Love & Death in Burgundy

By: Susan C. Shea

Narrated by: Suzanne Toren

From critically acclaimed author Susan C. Shea comes the first novel in an upmarket cozy mystery series set in France.

After three years of living in the small town of Reigny-sur-Canne, all Katherine Goff really wants is to be accepted by her neighbors into their little community. But as an American expat living in the proud region of Burgundy, that's no easy task.

When the elderly Frenchman who lives in the village chateau is found dead at the bottom of a staircase, the town is turned into a hotbed of gossip and suspicion, and Katherine suddenly finds herself drawn deeper and deeper into the small town's secrets. A motherless teenager, a malicious French widow, a brash music producer, and a would-be Agatha Christie are among those caught up in a storm that threatens to turn Katherine's quiet life upside down. As more and more of the villagers' secrets are brought to light, Katherine must try to figure out who, if anyone, in the town she can trust and which one of her neighbors just might be a killer.

©2017 Susan C. Shea (P)2017 Recorded Books

False advertising, no mystery here

There is a trend to compare authors to Louise Penney. I will not longer be fooled by these claims. I finished the book only because I returned a book recently and do not want to abuse the generous take back option.

Ok

This is an ok mystery but the pacing is slow and I never connected with the characters.

Quite Entertaining

Very well-written cozy mystery. Plenty of ups and downs and twists to the plot. I love the village characters and I wish I could immediately run off and spend a month in the south of France. The reader was excellent.

Earns 5/5 Glasses of Chateauneuf du Pape!

Would you consider the audio edition of Love & Death in Burgundy to be better than the print version?

Better? Nothing can be take away from Susan C. Shea's entertaining story and creation of a wonderful world of characters, but my reading the print version on my own did not do her creativity full justice…the audio version does! I experience what Susan Shea hoped to provide for her readers. I HEAR the different accents and dialects that define and develop the characters. I HEAR the fears, worries, and joys of the events...it is a wonderful way to enjoy Susan Shea's story.

What other book might you compare Love & Death in Burgundy to and why?

Well, looking beyond the mystery, I compare this story to my all-time favorite, Peter Mayle's books starting with "A Year in Provence." The conflicts with an ex-pat living in France, efforts to insinuate an outsider into the community, learning about the history of the area, exploring the countryside, and getting involved with some very quirky people all reminded me of Peter Mayle's trilogy about his ex-pat time living alongside the French.

Which character – as performed by Suzanne Toren – was your favorite?

First, Suzanne Toren’s voice artistry is brilliant with such entertaining variations of the Americans, some with southern drawls, varying French dialects from mild to strong, and German and British accents. She easily moved from male to female and young to elderly characters greatly enhancing my enjoyment. But my favorite character is Mme Pomfort. Suzanne was able to capture her

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Of course...dinner was horribly late the first afternoon I started listening. One hour...two hours...four hours in, I couldn't put it on pause. I finished the book in three days, though, only because I really had chores I couldn't put off. It is a delightful adventure!

Any additional comments?

I am a serious Francophile—French wines, soaps, cheese…kisses? And now I can add to that list Susan C. Shea’s French Village Mystery series. 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 upstanding and shady French villagers; add some Germans and a Brit and Susan has her own EU. Additionally I was so 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 enhanced my reading. All of this was greatly enriched by Suzanne Toren's voice artistry!