by Kathleen Costa
Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of Love & Death in Burgundy. We also have a link to order it from Amazon, and from an indie bookstore where a portion goes to help support KRL.
American ex-pats Katherine and Michael Goff have been residing in Reigny-sur-Canne for three years, but still feel they are treated as outsiders. Agreeing to be in charge of arranging entertainment for the local fête seems to be the best way to insinuate themselves into the community.
Gathering the women of the village for luncheon, Katherine hopes to recruit some additional support. However, the delicious food and friendly conversation are interrupted when uninvited Yves shows up to poke his finger at Adele and Albert Bellegarde. The owners/residents of the region’s popular tourist stop Château de Bellegrade have been maligning his reputation over his treatment of their daughter Sophie. So, no wonder the heated greetings turn to a dessert tray crashing on Yves’ head for his insolence. Hopes that the heated exchange had relieved the pressure of their mutual resentments are dashed when Albert Bellegarde is found dead at the bottom of the stairs of the château. 
Determined that she would find her place here in Reigny, Katherine decides she may need to take a closer look at the ‘accident.’ During quiet discussions with villagers, she discovers gossip includes Nazis, German sympathizers, gun runners, gypsies and curious behaviors by way too many, but the investigation is not the only point of interest. Katherine’s gallery exhibit draws near, her husband is attempting to re-energize his music career and the fête is approaching quickly. Mentoring a young motherless girl is problematic, shopping at the local flea market is delightful fun, run-ins with the neighbors are complicated and keeping the gendarmerie at bay may be misconstrued. All of this adds such a marvelous flavor to a final reveal that is exciting.
Bonjour! I am a serious Francophile ? French wines, soaps and perfume, croissants and cheese…kisses? And now I can add to that list Susan C. Shea’s French Village Mystery series with the first book Love and Death in Burgundy!
The mystery is very engaging with all the possible scenarios and I hung on every clue to uncover what happened: accident or murder? Each character is rich and developed from the varied ex-pats to the upstanding and shady French villagers. Add some Germans and a Brit to the mix and Susan has her own EU. However, I was well entertained with the daily life in Reigny, interactions between many of the characters outside of the investigation, the community and French idiosyncrasies. The flea market, the young girl’s spying, garden disagreements, family dynamics, and all the references to living in a small French village greatly enriches the reading experience.
I am a big fan of audio versions because for me they bring to life the author’s characters and then enrich the story. I had the opportunity to listen to the audio version narrated by Suzanne Toren…Oh mon Dieu! Suzanne’s voice artistry is brilliant with such entertaining variations of the Americans, some with southern drawls, varying French dialects from mild to strong, plus German and British accents. She easily moved from male to female and young to elderly characters, greatly enhancing my enjoyment. Nothing can be taken away from Susan C. Shea’s excellent story and creation of a wonderful world of characters, but my reading alone did not do her creativity full justice…the audio version does that for me!
Love & Death in Burgundy earns 5/5 Glasses of Chateauneuf du Pape!
This is a wonderful announcement from Susan C. Shea’s website…Dressed for Death in Burgundy is scheduled for May 2018. The charming if eccentric Musée du Costume is a hidden treasure in the market town of Avallon, not far from Katherine’s home in Reigny-sur-Canne. But when a group of American tourists stumbles on a murder scene there, Katherine, her English neighbor and would-be mystery writer and the teenage girl Katherine has befriended, are curious.
Susan C. Shea also pens the Dani O’Rourke Mysteries which currently has three books: Murder in the Abstract (#1), The King’s Jar (#2), and Mixed Up with Murder (#3). I am very eager to explore this series!
Be a Big Fan!
Facebook Friend: www.facebook.com/mysterieswithhumor
On the Web: susancshea.com
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/4273264.Susan_C_Shea
To enter to win a copy of Love & Death in Burgundy, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “burgundy,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen June 10, 2017. U.S. residents only. If entering via email please include your mailing address, and if via comment please include your email address.
Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & short stories in our mystery section.
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new to me author. Chateau neuf de Pape- great choice!
kckendler at gmail dot com
I really enjoy different venues, almost like taking a trip! I would look forward to reading this one.
This sounds like a fun read!
Thanks for the opportunity to win and also the chance to add another author to my ever-growing TBR list!
Sounds really interesting and the accents sound intriguing to me. Thank you
Would love to win Love and Death in Burgundy; thanks or the opportunity.
maforbes231@yahoo.com
Sounds like a great book. I am definitely interested in getting a free copy of this book. Thanks for the chance. Good luck everyone!!!
My email addy is bluesmurf68@hotmail.com
Another amazing book I would love to read, Thanks for your generosity. lindamay4852@yahoo.com
Sounds like an interesting story. Thanks for the chance to win a copy of the book.
bah195@yahoo.com
Great review thank you, this sounds very good and a new Author for me.
Penney penneyw(at)sbcglobal.net
Lovely review! This sounds wonderful. (And I highly recommend Susan’s other series too. Enjoyed it very much.)
This sounds so good! I love french wines and food! I was a nanny in France when I was 19 (1986) It was at the time of the bombings, so when I landed and didn’t call my mom right away, she thought something happened to me. ( I didn’t land in Paris, I landed in Bordeaux) My experience wasn’t the best, but I was near the Ocean and loved the food!!
rockergoddess 2002 at yahoo dot com
This sounds like a story with a lot of happenings going on. My kind of book! jawdance@yahoo.com
Another fun cozy from a proven author, count me in! Thanks for the chance to win a copy.
Oops! crs(at)codedivasites(dot)com
There is a lovely magazine about life in France and I got my most recent issue yesterday. This book sounds just perfect. And this is a terrific review.
Fantastic Review! Thank you for this chance!
Haven’t read anything by her, would love to read! parkeremma2003 at yahoo dot com
I love French anything…please enter me sounds great.
Marilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com
Sounds like a book I need to read!
Wonderful review would love to read and post reviews on goodreads and amazon ! ptclayton2@aol.com
I like stories with ex-pats making their lives somewhere like this! Thanks for the chance to win!
JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com
I really enjoyed the description of the book. This is a new author to me and I’m looking forward to reading the book.
diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com
I love the cover of the book and the story is very interesting.
scarletbegonia5858(at)gmail(dot)com
Sounds like a great read. I like the combination of a mystery and various historical settings.
Sounds really interesting. Thanks for the chance.
Maceoindo(at)yahoo(dot)com
This is definitely a new to me author who tells a story that includes something I’ve always wanted to do. There were any number of people in my lifetime who I’d have loved to ring their chimes with a platter upside the head.
Toss my name into the contest ring please.
We have a winner!