I just finished the 5th book in a series of murder mysteries by Susan Kiernan-Lewis.  I had never read any of her books before but I burned through all five her series, which are set in Provence.

The first book, Murder in the South of France, is not the best one and is kind of quirky, but it is necessary to set the stage for the rest.  However, it is fast paced and funny.  Each book is independent but it is more fun to read them in order.

Maggie is an impulsive young woman in her thirties who writes ad copy in Atlanta.  She ends up investigating the disappearance of her estranged sister in the South of France.  She meets and falls in love with a mysterious, steady, and handsome Frenchman who turns out to be a con man.

Her Frenchman, Laurent,  is also a gourmet cook, so while stumbling over bodies and uncovering clues, Maggie has to stop to sample his haute cuisine.

In most series when the heroin and the hero get together, it’s the end.  But for these two interesting characters the murder, mayhem and mirth are just beginning.

The books in the series are Murder in the South of France, Murder a la Carte, Murder in Provence, Murder in Paris and Murder in Aix.  This clever author manages to keep the sparks flying between this couple through all five of these books.

frogkisser review

Originally published on Bubblews