Death in Avignon

October 1, 2019

Having moved to Provence (and survived events in the nicely welcomed, locale-happy series starter, Death in Provence), Penelope Kent is attending a glittery galley opening with the town mayor when a high-wire expat painter chokes to death. An accident? Not likely, with multiple itchy lovers and artistic rivals in the wings. Thank goodness for Penelope's background as assistant to a forensic pathologist. With a 50,000-copy paperback and 25,000-copy hardcover first printing.

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December 15, 2019
An English expatriate in France continues her affinity for murder. As winter approaches, Penelope Kite is glorying in her new life in Provence. More of Le Chant d'Eau is habitable, with fresh plaster, new wiring, and no further corpses in the pool (Death in Provence, 2019). The owners of the bakery in the village of St. Merlot look forward to her croissant purchases, she's brave enough to host lunch for four of her neighbors, and she's invited to play cello in a musical group in nearby Roussillon. Realtor Clémence Valencourt continues to visit Penny frequently even though their professional relationship is long over. She's invited to dinner by St. Merlot's handsome mayor, Laurent Millais, although no calories had been consumed during either of their earlier rendezvous. And equally dashing Gilles de Bourdan, owner of a small art gallery in nearby Avignon, is so charmed by Penny that he invites her on an overnight trip to visit his larger gallery in Nice. Perhaps the crowning achievement in Penny's francification is her invitation to the opening of Nicholas Versanne's exhibition at de Bourdan's Avignon location. But the death of a fellow exhibitor, retired British barrister Roland Galbraith Doncaster, who keels over during the opening and expires in the hospital several days later, threatens Penelope's place in Provencal society. As her suspicions grow, her new French friends seem to turn against her, and it takes the arrival of her childhood pal Frankie to right the ship. Even after the big reveal that prompts Penelope to unmask the killer, it takes quite a while for all the complications to unravel at a typical, leisurely Luberon Valley pace. Spending more time in Kent's heroine's company is almost worth all the peregrinations. Almost.

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Starred review from January 20, 2020
The death of an English painter of dubious artistic talent but prodigious skill as a womanizer after a gallery opening in Avignon, France, propels Kent’s outstanding sequel to 2019’s Death in Provence. English expat Penelope Kite, an early retiree from a job assisting a prominent Home Office medical examiner, gets involved in what turns into a murder inquiry. Two more homicides shake the art scene around Avignon and Nice. Providing counterpoint to the violence is the sweetness of Kite’s growing connections to the locals, including her estate agent friend, Clémence Valencourt, an impeccable embodiment of Parisian femininity; “the knee-tremblingly handsome and charming” mayor of St. Merlot, Laurent Millais; and a group of local musicians who welcome her cello-playing skills. Kent, a pseudonymous husband-and-wife writing team, creates an appealing community for this winning stranger in a strange land, replete with amusing touches like a traditional English Sunday lunch for Penelope’s new French friends. Armchair travelers will be well satisfied. Agent: Stephanie Cabot, Gernert Co.

December 15, 2019
An English expatriate in France continues her affinity for murder. As winter approaches, Penelope Kite is glorying in her new life in Provence. More of Le Chant d'Eau is habitable, with fresh plaster, new wiring, and no further corpses in the pool (Death in Provence, 2019). The owners of the bakery in the village of St. Merlot look forward to her croissant purchases, she's brave enough to host lunch for four of her neighbors, and she's invited to play cello in a musical group in nearby Roussillon. Realtor Cl�mence Valencourt continues to visit Penny frequently even though their professional relationship is long over. She's invited to dinner by St. Merlot's handsome mayor, Laurent Millais, although no calories had been consumed during either of their earlier rendezvous. And equally dashing Gilles de Bourdan, owner of a small art gallery in nearby Avignon, is so charmed by Penny that he invites her on an overnight trip to visit his larger gallery in Nice. Perhaps the crowning achievement in Penny's francification is her invitation to the opening of Nicholas Versanne's exhibition at de Bourdan's Avignon location. But the death of a fellow exhibitor, retired British barrister Roland Galbraith Doncaster, who keels over during the opening and expires in the hospital several days later, threatens Penelope's place in Provencal society. As her suspicions grow, her new French friends seem to turn against her, and it takes the arrival of her childhood pal Frankie to right the ship. Even after the big reveal that prompts Penelope to unmask the killer, it takes quite a while for all the complications to unravel at a typical, leisurely Luberon Valley pace. Spending more time in Kent's heroine's company is almost worth all the peregrinations. Almost.

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.