?) of mystery. One could easily understand the motivations for any number of suspects whether for money, revenge, or perceived “justice.” I have to confess, I was quite intrigued. And providing la crème de la crème, Susan Kiernan-Lewis provides a literary reference which I had missed (and a cultural reference, since she alludes to a plaque I missed seeing in a rail station I have visited. On p. 172, Maggie is passing through St. Pancras Station in London and notices a plaque that reminds her that, in building the station, they had exhumed and re-interred a number of graves from an earlier London Era (apparently, not that long after the “Burials Act” in the mid-19th century made cemeteries illegal in London proper and the London Necropolis Company and National Mausoleum Company (LNC) with its Necropolis Line railway taking bodies to Brookwood Cemetery) so they could build St. Pancras). Thomas Hardy’s poem, “The Levelled Churchyard” was written about this relocation. The poem was written specifically about Wimborne Minster’s graveyard, but the connection to St. Pancras had to do with an earlier incident where Hardy was supposed to be checking to make sure that workers really were reinterring the dead. They were, but in one decaying coffin, Hardy saw that two skulls had been placed in the same coffin. Hence the reference in the poem about the late lamented being mixed into a “human jam” and the hilarious line about the bodies being so mixed that they dreaded resurrection day where a lady might be raised as half-herself and half a brazen strumpet. I truly enjoy such inter-textual references and really appreciate authors who take the time to make them.
As a result, I have to say that Murder in Sainte-Remy was considerably more satisfying to me than Murder in Cannes, impressively so. It could well become a reference point in my taxonomy where I describe the genre.
This book is the 15th in the Maggie Newberry series. Previously, I read #10 in the series simply because of it location, Murder in Cannes. I liked it, but “downgraded” it in terms of stars because of some elements that were so improbable that they jerked me out of my suspended disbelief. In Murder in Sainte-Remy, I don’t have such problems. Even the two most improbable circumstances (one on a “chunnel” train to London and one in a relatively deserted area near the hospital where van Gogh was kept for a time) are set up properly so that one goes, “I can see that!” rather than “Huh?” There is one other that I thought was inconceivable until it was explained. I’d share it, but it would spoil one of the non-homicidal mysteries in the book. There is also an ironic comment toward the climax of the book when Laurent tells Maggie not to do something and Maggie promises she won’t (actually intending to keep the promise but readers know that isn’t going to happen).
Another point about Murder in Sainte-Remy is that it is an incredibly “human” book. Maggie isn’t a detective; she is a former advertising agency representative from Atlanta. Yet, she cares enough about people that she gets caught up in situations where many of us readers would just walk away. For instance, at one point in the novel, Maggie holds back some information from a French authority because it would unnecessarily complicate the life of a juvenile who is, as far as we know at that point, a victim. Maggie takes this dissembling as the lying that even omission of information can sometimes be and we read that even for a good reason, there is a cost. “She sat back in her chair and felt like she’d run a marathon. Is this what lying does to you? Takes it out of you at every level?” (p. 52). In case you haven’t noticed from the two quotations I’ve provided so far, Susan Kiernan-Lewis, the prolific author of the series, tends to provide italicized reflections from time to time so that she can telegraph more complex inner dialogue without using the space (or pace) to expose the internal considerations fully. This is a very good technique that works very, very well for these stories. I wish more authors used it.
In Murder in Sainte-Remy, one reads about Maggie’s tendency to get involved in her sleuthing and have difficulty returning to her vineyard home in time to meet family expectations. Also, in both of the novels I’ve read in the series, she always seems to meet a surly French police detective (the one in this novel somewhat surlier than the rest). And, of course, she always seems to end up where she is either in danger of being arrested, suspected, or worse. This story is no exception.
