Old friends with a new twist - 2 excellent mysteries!

Mastering the Art of French Murder and Murder at Mallowan Hall

reviewed by Michelle Y. Souliere

 

I often have doubts when I run across pastiches, or books that lift well-known characters and put them to their own uses.  However, I have been pleasantly surprised by a couple of these books recently.  The funny thing is, as it turns out, they’re both written by the same author – Colleen Cambridge.

 

I received an advance copy of Mastering the Art of French Murder from Kensington Books, and was hoping it would be a fun read, although I knew it could go either way.  I was surprised and delighted to find myself swept up in the story before long.

 

Mastering the Art of French Murder is written from the perspective of Tabitha Knight.  She has recently moved to mid-century Paris, struggling to its feet post-WWII, and is adapting to life in the legendary city under the watchful eyes of her grandfather and his partner, Oncle Rafe.  Tutoring a few students in English helps to pay the bills, and her neighborhood is made more entertaining (and delicious) by the friendship of the young and gregarious Julia Child and the rest of her nearby household.

 

When a young woman is found murdered in the basement of Julia’s apartment house, and the murder weapon turns out to be one of Julia’s own sharp kitchen knives -- and the woman one of her late night party guests -- the story takes a deadly turn.  Bit by bit, clue by clue, Tabitha finds herself led on a mysterious mission as she tries to discover who among Julia’s charming party guests is actually the murderer. 

 

The clues lead to adventures, and the adventures lead to suspense, and charming but hair-raising mishaps, and as always seems to be the case in Paris, a chance at romance.  The pacing is perfect, and peppered with glimpses of everything that makes one yearn for Paris.

 

In pursuing the killer, Tabitha meets many people in her new city, from ex-patriates who run a nearby theater, to the deceptive spouses of her English students, to the mostly-reasonable Inspector Merveille – and day by day Tabitha learns more about Paris and all its shadowy corners – and the mysteries of how to manage to cook a chicken properly, with Julia’s help, of course.

 

Mastering the Art of French Murder is slated to be part of an ongoing series, titled An American in Paris.  The second book, Murder Most French (releasing 4/23/24 in hardcover), is coming soon, and with it the scene of murder shifts to the Cordon Bleu cooking school, where Julia has been struggling to master her cooking skills under the watchful eyes of the instructors.

 

A few months after finishing this delectable book, another title caught my eye -- Murder at Mallowan Hall.  I’m a long-time fan of Agatha Christie, and I’ve seen a lot of adaptations, many good, but plenty mediocre or worse.  This was a little more risky – my love for Christie’s works has deep roots in my childhood, when my mother recommended her novels to me.  I have a lot more invested in my love for her works than in Julia Child, who I came to appreciate only in the last decade or two (man, that woman can slap a fish around)!  So once again I wasn’t expecting much.

 

But Colleen Cambridge delivers!  Let’s be clear, here -- I’m not saying these are literary masterpieces, but they are smart and well-written, fun, with compelling characters and intriguing twists, and in addition to all that, I really think they have heart.  They're the perfect antidote if you find yourself feeling like you're in a deep dark hole of doom-laden fiction (or life).

Murder at Mallowan Hall introduces us to another understated but feisty female with a penchant for inquiring into mysteries.  This time we are in the extremely capable hands of Phyllida Bright, who runs the household at Mallowan Hall circa 1930.  This is the (fictitious) home of Agatha Christie, murder mystery maven supreme, and her husband, archaeologist Max Mallowan.  Here they live happily, ensconced in the buxom Devon hills, far enough away from the eyes of all the dratted London reporters – most days.

 

Phyllida is in charge of making sure everything in the house runs smoothly, from morning to night, from the small niceties to the big picture.  And this morning… things are not going as planned.  The prior evening, a sizeable gaggle of guests arrived for a house party, and in their wake, a journalist who claimed an appointment with the great author for an interview.  Unable to be other than gracious, Ms. Christie welcomes all to the house, and arranges a last-minute room for the surprise guest.

 

However, the surprise in the end is his, because at some point after everyone is in bed, this man dies spectacularly in Agatha’s house library.  He certainly wasn’t expecting that.  Phyllida, on top of her usual duties, now must contend with bloodstains on the carpeting (and some of the books – horrors!), and with a growing number of unanswerable questions about who this man really was, and what had brought him to Mallowan Hall.

 

Phyllida gives Miss Marple a run for her money as she manages to install herself into every turn of the investigation, and her sharp eyes and little gray cells must jump her through hoop after hoop as the mystery moves outward in growing circles from the library where the body was found.  Luckily for us, she is up for the task, and with her sense of humor and rather tart wit, she navigates us through the twists and turns of the house, seeking the man with the squeaking shoes (among other clues), and doing her best to avoid the watchful eyes of Inspector Cork.

 

I’m looking forward to reading more from Colleen Cambridge, and if you’re looking for some fun, smart reads set in the early- to mid-20^th Century world, you might like to give one of these a try yourself.