Books
After moving to Aix-en-Provence in 1997, I began writing articles about the region. I couldn’t get enough of Provence. But after a few years I began to grow restless; not with the area, but with the restrictions of writing non-fiction. I began having conversations in my head and realized that if I wrote fiction then my characters could live in, and experience, Provence as I do. Aix is a law town—it has been since the Middle Ages—which seemed to me a good place to situate a mystery, and I imagined my protagonists involved in the law profession. But above all, I really want the reader to experience Aix-en-Provence the way I do, as if they were beside me. I hope you enjoy reading these mysteries.
I am delighted that my books have been translated into German by Aufbau Verlag, into Russian by AST and Polish by Smak Słowa.
The Vanishing Museum on the Rue Mistral—Published 13 April 2021
“Charming characters complement the tidy mystery plot. This is just the ticket for those seeking a much-needed vicarious vacation.”
—Publisher’s Weekly
“Extreme puzzlement in a lush French setting.”
—Kirkus Review
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A breezy, charming, and perfectly escapist mystery set in the heart of sun- and wine-soaked Aix-en-Provence—where murder investigations are always put on hold for lunch and the only thing more sweeping than the story is the Mediterranean coastline.
Something strange has happened at the unassuming Musée de Quentin-Savary in Aix-en-Provence. When the director, Monsieur Achille Formentin, walks in one beautiful April morning, he is shocked to find the whole museum emptied of its contents—only a bench, the reception desk, and a lowly fern remain.
Distressed, he calls the local police, and Aix’s examining magistrate Antoine Verlaque sets out to discover the thief’s identity. But it’s the most baffling case Verlaque has ever encountered. Why would someone want to steal porcelain dessert plates, some old documents, and a few small paintings? Could this have something to do with the mysterious robbery of Madame de Montbarbon’s apartment a few weeks earlier? And how can Verlaque possibly concentrate on the theft when he and his wife, Marine Bonnet, are going to have a baby?
A Noël Killing
“Full of gourmet meals, silky wines, and sumptuous homes, these cozy mysteries transport you to the south of France . . . Perfect for the gourmands or Francophiles in your life.”
—Slate
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Apple Books
Christmastime in the south of France is as beautiful as ever, but when a shady local businessman drops dead in the middle of the festivities, Verlaque and Bonnet must solve the case while keeping the holiday spirit alive
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.
Just as the holiday cheer is in full swing, a man is poisoned, sending the community into a tailspin. The list of suspects, Verlaque and Bonnet quickly discover, almost fills the church itself, from the visiting vendors at the Christmas fair to the victim’s unhappy wife and his disgruntled business partner. In A Noël Killing, with the help of an ever-watchful young woman named France, the pair must solve the murder while the spirit of the season attempts to warm Verlaque’s stubborn heart.
The Secrets of the Bastide Blanche
“Antoine and wife Marine are as delightful as ever, and the compelling mystery keeps you wanting more.”
—Library Journal
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With the release of this new book, there is a change in cover artwork. What do you think?
When a scandalous author moves to the outskirts of Aix-en-Provence, Verlaque and Bonnet are called in to investigate whether he’s haunted by more than just his past, in this delightful new mystery from M.L. Longworth.
One hot summer night, Aix-en-Provence is aflutter with news that controversial author Valère Barbier, who once shared dinners with French Presidents and all-night drinking bouts with rock stars, has moved into La Bastide Blanche, a grand house left empty for decades. But Valère’s ideas of a peaceful retirement are quickly dashed. Rambunctious neighborhood children, a fast-talking gossip of a housekeeper, and a rival novelist filter through the home at all hours of the day—and by night there are unseen visitors with more sinister intentions.
While Antoine Verlaque investigates Valère’s sordid history, his wife and partner, Marine Bonnet, questions why the estate was abandoned in the first place—and what they both find raises more questions and answers. Is Valère imagining the ethereal cries that fill the bastide at night? Is he losing his mind? Or have these ghosts returned from Valère’s checkered past to haunt him?
The Curse of La Fontaine
“Longworth confirms her longstanding lovebirds as Aix’s Nick and Nora; their pursuit of miscreants never interferes with their enjoyment of the good life.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Beguiling…Longworth evokes the pleasures of France in delicious detail—great wine, delicious meals, and fine company.”
—Publisher’s Weekly
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In the sixth book of M. L. Longworth’s series, Verlaque and Bonnet contend with a centuries-old fountain that just might be cursed.
Chef Sigisbert “Bear” Valets has just opened his own restaurant, La Fontaine, in Aix-en-Provence. It’s a success—great reviews and a loyal clientele, including Verlaque and Bonnet. But when he decides to extend his restaurant’s seating into a historic courtyard, some very powerful neighbors rise against him. The historical society wants the courtyard, which had witnessed a sixteenth-century hanging and two World War II-era murders, to remain untouched.
Valets charges on, even after a skeleton is found buried next to the courtyard’s ancient fountain. But when the chef begins receiving threatening letters, he becomes convinced that his life is in danger. And then the fountain inexplicably stops running. By disturbing the garden, has Bear triggered an age-old curse? And newlyweds Verlaque and Bonnet solve mystery before someone ends up dead?
The Mystery of the Lost Cézanne
“Art theft is a hot topic on the mystery scene, and no one’s heist is livelier than Longworth’s.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Enchanting…the charming local citizens of Aix-en-Provence provide the true delights in this colorful story.”
—Library Journal
“A sure thing for fans of art-themed mysteries.”
—Booklist
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A friend in his cigar club asks Antoine to visit René Rouquet, a retired Postal worker who has found a rolled-up canvas in his apartment. As the apartment once belonged to Paul Cézanne, Rouquet is convinced he has discovered a treasure. But when Antoine arrives there, he finds René dead, the canvas missing, and a mysterious Art History professor standing over the body.
When the painting is finally recovered, the mystery only deepens. The brushwork and color all point to Cézanne. But who is the smiling woman in the painting? She is definitely not the dour Mme Cézanne. Who killed René? Who stole the painting? And what will they do to get it back?
Murder on the Ile Sordou
“Charming.”
—Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times
“Longworth’s novels…are mysteries for foodies, with the plot providing a table upon which enchanting meals and accompanying wines are served.”
—Booklist
“Thoroughly delightful…Longworth deftly handles what is in effect a locked-room mystery, but the book’s real strength lies in the back stories she creates for each of the distinctive characters. The puzzle’s answer, buried in the past, is well-prepared by what has come before.”
—Publishers weekly (starred review)
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Judge Antoine Verlaque and his girlfriend, law professor Marine Bonnet, are hoping to enjoy a relaxing holiday at the Locanda Sordou, an opulent hotel reopening after being closed for several decades, but someone has other plans.
Ex-financier Maxime Le Bon and his wife, Catherine, have spent years and their life savings restoring the hotel, which lies in an archipelago of glittering islands just off the coast of Marseille. A motley crew of guests arrive by boat for the grand opening. In addition to Antoine and Marine, there’s Marine’s best friend Sylvie; a fading film star, his much-younger wife and her disgruntled teenage son; an aspiring poet; an American couple; and a French couple trying to save their marriage. The murder of one of the guests casts a shadow over everyone’s vacation, but things go from bad to worse when a a violent storm cuts off all communication with the mainland. Will the killer strike again?
Death in the Vines
“Judge Antoine Verlaque, the sleuth in this civilized series, discharges his professional duties with discretion. But we’re here to taste the wines, which are discussed by experts like Hippolyte Thebaud, a former wine thief, and served in beautiful settings like a 300-year-old stone farmhouse. So many bottles,so many lovely views. A reader might be forgiven for feeling woozy.”
—Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times
“Though the plot is hair-raising, what keeps you glued tot his mystery is its vivid portrait of everyday life in Aix, which deftly justaposes the elegance of the city…with quotidian woes and pleasures.”
—Oprah.com
“As much as the mystery intrigues—in this case some intertwined crimes involving a localwinery, a missing elderly woman, and a rich man’s suspicious construction project—what really makes Longworth’s books enjoyable are the atmosphere and details that she includes of the South of France.”
—The Seattle Post Intelligencer
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Winery owner Olivier Bonnard is devastated when he discovers that a priceless cache of rare vintages has been stolen from his private cellar. Soon after, M. Gilles d’Arras arrives at Aix-en-Provence’s Palais de Justice to report another mysterious disappearance: his wife, Pauline, has vanished from their lavish apartment. Madame has always been as tough as nails, but in recent weeks she’s been wandering around town in her slippers and crying for no reason.
As the Mistral arrives to temper the region’s late-summer heat, Commissioner Paulik receives an urgent call from Bonnard; he’s just found Pauline d’Arras—dead in his vineyard. Verlaque and Bonnet are once again investigating, in what will prove to be their most complicated case yet.
Murder in the Rue Dumas
“Just considered as a mystery, this is highly engaging. But what really makes Longworth’s writing special is her deep knowledge of French history, landscape, cuisine, and even contemporary cafes and restaurants.”
–Booklist (starred review), September 2012
“Fans of European sleuths with a taste for good food such as Martin Walker’s Bruno will have fun.”
–Publisher’s Weekly, August 6 2012
“…an updated version of the classic detective novel, enlivened with a sometimes caustic wit…”
–Denver Post, September 16 2012
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Murder in the Rue Dumas finds Verlaque stumped. The director of theology at the Université d’Aix was just about to name the recipient of an elite fellowship, as well as his own successor, when his lips were sealed permanently. Yet Verlaque isn’t convinced that any of the academics are capable of murder. Aided by Bonnet, Verlaque turns Provence upside down, uncovering a world far more complicated than university politics.
Death at the Chateau Bremont
“Longworth’s voice is like a rich vintage of sparkling Dorothy Sayers and grounded Donna Leon.”
–Booklist (starred review), May 2011
“A promising debut for Longworth, who shows there’s more to France than Paris and more to mystery than Maigret.”
–Kirkus Reviews, June 2011
“Longworth has a good eye and a sharp wit, and this introduction to Verlaque and Bonnet holds promise for a terrific series.”
–Margaret Cannon, Globe & Mail, Sep 2, 2011
“Death at Chateau Bremont offers charming French locales, vivid characters and an intriguing who-done-it.”
—Kevin R. Kosar, author of Whiskey: A Global History
“Here’s hoping the series lasts for years.”
–RT BookReviews, June 2011
“Your readers will eat this one up”
–Library Journal, July 15, 2011
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Set in charming and historic Aix-en-Provence, France, Death at the Château Bremont introduces readers to Antoine Verlaque, the handsome and seductive chief magistrate of Aix, and his on-again, off-again love interest, law professor Marine Bonnet. When local nobleman Etienne de Bremont falls to his death from the family château, the town is abuzz with rumors. Verlaque suspects foul play and must turn to Marine for help when he discovers that she had been a close friend of the Bremonts. This is a lively whodunit steeped in the rich, enticing, and romantic atmosphere of southern France.
Published July 2011 by Penguin.
Available in German
My books are published in German translation by Aufbau Verlag
Just finished Rue Mistral. Thank you for Marine and Antoine. Having spent three six-week periods in Aix improving my French at the BAI, je suis presque une vraie Aixoise. Open the book, get out the street map of Aix, and picture everyone’s wanderings—a bonus in your books. You understand the importance of geography! I am ready for the next one, anticipating which school the progeny will attend.
Thank you, Dina! In a few days a British film crew will be arriving in Aix to film that very book! It will be broadcast next year on ITV via Britbox. So glad you enjoyed it, that’s always been one of my favourites. All best,
Mary Lou
I just want to thank you dearly for your books centered around and in Aix. I had read all of your books to date before we spent a glorious week in Aix in 2018. You can’t imagine the thrill of seeing a particular fountain or building or the Palace of Justice and immediately connecting it to your books. I think I may have shouted out loud at times. We took some day trip tours and I told the tour guides they should mention your books to future visitors so they would get the most out if their visits to Aix.
Now 3 years later, we hope to spend another week in Aix and I am re-reading your fabulous books to refresh my memory. How you have written such great mysteries while specifically connecting the places, sights, events, and foods/wines is brilliant. Thank you so very very much! Carolyn Foat
Hello Carolyn,
Thank you so much for your wonderful email. I’m thrilled that you recognized some of the places in Aix, and soon you will be able to spot them on your television! The books are being filmed right now for a series made by ITV in England, to be broadcast in North America by Britbox in 2022.
I hope you can make it back. Do let me know if you do!
Mary Lou
Will there be another book after A Noel Killing? I hope so!
Hello Allison!
Thank you so much! Yes, the next book will be released soon, in April 🙂 A museum theme to this one. I hope you enjoy it.
All best,
Mary Lou
Dear Ms. Longworth — I have been a fan of yours since Chateau Bremont, and just reread — grace a la Covide — the whole series.
I meant to write you a few years ago, wanting to suggest you incorporate the Sister Cities of Aix, and, tadah, you did in Noel! I was glad the evildoers were not from Tübingen; I was born and raised there.
My first trip to Aix was a rather unhappy one: we traveled with our Swim Club to Aix, for a return meet. Since we had pulverized them in Tübingen, our coach told me to take it easy, just win by a length or two. So I jump in, and pretty soon I see feet in front of me. I speed up; still the feet. I go all out and get soundly beaten! The rascals had imported a ringer from Marseille!
To top it all off, a local smooth talker charmed a certain lady on our team, whom I had adored for quite a while, however with a shy distance…
I’m happy to say my teenage dislike for all things French turned very quickly; lived and worked there for a bit (Besancon, Lille), and now our daughter and family live in Vence, and we are going to join them there this winter, Covid allowing!
BTW: I was taken a bit aback to see your writing referred to as “cozy mysteries”. What will they call it next? Romance chick lit? If that were true, wouldn’t Dame Agatha or Dorothy Sayers be in that category? I find your writing anything but “cozy”: historically and culturally very interesting, thought stimulating, keen development of characters etc etc. Yes, it’s “only” murder mysteries, but of the highest caliber!
Dear Michael,
I loved your email! Thank you! What a great story about your swim meet and the Marseille trick (he must have trained at the Cercle des Nageurs, one of my favourite spots in Marseille and home to many Olympian). I have never been to Tübingen but would like to; we’ve had some very enjoyable holidays in Germany and we love their wines.
I hope you can get to Vence this winter. We would like to visit our parents in Canada, around Christmas, but that is up in the air.
Thanks again for your lovely email. It was so thoughtful and has made my day!
All best,
Mary Lou
I have just read “A Noël Killing” in one day and thoroughly enjoyed it. As we go back into lockdown in Melbourne for at least 6 weeks, your book was a great source of escapism from the current concerns of the world. It took me to a beautiful part of the world which is not a physical option at present or the foreseeable future.
For a Francophile from down under, l have absolutely enjoyed each of your eight books and loved your combined mysteries with the developing relationship between Antoine and Marine (plus the other key characters) as well as your descriptions of the locations and food. It will be interesting to see how Marine’s news will impact their lives!