Murder in Sainte-Remy is something of a “fable” (in intent rather than form and structure) about morality. The murder is logical and has so many plausible suspects that I did not solve the mystery—something that rarely happens to me, especially in the cozy species (genus?) of mystery. One could easily understand the motivations for any number of suspects whether for money, revenge, or perceived “justice.” I have to confess, I was quite intrigued. And providing la crème de la crème, Susan Kiernan-Lewis provides a literary reference which I had missed (and a cultural reference, since she alludes to a plaque I missed seeing in a rail station I have visited. On p. 172, Maggie is passing through St. Pancras Station in London and notices a plaque that reminds her that, in building the station, they had exhumed and re-interred a number of graves from an earlier London Era (apparently, not that long after the “Burials Act” in the mid-19th century made cemeteries illegal in London proper and the London Necropolis Company and National Mausoleum Company (LNC) with its Necropolis Line railway taking bodies to Brookwood Cemetery) so they could build St. Pancras). Thomas Hardy’s poem, “The Levelled Churchyard” was written about this relocation. The poem was written specifically about Wimborne Minster’s graveyard, but the connection to St. Pancras had to do with an earlier incident where Hardy was supposed to be checking to make sure that workers really were reinterring the dead. They were, but in one decaying coffin, Hardy saw that two skulls had been placed in the same coffin. Hence the reference in the poem about the late lamented being mixed into a “human jam” and the hilarious line about the bodies being so mixed that they dreaded resurrection day where a lady might be raised as half-herself and half a brazen strumpet. I truly enjoy such inter-textual references and really appreciate authors who take the time to make them.
As a result, I have to say that Murder in Sainte-Remy was considerably more satisfying to me than Murder in Cannes, impressively so. It could well become a reference point in my taxonomy where I describe the genre.
March 31, 2024
3.5 - 4 Stars
Murder in St-Remy is the fifteenth book in the Maggie Newberry Mysteries series 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 France 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 in St-Remy is the fifteenth book in the Maggie Newberry Mysteries series 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 France 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!
December 24, 2020
I wanted a Christmas cozy mystery to read to get into the festive spirit. I saw this come up on Bookbub, which was set in Provence, one of my favourite areas of France.
Before my review, I should say that this is book 15 in this series, and this is the first book I have read so there is a lot of backstory I don’t know, which might of helped.
The main character Maggie is an American expat living with her French husband, Laurent, and their family on their vineyard in Provence. The story revolves around a 14 year old pregnant English girl, Nuala; a niece of one of Maggie’s friends, who gets accused of murder. The other story is about Grace’s daughter, Taylor, coming to claim her son, Philippe. All this takes place around Maggie’s idyllic life with her seemingly perfect husband and children.
My problem was that I didn’t really gel with any of the characters, except Laurent and he is a very minor character. I don’t get the appeal of a big family. I didn’t like the gender bias of the daughters always being in the kitchen and the sons being outside with the dog. Laurent thankfully did the cooking, looking after the baby and sorting out the work on the wine estate, I liked him a lot. I couldn’t understand why Taylor was allowed to behave the way she did; again Laurent was the only one to stand up to her. Lastly, the murderer had such a change of character, it didn’t feel believable.
So 3 stars because I did love reading about Provence at Christmas-time and all the French traditions, but I won’t be reading anymore of this series.
Before my review, I should say that this is book 15 in this series, and this is the first book I have read so there is a lot of backstory I don’t know, which might of helped.
The main character Maggie is an American expat living with her French husband, Laurent, and their family on their vineyard in Provence. The story revolves around a 14 year old pregnant English girl, Nuala; a niece of one of Maggie’s friends, who gets accused of murder. The other story is about Grace’s daughter, Taylor, coming to claim her son, Philippe. All this takes place around Maggie’s idyllic life with her seemingly perfect husband and children.
My problem was that I didn’t really gel with any of the characters, except Laurent and he is a very minor character. I don’t get the appeal of a big family. I didn’t like the gender bias of the daughters always being in the kitchen and the sons being outside with the dog. Laurent thankfully did the cooking, looking after the baby and sorting out the work on the wine estate, I liked him a lot. I couldn’t understand why Taylor was allowed to behave the way she did; again Laurent was the only one to stand up to her. Lastly, the murderer had such a change of character, it didn’t feel believable.
So 3 stars because I did love reading about Provence at Christmas-time and all the French traditions, but I won’t be reading anymore of this series.
