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    Death in Provence: A Novel
    Death in Provence: A Novel
    Death in Provence: A Novel
    Audiobook10 hours

    Death in Provence: A Novel

    Written by Serena Kent

    Narrated by Antonia Beamish

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    The first entry in a clever, lighthearted mystery series set in modern Provence—a delightful blend of Agatha Christie and Peter Mayle—featuring the irrepressible Penelope Kite, a young-at-heart divorcee with a knack for stumbling across dead bodies.

    It’s love at first sight when Penelope Kite sees Le Chant d’Eau—The Song of Water—the stone farmhouse tucked high in the hills above the Luberon valley, complete with a garden, swimming pool, and sweeping mountain vistas. For years, Penelope put her unfaithful ex-husband and her ungrateful stepchildren first. Since taking early retirement from her job in forensics at the Home Office in England, she’s been an unpaid babysitter and chauffeur for her grandchildren. Now, she’s going to start living for herself. Though her dream house needs major renovations, Penelope impulsively buys the property and moves to St. Merlot.

    But Penelope’s daydreams of an adventurous life in Provence didn’t include finding a corpse floating face down in her swimming pool. The discovery of the dead man plunges her headlong into a Provençal stew of intrigue and lingering resentments simmering beneath the deceptively sunny village. Having worked in the forensics office, Penelope knows a thing or two about murder investigations. To find answers, she must carefully navigate between her seemingly ubiquitous, supercilious (and enviably chic) estate agent, the disdainful chief of police, and the devilishly handsome mayor—even as she finds herself tempted by all the delicacies the region has to offer. Thank goodness her old friend Frankie is just a flight away . . . and that Penelope is not quite as naïve as her new neighbors in St. Merlot believe.

    Set against the exquisite backdrop of Provence, steeped in history, atmosphere, and secrets, Death in Provence introduces an irresistible heroine and a delightful new mystery series.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateFeb 19, 2019
    ISBN9780062894793
    Author

    Serena Kent

    Serena Kent is the nom de plume of Deborah Lawrenson and her husband Robert Rees. They met at Cambridge University and pursued completely different careers, she in journalism and fiction; he in banking and music. They live in a house full of books in England, and an old hamlet in Provence which is also in dire need of more bookshelves.

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    Reviews for Death in Provence

    3.5/5

    31 ratings4 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Serena Kent's novel appealed to be because I am always a sucker for someone going to a small village in France and then buying a place, subsequently coping with small-provincial angst, and a mystery.This particular story was frustrating for me because I've come to loathe female Main Characters who allow themselves to be pushed around and cave in like doormats. Perhaps it is a literary device to set up the plot. It could even be called a trope, I suppose. This novel had a few mysterious twists and turns and a satisfying dénouement, however.If you enjoyed the Kate Hamilton Mystery series (by Connie berry), I suspect you'll have fun with this one too. Not nearly as engaging as Peter Mayle's Hotel Pastis for descriptive writing and character development, though.
    • 3/5
      3.5 stars.

      The first installment in the Penelope Kite series, Death in Provence by Serena Kent is a charming cozy mystery.

      Following a holiday in the French countryside,  Penelope Kite rather impulsively purchases a rundown country home in Provence. Upon her arrival, she is confronted with an overgrown yard, falling down plaster, no electricity or running water. Drowning her sorrows in a delicious rosé, Penelope is startled by the drunken appearance of a man who claims he owns her property. The next day, the same man is found dead in her swimming pool and Penelope finds herself playing amateur sleuth as she tries to uncover the man's killer.

      Penelope is in her early fifties, divorced, retired and tired of being taken advantage of by her unappreciative children. She is unsure she made the right decision following her out of character purchase but she is eager to settle into her new home. The murder of local Manuel Avore is certainly puzzling but she is also interested in finding out why her estate agent Clémence Valencourt keeps appearing at her new home. And why is gorgeous mayor Laurent Millais so involved in the case? Penelope is also put off by Chief of Police Georges Reyssens' dismissive attitude and seemingly lack of interest in solving the Manuel's murder.

      Penelope is joined by her best friend, Frankie Turner-Blake, who is the perfect foil for Penelope's uncertainty. Frankie is brash, outspoken and loves her bling. Her French is also much more proficient than Penelope's and she discovers some very interesting and somewhat troubling information.  Frankie and Penelope then team up to do a little snooping around before Frankie returns to England.

      While the premise of Death in Provence is intriguing, the pacing is slow and the story is a little repetitive. Penelope's former profession provides her with insight into the goings on, but her lack of self-confidence leaves her second-guessing herself.   With a very unexpected plot twist, Serena Kent brings this cozy mystery to a very surprising yet satisfying conclusion.  Fans of the genre will want to grab a glass of rosé while reading this enjoyable beginning to the Penelope Kite series.
    • 4/5
      After reading Martin Walker's delightful Bruno Chief of Police mysteries and now this charming series opener, I might be forgiven for believing that all crime in the south of France seems to tie into World War II. A lot happened then, and old resentments seem never to be forgotten, only handed down from one generation to the next. Yes, the mystery in Death in Provence does hark back to that period of time, and it is a good, strong puzzle to solve, but I found myself liking other things even more-- especially the main character, Penelope Kite.Penelope is a fiftysomething woman with a good head on her shoulders. Her background working with forensic scientists means she has a good idea of how investigations should be conducted and how evidence should be handled. I had to give her a lot of credit because she always kept the local police apprised of her findings regardless of how shabbily they treated her. Which brings up another point.A year or so ago, I read the first book in another mystery series set in the south of France, and the major reason why I did not care for it is that the main character spent most of her time whining about how her new neighbors didn't think she was wonderful and accept her into their midst in five seconds or less. For the most part, newcomers in key tourist areas like this are not going to be accepted quickly (if at all). Their habit of investing in properties at inflated prices means that young local families can't afford to buy their own homes. Resentment grows if the newcomer only lives there for a week or two each year, and it festers if other things are (or are not) done. I loved watching how Penelope conducted herself. This is one woman who is really looking forward to her new life, and she's going about it in just the right way.Death in Provence contains an excellent recipe for a continuing series: a puzzling mystery to solve, a dash of humor, the wonderful cuisine of Provence, a beautiful farmhouse to restore, and the perfect woman to handle it all. I look forward to the next book. Allons-y!
    • 2/5
      I was looking forward to an escape to France with these characters, but unfortunately I couldn't wait to leave it all behind.The biggest problem for me was that I didn't like any of the characters. Perhaps worse, I didn't find any of them interesting. Penelope is in her early 50s, and often behaves like an erratic, impulsive, clueless teenager. She's retired, already, and apparently has a ton of money because renovating an old home in need of an immense amount of work doesn't seem to worry her from a financial perspective. She has ungrateful, self-centered adult children and spoiled, mean grandchildren yet for whatever reason she allows them to walk all over her. On a whim, she escapes from England to France, where we meet a cast of odd characters, though they're not odd in a fun way. Everyone in this little French town is just plain ridiculous.The pacing, particularly in the first half, is quite slow. We learn that Penelope is slightly overweight, hasn't had much happiness in her life, and likes wine - a lot. She also has a best friend who is brash and likes sex. That's about covers the high points. There is a lot of French and in this book. Sometimes the meaning is understandable given the context, while other times the French phrases won't mean a thing to you if you don't speak the language. My high school French lessons only covered me partway here. The plot takes a long time to form. By the time we got there, I didn't really care what happened to any of the characters.This type of cozy mystery, for me, relies on likable characters with a spark, and I just didn't find them here.*I received an advance copy from the publisher, via Amazon Vine, in exchange for my honest review.*