Death at the Château Bremont

This is the first of the "Provençal Mystery Series" by author M.L. Longworth. Any of you who watched the all-too-short TV series, "Murder in Provence"--starring Roger Allam-- will recognize the main characters, chief magistrate of Aix-en-Provence Antoine Verlaque and law professor Marine Bonnet. There are 9 books in the series and I am ready to dig into these. When documentary film director Étienne de Bremont dies after falling from a window in the attic of the family Château, the police are quick to call it an accident or perhaps even suicide. But investigating magistrate Verlaque is not so sure. Étienne was universally admired and liked and he'd grown up in the Château, often playing for hours in the attic. When it turns out that Marine had been childhood friends with the de Bremont brothers, Verlaque brings her into the investigation while, at the same time, trying in his dogged way to rekindle the romantic relationship he had previously with Bonnet. The the other brother, ne'er-do-well François, is found dead at the Château, only this time it's clearly murder. The resolution of these two deaths causes everyone to re-evaluate their beliefs about the de Bremont brothers. 

Booklist's starred review says, "This first novel in a projected series has charm, wit, and Aix-en-Provence all going for it. Longworth's voice is like a rich concoction of sparkling Dorothy Sayers and grounded Donna Leon. Its blending of aristocratic mystery and guide to Provencal wines, foods, habits, and Aix itself is delightful, and the old-fashioned plotline, with enticing clues nicely planted for the reader, returns refreshingly to the values of the genre's golden age." Library Journal concludes their review, " A beloved home turns sinister in this evocative romantic suspense debut from veteran travel and food writer Longworth. Via great sights and a strong sense of place, readers can leisurely follow Verlaque and Bonnet as they uncover a complicated backstory." Publishers Weekly was less favorable, calling this a "disappointing debut...Despite the appeal of the intelligent Marine and her refreshingly opinionated friend, Sylvie..." Nevertheless, Kirkus calls this "A promising debut for Longworth, who shows there’s more to France than Paris and more to mystery than Maigret."

The First Lie Wins

This is the debut adult novel from YA author Ashley Elston. "Evie Porter is a sweet, southern girl from a small Alabama town. At least, that's the story she tells. In reality, she's a professional con artist whose specialty is insinuating herself into people's lives, gaining their trust so she can expose their secrets" (Booklist). But her current assignment takes a few unexpected twists. First, she is falling in love with her "mark," handsome financial advisor Ryan Sumner. This leads her to try and protect him from her boss by supplying inaccurate information about Ryan's not-so-legitimate side business. And then an old friend of Ryan's shows up with his new woman friend, Lucca Marino, who is a near look-alike to Evie. Except that Lucca Marino is Evie's real name and only her boss, Mr. Smith, knows that. Then "Lucca" and Ryan's friend mysteriously die in a car crash. Evie feels like she's being set up, expecially when the police show up and take her in for questioning about the death of her mark in an earlier assignment. Now it's clear that Mr. Smith is pulling strings to make Evie jump, but to what purpose. Along with her silent tech-wizard partner Devon, Evie must figure out what is going on and try to out-maneuver Mr. Smith before she ends up in jail for murder. There are a lot of flashbacks to Evie's earlier life and her former assignments, so some may find that distracting, but they are essential to understanding Evie's character and the surprising final twists of the plot.

Booklist says of the characters and the plot, "Everyone in Elston's fast-paced adult debut has a secret, and none of the characters are trustworthy or reliable. Evie is a delightfully morally ambiguous antiheroine whose ability to think on her feet results in a relentless array of shocking twists that lead to a satisfying ending." And Publishers Weekly concludes, "Elston whips up plenty of suspense and delivers a satisfyingly serpentine finale." Similarly, Kirkus praises, "Elston’s adult debut announces itself as a savvy thriller with intrigue and momentum from the first twist of Lucca’s arrival right up until the final showdowns. Evie is a smart and engaging protagonist, and her time on the run is anything but predictable."