I hope you get as much enjoyment out of writing them as we do reading them…….alas they just take you so much longer to fine tune than for your readers to read them.
I eagerly await the release of your next book and if you ever need an Australian reviewer to add to your team, please keep me in mind as it would be a privilege!!
Good luck as you continue your entertaining and engaging series…….your fans around the world eagerly await your next book. Stay safe and all the best.
Dear Maree,
I was just reading about Melbourne’s second confinement in The Guardian. My thoughts are with you. As they said in the article, it’s okay since you now know what to expect, and not okay exactly for that same reason. I would imagine that there will be a second wave of Covid around the world, and here in France.
Thank you so much for your email! It’s now quite hot here, and difficult to write, but emails like that certainly help! I’m so glad that you are enjoying the series. It’s amazing to think that someone who lives on the other side of the world (in a city I hear is gorgeous!) is reading my books. One of those ‘pinch me’ moments.
I love your offer to review my books! If you could put up reviews on Goodreads and Amazon, or chat up the books at your local bookshop, already that’s a huge help. 🙂
In the meantime, the book nine will be released next spring (it’s a museum caper) and I’m working on book ten.
Have a great summer (winter!) and thank you again for your thoughts, all my best,
Mary Lou
I loved your series about Aix and Antoine Verlaque. I’m hoping you’ll continue the series. After all, Marine still has tell Antoine she’s expecting. Can’t wait to see how he will respond and how their lives will change!
Thank you, Deborah! Yes, I’ve finished editing number nine which will be released in 2021, and I’ve started book ten! Phew! I’m so happy that you’re excited about Marine’s news! 🙂
My husband (Bob) and I love your series. We have enjoyed Paris for many years and hopefully in years to come back to Provence. We have now read all of them – hope more are coming. Keeps us entertained and busy during ‘house bound’ during this time (4/20) keep all of yourselves and family safe.
Thank you so much Kathy! We are safe and healthy, thank you. Very lucky to have our 27-year-old daughter here, as she can work from home (normally she lives in a very small Parisian apartment). When not working, we have been gardening, and eating far too much! I’m in between books now, but getting started on the next one this week.
Thank you so much for your email, and I hope that you and all of your family and friends are well.
Mary Lou
Oh me oh my! I just learned about you and cannot contain myself! I search all the year for perfect Christmas gifts. It’s only February: How can I wait for Christmas?
Haha thank you! What about birthdays? 😉
Love, LOVE, *LOVE* the whole series (have them all) so yes, I’m very distressed by the new cover artwork. Won’t stop me from buying them, but might start to give them away, as they won’t look as lovely on my bookshelves. 🙁
Hello Deirdre,
Penguin decided to change the covers to attract a wider market, more cozy. The latest one is better, but I agree not as quirky as the former covers. But it’s all about getting readers, even for me. One has to eat! But I’m so glad you will continue to read the books. Thank you!
Mary Lou
You can give them to me! I am obsessed with the new cover art- I can’t wait for the reprints of all of them.
Oh thank you, Destinee! The new one, A Noël Killing, is quite successful I think. It really captures the Cours Mirabeau during the holidays!
Dear Ms. Longworth,
I’d like to send you just a quick “Thank you” for your wonderful books! Your Polish publisher released a moment ago your 3rd book and I enjoy reading it so much! I love this kind of novels and I really appreciate that you placed the whole story in Aix-en-Provence. I love France, I’ve spent there quite a lot of time in my life and it’s a really wonderful feeling to hold a book in one hand and google maps in the other one, following the steps of Marine, Antoine or their friends 🙂
I already know that the Polish publisher will release all other books from the series and that was for me really great news! The translation is done in a very good way, that’s also important. I could read the original version as well, but somehow I enjoy the most reading in my mother tongue.
So thank you again for creating one of my favorite series of crime stories!
Hove a wonderful day and beautiful summer.
Best regards,
Magdalena
Dear Magdalena,
Dziekuje! (sorry I can’t find the Polish accents on my computer!). I’m so happy that you are enjoying my books. It’s an extra compliment when someone who knows France quite well also likes the books. Yes, I have heard from other Polish readers that the recent translations (books two and three) are very well done. I met the translator, Gosia, last summer. She, like the publishers, lives in Sopot (one of my favorite Polish cities, along with Gdansk and Warsaw).
Where do you live? We have been to Poland on vacation four or five times now. We just love it.
Thanks again for your email! It gives me the energy to get writing (book nine right now).
All my best,
Mary Lou
Dear Ms. Longworth,
I’m not surprised to hear that other readers also praised the translation. It’s really worth appreciating when it’s done on a high level! I personally like the most all French words and phrases that are left in the text – this is this special “taste” that I enjoy.
Yes, Sopot and Gdańsk are beautiful cities, also my favorite ones. But I would also recommend you visiting small towns like Zamość, Sandomierz or Lublin. Far away from the sea side, but worth seeing, showing different and colorful image of Poland.
I come from the very center of the country – from Łódź. Specific city, which from an ugly, industrial place becomes blooming and vibrant city. I think many visitors are positively surprised with what Łódź can offer. But currently I live in Germany and I also enjoy my new home town – Nuremberg. And I believe it’s not the last place where I happen to live 🙂 France is still on my list, with my favorite city Lyon. And I’m really looking forward to what life will bring to me and my family in the future!
Thank you very much for revealing that there will be one more great book to put on wish-list 🙂
Best regards,
Magdalena
Hi Magdalena,
Lodz is on our list! We have friends in Poland who keep telling us to go there; one of them is a professor of urban geography in Gdansk and he loves Lodz. We’ve also enjoyed Poznan. And, yes, Lyon might be my favorite French city too (for the food alone!). I hope that your wish comes true one day.
All best,
Mary Lou
My daughter-in-law gave me Murder on the Rue Dumas for Christmas, knowing only that I live in France (Fontainebleau) for part of the year. I have been addicted ever since, presently reading Curse of La Fontaine, and amazed that unlike so many mystery writers whose books vary in quality or decline, yours build on each other and get even better.
Thanks for your contribution to not only to the mystery genre but to Literaure.
Bill Courtenay
Dear William,
Oh, thank you! You’ve really made me happy today (sitting in my office, looking at the cloudy sky and trying to work out the next chapter!). I do work hard at having the books build on each other, and the characters develop, and I’m so glad that you appreciate that. MERCI! I will go make myself another coffee and return to my office recharged and somewhat inspired! Enjoy Fontainebleau. It must be lovely around there right now.
All my best,
Mary Lou
Having lived and worked in France in my younger years I devour all the novels I can find set in La Belle France. I’ve enjoyed yours since “the Secrets of the Bastide Blanche” and am delighted to read that there will be a new one this year.
During my last visit to Aix, I walked around the downtown with an a list o the places mentioned in your books – good memories and a little more depth than just strolling aimlessly (though that’s not bad!) Many thanks for bringing back good memories of a world I miss. It was always the intention of my late husband and I to retire there but life doesn’t always work out.
Continued good fortune and many more books.
Thank you, Hilary! Yes, strolling aimlessly around Aix is a real pleasure, but I’m thrilled that you also used my books as a guide. I’m sorry that you didn’t get to retire in France, but I’m so glad that you were able to come back for a visit. Did you work in Paris when you were younger? What an adventure that must have been. Our daughter (age 26) lives and works in Paris and loves it.
