I love Paris! I just can’t get enough of wandering the streets with the gorgeous creamy buildings with their wrought iron railings and balconies. They get limned with sunshine and turn honey gold or ivory or even rich amber late in the summer. I love everything about Paris: the people, the broad boulevards, the narrow cobblestone streets, the food markets, the cats, the dogs sitting in cafes! And…the food! It’s like heaven here in the City of Light.

I moved here last spring, April 1949, to live with my Grand-père and his friend, whom I call Oncle Rafe. They live in a beautiful mansion on rue de l’Université in the Left Bank and I have the entire top floor with dormers and mansard windows to myself. I can even see the La Tour Eiffel from my window!

I just can’t stop pinching myself over how lucky I am to be able to live here in Paris for as long as I want. I’m fluent in the language because I was raised by my French mother and grandmother back near Detroit, which made it easy for me to get tutoring jobs over here to help other Americans learn the language.

I worked in a bomber plant during the War, and although my name isn’t Rosie, I was a riveter. And I really enjoyed that sort of work (even though the first week or so of holding that eight-pound riveter all day was really tough) because I’ve always been sort of mechanically-minded. I even carry a Swiss Army knife with me at all times (along with lipstick, of course). But after the war ended and I broke off my engagement to my college sweetheart, I felt as untethered as a loose canoe. I didn’t know how to spend my time, now that there was no need for women to do “men’s work.” When I was invited to come to Paris, I didn’t hesitate. I think my mother and father, much as they love me, were happy to see me go. I know my sisters were—they wanted my bedroom!

Grand-père and Oncle Rafe have two pets—one for each of them. Madame X is my grandfather’s sleek and elegant cat (who is named after the famous painting by John Singer Sargent) and Oncle Rafe spoils his little papillon dog named Oscar Wilde. The three of us get along famously, and the only less than perfect thing is that I can’t cook very well. We have day-maids that come in in the morning, but they are gone before supper and it’s left to me to muddle my way through la cuisine, trying to cook decent meals for my gourmand hosts.

It’s a good thing I met Julia Child, who lives across the street from us with her husband Paul. She is an amazing cook, and she is trying to teach me how to cook everything from omelettes to roast chicken to Queen of Sheba cake! My grand-père and Oncle Rafe are thrilled by our friendship, to say the least.

Every morning, Julia and I meet around ten o’clock to go to the food market near our homes. She’s just come from morning classes at Le Cordon Bleu, and is always excited to try cooking what she learned that day. I go with her because I can never think of anything to cook for dinner, and Julia always helps me. She recently taught me how to make the most luscious roasted chicken (or Madame Poulet Rôti, as she calls it). I’m really glad we’re friends—she’s a lot of fun to be around and I learn so much from her.

We were having a great time one day, coming home from the market with our bags full, laughing and joking…until we got to her apartment and discovered that someone had found a dead body in the cellar.

That was bad enough, but the worst of it was that Julia’s chef’s knife was found next to the body. Bloody.

Now we’ve got the very austere Inspecteur Merveille asking questions and looking at us as if we’re criminals. I’ve got to do something before he arrests Julia—or her husband Paul!

I’ve got a lead on an apartment in Montmartre that might have a clue…wish me luck that I don’t encounter the killer while I’m poking around!

Mastering the Art of French Murder, An American In Paris Mystery Book #1
Genre: Historical
Release: April 2023
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link

Set in the City of Light and starring Julia Child’s (fictional) best friend, confidant, and fellow American, this magnifique new historical mystery series from the acclaimed author of Murder at Mallowan Hall combines a fresh perspective on the iconic chef’s years in post-WWII Paris with a delicious mystery and a unique culinary twist. Perfect for fans of Jacqueline Winspear, Marie Benedict, Nita Prose, and of course, Julia Child alike!

As Paris rediscovers its joie de vivre, Tabitha Knight, recently arrived from Detroit for an extended stay with her French grandfather, is on her own journey of discovery. Paris isn’t just the City of Light; it’s the city of history, romance, stunning architecture . . . and food. Thanks to her neighbor and friend Julia Child, another ex-pat who’s fallen head over heels for Paris, Tabitha is learning how to cook for her Grandpère and Oncle Rafe.

Between tutoring Americans in French, visiting the market, and eagerly sampling the results of Julia’s studies at Le Cordon Bleu cooking school, Tabitha’s sojourn is proving thoroughly delightful. That is, until the cold December day they return to Julia’s building and learn that a body has been found in the cellar. Tabitha recognizes the victim as a woman she’d met only the night before, at a party given by Julia’s sister, Dort. The murder weapon found nearby is recognizable too—a knife from Julia’s kitchen.

Tabitha is eager to help the investigation, but is shocked when Inspector Merveille reveals that a note, in Tabitha’s handwriting, was found in the dead woman’s pocket. Is this murder a case of international intrigue, or something far more personal? From the shadows of the Tour Eiffel at midnight, to the tiny third-floor Child kitchen, to the grungy streets of Montmartre, Tabitha navigates through the city hoping to find the real killer before she or one of her friends ends up in prison . . . or worse.

About the author
Colleen Cambridge is a pseudonym for a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author whose books have been translated into more than eight languages. She lives in the Midwest and is hard at work on her next novel. Visit her at ColleenCambridge.com.

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