December 15, 2020
There is so much to love about this book. I broke my own rule and read this installment before having read any of the others, because it was Christmas themed and I just felt like it. There's enough of a back story implied that I'm interested in starting from the beginning.
The descriptions of the Provence villages, especially at Christmastime, were authentic and charming.
The story was interesting and the plot twists kept me guessing until the author chose to disclose the killer's identity.
What I didn't like is the overuse of one-dimensional characters. Fi and her sister, as well as Taylor and James, are completely despicable in every way. Their dialogue and actions were so over-the-top vile that they defied credibility. Even the worst of us have some good points.
And why did Grace allow Taylor to walk all over her and destroy property? All she had to do was videotape Taylor in the midst of her tantrum and Taylor would never have been awarded custody of Phillippe, even if she was the birth mother.
Will start from the beginning and hope the series merits continuing.
The descriptions of the Provence villages, especially at Christmastime, were authentic and charming.
The story was interesting and the plot twists kept me guessing until the author chose to disclose the killer's identity.
What I didn't like is the overuse of one-dimensional characters. Fi and her sister, as well as Taylor and James, are completely despicable in every way. Their dialogue and actions were so over-the-top vile that they defied credibility. Even the worst of us have some good points.
And why did Grace allow Taylor to walk all over her and destroy property? All she had to do was videotape Taylor in the midst of her tantrum and Taylor would never have been awarded custody of Phillippe, even if she was the birth mother.
Will start from the beginning and hope the series merits continuing.
December 30, 2021
This is a great book for spending the afternoon curled up by the fire in your library full of books. Kiernan-Lewis has the ability to transport you to the south of France and feel like you belong there. The plot became a little convoluted and I had a little trouble keeping up with the different characters. But I still enjoyed the read - one that kept me engaged, but light enough to be enjoyable. The main plot involved a young teen who recently gave birth and was then accused of murdering the aunt with whom she was staying during the pregnancy. Maggie was set on clearing her name, even though she barely knew her. None of the other suspects were particularly likable. There was a second storyline that involved the return of an estranged daughter who returned to France to get her child. I don't think this added much, except maybe the conflicting feelings of a mother. Although it had these pieces that I didn't care for, I still enjoyed the book and know I can turn to Kiernan-Lewis when I need an escape.
December 8, 2020
A beautiful little French village
Maggie is lunching in Saint-Remy with a fellow expat, Fiona, and her editor. It only takes a few minutes to recall why its been so long since they've gotten together. Fiona is constantly negative. Her latest complaint is that her niece has been foisted upon her by her sister, at the end of the girl's pregnancy. Maggie is shocked. Who would send their teenager to such an insufferable adult at such a delicate time? When Maggie meets Naula, who could find nothing to eat in the house, she's even more concerned for the girl. She's near the end of her pregnancy in a foreign country without friends or support, apparently, without even food!
Just when you think things cannot get worse, they do. You'll be glued to the book adding your support to Maggie, Naula, and the rest of Maggie's family as the plot thickens! Well worth the time for a cosy Christmas mystery!
Maggie is lunching in Saint-Remy with a fellow expat, Fiona, and her editor. It only takes a few minutes to recall why its been so long since they've gotten together. Fiona is constantly negative. Her latest complaint is that her niece has been foisted upon her by her sister, at the end of the girl's pregnancy. Maggie is shocked. Who would send their teenager to such an insufferable adult at such a delicate time? When Maggie meets Naula, who could find nothing to eat in the house, she's even more concerned for the girl. She's near the end of her pregnancy in a foreign country without friends or support, apparently, without even food!
Just when you think things cannot get worse, they do. You'll be glued to the book adding your support to Maggie, Naula, and the rest of Maggie's family as the plot thickens! Well worth the time for a cosy Christmas mystery!
December 29, 2021
I stuck with this one for longer than I should have because it showed promise. Then I got to a point where the murderer was revealed to readers, and we weren't even halfway through. I decided it wasn't worth continuing. I have not read earlier installments. The sleuth Maggie goes to Saint-Rémy to visit her author friend who is introducing her to her agent. After Maggie returns home, the very pregnant 14-year-old niece shows up at Maggie's house where she has her baby. When the woman is found murdered, suspicious immediately goes to the niece who claims she did not do it. She was, however, holding the knife and had wished her aunt dead earlier. Maggie sets out to investigate and is threatened by the investigating officer with jail if she doesn't leave the premises. This just didn't work for me, and I didn't finish it because the author revealed too much too early, and I was not engaged in it.
