Helpful Score: 1
Love & Death in Burgundy is filled with Gallic charm and should be enjoyed by readers who are fans of Martin Walker's Bruno Chief of Police series. In Shea's book, however, the main character is an American living in France, so its Frenchness is diluted a tiny bit. The cast of characters is varied. From Katherine and her husband Michael, to the villagers, to an American couple in the recording business, to an English ex-pat trying to write a mystery, readers get to see the village from several points of view.
To be completely honest, I did get tired of Katherine whining about not making the sort of friends she wanted. She was told from the very beginning that this was extremely difficult for any newcomer to accomplish. A little guilty pleasure for me concerning Katherine was that she and her husband don't have a marriage that's all sweetness and light. No marriage is, and while their differences aren't deadly serious, it makes the characters-- and the book-- more real. (No, I'm not against happy marriages!)
My favorite character in the book happened to be fourteen-year-old Jeannette who is totally bored with village life and spends most of her time on nocturnal prowls through people's property-- rather like a family cat who's turned outside for the night to do whatever it wants. Not only is Jeannette is a gold medal-winning snoop, she's light-fingered as well. She is the one who truly has her fingers on the pulse of the village, but seldom does anyone listen to her. After all, she's just a child.
There's a lot to like in Love & Death in Burgundy-- the very French atmosphere, an intriguing mystery, an interesting cast of characters, but... for some reason that I can't really pinpoint, this well-crafted book just didn't grab me. Your mileage may definitely vary, so don't hesitate to give it a try!
To be completely honest, I did get tired of Katherine whining about not making the sort of friends she wanted. She was told from the very beginning that this was extremely difficult for any newcomer to accomplish. A little guilty pleasure for me concerning Katherine was that she and her husband don't have a marriage that's all sweetness and light. No marriage is, and while their differences aren't deadly serious, it makes the characters-- and the book-- more real. (No, I'm not against happy marriages!)
My favorite character in the book happened to be fourteen-year-old Jeannette who is totally bored with village life and spends most of her time on nocturnal prowls through people's property-- rather like a family cat who's turned outside for the night to do whatever it wants. Not only is Jeannette is a gold medal-winning snoop, she's light-fingered as well. She is the one who truly has her fingers on the pulse of the village, but seldom does anyone listen to her. After all, she's just a child.
There's a lot to like in Love & Death in Burgundy-- the very French atmosphere, an intriguing mystery, an interesting cast of characters, but... for some reason that I can't really pinpoint, this well-crafted book just didn't grab me. Your mileage may definitely vary, so don't hesitate to give it a try!
Love and Death in Burgundy by Susan C. Shea is a cozy mystery set in Reigny-sur-Canne, France. Katherine Goff and her husband, Michael own a home in Reigny. They moved to the area three years prior. Katherine has convinced the mayor to let her organize the annual Feast of the Assumption fete. Katherine is hoping the event will be a success, and it will finally get her accepted by the locals (who are leery of foreigners). Katherine receives a call from Adele Bellegarde. Adele and her husband, Albert own Chateau de Bellegarde. Adele states that Albert is dead and wants Katherine to come over quickly. Katherine along with Michael arrive just after Henri Soral, Reigny's sheriff. Albert is at the bottom of the very narrow and steep steps of the chateau with a broken neck. Was it an accident or was Albert helped down the stairs? Katherine cannot help but make some discreet inquiries to see who wished Albert harm. There is no shortage of suspects in this small town where Albert was not well-liked. Katherine needs to discern the gossip from the truth to find the culprit. Will Katherine succeed before harm comes to an innocent party?
Love and Death in Burgundy is easy to read, but I found the pace to be slow. Katherine is the main character, but there are numerous other characters included. Many of them are thrown at the reader at the beginning of the story. Jeanette, J.B. Holliday, Madame Pomfort, Sophie Bellegarde, Brett Holliday, Betty Lou Holliday, Penny Masterson, Marie, Emile, Yves Saverin, Pippa Hathaway, Michael Goff are just a sampling. Along with these characters, there are their storylines. I give Love and Death in Burgundy 3 out of 5 stars. Love and Death in Burgundy is more cozy than mystery. The mystery was far in the background (get out your binoculars). It seemed almost an afterthought. The main focus was Katherine. She needed to be accepted by these villagers (issues from her childhood). Time was devoted to her husband, Michael and his failed music career (he is very disgruntled). Let us not forget young Jeanette, daughter of the local thief. Jeanette is a fourteen and takes after her father. She likes to spy on the villagers and steal small items. Every character in the book is quirky or eccentric. There is just so much going on in this book. I wish the mystery had been the focal point of the story and that it was more complex (the potential was there). The little information provided about the crime allows the reader to easily solve it. There are French phrases and words sprinkled copiously throughout the book. I was grateful for the translate feature on my e-reader. The book does contain mild foul language. If you are a reader who likes quirky, off-beat humorous stories, then you will enjoy reading Love and Death in Burgundy. If you prefer a cozy mystery with more meat to it, than Love and Death in Burgundy is not the right story for you.
Love and Death in Burgundy is easy to read, but I found the pace to be slow. Katherine is the main character, but there are numerous other characters included. Many of them are thrown at the reader at the beginning of the story. Jeanette, J.B. Holliday, Madame Pomfort, Sophie Bellegarde, Brett Holliday, Betty Lou Holliday, Penny Masterson, Marie, Emile, Yves Saverin, Pippa Hathaway, Michael Goff are just a sampling. Along with these characters, there are their storylines. I give Love and Death in Burgundy 3 out of 5 stars. Love and Death in Burgundy is more cozy than mystery. The mystery was far in the background (get out your binoculars). It seemed almost an afterthought. The main focus was Katherine. She needed to be accepted by these villagers (issues from her childhood). Time was devoted to her husband, Michael and his failed music career (he is very disgruntled). Let us not forget young Jeanette, daughter of the local thief. Jeanette is a fourteen and takes after her father. She likes to spy on the villagers and steal small items. Every character in the book is quirky or eccentric. There is just so much going on in this book. I wish the mystery had been the focal point of the story and that it was more complex (the potential was there). The little information provided about the crime allows the reader to easily solve it. There are French phrases and words sprinkled copiously throughout the book. I was grateful for the translate feature on my e-reader. The book does contain mild foul language. If you are a reader who likes quirky, off-beat humorous stories, then you will enjoy reading Love and Death in Burgundy. If you prefer a cozy mystery with more meat to it, than Love and Death in Burgundy is not the right story for you.
