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Stranded in Provence #2
Crime and Croissants
Care for a Little Murder with that Sweet Roll? Jules Hooker is doing her best to adjust to the new normal of a world without electricity, electronics, cars or the chance to return home. Stranded in the charming but provincial village of Chabanel wasn’t terrible until Jules discovers Aix-en-Provence and decides that the big city lights—even when they’ve gone out in the apocalypse—are much preferable to the countryside. Of course with a big city comes big city crimes and when a fellow American is accused of murdering a popular pastry chef in Aix, Jules knows she has to help. Unfortunately tracking a dangerous killer when you don’t know the language—or the French people themselves—soon has Jules bumbling into one dangerous situation after another. All the wonderful pastries aside, will this be lights out for Jules too?
206 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 11, 2017
223 people are currently reading
251 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
November 27, 2019
Jules has now been “stranded in Provence” for five weeks. She’s taking French lessons from a friend (but doing miserably), and is missing Luc, the gorgeous head of the local police. At the end of the first book Luc was paying almost nightly visits to Jules, always bringing over some food and/or wine. Now Luc is distancing himself from Jules. The mayor, and most others in France blame the Americans for their new post-apocalyptic world. Some action by the Americans caused Iran to retaliate and explode a nuclear bomb over the Mediterranean, leading to the EMP and the beginning of life without most technology (including electricity, planes, trains, etc.).
Food supplies are starting to run out in Chabanel, and their candles and batteries have long since run out, meaning life is bleaker than in the first book. Jules has virtually no money and faces eviction from her apartment. There are hints that criminals are being exiled to unknown places, and that things may get worse for Americans exiled in France.
Jules goes to Aix with a friend for a visit and quickly meets other American ex-pats stuck in Aix. Aix is far more beautiful than tiny Chabanel, with many more stores and patisseries. Jules mentions to the ex-pats she’s thinking of becoming a private investigator. A few hours later an ex-pat takes her at her word and asks for Jules’ help. A young man Jules met the evening before has been arrested for the murder of the owner of a famous patisserie. Jules spends most of the book living for free in a rather posh hotel in Aix, along with the rest of the ex-pats, which remained a bit of a puzzle. I kept expecting someone to ask her for money. She also eats a lot of delicious pastries while investigating the murder (which made me very hungry and had me looking up images of Aix).
There are some whopping grammatical errors in the book, and it remains an odd cozy mystery series set in a post-apocalyptic world. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this book once again, and like where Jules ends up at the end. This would be a B/B- for me, so 4 stars here. Now off to download the third in the series!
Food supplies are starting to run out in Chabanel, and their candles and batteries have long since run out, meaning life is bleaker than in the first book. Jules has virtually no money and faces eviction from her apartment. There are hints that criminals are being exiled to unknown places, and that things may get worse for Americans exiled in France.
Jules goes to Aix with a friend for a visit and quickly meets other American ex-pats stuck in Aix. Aix is far more beautiful than tiny Chabanel, with many more stores and patisseries. Jules mentions to the ex-pats she’s thinking of becoming a private investigator. A few hours later an ex-pat takes her at her word and asks for Jules’ help. A young man Jules met the evening before has been arrested for the murder of the owner of a famous patisserie. Jules spends most of the book living for free in a rather posh hotel in Aix, along with the rest of the ex-pats, which remained a bit of a puzzle. I kept expecting someone to ask her for money. She also eats a lot of delicious pastries while investigating the murder (which made me very hungry and had me looking up images of Aix).
There are some whopping grammatical errors in the book, and it remains an odd cozy mystery series set in a post-apocalyptic world. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this book once again, and like where Jules ends up at the end. This would be a B/B- for me, so 4 stars here. Now off to download the third in the series!
December 8, 2019
No longer feeling welcome in the village, Jules heads to the larger population of Aix to join the American ex-pat community. At first, all is roses and she's happy to be amongst people who share her language, but all too quickly she's placed in the position of trying to solve a murder to help prove the innocence of another American. Fighting against the prejudice of anti-American sentiment and still learning to navigate the newness of both her surroundings and the lack of electricity, Jules is forced to resort to her wits in order to survive.
This second instalment is not as "cosy" (with a small c) as the original. I didn't enjoy it quite as much as I did the first, Parlez-Vous Murder?. However, as I'm writing this review, I'm already onto to book 5 (having accidentally skipped purchasing book 4) and I currently owe a review for book 3!
This second instalment is not as "cosy" (with a small c) as the original. I didn't enjoy it quite as much as I did the first, Parlez-Vous Murder?. However, as I'm writing this review, I'm already onto to book 5 (having accidentally skipped purchasing book 4) and I currently owe a review for book 3!
October 25, 2024
Sorry
....But I just can't get into this character. Jules is very shallow and self centered, not to mention a real scatter brain. The one line that states 'I am quite memorable' told me everything about her. I liked the Claire Baskerville series and Maggie Newberry. This series not at all. Also have a hard time figuring out how in one sentence jules laments about post apocalyptic hardships but she's wearing Jimmy Choo shoes and designer clothes and drinking gallons of wine.
....But I just can't get into this character. Jules is very shallow and self centered, not to mention a real scatter brain. The one line that states 'I am quite memorable' told me everything about her. I liked the Claire Baskerville series and Maggie Newberry. This series not at all. Also have a hard time figuring out how in one sentence jules laments about post apocalyptic hardships but she's wearing Jimmy Choo shoes and designer clothes and drinking gallons of wine.
July 30, 2017
Quirky and fun
Jules, an American, is stranded in Provence after the apocalypse. Now she needs to earn some money in order to buy food. She accepts the job of a private investigator when an American man is arrested for murder. The book is fun to read because she is terrible as an investigator. I mean bad, big-time. But, somehow with her quirky ways she still manages to solve the crime.