December 29, 2020
I picked this up and read it because it was Christmas themed, and I thought that would be fun at the holidays. I'm going to guess that 15 books into this series, the author has started to phone in some of the characters. I found the protagonist and her immediate family likable enough, if somewhat broadly drawn. But most of the other characters seemed one dimensional -- either too unpleasant to even believe anyone cared about them, or nearly saintly. Even by the end, there was only one character who had in any way surprised by showing more integrity than anticipated. I will say, the whole concept of a found baby at Christmas time seemed to have potential, and there were glimmers of tying that theme into the holiday from time to time.
It was a quick, light read, and that was really its saving grace. If it had taken any more effort to read than it did, I may not have finished it.
It was a quick, light read, and that was really its saving grace. If it had taken any more effort to read than it did, I may not have finished it.
December 9, 2020
Twisting plot
An author who can make characters so real that I want to slap one and hug another is a good writer. The Maggie Newberry mysteries are just that. In this adventure, Maggie finds herself and her household full of children and chaos. When two murders happen in fairly quick succession, Maggie sees a connection the police won’t.
I only have one problem with the exciting conclusion. You cannot look at a Glock 19 to be sure the safety is off. It has no external safety to check. Three safety features are internal.
An author who can make characters so real that I want to slap one and hug another is a good writer. The Maggie Newberry mysteries are just that. In this adventure, Maggie finds herself and her household full of children and chaos. When two murders happen in fairly quick succession, Maggie sees a connection the police won’t.
I only have one problem with the exciting conclusion. You cannot look at a Glock 19 to be sure the safety is off. It has no external safety to check. Three safety features are internal.
April 13, 2025
This story was a little disjointed. One plot was about a murder and the other subplot was about a rude, spoiled self-centered young women who was tyrannical, had no care about other people's property and caused trouble. She made everyone around her miserable. I felt the plots didn't work well together. It was like the author threw them both together because she couldn't flesh out the murder plot well enough to make a full and interesting book. Instead, it was all bedlam, and I believe that it weakened the murder plot.
December 10, 2020
Murder for Christmas
This is another well-written cozy with plenty of twists and subplots to keep things interesting. The characters are nicely developed and the setting, though populated primarily by expatriates, is vividly French. One caveat, if Susan Kiernan-Lewis is a new author for you, this book is the fifteenth in the series and, though it works on its own, it leaves many backstory questions unanswered.
This is another well-written cozy with plenty of twists and subplots to keep things interesting. The characters are nicely developed and the setting, though populated primarily by expatriates, is vividly French. One caveat, if Susan Kiernan-Lewis is a new author for you, this book is the fifteenth in the series and, though it works on its own, it leaves many backstory questions unanswered.
December 21, 2020
I liked the storyline but found the main characters a little annoying. The children and the husband are a little too perfect and understanding, and Maggie makes awful decisions.
Spoiler: how do you take a newborn baby in and then you are never around to help with it? And neither your kids nor your husband calls you out on it? And it's ok to miss the child's concert? I missed one concert over 15 years, and my kid is still mad at me five years later.
Spoiler: how do you take a newborn baby in and then you are never around to help with it? And neither your kids nor your husband calls you out on it? And it's ok to miss the child's concert? I missed one concert over 15 years, and my kid is still mad at me five years later.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2021
Murder at Christmas!
The on-going story of the life of Maggie and Laurent and their family in their vineyard in France. This story is about a pregnant runaway teenage girl and a very unique murder or two. The story is very attention getting and the descriptions of the French countryside make you feel that you are there. If you speak French you get more of descriptions and and phrases to practise on.
The on-going story of the life of Maggie and Laurent and their family in their vineyard in France. This story is about a pregnant runaway teenage girl and a very unique murder or two. The story is very attention getting and the descriptions of the French countryside make you feel that you are there. If you speak French you get more of descriptions and and phrases to practise on.
