Murder In The South Of France

The glamorous jet set at Cannes are terrified when mutilated bodies are dumped on the chic town's boulevards. First in a gripping new series.

This book takes you further into the sleepy little village of St-Buvard where Maggie and Laurent discover not one but four murders to spice up their tenure in Provence. A year spent living in the south of France is not all it’s cracked up to be—especially when you have no job, a prickly first year of marriage, and your new best friend is murdered virtually before your eyes. Maggie Newberry is determined to help the investigations into the murders even if the incredibly sexy and too available French police detective on the case can only complicate her life in every possible way. Murder in Provence is set in the ancient city of Arles and, like all the books in the series, showcases the sights and mouthwatering cuisine of Provence—with a spicy dash of murder.

When her sister dies, Atlanta copywriter Maggie Newberry flies to the south of France to find the little niece that no one in the family even knew existed. Along the way, she finds handsome sexy Frenchman Laurent Dernier to help with the search. Meanwhile, her sister’s murderer sets his sights on the little girl—and Maggie.

Seeking a quiet spot to write his memoirs, Laurent de Rodergues secludes himself in Saint-Chartier, a village in the heart of France where his grandfather once lived. Yet his tranquil life is soon disturbed by Carlos, an eccentric Irish-Argentine millionaire determined to give the town's medieval château a costly and controversial makeover. Where some see a benefactor, others see a high-handed intruder whose endless renovations have left their music festival without a home. And when the château is unveiled at last, after months of anticipation, the whole town turns out to gaze in wonder - only to find their host lying dead in a pool of blood. Laurent suspects foul play, and when the gendarmes find nothing, he makes it his mission to unmask the murderer. But where to begin? From jilted lovers to jealous rivals, disgruntled employees to shadowy associates - not to mention more than a few angry musicians - practically everyone had a reason to want Carlos dead. As Laurent quickly learns, beneath its idyllic façade, the town of Saint-Chartier is rife with resentment and secret passions.

When her sister dies, Atlanta copywriter Maggie Newberry flies to the south of France to find the little niece that no one in the family even knew existed. Along the way, she finds handsome sexy Frenchman Laurent Dernier to help with the search. Meanwhile, her sister’s murderer sets his sights on the little girl—and Maggie.

This book is a study of faction, lynching, murder, terror and counter-terror during the French Revolution. It examines factionalism in small towns like Aubagne near Marseille, and how this produced the murders and prison massacres of 1795–8. Another major theme is the convergence of lynching from below with official terror from above. Although the terror may have been designed to solve a national emergency in the spring of 1793, in southern France it permitted one faction to continue a struggle against its enemies, a struggle that had begun earlier over local issues like taxation and governance. It uses the techniques of micro-history to tell the story of the small town of Aubagne. It then extends the scope to places nearby like Marseille, Arles, and Aix-en-Provence. Along the way, it illuminates familiar topics like the activity of clubs and revolutionary tribunals and then explores largely unexamined areas like lynching, the sociology of faction, the emergence of theories of violent fraternal democracy, and the nature of the White Terror.

A grand villa, croissants for breakfast and a dead body in the wine cellar... Lady Swift can't seem to take a vacation from murder! Summer 1923. Lady Eleanor Swift is finally persuaded by her butler, Clifford, to take a villa in the south of France for the season. She plans to do what a glamorous lady abroad should: long lunches on the balcony followed by lazy afternoons lounging by the pool. Even Gladstone the bulldog is looking forward to a daily paddle in the ocean. But when Clifford examines the wine cellar, he discovers there are no decent reds but there is a very dead body. The victim is famous American movie star Rex Armstrong. Poor Rex seems to have been stabbed with a sword from the film set. So how did he end up in Eleanor's villa? Before Eleanor even has time to change out of her travelling suit, her beloved butler is arrested for the crime. At sea without her right-hand man, Eleanor must gather her wits if she's to outsmart a murderer and save Clifford. Attending a glitzy party at the luxurious Hotel Azure with the film's cast and crew so she can question her main suspects, Eleanor overhears the director having a most unsettling telephone call that throws all her theories out of the water. Can Eleanor unmask the true killer before her time abroad is cut murderously short? A gripping historical murder mystery full of charm and intrigue, set in the beautiful French Riviera. Fans of Agatha Christie, T E Kinsey and Lee Strauss will adore The French for Murder. Readers are utterly addicted to Verity Bright! 'What a great cozy mystery! I am hooked! This is the best book, bar none, that I have read this year... An extremely witty, fast-paced mystery... I love the heroine, intrepid adventuress... A most enjoyable read!' Reviews by Carol in Tallahassee ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 'Can I give it six stars please?... Pretty much perfect... Bright has the amazing gift of bringing the reader into that world where the characters are alive.' Goodreads reviewer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 'What a wild ride it is!... Gripping... This book is what would happen if Downton Abbey and Agatha Christie had a baby. Fun, fast-paced read with lots of charm!' The Literary Wife 'I was literally on the edge of my seat until the last page trying to figure out the mystery. It's an adorable, captivating book.' Washington Life Magazine 'A sparkling heroine and perfect partner-in-crime... Every bit as compelling a couple as Bertie Wooster and Jeeves and the series is both entertaining and eminently readable... The perfect light reading for a summer day. An added bonus is the delightful dog Gladstone who is indolent, gluttonous and totally adorable.' Goodreads reviewer

Antoine Verlaque, examining magistrate for the beautiful town of Aix-en-Provence, doesn't like Christmas. The decorations appear in the shops far too early, festive tourists swarm the streets, and his beloved Cours Mirabeau is lined with chalets selling what he regards as tacky trinkets. But his wife and partner Marine Bonnet is determined to make this a Christmas they can both enjoy, beginning with the carol sing at the Cathedral Saint Sauveur, a beautiful service in a packed church.