Publisher's Weekly Review
Shea's rote second cozy featuring American expat Ariel Shepard (after 2023's Murder Visits a French Village) sees the series showing early signs of fatigue. After the sudden death of Ariel's husband, Dan, she's spent the last three years restoring the rundown property he gave her in France's Burgundy region. Her quiet work is again interrupted by homicide when she finds a bloodied corpse on the ground outside of her friend's secondhand shop in Noyes-sur-Serein. The victim is the poverty-stricken Madame Touissant, who was preparing to sell her possessions for cash; in the wake of her death, her beloved dog has also disappeared. Ariel believes that Touissant's head wounds are evidence of foul play, despite the lack of any obvious motives or suspects. She resolves to investigate, and occasionally runs afoul of the official inquiry headed by hunky potential love interest Monsieur Legrand. Along the way, Ariel raises questions about a string of local robberies and casts suspicion on her own gardener, all while keeping her home renovation afloat. Shea sticks steadfastly to formula here, failing to deliver many notable twists or memorable characters. It makes for pleasant enough reading, but in the crowded cozy field, this fails to stand out. Agent: Christina Hogrebe, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (Mar.)
Kirkus Review
The murder of an enigmatic woman may have roots in World War II. Ariel Shepard's husband left her a decrepit château in Burgundy that's already been the scene of a murder she solved with some help from Katherine Goff, another American who owns a small antique shop, and Pippa Hathaway, an ebullient British mystery writer. Ariel's dreams of a restored château hosting a bed and breakfast and perhaps some cooking classes are proceeding slowly, but she's found skilled workmen who've made a portion of the place habitable. She's so focused on restoring it into a paying proposition that when she and Katherine discover the body of Madame Toussaint curled in the antique shop's doorway, she tries to ignore the mystery. Although the elderly lady had always been accompanied by her dog when she brought Katherine small items to sell, he's nowhere to be found. Brigadier Allard of the gendarmerie, who'd been in charge of the previous death at Ariel's château, thinks there may be a connection between Madame Toussaint's bits and pieces and a series of museum robberies. And Raoul, a prized worker who's assisted with many of Ariel's restoration needs, has a connection to the dead woman. So despite her reservations, she and her friends start hunting for clues. Her discovery of the dog and a box of old letters and photos leaves her even more confused. Her relationship with Allard becomes warmer even as he warns her not to get entangled with murder. All the charms of adjusting to life in a little French town with plenty of minor and major mysteries to solve. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Expat Ariel Shepard is renovating the château her late husband purchased for her in Burgundy, France, planning to open it to paying guests. Hoping to find some bits and pieces for the château, she and her friend Katherine head to Katherine's shop, finding Madame Toussaint, an elderly woman who had sold some trinkets to Katherine to make ends meet, dead on the shop's doorstep. They notice both the bag she usually carries and her dog, her constant companion, are missing. Never one to pass up a mystery, Ariel, Katherine, and their friend Pippa investigate, leading to a search of Madame Toussaint's home, let in by Ariel's gardener, Raoul, who has a key. When the four are caught by the police, Raoul is arrested, causing Ariel to redouble her efforts to find the murderer as well as the missing dog. The lovingly described setting, details of life in a small French village renovating a château, well-delineated characters, plot twists, and the handsome Brigadier Allard, who piques Ariel's interest, contribute to this satisfying, leisurely paced cozy.