November 24, 2023
DNF at 15%. Wanted something light to read and this Christmas-themed mystery seemed like a good pick, but I found the characters very flat and I could not suspend my disbelief that a 14-year old heavily pregnant girl somehow gets to a town two hours out of where she is staying to give birth alone in a shed and then manages to walk 5 km immediately after, and the family who find the baby just take it in without notifying the authorities?
December 17, 2020
Another great Maggie Newberry mystery
A murder where there is only one possible murderer and yet, to Maggie Newberry that is the one person who could not have done it. Christmas in a charming French village with a whole cast of characters each with their own ulterior motive is delightful and also mysterious. A very enjoyable read.
A murder where there is only one possible murderer and yet, to Maggie Newberry that is the one person who could not have done it. Christmas in a charming French village with a whole cast of characters each with their own ulterior motive is delightful and also mysterious. A very enjoyable read.
December 20, 2020
I chose this because it was a Christmas themed book for December. I enjoyed this cozy little murder mystery. I enjoyed Maggie and her husband's characters. Some other characters were pretty one dimensional, but maybe the author thought it would take too much time to give depth. I also had some questions that never were answered.
December 27, 2020
French mystery at Christmas
This is my first Susan Kiernan-Lewis mystery, being the 15th or 16th in the series it was surprisingly easy to learn the characters and to like the series character line, this was a good suspense novel, that had me guessing until the end. Very much enjoyed the description of this French village. pretty good read
This is my first Susan Kiernan-Lewis mystery, being the 15th or 16th in the series it was surprisingly easy to learn the characters and to like the series character line, this was a good suspense novel, that had me guessing until the end. Very much enjoyed the description of this French village. pretty good read
January 14, 2021
Slow starter, trying to get all the various characters established. The main story, tied closely with the minor story, is thought out but convoluted in places. The minor story, number 2, felt shoved in to cover slow spots. The recipe sounds delicious but I don't think I will be seeking out any more of these. Just not my cup of cafe creme.
May 27, 2021
As with all the other 14 Maggie Newberry books I've read, this one, too, was fun.
What I really have trouble getting past is why, in books of this type (a cozy mystery, a light mystery?) do the characters always have to - chew on a fingernail - it's like the authors cut and paste from one manuscript to another. That particular bad habit is in so many books . . . . .
What I really have trouble getting past is why, in books of this type (a cozy mystery, a light mystery?) do the characters always have to - chew on a fingernail - it's like the authors cut and paste from one manuscript to another. That particular bad habit is in so many books . . . . .
May 8, 2022
Another great read! Maggie, Laurent, their good friends, and some friends of Maggie are caught up in several murders as well as an out of control daughter of a friend wreaks havoc during the Christmas holidays. Like the other books in the series, I couldn`t put this down. Looking forward to another book in this series.
December 19, 2022
I just finished the 15th book in this series which I picked up only because of the Christmas theme. Loved this mystery so much and fell in love with the characters and the excitement of visiting different areas of France through these books, now I can look forward to the fun task of reading numbers 1-14.
January 7, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. France isn't a place that ever really caught my eye for travel, but after reading this, I have changed my mind. The French countryside sounds lovely and idyllic. Even though I jumped into the series, I was able to follow the story well enough to enjoy it. The characters were realistic--I both loved and hated them. I would like to read more of this series.
January 31, 2023
Maggie, an American ex-pat was living with her husband Luc and their family in Saint Remy it was Christmas time and yet so many things happened to dampen the festive spirit. In fact, it all started with a murder! Maggie never gave up trying to put all the pieces together.
A nice cozy mystery set in a lovely French city.
A nice cozy mystery set in a lovely French city.
December 8, 2020
Interesting cozy murder mystery
Lots of strange possible murderers were introduced early in the story. I still didn’t guess who the culprit was until it was revealed by the author. Definitely recommend this book.
Lots of strange possible murderers were introduced early in the story. I still didn’t guess who the culprit was until it was revealed by the author. Definitely recommend this book.
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