Emilia Bernhard

Rachel Levis, a forty-something American living in Paris with her husband Alan, is summoned to the home of her lover of twenty years ago to hear the reading of his will. Her bequest, however, is more of a request – to organize and catalogue Edgar Bowen’s library, which happens to contain a fair number of valuable books.

Edgar’s death is odd enough that Rachel suspects murder. With the help of her best friend Magda, she deliberates over whether her instincts are right, and finally the two women decide that they’ll try to solve the crime – a crime only they believe is real. This is the first of many heartfelt, revealing converations between the two friends; at one point in their conversations I wondered if Maagda is actually the voice of the author, stepping into the narrative to argue with the character she birthed. Unlike many other cozies in which the speculation is filler, these talks are intense and heartfelt. I seldom skimmed them as I do with many mysteries.

This quiet attention to detail – just enough, not too much – permeates Rachel’s world. There are no side stories, no “cast of thousands” as many cozies seem to feature, and no false self-deprecating humor. Death in Paris is the quiet story of a murder (or murders). The dramatic tension is understated, so I’m not particularly motivated to read the other two books in this relatively new series; regardless, this debut is a gem.… (mais)

Overall, this was a decent mystery. I have to admit, I tend to get a bit annoyed when characters are naive and it doesn't seem to fit what you'd expect from them overall, which took away from my enjoyment a bit. On to the story - an interesting premise, but it was hard for me to really get into it. Everything just felt a little shallow, although the plot overall was interesting, it would be much better if the characters and story had a little more depth. A decent way to pass the time if you enjoy mysteries.… (mais)

This was my first time reading this author and I enjoyed it. I loved the setting of Paris. It's my #1 bucket list travel destination so I really enjoyed the descriptions etc. The mystery was good and the characters were engaging. I've read other reviews criticizing the plot etc. It's a COZY people! How many people do you know that go around trying to solve murders and are involved in one every time you turn around?!! They are not supposed to be thrillers! If cozies were completely realistic then these people would be in jail on suspicion of murder and have NO friends because how many want to be around someone that attracts dead bodies? Seriously folks, it's entertainment. If you don't like them, don't read them. I, for one, enjoy them and I really enjoyed this one. Thank you Ms. Bernhard!
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and the publishers and voluntarily chose to review it.
… (mais)

This was a bit of a slow start, but turned out to be a fun cozy mystery with an eccentric list of suspects to choose from. Even better, it was set in France. This is the second of a series, but the author added enough back story information that I never felt like anything was missing.

The story centers around Rachel, an American ex-pat and her obnoxious friend Magda. Because they helped solve a previous crime, and due to the fact that Rachel stumbles upon a dead body, French Inspector Boussicault asks Rachel to help him by observing the individuals that the murder victim worked with. Even though she was asked only to observe and listen, Rachel and Magda are soon taking over the investigation on their own, much to the Inspector’s annoyance.

This was an easy and quick read and I enjoyed trying to figure out who was guilty. Cozy mystery readers will love this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.… (mais)