Molly Sutton #1-3

by Nell Goddin

A nosy detective, dreamy food, a touch of romance...and murder.
What could be better?

Boston girl Molly Sutton moves to a village in France to heal after a divorce. Follow the intrepid expat as she uncovers secrets and chases down murderers in charming Castillac, eating a few pastries along the way.

The boxset contains the first three books in the series: The Third Girl, The Luckiest Woman Ever, and The Prisoner of Castillac. (Plus an exclusive bonus prequel short story!)

821 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 29, 2015

About the author

She has worked as a radio reporter, SAT tutor, short-order omelet chef, and baker. She tried waitressing but was fired twice.

Nell grew up in Richmond, Virginia and has lived in New England, New York City, and France. Currently she's back in Virginia with teenagers and far too many pets. She has degrees from Dartmouth College and Columbia University.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read book 2 before book 1 and I am glad I did. I wouldn't have progressed further from book 1 because the protagonist obsesses on almond croissants to the point of distraction. That being said - the storyline of Molly moving from Boston to France to set up a B&B is fun.

My favorite parts in book two are when the author uses written English to describe what she is trying to get across in her basic French which is fun.

I've purchased book 4 to see where it goes, so I enjoy it enough, although I am glad I don't live there; the police department can't seem to get past not having any clue.

[Jenel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just don't bother. You want them to be good. They're not. Yes, it's set in France. Yes, it should be interesting, fun even. It's not. The writing is flat. The storylines meander, or jump around in an almost senseless fashion. The author can't decide who she wants her characters to be. There's a beginning and blessedly an end.

[Wendelyn J. Thornton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the Molly Sutton mysteries--read 1 to 3 with ease, as they were short and fun. Nothing terribly serious like some, but the characters in Castillac, France were interesting and the FOOD mentioned. Wish we had a Patisserie Bujold near where I live!

[Helen Gowland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Molly Sutton Book 1,2,3.

I enjoyed these books. Easy reading, good characters and good food. The endings were a bit predictable but I didn’t really mind.

[Frances C Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun series that makes you want to book a flight to an obscure village in France and eat pastry while solving crime! Enjoyed this!

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

These three stories are entertaining cozy mysteries. The protagonist is well-formed, and gets stronger as the series goes on. The plot of the first book meanders a bit, and Goddin seems to consciously avoid conflict where her climactic scenes should be (especially in books 1 and 3). This makes her books end with a whimper, not a bang, and is less satisfying for me. She also doesn't use her wit or smarts to affect the final outcome of the story (i.e, catching the murderer) as much as she could. However, the characterization is interesting enough and the rest of the story engaging enough for me to continue reading the series (and to believe I've gotten good value out of this purchase!). Great if you like cozies, good if you like mysteries in general.