My Review
In 1950, Tabitha Knight is enjoying life in Paris with her "messieurs" - her grandfather and uncle, and her friend (and fellow ex-pat) Julia Child. She has a startling encounter with a medium. Then she attends a dinner for former Resistance fighters along with her messieurs, and witnesses the aftermath of a murder. Tabitha becomes involved in solving the mystery, with the help of Julia, and also her crush, Detective Merveille.
I wanted to read In the Spirit of French Murder because I have loved the earlier books in this series. It has so much that I enjoy - historical fiction, a cozy mystery, and life in Paris! I love the atmosphere in this series, with passages like:
"We were silent on the short walk back to his car. The night had turned colder, and the air was still, carrying only the faintest tinge of cigarette smoke. A spray of stars glittered above, joined by a chunk of moon that had dipped lower since we’d walked along the quai hours ago." (eBook location 191).
Tabitha is a wonderful amateur detective. She has sharp intuition and often discovers clues even before Merveille. I especially enjoyed the scenes of their forays into Paris at night, looking for clues in quirky and unexpected places. And of course I enjoyed their chemistry - they both seem to want to get together, but they are also both reticent.
Julia Child is a delightful character in this book. I love her rhapsodies about fresh strawberries and the produce market, and her excitement to try new recipes and new cooking techniques. The food descriptions in this series are unparalleled!
The mystery aspect of this book was interesting, with a glimpse back at the French resistance movement, and several plausible suspects. The murderer took me by surprise!
I highly recommend In the Spirit of French Murder, and this series, for other fans of historical mysteries, cozy mysteries, Paris settings - and Julia Child. Five stars!
