Monday, July 26, 2021

Review: The French Paradox by: Ellen Crosby



Title: The French Paradox
Author: Ellen Crosby
Publisher: Severn House Publishers
Format: Hardcover ( 256 p.) Personal Purchase

Description:

Lucie Montgomery's discovery of her grandfather's Parisian romance unlocks a series of shocking secrets in the gripping new Wine Country mystery.

In 1949, during her junior year abroad in Paris, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis bought several inexpensive paintings of Marie-Antoinette by a little-known 18th century female artist. She also had a romantic relationship with Virginia vineyard owner Lucie Montgomery's French grandfather - until recently, a well-kept secret.

Seventy years later, Cricket Delacroix, Lucie's neighbor and Jackie's schoolfriend, is donating the now priceless paintings to a Washington, DC museum. And Lucie's grandfather is flying to Virginia for Cricket's 90th birthday party, hosted by her daughter Harriet. A washed-up journalist, Harriet is rewriting a manuscript Jackie left behind about Marie-Antoinette and her portraitist. She's also adding tell-all details about Jackie, sure to make the book a bestseller.

Then on the eve of the party a world-famous landscape designer who also knew Jackie is found dead in Lucie's vineyard. Did someone make good on the death threats he'd received because of his controversial book on climate change? Or was his murder tied to Jackie, the paintings, and Lucie's beloved grandfather?

My Thoughts:

Lucy Montgomery is eagerly awaiting her grandfather Luc coming home to visit.  Lucie's sister is also back working on a big painting for Cricket's upcoming birthday. Harry Cricket's daughter is working on a showing of Jackie's paintings and a journal Jackie left behind when she visited before she died. Lucie is worried about her grandfather being hurt as he spent time with Jackie while she was in Paris.  

When a local writer Parker Lord is having issues with some of his articles he's written and winds up dead in Lucie's vineyard and her sister Mia becomes the prime suspect.  Lucie has her hands full trying to figure out who killed Parker and is Luc's secret going on come out or will Cricket change her mind!

This was great story with so much history of Luc and Jackie.  We also learn about Cricket and Harry and their relationship!  It's definitely worth reading but I would still read it in order to get a sense of various characters!

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