Many thanks for your lovely email.
all my best,
Mary Lou
I have just finished The Secrets of the Bastide Blanche. The series gets better and better as it goes on! I don’t know how I will wait until the Autumn for the next one! Thank you so much.
Hello Sam,
Thank you! Bastide Blanche is my favourite! (if that’s permitted for an author to say). I’m thrilled you liked it. More developments between Marine and Antoine to come in the next book! (released in the fall). Thanks again for writing,; it means a lot to me. Have a great week.
Mary Lou
I recently picked up the first in ML Longworth’s Provencal Mysteries series, Death at the Chateau Bremont. The cover art by Tatsuro Kiuchi was just so striking that I had to have it. Before I finished reading the book I looked into getting the others in the series and noticed that books 2-6 still have the boring beige cover art. It’s very pretty but I hope Penguin Publishing will be giving the Kiuchi treat to all of the books in the series at some point.
Hi Destinee,
Yes all future books will have the new cover art and I believe that the next printings of the old books will be changed as well. Cheers!
ML
My wife just introduced me to your books. I am having to put my life on hold for a few weeks since I have become a willing addict. For us, your descriptions and your setting, your characters and your food and wine renew our own experiences in the region.
Most town and village names are familiar. We had a holiday house in a little village on the Verdon from 1991 until quite recently and we photographed and wrote reviews of hotels but most especially the restaurants and chefs who made the hotel necessary for those who took full advantage of the food and wine during dinner and did not want to loose their license.
The very best osteopath in the world treated our backs in Aix, sadly now retired. So please, please don’t ever stop writing about the delightful murders, which sadly are necessary to produce your books, so we can selfishly continue to enjoy your work and your world and savor the tastes and textures that continue to linger on our tongues.
Dear Peter,
Thank you so much for your lovely email! Very flattering, too, especially since you have lived here and know the region. Thank you! I’m just about to post a blog about where to stay, eat, etc in Aix, so if you have any additions, please join in!
Have a great day,
Mary Lou
Thank you for your reply. We tended not to spend a lot of time in Aix due to the traffic, dearth of parking places, small slots in the underground parking garages for our Espace and that damn ring road. And our favorite restaurants tended to be out in the country more.
But we have been scribbling notes of all the places Verlaque and Marine have been eating and shopping to create an itinerary for our next visit. We have been to Bras many years ago, so don’t need to go so far afield, but other than Hotel Le Pigonnet that recently seems to be going through chefs at a great rate (despite the lovely and gracious former owner), we have not really found food in Aix that suits us that much.
The charming streets, the old town, the little pocket squares, the discovery of a gem around every corner and through narrow lanes, yes, yes, yes. The market is one of the must visits in Provence. So to have an insider’s list of where to go would be golden. Acknowledging at the same time, that these days, young chefs seem to be more itinerant than 20 years ago so may not be there when we get there.
Hi Peter,
I completely agree about the quality of restaurants in Aix; I had a hard time putting together the list and only chose restaurants that have been around a while. But I much prefer eating in the countryside.
Cheers!
ML
Is there a 2019 book ? Title ? Date of publication ?
I know that you have a lovely life—even when you are not writing. But your public grows impatient.
HAPPY NEW YEAR.
Hello George,
Thank you! I just finished editing the next book, A Noël Killing, due out in the fall 2019 (later than usual, but the editors want to release it for Christmas). Many thanks for your encouraging words. It’s so nice to receive.
All my best in 2019,
Mary Lou
I am so happy to hear that there will indeed be another installment in the series! Also, very exciting that it sounds like it will be a holiday themed mystery, which are always so much fun!!! Can’t wait! Thank you. Keep up the great work!
-A. Wm. LaSasso
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Hello.
I just began listening to “Death at Chateau Bremont” yesterday and feel so excited to be at the beginning of many books I know I will adore. I read everything MFK Fisher wrote about Provence and numerous books about Julia Child’s time there, but your stories allow me to look in on life in Provence as it is unfolding. I am blessed to live in a place akin to the beauty of Provence. That being Sonoma County, California. I am busy all day with chores for our family of 4, cooking and gardening at a property that is truly a California version of a Provencal garden. Your stories will keep me company all day and transport me back to Provence, where we spent a sublime holiday this summer, staying at an 18th c. bastide on the outskirts of Aix. Your stories allow me to continue the vacation, which was far too short, in the part of France which holds all the natural and architectural beauty, intrigue, history, taste and charm that anyone could ever hope to experience in this world. Thank you so much from a new fan!
Hello Amanda,
Wow. What a great letter. Thank you so much! The audio recordings have just been released, so yours is one of the first feedbacks I’ve received from it. I’m thrilled that you like it!
It seems like we have some things in common. I too love MFK Fisher and one if my first published articles, for the Washington Post, was about her love of Marseille. And I love Sonoma! We lived in Santa Cruz for eight years and would head up to Sonoma now and then to buy wine. Love the Russian Rivers wines! But, I’m a lousy gardener and we have one child, not four! She was four when we moved here and is now twenty-five and she lives and works in Paris.
Many thanks for your lovely email.
All my best,
Mary Lou
Ps And to all my readers (and fans!) feel free to put reviews up on Amazon! Thank you!
Dear M L
I am tearing through The Secrets of the Bastide Blanche, having no self restraint when reading your books. Your love of Aix has prompted me to make plans to visit there in September, using continuing education language school as an excuse. In preparation I have painted Mont Saint-Victoire from an eBay postcard. I look forward to wandering the streets brought alive by Martine and Antoine. Thank you so much!
Susan
Thank you, Susan!
I’m thrilled that the books have prompted a trip to Aix! Do write to me in September and maybe we can get together for a coffee (if I’m in Aix; we now live in the country south of the city).
Have a great summer,
Mary Lou
[…] Death at the Chateau Brémont and other books by M. L. Longworth […]
Oh yes! Oh no!
I am so excited that a new book is to be released, but I am so distressed that the covers have changed! I have OCD and need things to ‘match’ on my bookshelf!
* breathes into paper bag *
This topic came up at a book club meeting once about how publishing houses change covers in a series and
everyone had a lot to say!
Hello there!
Your email made both me and my husband laugh out loud! The paper bag! I do like the new cover, but it’s not as funky and quirky as the old ones. Oh well, I put my faith in my publisher. it’s all a bit of a mystery how these things work. Thank you for your very funny email and I hope to get more from you. In the meantime, greetings from a cold Provence, and have a great weekend!
Mary Lou
Dear Ms. Longworth.
Thank you for taking me to Aix-en-Provence and away from Houston, TX, where our home and cars were flooded by Hurricane Harvey last August. I found Murder on the Isle de Sordou in mid January, and have been devouring one Verlaque and Bonnet Provencal murder mystery after another as if each were a delicious dessert from Michaud’s. I read where you wanted “the reader to experience Aix-en-Provence the way I do, as if they were beside me.” You have achieved that goal in me because I can imagine walking down one of the narrow medieval cobbled streets, turning a corner, and finding Antoine and Marine coming from the opposite direction. I feel the heat, the rain, and the mistral. I am grateful to you for these mini-vacations while I cope with the restoration of our home.
I love your way with the written word. Your descriptions of people and places are so vivid. I love all the details. I can see the olive and plane trees and the vineyards. I can taste the wines and smell the gourmet meals. I can also use what little French I remember. I took French classes from the 8th grade through my senior year in college. Unfortunately with no way to practice it since, I’ve lost my second language. Your books are encouraging me to find a way to take up the language again, as well as research wines as Marine did.
