Déjà Dead

An American in Paris aka Claire Baskerville #1

by Susan Kiernan-Lewis

Things can get pretty dark in the City of Light

Claire Baskerville is a sixty-something American who finds herself alone in Paris when her husband is brutally murdered. Reeling from the onslaught of devastating secrets he left behind Claire is stunned to realize she no longer knows who to trust.

She only knows she can’t move forward until she finds out the truth behind who killed her husband.

In spite of a genetic brain anomaly that makes it impossible for her to remember faces –even ones she’d seen just moments before, and all alone in a foreign city, Claire doggedly collects the clues that will lead her to her husband’s killer.

Unfortunately, the closer she gets to the truth, the more determined that killer is to make sure she never leaves Paris alive.

This book is a clean read: no graphic violence, sex or strong language
Genre: women amateur sleuth

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Crime, Ebooks, Cozy Mystery, Mystery Thriller

316 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 14, 2019

Reviews

[Luffy Sempai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dejà Dead was a return to my cozy roots. I think a good cozy for me often is something that relegates plot in favour of mood. As long as this book served the purpose of making me feel invested in the book, despite not liking any character, I would have certainly given the book 4 stars.

It was not to be. Yet I pride myself for giving Dejà Dead 3 instead of the 2 stars I would have given it in the past.

What's more, when the big reveal came, it humiliated me in the way only cozies can. Not only I did not guess the villain's identity, I also missed out on the vital point through which the main character did the guesswork, so to speak. How frustrating.

Claire, the MC, was a believable 60 year old, until she began rivaling interpol for inquisitiveness, and Arsene Lupin for pugilism.

I feel that the book lost its rustic charm when it began to be too aware and too over the top for its own good. It became a very pale copy of heavy thriller plots from which it tried to beg, borrow, or rather steal a leaf from.

Despite all this naysaying, I liked even the tying together of all these few threads from the book. It is just that, this book failed to ditch gravity, and never reached the heavens it tried to reach.

[Lise · Rating 4 out of 5]

A romantic trip to Paris abruptly comes to a halt for Claire Baskerville when her husband is murdered in their hotel room. As an American, Claire faces multiple hurdles as she hunts the killer in the City of Light.

This one really kept me guessing, and I defy anyone to say with a straight face that they knew from the start the who and the why. For the most part, I out and out adore Susan Kiernan-Lewis' books (although there are a couple of series I'm not as fussed with), but this one completely outshines the others. She has a main character who is the antithesis of your average sleuth and a plot that doesn't quit when it comes to throwing curve balls!

I enjoyed it so much that I had to pace myself; otherwise, I would have whirlwinded through it like a Tasmanian devil. This is a glorious beginning to a fresh new series.

[Tom Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great page-turner. American woman finds herself in the middle of a tragedy as her estranged father and her husband die within the same week both in Paris. The husband is murdered and the father dies of natural causes. She quickly discovers that her husband has squandered all of their savings and mortgages the Atlanta home leaving her beyond broke.
She returns to Paris because her father’s surprise request appears to be the only way forward and because she feels compelled to investigate her husbands murder which the Paris police have passed off as “a burglary gone bad”.
This story has everything; an interesting plot, great characters, and a number of twists that leave the reader surprised at the end.
Good start to a promising series

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun book if you love Paris! It just brings back memories of places I've been. The story is so so but the atmosphere is great!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

So impressed with For me ,A Totally New Series by SKL. Susan knows 🇫🇷! Mystery,Thriller so unique...Thank You Susan...Exactly what I needed too Read..

[Kandi A. Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edge of your Seat Mystery/Thriller

I don't usually read these types of murder mysteries as I am more of the "cozy" type of reader but I really enjoyed thus. I had a hard time putting it down and in the end spend a few pleasant hours reading about international intrigue. Set in Paris ( which was the initial attraction for me), a 60 year old heroine of the story who is in vacation with her husband gets sucked into a volatile situation when her husband is murdered. This starts a very unsettling, but intriguing story of graft, greed, corruption, murder, and do I dare say it, exciting reading! The story has the reader on the edge of their seat as there are enough twists and turns that one is always being surprised by what happens next. Nothing is as it initially seems. The ending is also a cliffhanger leaving reader desirous of more. I'm off to purchase the next book in the series!

