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Stranded in Provence #4
A Bad Éclair Day
Life in post-apocalyptic France has finally begun to settle down.
The cafés all have candles, the bakery ovens are all coal-fired and reliance on electricity and electronics are now a thing of the past. So when the Provençal village of Chabanel decides to go ahead with its annual pastry contest it’s a shock to everyone when one of the celebrity judges down from Paris dies a gruesome—and very public—death.
When a plate of poisoned chocolate éclairs turns out to be the murder weapon, it’s up to expat and amateur sleuth Jules Hooker to prove that the little old ladies who made them aren’t the murderers.
Because much in the same way that Jules can’t stop after one profiterole, it soon becomes clear that this murderer doesn’t intend to stop with one dead chef.
This book is a clean read: no graphic violence, sex or strong language
Genre: cozy culinary mystery, women amateur sleuth, cozy animal (dog)
The cafés all have candles, the bakery ovens are all coal-fired and reliance on electricity and electronics are now a thing of the past. So when the Provençal village of Chabanel decides to go ahead with its annual pastry contest it’s a shock to everyone when one of the celebrity judges down from Paris dies a gruesome—and very public—death.
When a plate of poisoned chocolate éclairs turns out to be the murder weapon, it’s up to expat and amateur sleuth Jules Hooker to prove that the little old ladies who made them aren’t the murderers.
Because much in the same way that Jules can’t stop after one profiterole, it soon becomes clear that this murderer doesn’t intend to stop with one dead chef.
This book is a clean read: no graphic violence, sex or strong language
Genre: cozy culinary mystery, women amateur sleuth, cozy animal (dog)
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 31, 2017
357 people are currently reading
196 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 14, 2025
I have enjoyed the premise of an EMP and the consequences on an American woman stranded in rural France. But Jules is annoying. She is not working on her French language and is getting in the way of the local police, although she has no reason to other than being nosy! I’ve read more of her adventures and am just now circling back to this book #4. I have read thru book 11, but I think I’m not going to continue the series.
December 1, 2019
Book four of the Stranded in Provence series takes place six weeks after the previous book ended. Jules is still attempting to be a private investigator (tracking down a philandering farmer). We also learn she “broke up” with Luc, the Chief of Police of Chabanel, at the end of the last book after he prevented her from getting on a ship headed to the U.S. The two haven’t spoken since then, and she’s seeing Jim, her fellow American, as an alternative.
The villagers are still adjusting to their new post-apocalyptic world. While there are hints the town might get electricity for a few hours a day in the near future, other things are definitely going downhill. One of the most common payments for goods at the local food black market is prostitution, with tacky tents set up behind most booths.
Despite having no electricity, the village of Chabanel is holding its annual baking contest. The elderly twin sisters Jules lives with are frantically baking eclairs (and forcing Jules to make the choux) in the hopes of winning the best eclairs at the festival. Luc has been instructed by the mayor to make certain all goes well at the festival, and particularly with the visit of a prominent French chef who’s serving as judge for the contest.
Soon after the festival begins, the French chef (who turns out to be a nasty piece of work) dies in front of everyone attending the festival, after taking a few bites of an eclair. The elderly woman who made the eclair is arrested, but soon after that, one of twin sisters confesses to the murder. No one believes her confession, but now Jules is on the case to figure out who really murdered the chef.
The murder was interesting, with lots of possible murderers. The ending definitely surprised me, although I had some doubts about the eventual murderer. I also liked the hints we got into some of the twin sisters back story, and hope we’ll get more in the future.
Overall this is a B for me, so four stars here. And soon, on to the next in the series!
The villagers are still adjusting to their new post-apocalyptic world. While there are hints the town might get electricity for a few hours a day in the near future, other things are definitely going downhill. One of the most common payments for goods at the local food black market is prostitution, with tacky tents set up behind most booths.
Despite having no electricity, the village of Chabanel is holding its annual baking contest. The elderly twin sisters Jules lives with are frantically baking eclairs (and forcing Jules to make the choux) in the hopes of winning the best eclairs at the festival. Luc has been instructed by the mayor to make certain all goes well at the festival, and particularly with the visit of a prominent French chef who’s serving as judge for the contest.
Soon after the festival begins, the French chef (who turns out to be a nasty piece of work) dies in front of everyone attending the festival, after taking a few bites of an eclair. The elderly woman who made the eclair is arrested, but soon after that, one of twin sisters confesses to the murder. No one believes her confession, but now Jules is on the case to figure out who really murdered the chef.
