Death under Palm Trees by Carmen Radtke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this historical cozy mystery novel which had me hooked from page one. Although book four in the ‘A Jack and Frances mysteries’ series, this was the first book I had read and I was able to read it happily as a standalone story. However, I enjoyed it so much that I am now keen to read the previous books as well. Set in Nice, in the French Riviera during 1931, the setting and the era of the Golden Age is wonderfully bought to life by the authors descriptive narrative. The main characters, fiancé’s Jack and Frances and her Uncle Sal are all intriguing characters in their own right and all bring something unique to the story. Instead of being guests of honour at a glitzy New Year’s Eve party as planned, Frances has to swap her evening gown for a maids uniform and Jack poses as a chauffeur, when the hostess needs their discreet help. They then have to work together in solving a theft of some important government documents. Meanwhile Uncle Sal, brings out his ‘Salvatore the Magnificent’ act to keep the guests entertained.
It’s difficult for Jack and Frances to investigate all the suspects as the guests are all enjoying the glamorous setting and nights at the casinos. Then just when they think they have solved the theft a death occurs, under the palm trees. As the pair realise they are now looking for a murderer they must act quickly to prevent the killer striking again. The storyline is enjoyable and the plot has plenty of twists and turns in it, that kept me guessing until the end. I fell in love with the three main characters and found them all very likeable. I felt engaged with them as I followed them in their journey looking for clues and solving the mystery. I look forward to reading future books in this series and am happy to have discovered a new author in Carmen Radtke.

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