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! I am also a "woman of a certain age" and from Atlanta, so it caught my attention immediately. It's nice to read a book where the protagonist is my age! I don't recall there being too much scene description, as some have commented on, but maybe that's because I like to be able to picture things clearly so I don't mind that. I also like Claire. She's smart, funny, and human - she has her faults, but that's ok. The story kept me guessing right up to the last chapter. I read it in less than 24 hours and immediately went to Amazon to buy the next book in the series.

[Jackie's Bookbytes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciate the chapters had titles. It just broke up the monotony TBH and kept me from putting the book down. Also, the chapters were short so there's that.

Claire and her husband love Paris but when Bob is found dead in their hotel room, Claire goes into detective mode to find his killer because the police aren't giving due diligence to protect Claire to the full extent of the law. Someone is hiding the truth and her life is in danger. What is up with the French police?

Claire finds herself tangled up in lies that involve a crooked cop and some shady characters. Claire will have to rely on herself to do the investigation. She has the ability to track people. She is tough and focused but not so young anymore. This book appeals to the over 50 mostly and well I think that it's great.

While in Paris she also receives news that her father has died and so she inherits an apartment worth a million euros. It belonged to her father Claude Lapin who she never knew that well. Anyway, he considers her his daughter even though she wasn't his own by blood. Claire learns her real mother had an affair while married to Claude so she is really Phillipe's daughter. She doesn't know her real father. Anyway, I love that her apartment is near the Champs-Elysees.
I love the atmosphere of Paris! I can picture her walking her dog Izzy and talking with her consoling trusty neighbour Genevieve. I could not get a taste of the food, however. I know what brioche is- just bread with chocolate inside, no big deal.

Joelle Lapin is Claire's wicked stepmother who thinks Claire should not inherit her father's estate. The judge had already ruled in Claire's favor so that pretty much deems Joelle an enemy.
I am pretty happy for Claire and her daughter and grandson.

Otherwise, Claire's adventures in Paris are a nail-biting horrific ordeal.

[Lenora Good · Rating 5 out of 5]

What fun! Clair Baskerville and her devoted husband of 35 years head to Paris for a vacation. Claire’s father is not only French but lives in Paris with his second wife. Claire and her father were never close, due to the divorce, so she doesn’t let him know she and her husband are coming. Then, Clair returns to their hotel after an afternoon of shopping, to wake her husband from his nap so they can go out to dinner. Except he won’t wake in our world. The chief suspect, she’s taken to the police station, and eventually cleared. On her way out, she receives a phone call from her stepmother, who is 20 years her junior and a real piece of work, informing her that Claude, her father, has just died.

Clair returns to Atlanta and discovers not only has she lost the love of her life, but he spent all of his money, their money, and her money—on his mistress? Then she finds out her father left her his apartment and an inheritance, so she ends up back in Paris. Where the cops are doing nothing to find the murderer, her stepmother is suing her for her inheritance, and just when we thought it was safe to go back in the water…

I love the fact the protagonist is in her 60s and not imbued with supernatural skills, that she worked as a skip-tracer a few years earlier (finding missing people), and that she has learned to live with Prosopagnosia—face blindness. How do you explain that to a cop? “Yes, officer, I made eye-contact with him, but can’t tell you what he looks like.” I had heard of prosopagnosia before, but this is the first time I’ve actually read anything about it.

Love having an older, human, woman sleuth. And one that men of Paris still flirt with, even the cops. ;-)

[Cj · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book (and also Paris Mysteries # 2&3) from Bookbub for free.

It took me a few days to read it. I enjoyed it, because even when Claire was clearly distressed and mourning the loss of her husband (and finances); she still carried herself with calm, determination, grit, and "so be it" attitude. She traveled, internationally (by herself). She wandered the streets of Paris (by herself). Yes, she had childhood memories of Paris... but it can still be confusing to be alone traveling. Worse yet, the very idea of not recognizing one person from the next.

I'm not rating this book higher, because the thrill and suspense kept at a certain pace & cadence. It just never took off to a total and complete shock. The levels of fear never took the biggest leap. Imagine, not being able to put the book down.

At the end, Claire made herself look marvelous, and expected the worse on her inheritance. I was happy for her, that her Paris abundance was not stripped away from her. Not in the same manner, that American home life was. It is hard starting all over again. I very much liked the text she had received in the end. It would seem her husband's murder was no mistake or accident. Just gotta wonder on that.

I have every intention on reading Paris Mysteries # 2&3.
Hopefully, that will make more than 3 stars.

[Cidney · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a french/american crime book. Claire Baskerville and her husband are holidaying in Paris and whilst he goes back to the hotel for a nap she goes shopping. When she arrives back in their hotel room, which had been changed because the air conditioning wasn't working, her husband had had his throat slit. Claire wasn't impressed with the french detectives and frankly I wouldn't have been either, they seemed a shifty lot (it's good to be right about something in a crime book!). She also discovers at her late father's will reading she has inherited several million dollars, well the equivalent of that. She decides to stay in Paris after discovering at her husband's funeral they were bankrupt and he had been having an affair. She's got a bad life and it's getting worse.

In Paris, it's a long story from here on so the upshot is she befriends a criminal killer and he helps her uncover who the bad cops are and also who killed her husband and who attempted to kill her by blowing up her apartment. From a woman from the backwaters of america to end up embroiled in several murders in another country is remarkable. And she gets a cute puppy at the end.

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book because I am an American who has visited Paris many times and love the city. It has been some time since I have visited and was looking forward to revisiting Paris in the pages of the book. The book did not disappoint. While there were references to the normal tourist venues, there was a lot of descriptions of neighborhoods, parks and of course cafes and bistros and buildings. Great memories! As for the plot, Claire finds herself alone in Paris after her husband’s murder in a hotel there and she she has inherited from a father who she barely knew who lived in Paris. After her husband’s death she discovers that he had some secrets. Claire sets out to find who murdered her husband but bodies seem to stack up around her and she does not know who to trust and the same two police detectives seem to pop up everywhere. A little difficult to follow the twisted relationships among the characters but overall a good mystery and nice read. Will probably read next book in series.

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series. Claire goes to Paris with her husband for their wedding anniversary. While Claire is out shopping her husband, Bob, is brutally murdered. Right after Bob's death, Claire receives a phone call from her step-mother that her father has died. Claire's father was a French man who lived in Paris that she barely knows her parents having divorced many years ago. Claire returns to Atlanta, she finds out that her life with Bob was not what she thought it was. Bob has raided all of their accounts including both of their retirement accounts and left her deep in debt. She also finds out that he was having an affair with a young female associate at the ad agency where he worked. Claire returns to Paris to settle her father's estate where she finds out she has inherited an apartment in Paris. Her step-mother is none to happy that French law means that Claire inherits instead of her. Can Claire make a new life for herself in Paris? Can she find out why her husband was murdered?

[Valerie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first pages of this book drew me in. And to the author's credit, I read the entire book. However, I won't be reading any other books in this series. There were just too many bad events piled on the main character for it to be plausible. Her face blindness alone is enough of a handicap without all the other issues thrown in (and there were a lot), and their addition serves to make the story unbelievable. It makes it seem as if the author was trying to think of every single tragedy that could befall someone, just to create more tension--but that ploy fails, in my opinion. In addition, I like protaganists in mysteries to show intelligence and react to events with some kind of common sense, and when they don't, I'm done. There were multiple instances in the book of Claire's lack of judgment, increasingly as the story went on, culminating in the way she went about bungling the climactic scene. And through it all we're supposed to believe that she's a savvy, smart woman who's good at reading people and their motives. I don't buy it.

[Aղցela W. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was in ok read that I wanted to like more but I couldn't connect to the characters. Claire Baskerville is a sixty-something American who finds herself alone in Paris when her husband is brutally murdered. Reeling from the onslaught of devastating secrets he left behind Claire is stunned to realize she no longer knows who to trust. Claire finds out that her father who lived in Paris has died and left her a large inheritance. Claire is courageous and stubborn so doesn't give up no matter how many obstacles are put in her way including evidence of corruption in the police department. She also had to contend with a neurological disability that prevents her from remembering faces, so she has to rely on her other senses to recognize people. For some reason I just didn't warm up to her. This was my first time reading this author. This book was well written with no errors in grammar or spelling. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

[Rich Apple · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was enjoyable. The end was predictable, but not until after the Hotel Matteo blew up.

The reaction of Paul Daigneault's girlfriend was totally unbelievable or maybe just not covered sufficiently.

I would love to be a book proofreader. I am particularly annoyed by glaring mistakes in grammar and punctuation not caught by editors whose only job is to look over content after it has gone through all of the other stages of editing. I found a number of minor grammatical and punctuation errors. An example can be found on page 175. "I was truly appalled. I know there is a separate set of rules for the rich but this was egregious. There is an opening quotation mark without a closing quotation mark.

Maybe I am just nitpicking, but isn't that the job of the proofreader ? ? ?

[Susanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series has been around for a while, but it’s the first time I’ve read it.

In Deja Dead, we meet Claire Baskerville, in Paris with her husband, Bob. Claire’s father is French, although she mostly grew up with just her Mom in the US. Still, she’s looking forward to enjoying Paris, the most romantic city in the world, with Bob.

Claire is 60, and this is the first real vacation they’ve taken in years. Everything’s great, until she goes back to her hotel room after an afternoon of shopping, and finds Bob in bed. Very, very dead.

Having found myself shouting at Maggie Newberry (the Maggie Newberry series) and Jules Hooker (Stranded in Provence series) for their dangerously impulsive behavior, it’s very nice to meet Claire, who does some dangerous things, but thinks them through first.

[Carol Hatch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four and a half stars

I was familiar with Susan Kieran Lewis via the Maggie Newberry series which I enjoyed mainly between more intense reads. When I came across Deja Dead on offer, I thought I’d take a chance on Susan’s new (to me) series. And I’m glad I did so. I can’t get enough of Paris either “in person” or as a literary locale, so that was a major draw. And then I was introduced to Clair Baskerville and a host of other well-developed characters with a dose of mystery added in for good measure. I think Clair is a more sophisticated version of Maggie and that this series is more sophisticated as well. I’m looking forward to reading the next books in the American in Paris series.

[Sandra Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was able to get a three in one set of the American in Paris Mysteries for free (in Kindle). I really liked this first one. The main character in all three is Claire Baskerville, an American who ends up living in Paris. The first book begins with she and her husband visiting Paris. Her husband is killed and all sorts of things begin happening. I won't tell you what, just will say that the characters are interesting, there is humor and a good plot, and the location -- well, it's Paris! Claire is 60 years old, attractive and in good shape. I love that a woman who is not so young is able to be the heroine in a mystery. Good story!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! The play on Claire's married name (Baskerville) was used judiciously in the story, making for some fun interactions and grounding the story in what could be truly "real" reality. One of the things I learned was about prosopagnosia (face-blindness) and it added such an element of both suspense and depth to the mystery, that it kept me reading past when I should've gone to bed. Some sad revelations about Claire's dead husband and the confusing mix of inheritance laws added more layers to the tale. I definitely recommend this one - I wasn't able to predict the ending, either, which is always a treat!

[Elaine Wigle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate giving bad reviews, but this is one of the lamest books that I have ever read. It was all I could do to finish it. Not only are the characters weak, but they are totally unbelievable and extremely boring. So is the story concept. Heaven forbid if you don't speak French, because you can't understand half of what the main character is doing, where she is going, or what she is eating! I can't believe someone actually published this book, and that it became popular enough to actually have sequels! My apologies to the author, but that is my honest opinion; and if I am going to take the time to actually write a bad review, it is pretty strong.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly enjoyable! I ordered the second book before I had even finished this one—and based on how this one ends, I’m so glad I did! This book will not be winning any prestigious writing awards, but I could hardly put it down. I haven’t enjoyed a book this much in a long time, despite the fact that it was far-fetched. But I liked that most of it was written in first person, and I loved that the heroine is a 60-year-old, now-single woman. A fun and engaging story; I can’t wait until Book #2 arrives.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great murder mystery! I love that the heroine is an attractive, strong willed, 60 year old woman.

Intriguing twist at the end which leaves Claire with the knowledge that her case wasn’t as wrapped up as she might have thought. She may still know the ‘who’ but now not the ‘why’. There are more books in the series if you wish to continue on with Claire’s Parisian adventures. I had hoped the next installment would be a kindle unlimited item, but alas it is not. I will move on for now but would not be opposed to reading more from this series or the author in the future.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars
A lot happened in Claire's life in such a short time and she is determined to make the best of it. She's also determined to find out what happened to her husband ... with or without the French detectives' help. How "convenient" that she has knowledge in surveillance and tracking even though I felt she blundered her way through things. A lot of people looked guilty and it was difficult to sort the true clues from the red herrings. To be honest, I'm not sure if I like Claire.

[R Grisham-Whitehouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good

This is a very fun character! A 60 year old heroine. The story is well written and engaging. I do wish the character was more in touch with her family. Since she is wealthy there is no reason she couldn’t fly home for holidays. A brief sentence to that effect would reinforce that she was an engaged grandmother. But the story line with the spunky character with new and interesting Parisienne friends is excellent. Very interested in reading more by this author

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to this on audiobook. The narrator sounded like Martha Stewart. I kid you not. I am curious to know if the ‘eek!’ She said a few times was actually in the book or if a mouse ran over her foot. Anyway. This was a very slow build. For the first three chapters I was worried I’d started the most boring midlife crisis book ever. You know what though? It was good. I didn’t see the twists coming. Not sure I’ll keep going through the series. But it was a six hour drive well spent.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deaths in Paris

I had a difficult time putting this book down! There is one death after another. Our American woman is caught up in one after another! So much is happening. Many friends are involved in helping figure out what is happening. Good French cops. Bad French cops. Which person is good? Which person is bad?
i had trouble putting the book down. There are more books in the series to read!

[Joe Beauchamp · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strange murder mystery to me in that it contained a fair amount of an older woman's feelings, interest in foods, flowers and talk of romance. Not my preference. Each such comment felt like a sidetrack away from the mystery and story. I can see that as very interesting to people interested in those additions. Ok, not Mission Impossible or Reacher, but the story moved pretty nicely with no glaring coincidences or contrivances. Mostly wrapped up nicely.

[Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was not a bad story but it amazes me that some authors choose to narrate their own books. I guess it saves them money but they should leave it to professionals. Her narration was not only bad but it sounded like ocean waves in the background and there were quite a few beeps where the author stopped and redid the line. Both takes were left in. Also some gasps and other noises left in that I sure were not meant to be. I think I might have enjoyed it more if I read it.

[Lottie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me a bit of time to really get interested in this book. I felt it was too focused on extraneous details, such as scenery or description of rooms, furniture, etc., for about half of the book. Once I got closer to the ending, it became more interesting and had less details about things that weren't important to the story. I liked the ending.