How do you pronounce Verlaque? I go back and forth among Ver-lack, Ver-la-key, and Ver-la-kay. Am I even close? I do wish that he were a bit taller. (-:
Looking forward to your next novel, I remain
Your devoted fan,
Lynne Stanley Fisher
Bonsoir Lynne!
We have just finished eating dinner (soufflé made with bits of leftover cheese, so easy and yummy!) and I saw your blog comment pop up on the computer, and just had to reply right away. Thank you so much for the lovely comments about my books; Sordou is still one of my favorites. I’m thrilled that you enjoy the books so much, and that they might inspire you to take up French once again (your first guess on Verlaque’s name is correct—it’s pronounced Verlack). Perhaps watching French films would help; I bet your library has a good selection. As to your wine studies 🙂 I’ve learnt so much from Jancis Robinson’s “Oxford Dictionary of Wine” and Hugh Johnson’s “Wine Atlas.” Let me know how it goes!
Hilarious that you think Verlaque should be taller! My husband is quite tall, so perhaps I didn’t want our friends in Aix to think that Verlaque was based on my husband! haha
I look forward to hearing from you again. All my best, and I hope that the floods Huston experienced last year get further and further away from memory (we live in a seismic region here in Provence; natural disasters can so easily happen, no matter where it seems).
All my best, and thank you again for your charming and spirit-lifting email,
Mary Lou
Eagerly await the April publication of Secrets. I frequently contribute articles and reviews to Deadly Pleasures, a quarterly magazine. Would you like me to submit my review?
The current issue includes my letter in praise on page 10 , as well as a favorable review of Curse on page 53.
Thank you, George! Yes, certainly! I will look up the review. Thank you for this alert; I’ll forward the review to Penguin.
All my best from Provence,
Mary Lou
MORGON MORGON MORGON not Morton.
Correction:Morton Beaujolais. It’s a lovely red at a reasonable price.
Part 2:
Wishing you and yours a merry Christmas and a joyous holiday season.
If you arrive in NY, please consider being our guests for dinner.
George and Nancy Madison.
Dear Mary Lou-
As we await the publication of The Secrets of the Bastide Blanche in April 2018, the Winemaker Detective series by Alaux and Balen delights us. Ditto the French tv series, Blood of the Vine. What is your opinion?
We frequent a magnificent wine store selling 8,000labels. It’s owner and newfound friend has introduced us to a wonderland of new wines. We are enchanted by Vin de Savoie, especially Jacquere Apremont and Abymes as sipping wines with cheese. Macon Villages (Pierre Andre ) and Chablis continue to be favorites, but Trimbach Pinot Blanc ( Alsace )are superb choices. Red favorites are Mont-Oliver Cote de Rhône and Dom Boulon, Morton,Beaujolais (2014).
From Chapel Hill, NC. I am devouring your books. It’s like eating one chocolate bar after another. Lying on the couch in the living room with the sun shining through the window, reading and feeling as if I need nothing else from the world….perfection.
Dear Jody,
Thank you so much! You made my Sunday! Such lavish praise; I’m turning red!
Have a lovely day.
All my best from a very windy Provence,
Mary Lou
Dear Mary Lou –
Completed the series and a sadness has overcome me. I must wait until 2018 for my next visit with Bonnet and Verlaque; and at my age the passage of time is the enemy.
My sorrow was compounded by a recent revisit to my dear, departed friend Vincent McConnor’s books. I prefer yours. Depth of character, the constant bittersweet conflict between progress and tradition and the pleasant company of the ensemble have bewitched me.
By the way,have developed a great fondness for Pierre Andre, Macon Village, Recolte, Chardonnay and Bouzeron, both from Bourgognes.
Many more bottles to drink- which is, to my chagrin, more than I can say about Longworth books.
Merci and au revoir for now.
George and Nancy Madison.
Thank you George and Nancy for your ongoing enthusiasm for my books!
You need not respond. I have no intention of imposing a burden of correspondence on a busy woman. You certainly do not require a pen pal.
A simple thank you for suggesting the Macon-Villages Chardonnay. We purchased and enjoyed a 2015, Vaucharmes, Pierre Andre. Look forward to trying some Burgundy,a Guiry and a Mercurey.
We live in a small village, surrounded by tiny hamlets and federal lands. Yet we are one hour by train to NYC and one mile outside the gate of the US Military Academy, West Point. Creating our own small French village life here has been a joy and having convenient cosmopolitan outlets nearby is a lagniappe.
Incidentally, I did graduate work at NYU, in the Village during the early 60s and am a NYC gent of mature years who enjoys your village and charming series.
Merci and bonjour from George and Nancy Madison.
Oh but I have to reply to such a charming email, George! It sounds like you have an idyllic life; in the country yet one hour from NYC! Wow.
Let me know how you enjoy the other Burgundys, when you find them.
Cheers from Provence,
Mary Lou
[…] little village in the Champagne region. “Death at the Chateau Brémont,” the first in M. L. Longworth’s Verlaque/Bonnet series, is one of the selections that will be discussed in her current class at […]
Hi-
Although you’ve not responded to my prior comments my enthusiasm is too great to contain. Purchased all six in the series and have already read four.
They’re too wonderful for words. I must slow down because six is the limit. Love the company I keep.
Off topic: Please recommend a few moderately priced wines-$20-$25. French of course.
Merci. Bonjour.
Hello George!
I’m so sorry, but your previous email slipped by me! In fact, WordPress didn’t send me this email either; my website manager had to show it to me (my husband!). This weekend we are going to try to adjust the site.
Thank you so much for your kind words. I’m delighted that you like the books!
What kinds of wines do you like? Red or white? Strong or light?
Cheers,
Mary Lou
Good morning. Thanks for your response.
We typically drink unfiltered Sancerre or Chablis white and a Cote du Rhine red. Happy with them, but more options are good.
Have you ever read Vincent McConnor’s Provence, Riviera, and Paris Puzzle books ? They, like yours, are charming mysteries,and evoke a lifestyle in which to relax.
Merci. Bonjour.
Hello! We too love Côte du Rhone wines. I was going to suggest those, but you know them. Chardonnays from Macon Villages are great, and not expensive. We loves reds from Givry and Mercurey (also Burgundy).
No I haven’t read McConnor’s books. thanks for the tip!
ML
[…] rosé from Provence; and from enjoying all this on my back porch under a brisk summer breeze. Murder on the Île Sordou is the best yet from M. L. Longworth. She does such a great job, especially in this one, of […]
Thank you!
Pardon my internet speak. It should read ” Inspector Damiot “.
Stumbled across Rue Dumas and was captivated. I read very few contemporary mysteries,finding them vile and boring.
Dumas,however, is different. It reminds me of the late Vincent McConnor Inspector Damietta series that began with The Provence Puzzle We subsequently became good friends and his books remain my favorites.
Look forward to reading all of your books.
Merci
Thank you George!
I love your books! I discovered them at the local library in Burnaby, Canada, a month ago, and have been tearing through them since. I love the infusion of French culture and descriptions of food and wine – it reminds me of my time in France, and makes me want to go back. Really excited to keep reading about the adventures of Verlaque and Marine – I hope there are many more to come!
Hello Anna!
Your email slipped by me; many apologies! Thank you so much for your kind comments. Since I live so far away from my readers, it’s so nice to connect with all of you. Right now it’s hot in Provence, but the swimming pool helps.
All best,
Mary Lou
I’ve just finished reading Murder on the Ile Sordou and I can’t help wondering why you needed to include explicit sex descriptions (Chapter 12 Pirates). It just doesn’t fit with the genre. I’d be more than happy to recommend all of the previous three books to my young high school students but not this one. For the sake of a few sentences of irrelevant titillation, I think you have spoiled the story.
