May 30, 2022
Length:
302 pages
Summary:
Lady Eleanor, her butler Clifford, and her beloved bulldog Gladstone are all set to enjoy their villa in the south of France. As usual, Clifford sets out to make it as comfortable as their English estate, Henley Hall. As he is working in the wine cellar, he discovers the body of Rex Armstrong, an American movie star shooting a film in the nearby area. He has been stabbed and inexplicably left in the villa. The police are sure Clifford is guilty. After all, he "found" the body and he isn't French, so they are naturally suspicious of him as an outsider. When he is arrested, Eleanor is frantic to clear his name. But since Clifford is always the one helping her out of sticky situations, she is hard pressed to know just wnat to do this time.
Luckily, Eleanor is able to contrive a way to get Clifford released. But only on the condition that they solve the crime on their own, and quickly. It seems the police don't really think Clifford is guilty but need to blame it on someone not involved with the film. It would be bad publicity. As the two investigate, they are drawn into the drunken, immature, partying crowd of actors, artists, and independently wealthy singles who inhabit the movie set and the coastline.
One couple, Kitty and Floyd Fitzwilliams, seem to be a happy, free styling duo but as they get to know them, Eleanor and Clifford are wondering where they get all their money to throw lavish parties at the local hotel. More clues (one uncovered by the dog himself) draw them back to the idea that the murder had something to do with the film, Napoleon that is being shot in the area. And then when another, related person is murdered they have two to solve. They must do it quickly or Clifford will be blamed and stand trial for Rex and possibly the second body as well.
MyThoughts:
I enjoyed this book as I always enjoy this series, but it wasn't my favorite. Being American myself, I read books set in other countries to get away from the American vibe and dialogue. So this storyline grew a bit stale halfway through. I wanted the French Riviera setting (which didn't factor in much) with a French feel. It felt as if that was just a backdrop. The most interesting, authentic part was when Eleanor visits the French policeman's home and meets his family. I really enjoyed the cultural aspect of that chapter.
I also wanted Hugh Seldon the detective love interest of Eleanor to appear and he really doesn't in this book. Their interactions are cute and I missed that.
The Henley Hall staff and the dog are usually along, and are in this one. They are their own adorable sideshow and add much to the story even if they aren't the ones usually involved in solving the crime.
But I still thought the story was clever, the new characters fresh, and the recurring ones endearing. The murder mystery had lots of twists and red herrings to keep me guessing and of course the method of the murder was not one I'd have expected at the beginning.
The husband and wife team that writes these books clearly are humorous people as there are always things Eleanor is doing and Clifford is saying that are funny. That is for me what makes this cozy series different from all the others set during this same time period. It's funny. And they often don't explain everything in detail, leaving it to the reader to catch the underlying joke or message. They assume it isn't a YA novel and you will figure it out. So I will continue with the series as I always want to read the next one and haven't gotten bored with them yet. They are a great choice to start with if you haven't read many cozy mysteries before.
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