It is 1950 and Tabitha Knight is still happily living with her grandfather in Paris. Tabitha works as a language tutor, as well as taking informal cooking lessons from her neighbor Julia Child. Tabitha has only mastered a few simple things (she still gets mixed up on the order of steps in making scrambled eggs), but she is gamely working on her skills in the kitchen. And, as it turns out, she will also need to persevere in her skills as an amateur detective.
Julia is still taking classes at Le Cordon Bleu and invites Tabitha to attend a demonstration by a famous visiting chef. Unfortunately, the chef keels over dead before ever making the dish everyone has come to observe. Once again the ladies are questioned by Inspector Merveille about the events and participants. When it is learned that the chef was poisoned and then a second murder happens in a similar manner, the ladies are certain that it is the same killer at work. But they are also concerned about a series of seemingly petty crimes happening at the market near their homes. Stalls defaced, awnings wrecked, etc. Is it youthful hijinks or is there some darker meaning?
Although Tabitha reassures everyone - her grandfather, Julia, and even the inspector - that she has no intention of becoming involved in another murder investigation, we all know better. She reflects that her contributions to the previous case "had mainly been a big dose of luck...along with outsized curiosity and a nagging sense of adventure." This time she will use her fledgling skills, what she has learned about investigative procedure from her detective father, her grandfather's knowledge of the victims from the past, and her connections in the neighborhood to piece together important clues. Clues that put her and her family in the killer's path.
The story is filled with details of Paris in the 1950s; the markets, the distrust of authority still felt by many after their time under German occupation, the ubiquitous presence of street urchins, and the continued love of vintage wines. Facts about Julia's life such as her lessons at Le Cordon Bleu and her husband's work at the U.S. Embassy in Paris also help to give the story a solid sense of time and place. I'm not sure whether I would be as ecstatic about eating mushrooms grown in the catacombs as Julia seems to be, but it is still believable.
Whether you love stories set in Paris, foodie descriptions of preparing various dishes, or amateur sleuths in general, this continues to be a wonderful new series. I read an advance copy provided by the publisher for review purposes.
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