Hello Geraldine,
Rest assured that’s was my one and ONLY sex scene! haha. The idea came about from a group of senior citizens, believe it or not, who love my books are live in Arizona. They asked me to write a sex scene between Marine and Antoine, and I could not bring myself to do it, so made Sylvie the scape goat! All writers, at least once in their careers, try writing such a scene; some continue, some do not. I won’t try it again. Although other readers, and my editors and family, all say that that particular scene is quite tame! All best,
Mary Lou
Hi Mary Lou, Just had a delightful dinner with your mom and dad at Kate and Mike’s last night. We just live down the road from K and M. Did not realize you are an author, but now looking forward to delving into your books – starting from the beginning of course!
mes aimities!
Dear Mary Lou, I read all your books with pleasure and await the next! I visited Aix in 2012 and stopped into the Hotel Caumont with my music student friend before it became a museum! How I wish I could live in Aix now! Thank you for taking me back there with your books! Sincerely, Fred
Hello–
It has been my lifelong dream to travel to France– so far, your books are the closest I could get, and I have enjoyed them so much. Will you be releasing a new book soon?
Thank you for your email, Cydney! I’m glad you have been able to travel to France via my books!
The next book will be released on April 1st 2017. I’m writing the seventh book right now, to be released in 2018. Time flies!
Have a lovely fall,
Mary Lou
Thank you for responding so quickly! I will be marking my calendar in anticipation of your next book.
Dear Ms.Longworth,
I’m going to Provance this July. I would like to buy your books. Would you be so kind to recommend book shop where I can find them. Thank you in advance.
I wish you all the best
Jasmina from Belgrade, Serbia
Hello Jasmina! Thank you so much for your charming email. Serbia has always been on my list of places to visit. I love the films of Emir Kusturica!
You can find all of my books in Aix-en-Provence at our wonderful English bookshop, Book in Bar. It is downtown and easy to find, right across from a beautiful museum, the Hotel Caumont.
Best wishes and have a wonderful trip!
Mary Lou
Ms. Longworth,
I live reading your mysteries. Who is Monique that Judge Verlaque referred to in Murder in the Rue Dumas? Was she mentioned previously? I can’t recall. Many thanks.
Hi Bonnie, Monique is hinted to in the first book, and then in Dumas.
Thank you for your email! Glad you enjoy the books!
Mary Lou
Your books are a delight… entertaining, intelligent, and full of le terroir. I’ve been giving them as gifts to many friends, who are always happy to have discovered them. I’m very glad to see that there’s another on its way. Thanks for taking me back to Provence!
Thank you Alice! So nice to hear. Have a good week.
Mary Lou
I am in love with your books! I have just read the first 4 as if they were one. I love reading about places I have been in France and I love the character development. I can’t wait for more! Merci beaucoup!
Thank you Susan! The next one will be out in March 2017 (for some reason I don’t understand Penguin is now releasing my books in March instead of September). Have a great weekend!
Mary Lou
Wonderful books. Curious what other contemporary mystery writers you like. Any particular favorites?
Thanks.
Thank you Christophe!
I like Donna Leon’s books set in Venice, and the Sicilian books of Andrea Camilleri.
And Josephine Tey, and Agatha Christie!
I just discovered your books and I have torn through all of them. I just love the characters and I am excited to see what happens with them next. I love your descriptions of Aix and the South of France. I’ve always loved Paris but after reading your books I am anxious to travel to Aix and Lubéron and the whole region. I can’t wait for the next book!!!
Thank you Karen! I understand being in love with Paris…I go every week to teach at NYU and am never bored by the city. But you should come south some day! 🙂
Have a great week,
Mary Lou
Your books have such a wonderful sense of place that I find myself checking maps to see where the towns are located. I even have a town map of Aix-en-Provence and delight in “seeing” where your characters are in their daily activities. i can almost taste the wines and smell the lavender, even though several years have passed since I have been in the south of France. Thank you for many hours of pleasure!
Thank you so much, Rita! Some readers have requested that a map of Aix be included in my books. I’ve brought that up with Penguin, but so far it hasn’t happened. Good for you for getting your own map out!
I’m so glad you enjoy the books.
Cheers from a rainy Provence,
Mary Lou
I am French and live in New Zealand.
I ADORE all your Verlaque and Bonnet mystery books – it brings me back ‘home’.
Delightful reading.
Please please when are you publishing the next one?
Kind regards
A bientot
Nathalie
Bonjour Nathalie,
Thank you so much! The next one will be released in Sept 2016. We are just going through the edits right now.
Cheers to you in NZ from a sunny (en fin!) Provence,
Mary Lou
Is the next one named as yet? I’ve read all five after picking up Death in the Vines about a month ago and then loaning it to a friend who loved it as much as I did. I’m on the last few pages of Mystery of the Lost Cezanne and simply cannot wait for the next one. Hoping that the mystery of “Monique” might be revealed because it was not mentioned in “Cezanne.” My friend gets the remaining four which she will love as much as I did as we traveled Provence together on a Rhone River trip (she was in Aix in an earlier trip, but I’ve not been there).
Hi Jeanne!
Yes, the next one is being called (unless we decide to change it!) The Curse of La Fontaine. It will be released in March 2017.
Thank you so much for your email. Monique was revealed, I believe, in the second book, murder on the Rue Dumas, or in Death in the Vines. I’ll have to double check! They seem so long ago now.
I hope you get to Aix someday.
All best,
Mary Lou
Hi,
A bad flu put me to bed with 2 of your mysteries thoughtfully sent by my brother and sister in law for Christmas. Turned out to be what the doctor ordered. And brought back the time my husband and I visited in Provence for our honeymoon in 1984.
Thanks. Margo. Juneau, Alaska (and NYU graduate 1963)
Hello Margo,
So nice! Thank you so much for your email and I hope you are feeling better! I’m glad the books brought back memories of Provence.
Happy 2016,
Mary Lou
Hello,
I love your books!I have read all of them and find myself re-reading them because I miss the characters so much. When is the next one coming out? Thank you!
Hello Jocie,
Wow! Thank you! Next book is coming out in September 2016. I finished it right before Christmas and it’s being edited right now.
Cheers,
Mary Lou
We really enjoyed your latest, “The Mystery of the Lost Cezanne.” It dovetails nicely with a personal interest in Cezanne and his terroir, how it contributed to his art. There was one tiny discordant note. I found it hard to believe that anyone in this day and age would possess a Polaroid camera, be able to find film, or use it instead of a smart phone. Otherwise, nice book!
Hello David and thank you for your email. You’re right about the Polaroid…they are rare but are still in use in France, and being used more and more, often by Hipsters like my 22-year-old daughter and her friends. I guess I was thinking of them! All best, Mary Lou.
I have just finished book 5 “The mystery of the lost Cezanne” & loved it just as much as the other four Verlaque/Bonnet mysteries. So looking forward to #6!
Thank you so much Marj! Have a great 2016,
Mary Lou
Dear Ms. Longworth,
Read them all and regretfully just finished your last about the lost Cezanne. You are getting better, better and best. I love your characters, they are all so civilized and you also bring Provence back to me.
Thank you for the pleasure you give,
Diana
Thank you Diana! What a lovely email to wake up to! This morning is crisp and cold, with a bit of frost in the vineyards. Two vineyard workers are out there already, pruning the vines, while I get to work on book six. I hope you’ll like it!
