Death in Avignon: A Penelope Kite Novel

by Serena Kent

Overview

Set amidst the gorgeous backdrop of Provence, Serena Kent’s second book in the deliciously entertaining Penelope Kite series finds the amateur sleuth romantically linked with the mayor of St. Merlot and dashing to solve the murder of an expat artist—perfect for fans of Peter Mayle and Agatha Christie.

After an eventful first few months in Provence, it seems Penelope is finally settling into her delightful new life, complete with a gorgeous love interest in the mayor of St. Merlot.

When Penelope and the mayor attend a glamorous gallery opening, Penelope’s biggest worry is embarrassing herself in front of her date. But the evening takes a horrifying turn when a controversial expat painter, Roland Doncaster, chokes to death.

A tragic accident? Or a malicious plot? Reluctantly drawn into the murder investigation, Penelope discovers that any number of jealous lovers and scheming rivals could be involved. And with dashing art dealers to charm, patisseries to resist, and her own friends under suspicion, Penelope will need to draw upon all her sleuthing talents to uncover the truth.

Set against the stunning vistas of Provence, Serena Kent returns with the second installment of her charming mystery series featuring the unflappable Penelope Kite.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062869883
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	03/03/2020
Series:	Penelope Kite , #2
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	388,137
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

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.

Editorial Reviews

★ 01/20/2020

The death of an English painter of dubious artistic talent but prodigious skill as a womanizer after a gallery opening in Avignon, France, propels Kent’s outstanding sequel to 2019’s Death in Provence. English expat Penelope Kite, an early retiree from a job assisting a prominent Home Office medical examiner, gets involved in what turns into a murder inquiry. Two more homicides shake the art scene around Avignon and Nice. Providing counterpoint to the violence is the sweetness of Kite’s growing connections to the locals, including her estate agent friend, Clémence Valencourt, an impeccable embodiment of Parisian femininity; “the knee-tremblingly handsome and charming” mayor of St. Merlot, Laurent Millais; and a group of local musicians who welcome her cello-playing skills. Kent, a pseudonymous husband-and-wife writing team, creates an appealing community for this winning stranger in a strange land, replete with amusing touches like a traditional English Sunday lunch for Penelope’s new French friends. Armchair travelers will be well satisfied. Agent: Stephanie Cabot, Gernert Co. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Outstanding. … [Kent] creates an appealing community for this winning stranger in a strange land…. Armchair travelers will be well satisfied.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review

From the Publisher

2019-11-24
An English expatriate in France continues her affinity for murder.

As winter approaches, Penelope Kite is glorying in her new life in Provence. More of Le Chant d'Eau is habitable, with fresh plaster, new wiring, and no further corpses in the pool (Death in Provence, 2019). The owners of the bakery in the village of St. Merlot look forward to her croissant purchases, she's brave enough to host lunch for four of her neighbors, and she's invited to play cello in a musical group in nearby Roussillon. Realtor Clémence Valencourt continues to visit Penny frequently even though their professional relationship is long over. She's invited to dinner by St. Merlot's handsome mayor, Laurent Millais, although no calories had been consumed during either of their earlier rendezvous. And equally dashing Gilles de Bourdan, owner of a small art gallery in nearby Avignon, is so charmed by Penny that he invites her on an overnight trip to visit his larger gallery in Nice. Perhaps the crowning achievement in Penny's francification is her invitation to the opening of Nicholas Versanne's exhibition at de Bourdan's Avignon location. But the death of a fellow exhibitor, retired British barrister Roland Galbraith Doncaster, who keels over during the opening and expires in the hospital several days later, threatens Penelope's place in Provencal society. As her suspicions grow, her new French friends seem to turn against her, and it takes the arrival of her childhood pal Frankie to right the ship. Even after the big reveal that prompts Penelope to unmask the killer, it takes quite a while for all the complications to unravel at a typical, leisurely Luberon Valley pace.

Spending more time in Kent's heroine's company is almost worth all the peregrinations. Almost.

Kirkus Reviews

Antonia Beamish returns to narrate the second Penelope Kite mystery, set in beautiful Provence. Beamish adroitly handles both British and French accents as ex-pat Brit and amateur sleuth Penelope once again finds herself meddling in a murder investigation. This time she is exploring the local art gallery scene with the devastatingly handsome mayor of St. Merlot when artists begin dropping dead. As the ever-charming Penny follows a trail of poisonous paints and suspicious olives, she manages to irritate everybody from the police detective to the gallery owner. Beamish provides the over-the-top characters, both men and women, with distinctive voices. Listeners will enjoy this delightful romp in Provence with Penny and friends, who munch on croissants while snooping around places where they aren’t welcome. J.E.S. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

FEBRUARY 2020 - AudioFile

Antonia Beamish returns to narrate the second Penelope Kite mystery, set in beautiful Provence. Beamish adroitly handles both British and French accents as ex-pat Brit and amateur sleuth Penelope once again finds herself meddling in a murder investigation. This time she is exploring the local art gallery scene with the devastatingly handsome mayor of St. Merlot when artists begin dropping dead. As the ever-charming Penny follows a trail of poisonous paints and suspicious olives, she manages to irritate everybody from the police detective to the gallery owner. Beamish provides the over-the-top characters, both men and women, with distinctive voices. Listeners will enjoy this delightful romp in Provence with Penny and friends, who munch on croissants while snooping around places where they aren’t welcome. J.E.S. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

FEBRUARY 2020 - AudioFile