Valerie S. (VolunteerVal) - reviewed on 5/3/2023 + 645 more book reviews

Set in 1950s Paris, Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge (pen name for Colleen Gleason) is a foodie cozy mystery and first in the An American in Paris series. The novel imagines that a young Julia Child is best friend to main character Tabitha Knight. This is cleverly revealed with the title and cover design as homage to Ms. Child's famous book Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

In the mystery, Julia Child is embarking on her culinary education at Le Cordon Bleu and is struggling to perfect the process of making mayonnaise. Meanwhile, her sister Dort hosts a small party at the apartment she shares with Julia and Paul, and one of the guests is murdered with Julia's chef's knife. Tabitha involves herself in solving the crime after her name is found on a note in the victim's pocket.

The mystery was interesting but secondary to the personal relationships and food talk: from Julia and Tabitha chatting about ingredients with vendors in the market, to Julia preparing several dishes simultaneously, to Tabitha and others relishing in the simple and delicious food prepared in Julia's tiny kitchen, I was craving an omelet and roast chicken while reading. It was delightful to imagine young Julia relishing in all aspects of her new life in Paris.

Thank you to Kensington Books for the review copy of this novel. I look forward to the next adventure of Tabitha and Julia.

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