Happy holidays,
Mary Lou
Diana, not our vines, just to be clear! haha I realized it sounded like the vines belonged to us; they belong to the local cooperative. 🙂 ML.
It was clear to me. I find all your writing very clear, intelligent and humorous.
Anxiously waiting for your next.
Happy holidays also and may you live long and be very prolific, which is obviously pure selfishness on my part, hoping you won’t do a Rosamund Pilcher on your fans.
Diana
Thank you so much for your delightful book, “Murder on the Ile Sordou”. The story had me thoroughly engaged throughout. Very well developed and well writte. I enjoyed it so much that I intend to purchase and read your other books as well.
I do have two comments, however, that you may want to pass on to your editors. First, on page 180, paragraph 3, it is suggested that “…ringing your hands…”, be replaced with “…wringing your hands…”. Second, on page 290, the next-to-the-last sentence in the last paragraph uses the phrase “…I couldn’t have fired a trigger.” Actually in firing a gun, the trigger is “pulled” to fire the gun.
Thanks again for your wonderful book. I look forward to reading the others.
Thank you, John. I’m glad you liked the book!
The typos are an ongoing frustration. I take part of the blame, but then the book is read by an editor, a copy-editor, and then two proof readers, so there shouldn’t be any mistakes! I think that part of the problem is that books are rushed, and people in publishing are overworked. I know that my editor has to do all of her reading at home, after work.
I hope you enjoy the other books.
Have a good weekend,
Mary Lou
I found book 3 at the library in Denver, CO. Loved it and raced through the other four. Every character seems so real.
So happy to know the next one is on the way.
Thank you, Gail!!! Have a great weekend.
I have loved all five books and am hoping that there will be at least one more The characters are delightful and the descriptions of the food and wine marvellous. I live 2 hours south of Sydney at Robertson in the Southern Highlands in Australia.
Thank you so much, Liz! It’s so nice to hear that someone so far away reads my books!
Cheers from a rainy Provence,
Mary Lou
I have just finished all five of your books with Verlague and Bonnet and all the other wonderful characters and could not put them down. Are there going to be more? Will be heartbroken if not. How fat is Verlaque?
Haha Liz! Verlaque isn’t that fat, don’t worry! He has the broad shoulders of a rugbyman 😉 and a tummy, but that’s all.
I’m working on book six. To be released in 2016.
All best,
Mary Lou
Greetings from Orewa, New Zealand. VERY much enjoying the Mystery of the Lost Cezanne, have already got 2 of your other books from the library to read afterwards!
Wow a Kiwi! Super! Thanks so much for your email, and good luck to your rugby team! I just watched out French team get totally swacked by your guys!
All best,
Mary Lou
Bien des remerciements. My husband was on sabbatical researching the Roman influences on architecture while we there. By chance our neighbor was a magistrate in Grenoble who loved ruins so he and his wife took us to ruins we never would have found on our own. However, we wives found other ventures to do together. My greatest compliment was when we were leaving: the butcher told me my French had improved greatly.
I am almost finished with “The Mystery of the Lost Cezanne”. You have a talent for mystery, i.e., keeping readers guessing throughout the novel. I do miss the cheeses; as one of your characters mentioned that French cheeses do not taste the same elsewhere.
Thank you so much, Sylvia! I too love my butcher! 😉 A very important person in the village!
All my best,
Mary Lou
My daughters & I can’t wait for the next Longwood mystery!
Thank you Shirley! Let me know how you all like it!
Mary Lou
Your books incented my memories of things past. We lived in Orange in 1976 and loved exploring all the ruins and Roman influences. Would you please write a mystery set in a Roman amphitheater (Orange), Val de Nymphe , Roussillon, Carmargue, Le Mont Ventoux, Arc de Triomphe (Orange), Le Pont du Gard, etc., so I can indulge in memories of those place names or some of them?
Hello Sylvia,
Will do! I love all of those places too.
We were at a wedding this spring in the Camargue, and it was spectacular! Feels more like Spain there than France.
Thanks for your email!
Mary Lou
I was wondering if you were hoping to bring any further mystery novels out in the near future.
Hello Robin,
Yes! The next one, The Mystery of the Lost Cézanne, is out on September 15th. 🙂
Thanks for your email.
Mary Lou
Having read all the rest with great enjoyment, can’t wait for # 5 “The Mystery of the Lost Cezanne”.
Interestingly, this cover has no murder or death; signature words in all your previous book titles. Does this mean that nobody gets done in ?
Hello Rene,
My covers are always ‘soft’ but usually do contain words like “Death” or “Murder” you’re right. In this case, the mystery surrounding the painting seemed more central, but yes, someone does get murdered! 🙂
ML
Bonjour! I started with #2, then read #’s 1,3,4 in the last 5 weeks or so and really enjoyed them all very much. I lived in Aix-en-Provence while attending university so I am familiar with most of the villages mentioned in the books. Many great memories.The area is truly captivating, in spite of the many changes. So looking forward to book #5. I do love the way the character of Verlaque continues to be revealed to the reader, layer by layer. Thank you!
Thank you, Debbie! I’m not sure if I replied to your email…I seem to get notified only sometimes.
Thank you for your kind words! Aix is changing…more and more people visiting and living here.
All best,
Mary Lou
Absolutely loved Death at the Chateau Bremont and so happy to see that there are another three to go!
Thank you, Leonie! I hope you enjoy the others! Let me know…
Mary Lou
I was beginning to despair until I read the end of the comments: a fifth book is coming out. So sad, have to wait ’til September. So looking forward to reading it. I lived in France for 2 years and visiting through your books has been a joy.
Thank you, Cary!
I have read all four books and I absolutely loved them. You are such a talented writer. They have the perfect amount of mystery and romance that also makes me dream of living in France. I also loved your mentions of Miss Marple in the 4th book because I’m also a huge Agatha Christie fan! I can’t wait to read your fifth book when it comes out.
Laura
Thank you, Laura! I just finished the final edits on book five; it will come out in September. It’s about Cézanne!
I am new to this series and can’t wait to get started. One question: do they have to be read sequentially? I tend to jump in and start reading. Thanks.
Rosie
Hi Rosie,
No they don’t! I try to fill in new readers with who’s who in the first few chapters of each book.
Let me know how it goes!
Mary Lou
I just finished the first 3 Verlaque and Bonnet mysteries and absolutely adored them! So delighted to see that there is a 4th for me to read. Thank you for these stories with their wonderful characters, beautiful backdrops, and all the coffee, food and wine!
Thank you Jessica! I’ve just finished the fifth, with the painter Paul Cézanne as one of the characters!
Have a great weekend,
Mary Lou
Just discovered “Murder on the Ile Sordou” among the new books at my local library and am in love! What wonderful writing. I have to finish this, but then on the first three. So glad to have found you.
Thank you Patricia! Let me know what you think of the first three.
Have a good weekend!
Mary Lou
Absolutely loved your books. Read them on me Kindle. I have given them to my wife for Xmas, I know she will love them as well. I love discovering books later in a series… I can read them all back to back without that year or more between volumes when you discover and author just after book 1. Looking forward to more.
Thank you, George! I do the same when I discover a series…I read them all at once!
Have a great holiday.
Sunny and warm (too warm?) here in Provence,
Mary Lou
It is in the southwest part of France near the foothills of the Pyrénées, northwest of Lourdes.
Is the another book coming in the near future?
Betty
I’ve read all four of your books and am addicted. When is the next one coming out? Within the next year or so I am planning to visit the Oloron Ste Marie area, the home of my paternal grandparents. Now I need to include Aix in my itinerary. Thank you for the wonderful stories.
Hi Betty,
Thanks for your email! Where is Oloron Ste-Marie? I’m curious!
All best,
Mary Lou
I just finished “Death in the Vines” while on vacation in Texas. I’ve told all my mystery lover friends about you and hope you will continue the series. You are even better than Martin Walker!!!!
Thank you, Nancy! High praise to be compared with Martin Walker; thank you!
I am a librarian, and one of my patrons recommended Death at the Chateau Bremont to me. I can’t put it down and I can’t wait to read the others!
Dear Leanne,
Thank you so much for writing! I’m sorry it took me a while to get back to you; we started classes this week at NYU in Paris and I was busy getting my syllabi together, meeting students, etc. Let me know how you like the other books in the series!
All my best,
Mary Lou
I just finished Death at the Chateau Bremont, & I’ve loved it! I thought that your starting the book with the killing of Etienne and the fact that the affair between Verlaque and Bonnet had ended was a very interesting way to get us into the book.
You’ve probably been told before that there is a typo on page 298 of the Penquin paperback edition where Sophie is mentioned instead of Sylvie.
I look forward to reading your books in the order you wrote them.
Thanks, Jerry!
Hopefully Penguin will fix that typo, and the others that popped up in the first edition of Bremont… Lo
Let me know what you think of the rest in the series!
Cheers,
Mary Lou
I am interested in reading your books after hearing your NPR interview. I studied abroad in Aix. I was wondering if you have published audio books (on CD) of your books?
Hello Emily,
The books aren’t yet on audio. Sorry!
Mary Lou
Do you know when they will be published on audio?
Thanks.
Just heard your interview with NPR and can’t wait to pick up my first book. I dream to live in France as you’ve been able to do.
Thanks, Lauren! Please let me know how you enjoy the books.
Cheers,
Mary Lou
We are about to leave for a week in Provence and grateful to you for the these delightful books. I am just finishing Death in the Vines–perhaps the best of all for understanding this area. Thank you, thank you!
Thank you so much, jan!
I’m going to sweden next week; when will you be in aix?
Cheers!
Mary lou
Absolutely the best! Looking forward to the fourth book! Thank you,,,
Thanks, Jayne! Fourth book, Murder on the Ile Sordou, will be released this fall 🙂
I love your three Provencal mysteries, and I hope you plan to write more. I can’t put them down.
Thank you, Donna! The fourth book will be released in September 2014. Happy New Year.
I just finished Death at the Chateau Bremont, & I’ve loved it! Can’t wait to read the next one. Really like & respect the characters, the descriptions, great suspense, & glad of good explanations. Love the setting too! And to think I put it down for a bit, thinking that I read too many mysteries! The description of Jean-Claude’s walks & the contents of his refrigerator intrigued me enough to give it another chance — & I’m so glad I did! Thank you!
Dear Karen,
Thank you! Glad you liked it; Bremont was my first book. If you get a chance to read the second and third, please let me know what you think!
Have a great day,
Mary Lou
We lived in Beaurecueil, about 15 minutes outside of Aix, in 2008-2009 and reading your book this afternoon while sitting in a Vancouver, BC, backyard helped bring so many wonderful memories to life. I am looking forward to reading your second book. Cheers to you!
I love Beaurecueil! Such wonderful views of Mont Set-Victoire from there…
Let me know how you enjoy the rest of the books, and enjoy the last week of summer,
Mary Lou
Ready for your next Verlaque and Bonnet mystery!
Thanks, Denise! Which one did you just read?
I LOVE your 3 books about Provence, the easy going style, the graceful descriptions of the characters, the way you describe locations so I want to look them up on the map (I briefly visited Provence a couple of years ago). I think I’ve been to the cafe in your biography photo! The whole effect is a friendly balcony view of what is going on.
I was worried about the third book being the last because of the ending in the third book, so I am considerably cheered to see there is another book coming….
I live in the Bay Area in California so can tell you Santa Cruz continues to be very fine. What a delightful way to move to France! I work at UC Berkeley where a few Public Health professors go to Paris to teach at some english speaking universities now and then.
Hello Claudette, Thanks for your kind words. I’m busy writing the fourth book right now; it will take place on an island off of Marseille. Please say hello to California for me, and if you have the inkling, a review on Amazon would be great! 🙂 Have a good summer, Mary Lou. ps Love your French name.
Just found you and your wonderful books. Have read two and expect the third next week. I loved what I have read and am in love with Verlaque and Bonnet. 🙂 can you keep them coming!!!
Thank you, Sally. Let me know what you think of the third book. If you have the time or the inclination, putting a review up on Amazon is a big help! Thanks! Have a good summer. Mary Lou.
Is book # 4 coming soon? I’m reading # 3 right now…and can’t wait to read more!!
Summer 2014 🙂 Thanks, Mariana!
I am almost finished with Death at the Chateau Bremont. I was in Provence in September and love the area so wanted to read something set there and Iove mysteries! I have really enjoyed the book and am looking forward to the second one. I will be in Monaco and Nice as part of a cruise in late June and look forward to being there again. Keep up the writing. Peg
Thanks, Peg. Your email slipped by me; sorry! I hope the cruise was fun 🙂
Have finished all three books and can’t wait for the next one.
I still have a little trouble understanding the French judicial/police system. My time in Nice and Monaco was great!
We had wonderful weather and I am glad you did see my email.
Thanks again for the wonderful mysteries.
Peg
Thanks, Peg!
Handsome Ned, hah! Sadly gone these 25+ years but fondly remembered. Have read the books, enjoyed them immensely, and was looking to see if more were on the way. Sooner the better.
Had no idea of the Toronto and Queen West connection. Come back and do a reading or interview/appearance sometime.
Ron
Thanks so much, Ron. Those were great days (nights!) at the Cameron House. Handsome Ned was a real gentleman, super nice to everyone, even we poor students. I’d love to do a reading in Toronto! My mother tells me that Nicholas Hoare’s bookshop is closing….sad. Thanks again for your email, and say hello to TO for me! Best, Mary Lou.
The Springfield IL Chapter of American Association of University Women mystery discussion group will be discussing Death at the Chateau Bremont on Jan. 22nd. Is there any message you would like to send us?
Thank you, Sharon
Hello Sharon,
Thanks so much for selecting my book for your discussion group; that’s quite an honor and I’m very pleased. If you have any questions that you’d like me to answer, perhaps before the group gets together on the 22nd, I’d be happy to answer them by email. I’ll be joining some book groups via Skype this spring… unfortunately I’ll be away from home on the 22nd, but in if you discuss my second or third books, I’d be more than willing to join in on Skype.
All my best,
Mary Lou
I’m almost done with Book one and am really enjoying it. I have Book two waiting on my nightstand and I can’t wait to read it. I was glad to see more are coming!
Thank you! Let me know which one you like best! Happy New Year.
Mary Lou.
loved the first two and looking forward to july and the third
Merci! The third may be out sooner, as early as May…I’ll keep you posted! Happy Holidays!
Hello from snowy Canada, just finished Rue Dumas and need more…please drink more wine and and let the muses move you..Thanks for the fun reads.
Cheers and adieu Ksenia
Thank you from a cold Aix! (but no snow…). I’ll try to get the muses to work today…just starting book four! (the third in the series, Death in the Vines, will be released this July). Best, MLL.
Was just handed copies of your books by a Penguin rep at a dinner with friends in Denver. Can’t wait to get started!
Enjoy! Murder in the Rue Dumas got a great review in the Denver Post. Let me know how you like it!