The murder was interesting, with lots of possible murderers. The ending definitely surprised me, although I had some doubts about the eventual murderer. I also liked the hints we got into some of the twin sisters back story, and hope we’ll get more in the future.
Overall this is a B for me, so four stars here. And soon, on to the next in the series!
October 16, 2019
I didn't enjoy this book quite as much as the previous 3. Although I did like the twist of who did the murdering. I'll probably give the next book a chance to see if I'll keep reading this series :)
October 4, 2021
Good series and dealing with a worldwide EMP is no easy feat. Yet Jules manages to just stumble onto the guilty. Wish she were a little less Ugly American and more receptive to being French. After all, the French have helped her making being stranded in a foreign country a little less scary.
July 14, 2025
Though the EMP (electromagnetic pulse) took out all the power, the French villagers of Chabanel are determined to hold the annual pastry contest. For Jules Hooker, a displaced American, that means keeping the fire stoked for the two old ladies with whom she lives. But when one of the celebrity judges is poisoned and her landlady is implicated, Jules goes on the hunt for a killer.
The "Stranded in Provence" series books never fail to give a much-needed boost to my day. As I write this in 2025 (5 years after the pandemic), the richness of the author's imagination is so readily apparent. The first of these books was conceived and published before we had any idea what a monumental disruption to our lives was coming. Yet, the united spirit we shared during the early COVID days is encapsulated here.
I adore Jules. She's such a determined character. Despite being trapped in an untenable situation, she's doing her best to enjoy her life. At the start of A Bad Éclair Day, we find Jules engaged in her latest profession: private detective and her wry internal monologue informs us that this new occupation is not going well for her. Thus, the tone of the book is set as, with a roll of the eyes, we follow Jules on her adventures.
The mystery in this novel is clearly defined and perfectly investigated. The plot twists are unexpected and cleverly integrated into the story. For a murder mystery, this was certainly a fun read.
I highly recommend A Bad Éclair Day for cosy readers. This series is best read in order.
The "Stranded in Provence" series books never fail to give a much-needed boost to my day. As I write this in 2025 (5 years after the pandemic), the richness of the author's imagination is so readily apparent. The first of these books was conceived and published before we had any idea what a monumental disruption to our lives was coming. Yet, the united spirit we shared during the early COVID days is encapsulated here.
I adore Jules. She's such a determined character. Despite being trapped in an untenable situation, she's doing her best to enjoy her life. At the start of A Bad Éclair Day, we find Jules engaged in her latest profession: private detective and her wry internal monologue informs us that this new occupation is not going well for her. Thus, the tone of the book is set as, with a roll of the eyes, we follow Jules on her adventures.
The mystery in this novel is clearly defined and perfectly investigated. The plot twists are unexpected and cleverly integrated into the story. For a murder mystery, this was certainly a fun read.
I highly recommend A Bad Éclair Day for cosy readers. This series is best read in order.
October 18, 2025
I mean it was sweet, it was extremely repetitive to the point where I read paragraphs or pages and I thought my kindle had glitched and Skipped back.
July 22, 2025
I approached this book with some trepidation as looking at the cover I thought oh no I've gone and ordered a teenage book. However it wasn't intended to be, this is Jules, an American who is living in France and learning the language, well sort of she mostly speaks american lingo, and something has happened to the electricity in France after some apocolyptic event (?). She is living with two elderly sisters, or were they friends? And is warding off two boyfriends, one another american living there and not sure what job he had, bit unclear there, and the other the head of the local police station, I would take him love he seems a better choice.
There is a baking competition being held and it is a big event, the two sisters and just about every female in the village is taking part and a pompous bloke from another town is coming to judge it. Then he bites into a cake and drops down dead. Jules fancies herself as a detective and sets out interviewing all and sundry to try to find the killer. Luc the police officer is trying to keep her away from doing that but Jules seems to have this desire to get involved with everything whih goes on in this small french village. The very least she could do after living there over 6mths is to learn more of the language and not expect everyone else to speak english for her. I found her quite irritating.
Anyway she does find out who the murderer was and does get on with Luc. I noted that it was 4th in the series and cannot understand why she is not better at speaking French then, is she like a lot of non-native speakers just expecting everyone else to speak english instead? I really did find her annoying, she's expecting everyong to dance to her tune and not blend in with the local people. Am not looking to read another one in the series. Plus she's a rubbish amateur detective.
There is a baking competition being held and it is a big event, the two sisters and just about every female in the village is taking part and a pompous bloke from another town is coming to judge it. Then he bites into a cake and drops down dead. Jules fancies herself as a detective and sets out interviewing all and sundry to try to find the killer. Luc the police officer is trying to keep her away from doing that but Jules seems to have this desire to get involved with everything whih goes on in this small french village. The very least she could do after living there over 6mths is to learn more of the language and not expect everyone else to speak english for her. I found her quite irritating.
Anyway she does find out who the murderer was and does get on with Luc. I noted that it was 4th in the series and cannot understand why she is not better at speaking French then, is she like a lot of non-native speakers just expecting everyone else to speak english instead? I really did find her annoying, she's expecting everyong to dance to her tune and not blend in with the local people. Am not looking to read another one in the series. Plus she's a rubbish amateur detective.
July 19, 2025
Having lived in France for almost 12 years, my main criticism of this book is, not the main character's poor French language skills - since, imo, Americans can't even speak the English language correctly - but the errors made by the indigenous people, and one who is presented as being fluent in the language! Simple things such as wrong gender article; noun and verb not matching; giving a verb a gender; ought not to have got past a proofreader who was capable of, at least,using a French/English dictionary!
It was only when Luc came into this story that I recalled having read a previous book in this serial (it is NOT a series!), I guess that that shows how impressed I was with the previous book. I was not impressed any more with this one!
It was only when Luc came into this story that I recalled having read a previous book in this serial (it is NOT a series!), I guess that that shows how impressed I was with the previous book. I was not impressed any more with this one!
July 22, 2025
Well done mystery and romance
Bizarre but believable in a complex story of confusing !ove, murder, and a believable psychopath. Southern France in an ancient town without electricity and motor fuel, and yet a believable story with many suspects and complex relationships.
Excellent read by a wonderful author.
Bizarre but believable in a complex story of confusing !ove, murder, and a believable psychopath. Southern France in an ancient town without electricity and motor fuel, and yet a believable story with many suspects and complex relationships.
Excellent read by a wonderful author.
November 12, 2025
It's the third in this series that I've read.
I think that I've finally worked it out. The author has subjected the world to an EMP so that she can simplify her investigation. There's no DNA, no CCTV, no phones, limited fingerprints, etc. Jules doesn't seem to be working on her language skills.
Murder got solved.
I think that I've finally worked it out. The author has subjected the world to an EMP so that she can simplify her investigation. There's no DNA, no CCTV, no phones, limited fingerprints, etc. Jules doesn't seem to be working on her language skills.
Murder got solved.
August 1, 2017
Stranded in Provencext
I do love all of the stranded series, so glad she made up with Luc. Can't wait for the next one. Also love the Maggie Newberry series. Waiting for the next one.
I do love all of the stranded series, so glad she made up with Luc. Can't wait for the next one. Also love the Maggie Newberry series. Waiting for the next one.
May 9, 2020
I really enjoy this series -- each book is a pleasure to read, light, fun, well-executed. I normally will go download the next soon after I finish the last. Even if I don't read them right away, I like to know that I have it, and this time is no exception.
March 1, 2021
More Good Stuff
Ok, I am hooked and not just due to the descriptions of wonderful food. I too like Southern France; however it’s Susan’s writing, whether this series, the Newberry books. She manages to involve you with her characters in a way that causes you to care about them.
Ok, I am hooked and not just due to the descriptions of wonderful food. I too like Southern France; however it’s Susan’s writing, whether this series, the Newberry books. She manages to involve you with her characters in a way that causes you to care about them.
March 31, 2021
Another good read
This is one of my favorite authors. Susan Kiernan-Lewis keeps me highly entertained with this Stranded in Provence series. Looking forward to the next book.
This is one of my favorite authors. Susan Kiernan-Lewis keeps me highly entertained with this Stranded in Provence series. Looking forward to the next book.
December 13, 2022
I’m fully invested. Took a break from reading it for a long while but super excited to start the 5th book.
July 21, 2025
Slightly surprised (but not upset) that Jim was a baddie.
July 24, 2025
Fast read
Although the characters and scenes are well described, the plot is rather weak. You could tell what was going to happen next
Although the characters and scenes are well described, the plot is rather weak. You could tell what was going to happen next
August 1, 2017
I just can't get enough of this series (and the Maggie Newberry series). I read this one over night. I have so much I'd like to say but don't want to spoil the ending for anyone. It's enough to say that Jules is still her own worst enemy! Poor Susan....she just can't write fast enough to suit her avid readers!
pre-ordered to be delivered 7/31/17 ($3.99)
pre-ordered to be delivered 7/31/17 ($3.99)
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews