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Julie Cavallo Investigates #2
The Killer Karma
Pastry chef Julie Cavallo unmasked a killer.
Life is good once again…
until her sous chef becomes a murder suspect.
Julie is certain Eric didn't kill his ex-con dad.
The question is, can she prove it to the lead investigator?
Alone she can’t.
She needs Beldoc’s best — and, ahem, only — amateur sleuth team to get back in the game.
Luckily, her shrewd sister, their feisty grandma and toe-worshiping dog are up for the challenge.
Besides, Julie hopes to enlist the help of one hot gendarme...
Clueless but committed, the detective trio sets out to expose the real killer.
Praise for Ana T. Drew
"Fun characters and unexpected plots twists… A delightful read." — Manhattan Book Review
"The Killer Karma" is the second murder mystery in a new series of atmospheric, humorous whodunnits set in Provence.
Life is good once again…
until her sous chef becomes a murder suspect.
Julie is certain Eric didn't kill his ex-con dad.
The question is, can she prove it to the lead investigator?
Alone she can’t.
She needs Beldoc’s best — and, ahem, only — amateur sleuth team to get back in the game.
Luckily, her shrewd sister, their feisty grandma and toe-worshiping dog are up for the challenge.
Besides, Julie hopes to enlist the help of one hot gendarme...
Clueless but committed, the detective trio sets out to expose the real killer.
Praise for Ana T. Drew
"Fun characters and unexpected plots twists… A delightful read." — Manhattan Book Review
"The Killer Karma" is the second murder mystery in a new series of atmospheric, humorous whodunnits set in Provence.
- GenresMysteryCozy MysteryCozy
218 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 25, 2020
149 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
About the author
Ana T. Drew
20 books262 followersChanticleer Mystery & Mayhem Book Awards First Place winner, Ana T. Drew is the evil mastermind behind the recent series of murders in the fictional French town of Beldoc.
When she is not writing cozy mysteries or doing mom-and-wife things, she can be found watching “The Rookie” to help her get over “Castle”. She lives in Paris but her heart is in Provence.
>>> Sign up for her monthly newsletter to be notified when her next mystery comes out and get a free novella and a cookbook!
When she is not writing cozy mysteries or doing mom-and-wife things, she can be found watching “The Rookie” to help her get over “Castle”. She lives in Paris but her heart is in Provence.
>>> Sign up for her monthly newsletter to be notified when her next mystery comes out and get a free novella and a cookbook!
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 30, 2022
Mon avis en Français
My English review
Après avoir découvert le premier tome il y a peu, j’étais curieuse de découvrir la suite des aventures de notre chère Julie. Si j’avais eu quelques points mitigés dans le premier, j’ai apprécié ce nouveau roman.
Eric, le chef de Julie, est accusé du meurtre de son père. Pas facile, surtout quand on sait qu’il le détestait. Il est alors le suspect parfait ! Mais Julie n’y croit pas et quand la police s’intéresse un peu trop à lui, elle décide de mener l’enquête et de découvrir le coupable toute seule. Pourtant, cette affaire sera loin d’être facile : tout le monde cache des secrets, à commencer par Eric.
J’ai passé un bon moment avec cette nouvelle enquête. J’étais aussi ravie de retrouver tous les personnages. Si suite il y a, je la lirai avec plaisir. C’était un bon petit cozy !
My English review
Après avoir découvert le premier tome il y a peu, j’étais curieuse de découvrir la suite des aventures de notre chère Julie. Si j’avais eu quelques points mitigés dans le premier, j’ai apprécié ce nouveau roman.
Eric, le chef de Julie, est accusé du meurtre de son père. Pas facile, surtout quand on sait qu’il le détestait. Il est alors le suspect parfait ! Mais Julie n’y croit pas et quand la police s’intéresse un peu trop à lui, elle décide de mener l’enquête et de découvrir le coupable toute seule. Pourtant, cette affaire sera loin d’être facile : tout le monde cache des secrets, à commencer par Eric.
J’ai passé un bon moment avec cette nouvelle enquête. J’étais aussi ravie de retrouver tous les personnages. Si suite il y a, je la lirai avec plaisir. C’était un bon petit cozy !
August 30, 2025
C’était une lecture sympathique mais je pense rester avec mes thrillers bien gores 🫠
July 23, 2020
Julie Cavallo, the main character of The Killer Karma by Ana T. Drew started off her amateur detective career in Book 1 of the Julie Cavallo Investigates series, The Murderous Macaron. In that adventure, Julie and her friends successfully exposed the facts of Maurice Suave’s murder. But after Julie is almost killed by Suave’s murderer, her friends decide it is time to put their amateur sleuthing to rest. And Julie agrees - after all, besides her skills as a blooming amateur detective, she is a brilliant gluten-free pastry chef who’s new pâtisserie could really use her attention. But as The Killer Karma starts, her plan to abandon sleuthing is thrown out the window after her sous chef Eric’s father is murdered. Not only is Eric her business partner and loyal employee, he is also Julie’s friend and previously, her fellow detective - she has no choice but to help him! But as Julie soon finds out, Eric is in even more trouble than she thought: he is the police’s number one suspect! Julie is sure Eric didn’t murder his father and is determined to prove his innocence. But she can’t quite shake the worry that her findings will actually incriminate her friend. Will Julie be able to solve this case? Will doing so clear Eric’s name?
The Killer Karma by Ana T. Drew is a fast-paced and thrilling mystery. Its suspenseful and multi-faceted storyline makes this book hard to put down, keeping the reader curious about who the murderer could be all throughout the story. This “cozy mystery” eliminates the violence but not the thrill found in other murder mysteries. One thing I enjoyed even more about this book than the previous book in the Julie Cavallo Investigates series, The Murderous Macaron, was the number of characters. While I struggled a bit to keep track of all the secondary characters in the first book, I thought that this book contained the perfect amount of characters. I would strongly suggest reading The Murderous Macaron before The Killer Karma. While Ana T. Drew spends some time briefing the reader on the most pertinent aspects of the previous book, I felt like I was really connected to the characters as a result of reading the first book which weaves in so much of their backstories. Reading both books creates a feeling of investment in the characters and desire for everything to work out for them that I don’t think can be created by reading just the second book on its own. I highly recommend The Killer Karma for mystery-lovers ages 12 and up.
The Killer Karma by Ana T. Drew is a fast-paced and thrilling mystery. Its suspenseful and multi-faceted storyline makes this book hard to put down, keeping the reader curious about who the murderer could be all throughout the story. This “cozy mystery” eliminates the violence but not the thrill found in other murder mysteries. One thing I enjoyed even more about this book than the previous book in the Julie Cavallo Investigates series, The Murderous Macaron, was the number of characters. While I struggled a bit to keep track of all the secondary characters in the first book, I thought that this book contained the perfect amount of characters. I would strongly suggest reading The Murderous Macaron before The Killer Karma. While Ana T. Drew spends some time briefing the reader on the most pertinent aspects of the previous book, I felt like I was really connected to the characters as a result of reading the first book which weaves in so much of their backstories. Reading both books creates a feeling of investment in the characters and desire for everything to work out for them that I don’t think can be created by reading just the second book on its own. I highly recommend The Killer Karma for mystery-lovers ages 12 and up.
November 15, 2020
Our favorite pastry chef/amateur sleuth Julie Cavallo is back once again finding herself right in the middle of another murder. This time around her sous chef Eric has become a murder suspect. The person he is accused of killing is his ex-con father. Julie and Eric have been friends for a long time. They have even worked together to solve a crime. Julie doesn’t believe Eric killed his father and sets out to prove his innocent.
The Killer Karma is a fast paced cozy little murder mystery. Once I picked it up I was hooked with all the mystery and suspense that took me in all different directions as I tried to figure out whodunit. I enjoyed trying to figure out all the clues and where they were going to lead Julie next.
The Killer Karma kept me on the edge of my seat as I raced through the book wondering if Julie was going to be able to help her friend Eric. If she was going to prove her friend innocent or guilty as each clue was revealed. I can’t wait for the next book in the Julie Cavallo Investigates series.