Jules, an American, is stranded in Provence after the apocalypse. Now she needs to earn some money in order to buy food. She accepts the job of a private investigator when an American man is arrested for murder. The book is fun to read because she is terrible as an investigator. I mean bad, big-time. But, somehow with her quirky ways she still manages to solve the crime.
February 18, 2019
I really enjoy these stories... it's hard not to just leap to the next one like eating potato chips, but I want to spread them out a little. This one had a stronger investigative component, and branched out into the POV of other characters, etc which I liked (POV purists might not like that, but to each their own). I really think these books could be adapted into a great TV series (Netflix/Hulu anyone?).
November 7, 2024
This is the second book in the series. The main character is Jules. This is a the apocalypse and she is stranded in France trying to find a way home to USA. She is with a group of people when they are told the son of one them has been arrested. Jules decide to become a PI and get him freed. Of course she has no idea what she's doing and almost gets killed before she figures it out.
June 4, 2017
The first book in what I hope will be a long-running series, Parlez-vous Murder?, was terrific. This second installment is even better. The author makes the most of the plot twist (hint: EMP). More, please! Oh wait, there is a third book!
February 20, 2021
Jules Hooker has a passion for almond croissants, champagne cocktails and is usually closely followed by murder and mayhem. This is an entertaining, witty read, with nicely developing characters and a charming ending.
March 21, 2021
Slightly more complex than book 1 ... A good solid plot, even if the characters are a little sketchy. It gets a bit plot spoilery if I were to go into them, so I'll leave you to draw the same conclusion.
A fun light read ...
I am starting to wonder where the fuel and batteries are coming from
A fun light read ...
I am starting to wonder where the fuel and batteries are coming from
March 18, 2023
Best part is thinking what to is like for Jules to continue adapting to life without electricity. Tries for humor with the way a chef is murdered and how others are glad he’s gone. Her relationship with Luc is pretty much nonexistent.
January 29, 2024
Who did it?
I like seeing what happens post bomb. I did get a kick of out of seeing her thought process. She does need to sharpen them but she does think outside the box. Surprised who the killer was.
I like seeing what happens post bomb. I did get a kick of out of seeing her thought process. She does need to sharpen them but she does think outside the box. Surprised who the killer was.
September 17, 2019
This book takes place in Aix which is a bigger city then her little village Jules was stranded in. Another good book in the series.
May 29, 2020
fun mystery
July 17, 2020
3.5 stars
March 3, 2021
good follow up from first book
March 11, 2021
Book 2 - as much fun to read as 1. An enjoyable cozy mystery series. Love the characters.
June 20, 2021
Really cute continuation of the story! I definitely plan to read the rest of the series.
September 17, 2021
Juls Just Stumbles onto Things
Great characters, but why do so many Americans go to France and not attempt learn some French phrases. So much crime in such a small village.
Great characters, but why do so many Americans go to France and not attempt learn some French phrases. So much crime in such a small village.
June 6, 2017
Oh Susan, Susan, you did it to me again! I so loved the first book in your Stranded in Provence cozy mystery series that I pre-ordered this second one and paid an unheard of $3.99 for it. And now I see three more being published in the next couple of months....oh dear.
I must say this second book is even better than the first one. Jules Hooker (an unfortunate last name!) was vacationing in the Provence area of France when a "dirty bomb" exploded over the Mediterranean destroying the electric and other systems making it impossible to get around in anything other than a pre-1955 automobile (at least until gasoline runs out!). Jules had been living in an apartment in Chabanel, a small town about 10 miles from Aix. She has a chance to go to Aix to mingle with the American ex-pat community where she can speak English. She has decided to officially launch her private investigation service and is retained by an American couple to prove their son did not murder a local pastry chef. Jules is a clever young woman whose investigative skills, solely based on her tv viewing, suffer both from her not speaking French and her penchant for impulsively running after clues with no backup and thereby putting herself in mortal danger. Her savior in the last book was Luc, Chabanel's police chief, so she is largely on her own. The story moves fast and kept me completely enthralled. I love the characters, especially Jules and Luc and can't wait for the next books in the series.
I must say this second book is even better than the first one. Jules Hooker (an unfortunate last name!) was vacationing in the Provence area of France when a "dirty bomb" exploded over the Mediterranean destroying the electric and other systems making it impossible to get around in anything other than a pre-1955 automobile (at least until gasoline runs out!). Jules had been living in an apartment in Chabanel, a small town about 10 miles from Aix. She has a chance to go to Aix to mingle with the American ex-pat community where she can speak English. She has decided to officially launch her private investigation service and is retained by an American couple to prove their son did not murder a local pastry chef. Jules is a clever young woman whose investigative skills, solely based on her tv viewing, suffer both from her not speaking French and her penchant for impulsively running after clues with no backup and thereby putting herself in mortal danger. Her savior in the last book was Luc, Chabanel's police chief, so she is largely on her own. The story moves fast and kept me completely enthralled. I love the characters, especially Jules and Luc and can't wait for the next books in the series.
March 12, 2022
This is such a cute cozy mystery series. Again, I would have never guessed Albert Bliss as the murderer.
I think Jules Hooker is finally settling into her life in Paris. And she’s finally settling into her relationship with Luc, the head of the police in Chabanel.
So far, the only real problem Jules and Luc has is the mayor of Chabanel, who is not enamored with Jules, an American.
I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.
I think Jules Hooker is finally settling into her life in Paris. And she’s finally settling into her relationship with Luc, the head of the police in Chabanel.
So far, the only real problem Jules and Luc has is the mayor of Chabanel, who is not enamored with Jules, an American.
I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews