ADIEU, HARRY HUSBAND! BONJOUR, NOUVEAU MONDE!
A dead husband with a secret life is always a winner (fictionally speaking, of course), but what about a secret past for a special treat? In fact, a past so secret even Harry the husband didn’t know about it. That’s the delicious underpinning of this sprawling, exuberant, generous-spirited cozy mystery with a yummy side of international adventure.It … international adventure.
It might be sadder except that once Harry dies, his widow, Merle Bennett realizes almost immediately it was no wonder she didn’t know anything about him. They’d pretty much been leading separate lives—several of them, as it turns out. Still, the will’s quite a shock. And so is an intriguing surprise—Harry left her a family home in a tiny French village. Or maybe a family home. Because who was Harry’s family? Finding out is half the fun.
Merle sets out to claim her inheritance, adolescent son in tow, and thus begins a sojourn reminiscent of A Year in Provence, or perhaps Under The Tuscan Sun all mixed up with something by Carolyn Hart, maybe, or M.C. Beaton. Because Malcouziac, Merle’s tiny Dordogne town, is the quintessential village—just perfect for a murder. And a rollicking good time.
Once Merle gets there, she finds…well, France! An unexpected romance! Mystery galore! Murder! And not just murder, but the unnerving experience of being a suspect. Once her passport is confiscated, what can she do but stay and restore her ancient battered house? While enjoying the tender attention of the unusually well-educated, handsome and…yes, quite mysterious roofer she’s hired.
Author McClendon doesn’t take a whole lot very seriously, being clearly more interested in Merle’s journey than in emulating Agatha Christie. And that works out beautifully for the reader. Particularly recommended for those who love France or have plans to visit there. Mystery lovers, chick lit fans, and cozy fanatics will all find it très chouette— more prosaically, simply awesome. Not to mention formidable!
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Loved this book will definitely read more by this author.
I loved this book. Set in France, it transported me there every time I picked it up again. The Characters are appealing and realistic. Story was intriguing and kept my attention.
I have read books one through four and hope there are others about the Bennet sisters.
Merle Bennett, affectionately known as Merdle, is 49 years old when he husband unexpectedly dies, leaving her with a gloomy house in Connecticut and a 15-year-old son to finish raising by herself. At the reading of the will, she finds out that her husband also left her an old house in France that he inherited from his mother. Since Merle thinks …
France, inherited house, romance and wine.
I enjoyed some of the characters. The mysteries were okay. But I really don’t enjoy corrupt police stories, here or abroad.
I began to interested half way thru, then I loved it.
This was a book that I saw a TV show with the same story line. Sort of ruined the books for me since I already knew the ending.
This is a mystery that takes its time developing. The newly widowed main character initially does a lot of soul searching which is understandable and realistic, but I ended up skimming parts. When she decides to go to France to look into property she’s inherited from her husband, the story becomes more interesting. A number of characters are …
Good characters and interesting plot twists. Considerable emphasis on the fact that there is a sequel.
Couldn’t get past first chapter.
Couldn’t finish, didn’t hold my interest.
Very dry book. After all the bottles of wine and the romp in the villa court-yard I gave up.
loved the characters and the fact that the center character was a middle aged woman dealing with middle age insecurities, and issues while finding a new way of living and loving.
Enjoyed the book
Is it possible to really know someone? Learning more about her husband after he has gone, she finds mystery and finally a treasure in hidden wine.
I did not like the ending.
Didn’t like the foul language
A different sort of cozy mystery as it’s written in 3rd person instead of 1st person. Interesting story, set mostly in French wine country. Only complaint? Too many typos. The book needed a good line editor to get rid of the extraneous articles and add the missing ones. If you can get past that, it’s worth reading.
Blackbird Fly #1 – This is my first read by this author and it was not what I expected. A good story filled with plenty of storylines that did keep my interest. Merle has so much happen to her with the death of her husband; her discoveries are many and varied. I like that the characters are real and do not follow the stupidity formula so …
I really enjoyed this mystery. It was slow paced and enjoyable. Most of it takes place in a small bastide village in France and the pace of the book matched to pace of life there. It was a very good book. I will enjoy more from Lise McClendon!
Not a bad story. Just seemed to drag on.