I highly recommend The Killer Karma to anyone interested in a cozy murder mystery with plenty of suspense to keep you guessing from beginning to end. One-click your copy of The Killer Karma today to solve this mystery and find out whodunit!
The Killer Karma is a fast paced cozy little murder mystery. Once I picked it up I was hooked with all the mystery and suspense that took me in all different directions as I tried to figure out whodunit. I enjoyed trying to figure out all the clues and where they were going to lead Julie next.
The Killer Karma kept me on the edge of my seat as I raced through the book wondering if Julie was going to be able to help her friend Eric. If she was going to prove her friend innocent or guilty as each clue was revealed. I can’t wait for the next book in the Julie Cavallo Investigates series.
I highly recommend The Killer Karma to anyone interested in a cozy murder mystery with plenty of suspense to keep you guessing from beginning to end. One-click your copy of The Killer Karma today to solve this mystery and find out whodunit!
November 23, 2020
My review also posted at https://novelsalive.com/2020/11/19/st...
I stumbled upon this book and really wished I’d read the first book before reading this second book in this series. I always prefer to read series in order, but know that it’s not always possible. All throughout the story, I felt like I was missing something. I felt that the author just jumped in, assuming that I’d read the first book, and so there wasn’t the normal re-introduction of the characters and the locale. For example, I was confused for the first couple of chapters. I couldn’t place where the book was set and kept wondering why there were French words being thrown in here and there. Then something was mentioned about Paris, and the lightbulb clicked. But I could mostly get past all that.
The mystery was cute. It wasn’t terribly deep, and Julie and her posse really stumbled around more than actually do any hardcore sleuthing. In fact, the story just rather ended, and I wasn’t satisfied with how it wrapped up. I felt that more time in the story was spent on Julie’s relationships than with her business or the murder mystery. It just didn’t feel very balanced to me.
In the end, I had a hard time connecting with the characters and their situation. It wasn’t a bad story, but it didn’t have me turning the pages because I had to know how it ended. I'm not sure that I’ll read more in this series. I do suggest that if you want to try this series, you start with the first book, or you may have that feeling of missing something as well.
I stumbled upon this book and really wished I’d read the first book before reading this second book in this series. I always prefer to read series in order, but know that it’s not always possible. All throughout the story, I felt like I was missing something. I felt that the author just jumped in, assuming that I’d read the first book, and so there wasn’t the normal re-introduction of the characters and the locale. For example, I was confused for the first couple of chapters. I couldn’t place where the book was set and kept wondering why there were French words being thrown in here and there. Then something was mentioned about Paris, and the lightbulb clicked. But I could mostly get past all that.
The mystery was cute. It wasn’t terribly deep, and Julie and her posse really stumbled around more than actually do any hardcore sleuthing. In fact, the story just rather ended, and I wasn’t satisfied with how it wrapped up. I felt that more time in the story was spent on Julie’s relationships than with her business or the murder mystery. It just didn’t feel very balanced to me.
In the end, I had a hard time connecting with the characters and their situation. It wasn’t a bad story, but it didn’t have me turning the pages because I had to know how it ended. I'm not sure that I’ll read more in this series. I do suggest that if you want to try this series, you start with the first book, or you may have that feeling of missing something as well.
April 11, 2023
Ce tome "Le karma carnassier" est sympa, mais j'ai moins aimé que le tome 1
L'action se situe très peu de temps après la fin du tome 1, une ou deux semaines après . Julie se trouve toujours au même endroit qu'un meurtre, comme Hercule poirot !
C'est intrigant, on se demande qui est le meurtrier, qui ne l'est pas...Je ne faisais confiance à presque aucun personnage, sauf peut être les proches de Julie... et encore
Je trouve l'histoire plus sombre que pour "le macaron meurtrier". Le meurtre est plus violent, et il y avait la relation difficile entre Eric et son père
Il y a des moments assez touchants, ce qui a trait au remords de Brice, même si je comprends qu'Eric ne lui pardonne pas
Par ailleurs, tout ce qui a trait à Rose est sympa, que ce soit son titre de reine de beauté, ou sa candidature pour être maire de Beldoc ! C'est le personnage le plus comique du livre, aussi
Il y a toujours une scène avec de l'action ou du suspense : la course poursuite, je n'en menais pas large, j'avais vraiment peur pour Rose et Julie :/
J'ai été déçue par le personnage de Manuel, tout comme l'a été Julie. C'était "bien" ce qu'il faisait, mais en fait c'est un personnage glauque
"Parce que , comme beaucoup de femmes, j'ai cette croyance irrationnelle qu'un prétendant persévérant mérite une récompense. Et que c'est mon boulot de la lui donner"
Eh bien j'espère que Julie ne fera pas ce qu'elle dit ! Même si Denis sauvait un chiot de la noyade devant ses yeux en plus de la poursuivre avec "persévérance", si elle n'a pas d'attirance ou de sentiment pour lui elle ne devrait pas se forcer à sortir avec lui, je trouve :(
J'avoue que je ne suis pas fan de la relation naissante entre Eric et Léa. Après je suis pas sûre de comprendre pourquoi Léa tombe amoureuse du fils du meurtrier de sa mère ? Ou qu'elle entretienne une amitié avec lui, mais j'ai peut être mal lu un passage. Mais bon je comprendrai peut être mieux dans les prochains tomes.
Je pense que malgré cela, je lirai le tome 3, car l'intrigue se passe sur un navire, et j'aime ce genre d'histoire.
L'action se situe très peu de temps après la fin du tome 1, une ou deux semaines après . Julie se trouve toujours au même endroit qu'un meurtre, comme Hercule poirot !
C'est intrigant, on se demande qui est le meurtrier, qui ne l'est pas...Je ne faisais confiance à presque aucun personnage, sauf peut être les proches de Julie... et encore
Je trouve l'histoire plus sombre que pour "le macaron meurtrier". Le meurtre est plus violent, et il y avait la relation difficile entre Eric et son père
Il y a des moments assez touchants, ce qui a trait au remords de Brice, même si je comprends qu'Eric ne lui pardonne pas
Par ailleurs, tout ce qui a trait à Rose est sympa, que ce soit son titre de reine de beauté, ou sa candidature pour être maire de Beldoc ! C'est le personnage le plus comique du livre, aussi
Il y a toujours une scène avec de l'action ou du suspense : la course poursuite, je n'en menais pas large, j'avais vraiment peur pour Rose et Julie :/
J'ai été déçue par le personnage de Manuel, tout comme l'a été Julie. C'était "bien" ce qu'il faisait, mais en fait c'est un personnage glauque
"Parce que , comme beaucoup de femmes, j'ai cette croyance irrationnelle qu'un prétendant persévérant mérite une récompense. Et que c'est mon boulot de la lui donner"
Eh bien j'espère que Julie ne fera pas ce qu'elle dit ! Même si Denis sauvait un chiot de la noyade devant ses yeux en plus de la poursuivre avec "persévérance", si elle n'a pas d'attirance ou de sentiment pour lui elle ne devrait pas se forcer à sortir avec lui, je trouve :(
J'avoue que je ne suis pas fan de la relation naissante entre Eric et Léa. Après je suis pas sûre de comprendre pourquoi Léa tombe amoureuse du fils du meurtrier de sa mère ? Ou qu'elle entretienne une amitié avec lui, mais j'ai peut être mal lu un passage. Mais bon je comprendrai peut être mieux dans les prochains tomes.
Je pense que malgré cela, je lirai le tome 3, car l'intrigue se passe sur un navire, et j'aime ce genre d'histoire.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2024
Julie, the meddling gluten-free pastry chef, is at it again. This time it's personal. (Well, it was personal last time, too, as the murder victim was taking Julie's macaron-making class when he died.) This time, the victim is the father of Julie's sous chef, Eric. Oh, and Eric's father was recently released from prison for manslaughter.
Eric is the gendarme's #1 suspect. Worse, the investigating officer is not the tolerant Capitaine Adinian, aka Julie's crush.
