Calisson Calamity

Sophie Kiesser Mystery

by Curtis Bausse

In a tragic incident near Marseille, two divers die – accident or murder? And how are their deaths connected to calissons, the world-renowned almond and fruit speciality of Aix en Provence? As a bitter feud erupts between two calisson producers, Sophie sets out to investigate – but soon gets out of her depth in a world that’s not as sweet – nor as cozy – as it seems.

‘You need one-third almonds, one-third fruit confits, one-third sugar – and a quarter savoir faire.’ So said the Provençal writer Marcel Pagnol. Here you’ll also find a dose of greed, a splash of revenge, and a pinch of thwarted love. Mix all that together and what do you get? A perfect calamity.

359 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 12, 2020

About the author

I grew up in Wales, was educated in England and have spent most of my life in France. I've been writing since the age of 10, when my first poem was sent to a competition by my English teacher. After moving to France, I ran a café-theatre till it got demolished, whereupon I scratched my head, wondering what to do next. Eventually I became a university lecturer, specialising in Second Language Acquisition, even though (apart, obviously, from French) I've spectacularly failed to learn any languages (I'm currently trying Dutch and can already say 'The turtle eats the sandwich', which is very encouraging). I spent two years in Mayotte, a tiny, unknown island in the Indian Ocean, which France bought for 1000 piastres in 1842. Magali Rousseau (my heroine) got into a lot of trouble there, but now, like me, she's back in Provence, where she jogs, paints, and catches murderers. You can find out more about us at curtisbaussebooks.com.

Reviews

[Teresa Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a review copy from the author at my request and this is my honest opinion. I LOVE Sophie Kiesser. She is definitely my kind of woman. She is intelligent, fearless, determined, brilliant, and resourceful and at the same time, holds on to her main job which, in her opinion is being a good wife and loving mother. She has the best of both worlds but never takes it for granted. Here, Sophie is investigating the death of two divers, trying to determine if it is an accident or actually murder. There are plenty of twists and turns in Sophie's investigation and the reader is kept on the edge of their seat until the final reveal, which was very much a surprise for me.
I also enjoyed the way M. Bausse educates the reader about different things (in Truffle Trouble it was all about truffles, and of course, here it is all about calissons, which I had never heard of before) without it becoming boring or slowing down the story at all. All of the 'teaching' becomes such an essential element that without it the story would feel incomplete. It takes a very good author to be able to so weave those details into a story that the reader finds they have been educated as well as entertained.
If you haven't read any of M. Bausse's books I suggest you correct that omission as soon as possible. You are definitely missing out.

[Rigby Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amateur detective Sophie, joins forces with handsome, strange, and recently promoted Gendarme, Cyril Eveno, to investigate the suspicious deaths of two divers, that appear to be linked to an investigation she is undertaking into a feud between rival calisson establishments.
Sophie’s somewhat haphazard approach to detecting is hampered not only by Cyril’s behaviour, but also by the arrival of her occasionally estranged sister and an eccentric aunt. The complex relationship between the three women is as labyrinthine as are the clues that lead them to suspect first one, then another local citizen. Meanwhile the calisson feud continues, evidence mounts, lives are exposed, secrets are confessed… but the pieces of the puzzle don’t fit together until a sudden intuitive flash leads both sisters into an extremely dangerous and unpleasant situation.
A fun, interesting, at times thoughtful, and always enjoyable read.

[Shirl Weir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another gem from Curtis Bausse.
Sophie Kiesser is back along with her unofficial partner or is he her nemesis Cyril Eveno?
Sophie's mother in law, partially retired private investigator Magali Rousseau, sends Sophie in to investigate a feud between two calisson (a French candy) manufacturers. It's not long before Sophie discovers a couple of suspicious deaths. She's soon investigating the deaths with the help? Of her admirer Cyril Eveno, newly promoted on the strength of Sophie's previous investigation.
Soon Sophie is knee deep in discoveries and ends up in danger.
This was another enjoyable read from the writer and I was pleased to see a few brief appearances by Magali. Twists and turns kept me curious to the end and the solution did not disappoint me.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light mystery following the progress of amateur sleuth Sophie Kiesser. This is the second in the series but really can be read as a stand- alone novel (not always the case in series books). It is very well written, the dialogue between characters rings true and the characters themselves are very believable. This is not my usual genre of books, but I thoroughly enjoyed the story - and all the loose ends were tied up. Oh, and I really do want to try some of those calissons.....never heard of them before. How did they get past a confirmed chocoholic like me? Thanks to Curtis Bausse for providing me with a free copy of the book in return for my honest review.

[Jutta Rawcliffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Called in to find the dirt on a manufacturer of Calisson candies, Sophie Kiesser quickly becomes involved with a murder case being investigated by her nemesis, Cyril Eveno. Out of a well drawn cast of characters, including some very despicable ones, Sophie labours to discover the culprit/s. She uses her own unique way of looking at a case, a paper sculpture showing the interrelationships between the different elements of a crime. (This time she creates it in her head.) A plot with quite a few twists and turns, it will keep you engaged to the end.

[Janice Drake · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Sophie's second murder mystery and is just as good as the first. She goes from investigating a candy war to catching a murderer. Along the way she runs into Cyril, who caused her problems before, and a crazy aunt. Juggling family problems and investigations means Sophie's life is definitely not dull.

I enjoy Bausse's books. His characters are real and human with a dash of strange. They make it an interesting and entertaining story.

[Susan Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book in the series is even better than the first. I enjoyed Sophie’s investigation of the murders and her family interactions. I didn’t expect the twist at the end. I received the book from the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always find that these types of book are best when the author has a good knowledge of an interesting area to set the books. This series, like the previous Magali one, are set in the south of France and this author has a good knowledge of that. This expertise really comes across in these books, which always seem to be interesting and instructive as well as a simply good read.
As well as the calissons themselves, there is good research or knowledge of diving, giving us an entertaining mystery which can be read alone or as part of the series. I did enjoy reading it, and trying to work out who was the most likely of the several possible culprits.