Review: Love & Death in Burgundy

Title: Love & Death in Burgundy
Author: Susan C. Shea
Publication Date: May 2, 2017
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Recommended If You Like: mysteries set in France, cozy mysteries, delicious descriptions of food

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.

The Book:

Katherine and her husband Michael are Americans who now live in a small village in France. Katherine desperately wants to fit in with her neighbors, but as an American, they just don't accept her. But when the elderly owner of the historic chateau is found dead at the bottom of the stairs, Katherine is determined to solve the mystery and prove her worth.

What I Liked:

The descriptions of the food and France are fantastic! All I wanted while I was reading this book was to be eating baguettes and cheese, and drinking fine wine, while lounging in France.

Shea is excellent at making her characters three dimensional. I really felt what they were feeling, and felt compelled to know their stories (even the less likable characters).

Anything I Didn't Like?

The mystery was good, but not great. The problem wasn't the sections where the mystery wasn't the main focus, because the characters were written so well, but rather the solution itself was merely okay. I was hoping for a bit more.

So...?

I can see this becoming a really good cozy mystery series. I suspect the mysteries will get stronger as the series goes on, and the characters definitely are strong enough to carry this book.