(Oh yeah, I forgot. The book is written in present tense, a particular pet peeve of mine. I kept forgetting, so every time I picked the book up again, I got annoyed all over again. )
All the supporting players are here. Grandma Rose is especially spicy this time. We learn more about the death of Julie's mother, and why Julie can't find closure with it.
Turns out there are plenty of suspects besides Eric and plenty of red herrings. But the ending is quite a surprise. There's even a high-speed car chase along a winding cliff-side road, with Grandma Rose at the wheel. (I did say she was extra spicy here!)
Julie solves the case, kind of by accident. Capitaine Adinian seems more tolerant here, maybe even interested. But still, there are no romantic moments. And there's a set-up for the third book, which I'll be reading sometime in the future—because the book I actually have is
Eric is the gendarme's #1 suspect. Worse, the investigating officer is not the tolerant Capitaine Adinian, aka Julie's crush.
Without looking, I know who it is. I don’t know how I know. Common sense, I guess. Or my superior reasoning. Or his superior pheromones.He's busy investigating another case, a double murder. It's another Capitaine —one whom everyone says is so-s0 at best. So of course Julie's going to do all she can to clear Eric's name.
(Oh yeah, I forgot. The book is written in present tense, a particular pet peeve of mine. I kept forgetting, so every time I picked the book up again, I got annoyed all over again. )
All the supporting players are here. Grandma Rose is especially spicy this time. We learn more about the death of Julie's mother, and why Julie can't find closure with it.
Turns out there are plenty of suspects besides Eric and plenty of red herrings. But the ending is quite a surprise. There's even a high-speed car chase along a winding cliff-side road, with Grandma Rose at the wheel. (I did say she was extra spicy here!)
Julie solves the case, kind of by accident. Capitaine Adinian seems more tolerant here, maybe even interested. But still, there are no romantic moments. And there's a set-up for the third book, which I'll be reading sometime in the future—because the book I actually have is
May 27, 2020
This is the second book in the Julie Cavallo series. Julie once again finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation. She’s determined to prove that her employee, Eric, is innocent of the murder of his father.
I liked this second book even more than the first. Julie is beginning to accept that she has ‘snapshots’ of events that have occurred. She’s trying to figure out what they mean and how she can use them in her investigations. It’s also looking like she has two potential romantic interests I’m not sure what I think about that, since I’m not a fan of love triangle scenarios. I’ll have to wait and see where that goes.
This was an enjoyable, quick read!
I liked this second book even more than the first. Julie is beginning to accept that she has ‘snapshots’ of events that have occurred. She’s trying to figure out what they mean and how she can use them in her investigations. It’s also looking like she has two potential romantic interests I’m not sure what I think about that, since I’m not a fan of love triangle scenarios. I’ll have to wait and see where that goes.
This was an enjoyable, quick read!
August 6, 2020
What a great series. I enjoyed reading this vistas much as the first I the series With Ms. Drew's details you cannot help but feel as though you are in the South of France in Beldoc. Her descriptions of Julie Cavallo's pastries makes your mouth water. She continued to develop the characters we met in the first book while helping her son's chef, Eric, determine who killed his estranged father this book can be read alone even if you didn't read the first in the series I cannot wait until the next book is released this fall
November 6, 2020
A quick read with fun quirky characters. I always enjoy a book when it involves pastries but this one was enjoyable as a story too.
When Julie’s sous chef becomes a murder suspect, you just know she’s going to look into the murder and of course call on her grandma to help. Told you there were quirky characters... It’s a fun, feel good, laugh a little, read.
This is Book 2 in a series titled “a Provence Cozy Mystery”. Book 1 has a good review too.
When Julie’s sous chef becomes a murder suspect, you just know she’s going to look into the murder and of course call on her grandma to help. Told you there were quirky characters... It’s a fun, feel good, laugh a little, read.
This is Book 2 in a series titled “a Provence Cozy Mystery”. Book 1 has a good review too.
February 12, 2023
I’m enjoying this series of reading so far! I love the main character, Julie Cavallo, I love how she try’s with all her might to help her friends to solve the case. Her gumption and spunk really help her with find the culprit every time. It puts her in some scary situations also. I’m looking forward to reading further in the series.
August 29, 2024
I think there should have been more interaction with Eric. It seemed like he was not at all involved, it was all just the protagonist going from one place to other. The mystery was quite good ,except the fact that Julie looks more desparate than anyone to solve the case. I just find their interaction very unnatural. The stars are for plot +1, Rose +1, and +1 for Rose's king Charles spaniel and (for the appreciation of maturity shown by Cat towards Julie -which I think julie is incapable of.)
May 20, 2020
A great second novel by Ana T Drew! I loved the continuation of Julie's adventures. This time she is out to save her friend from being wrongfully accused. I couldn't get enough of the panther throughout. I can't wait to see the romantic sparks turn to an inferno!
November 18, 2020
I received a complimentary review copy of The Killer Karma from the author in exchange for an honest review through Goddess Fish Promotions as part of my participation in the blog tour for book 3, The Sinister Superyacht. Thank you to both Ana T. Drew and Goddess Fish Promotions for this opportunity! This has not swayed my opinion. My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.
"A conscientious pastry chef must intervene when their sous chef has a big problem." When Julie Cavallo's employee Eric is accused of murdering his own father, Julie sets about the task of clearing his name and solving the murder mystery at hand.
This is a fun, light read, as all good cozy mysteries are. Both Julie and Eric are such likable characters. I truly didn't want the book to end because I enjoyed my time with them so much. And can I please sample some of Julie's pastries?
I appreciate the fact that although this is an easy, quick read, the plot twists are deftly handled and I didn't predict everything. Sometimes cozy mysteries fall into the trap of being predictable mysteries, but this one doesn't. It's fresh and doesn't rely too heavily on tropes and tired storylines. I would also like to point out that this book absolutely can be enjoyed without previously reading the first book. I haven't read book one yet, and I felt right at home and well informed with this book right from the first chapter, even though it sounds like Julie and Eric worked together on mystery-solving as well as baking in the previous book. There was certainly room for confusion about the previous plot, but the author handled the situation well, giving us any tidbits we needed.
Bring on the next book! (And the previous one, in my case.)
--
I read this title for a blog tour! To read the rest of the post and gain easy access to the rest of the tour, visit: westveilpublishing.com/?p=3106
"A conscientious pastry chef must intervene when their sous chef has a big problem." When Julie Cavallo's employee Eric is accused of murdering his own father, Julie sets about the task of clearing his name and solving the murder mystery at hand.
This is a fun, light read, as all good cozy mysteries are. Both Julie and Eric are such likable characters. I truly didn't want the book to end because I enjoyed my time with them so much. And can I please sample some of Julie's pastries?
I appreciate the fact that although this is an easy, quick read, the plot twists are deftly handled and I didn't predict everything. Sometimes cozy mysteries fall into the trap of being predictable mysteries, but this one doesn't. It's fresh and doesn't rely too heavily on tropes and tired storylines. I would also like to point out that this book absolutely can be enjoyed without previously reading the first book. I haven't read book one yet, and I felt right at home and well informed with this book right from the first chapter, even though it sounds like Julie and Eric worked together on mystery-solving as well as baking in the previous book. There was certainly room for confusion about the previous plot, but the author handled the situation well, giving us any tidbits we needed.
Bring on the next book! (And the previous one, in my case.)
--
I read this title for a blog tour! To read the rest of the post and gain easy access to the rest of the tour, visit: westveilpublishing.com/?p=3106
April 26, 2023
Fun reading about an amateur detective
Liked the story, and it was an easy read. Perfect for a summer afternoon when I did not feel like reading a heavier novel. I also liked the fact that the heroine was a baker. I Liked the references to some of the pastries she made.
Liked the story, and it was an easy read. Perfect for a summer afternoon when I did not feel like reading a heavier novel. I also liked the fact that the heroine was a baker. I Liked the references to some of the pastries she made.
November 6, 2022
Book #2 in the Julie Cavallo Investigates and the characters were amazing with a great plot and a wonderful storyline.
December 31, 2022
seul point négatif : trop court !!!!!
January 10, 2023
Divertissant, se lit vite et bien, écriture un peu lourde par moment
Read
August 23, 2024Ok
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews