Death In Paris Book Review

Title: Death In Paris

Author: Emilia Bernhard

Genre: Mystery, Fiction, Contemporary, Paris, Debut, Series

Plot: Rachel Levis, an American, first came to Paris in her early twenties looking to become a writer and find herself. Now she's in her forties, happily married and a poet. She found herself with the help of her older boyfriend Edgar Bowen so many years ago. So when she finds out that Edgar died mysteriously, having drowned in his soup at dinner one evening with a suspicious bottle of rose` on the table, Rachel feels that she owes it to Edgar to solve his murder. All she has to go on is the feeling that something isn't right because Edgar hated rose` wine with a passion.

With her best friend Magda by her side (also an American who came to Paris young and never left), Rachel begins to investigate and poke around for clues. The two friends meticulously debate their suspect pool and go over their few puzzle pieces repeatedly, always looking for new clues. But when their suspect pool starts to die off in more mysterious ways, they wonder just what have they gotten themselves into and if it's worth it to continue along their line of inquiry - possibly risking death themselves.

Likes/Dislikes: Ever since I read French Women Don't Get Fat, I've been wanting more Paris-centric books in my life and this tasty little treat came in with perfect timing since I'm suffering from a post-Phryne Fisher murder mystery slump. And it was such a nice treat too. Very Paris without being overwhelming (I could've gone with a bit more Paris but it was enough to satisfy me and very different from my usual visits to the sparkling city in 1920 or so), and a lovely little murder mystery that kept me guessing right to the end. I didn't guess the culprit mainly because I figured it was too obviously to actually be the correct answer. I would've liked a bit more food descriptions thrown in but I know it wasn't a foodie book, and I could've done with a chapter or two less of Rachel and Magda going over their clues and suspects. It got a bit mind-numbing there for a bit and they kept going in the same circles but in the end it all wrapped up nicely. I'm intrigued to see if Rachel's husband gets involved in future mysteries, despite his reluctance. He seems humorous. Now to very impatiently wait a whole year for the sequel.

Rating: PG-13 and up, mainly for reading level and content (it's a murder mystery. Clean and not graphic but a murder mystery all the same.)

Date Review Written: August 10th, 2018

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley for my honest opinion and I wasn't required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in the above review are my own.