Stranded in Provence Series by Susan Kiernan-Lewis

"My name is Jules Hooker. I have lived through a few crappy moments in my life—and with a name like Hooker, you can just imagine—but nothing, nothing, compares to the two intensely and world-shatteringly crappy things that happened to me this last June. Three, I guess, if you count Gilbert. After my boyfriend dumped me on the day I thought he was going to propose, I’d have to say two other really bad things happened last June... more"My name is Jules Hooker. I have lived through a few crappy moments in my life—and with a name like Hooker, you can just imagine—but nothing, nothing, compares to the two intensely and world-shatteringly crappy things that happened to me this last June. Three, I guess, if you count Gilbert. After my boyfriend dumped me on the day I thought he was going to propose, I’d have to say two other really bad things happened last June. The first would have to be the dead body I discovered in the rental house in France where I went to get over being dumped. The second—and very possibly I should have led with this—was the dirty bomb that exploded over the Riviera throwing me and everyone else in France back to the 1950s. So now I’m stranded here—trying to make a living by solving murders the old fashioned way — without help from DNA, databases, CSI crime labs or the police. And I’m doing it in France. Where I do not speak the language. During the apocalypse. Sound like fun?" less

Care for a Little Murder with that Sweet Roll? Jules Hooker is doing her best to adjust to the new normal of a world without electricity, electronics, cars or the chance to return home. Stranded in the charming but provincial village of Chabanel wasn’t terrible until Jules discovers Aix-en-Provence and decides that the big city lights—even when they’ve gone out in the apocalypse—are much preferable to the countryside... moreCare for a Little Murder with that Sweet Roll? Jules Hooker is doing her best to adjust to the new normal of a world without electricity, electronics, cars or the chance to return home. Stranded in the charming but provincial village of Chabanel wasn’t terrible until Jules discovers Aix-en-Provence and decides that the big city lights—even when they’ve gone out in the apocalypse—are much preferable to the countryside. Of course with a big city comes big city crimes and when a fellow American is accused of murdering a popular pastry chef in Aix, Jules knows she has to help. Unfortunately tracking a dangerous killer when you don’t know the language—or the French people themselves—soon has Jules bumbling into one dangerous situation after another. All the wonderful pastries aside, will this be lights out for Jules too? less

Murder is murder no matter how you pronounce itTrying to learn a foreign language can be murder--especially when your French tutor is strangled to death hours after your last lesson and your best friend is arrested for the crime... moreMurder is murder no matter how you pronounce itTrying to learn a foreign language can be murder--especially when your French tutor is strangled to death hours after your last lesson and your best friend is arrested for the crime.Normally that wouldn't be a problem for stranded super sleuth and intrepid expat Jules Hooker except she just got her ONE chance to go back to the US and sticking around to help a pal means she's back to being stranded in a foreign country with no lights, no language skills and no real future.Will she give up her chance to go home?Will she continue to step on the toes of the handsome village police chief in order to help free her friend?And finally, will Jules find out who the murderer is before the killer decides to permanently eliminate one very pesky very stubborn American sleuth? less

Ever wonder what you’d do if someone pushed the re-set button on the world? The Stranded in Provence Mysteries tell the story of an American woman on vacation in the south of France when the unthinkable happens. After a dirty bomb explodes over the Riviera she finds herself stranded in a French village where daily life is essentially sent reeling back to the 1950s. So now forget solving crimes with DNA or accessing massive criminal databases... moreEver wonder what you’d do if someone pushed the re-set button on the world? The Stranded in Provence Mysteries tell the story of an American woman on vacation in the south of France when the unthinkable happens. After a dirty bomb explodes over the Riviera she finds herself stranded in a French village where daily life is essentially sent reeling back to the 1950s. So now forget solving crimes with DNA or accessing massive criminal databases. Likewise forget worrying about international terrorism, because that’s now gone too. But you can also forget spending hours on your smartphone, tablet, computer or even TV set. On the other hand, the bistros are all still open, the produce and cheese markets still run every morning, bicycles dominate the wide avenues instead of cars, and for a budding amateur sleuth and now permanent ex-pat, any murders she stumbles across will have to be solved the old-fashioned way—with brain power and shoe leather. Oh, and it turns out that romance still works the same as before too. less

Life in post-apocalyptic France has finally begun to settle down. The cafés all have candles, the bakery ovens are all coal-fired and reliance on electricity and electronics are now a thing of the past. So when the Provençal village of Chabanel decides to go ahead with its annual pastry contest it’s a shock to everyone when one of the celebrity judges down from Paris dies a gruesome—and very public—death... moreLife in post-apocalyptic France has finally begun to settle down. The cafés all have candles, the bakery ovens are all coal-fired and reliance on electricity and electronics are now a thing of the past. So when the Provençal village of Chabanel decides to go ahead with its annual pastry contest it’s a shock to everyone when one of the celebrity judges down from Paris dies a gruesome—and very public—death. When a plate of poisoned chocolate éclairs turns out to be the murder weapon, it’s up to expat and amateur sleuth Jules Hooker to prove that the little old ladies who made them aren’t the murderers. Because much in the same way that Jules can’t stop after one profiterole, it soon becomes clear that this murderer doesn’t intend to stop with one dead chef. This book is a clean read: no graphic violence, sex or strong language Genre: cozy culinary mystery, women amateur sleuth, cozy animal (dog) less

For some people not even the apocalypse can ruin a nice day on the water. A spring boat ride with no motor, no GPS and no radio. What could possibly go wrong? When Jules goes to Marseille to run an errand for the twins, she meets an exotic new friend who offers her a daytrip on a French yacht to wash away the gloom of the post-apocalyptic winter Jules has just endured... moreFor some people not even the apocalypse can ruin a nice day on the water. A spring boat ride with no motor, no GPS and no radio. What could possibly go wrong? When Jules goes to Marseille to run an errand for the twins, she meets an exotic new friend who offers her a daytrip on a French yacht to wash away the gloom of the post-apocalyptic winter Jules has just endured. The trip promises everything Jules has been craving for the last six months…sunshine, rosé wine, exciting company, bracing sea air…and murder. What starts out as a pleasure cruise quickly turns into the sail of the damned as, trapped on a boat with a killer, Jules scrambles to find out who not to turn her back on. This book has no graphic violence, strong language or sexual depictions. less

Stranded in the south of France after an EMP wipes out all international travel, electricity and communications, Jules Hooker thinks life can’t get any worse… …Right up to the moment when France decides to move all stranded aliens to refugee camps. Add to her problems a murder in the local café that implicates a dear friend of hers and the fact that she’s being forced to marry her arch nemesis in order to avoid the detention camp and you have a very tense summer for one very tense ex-pat... moreStranded in the south of France after an EMP wipes out all international travel, electricity and communications, Jules Hooker thinks life can’t get any worse… …Right up to the moment when France decides to move all stranded aliens to refugee camps. Add to her problems a murder in the local café that implicates a dear friend of hers and the fact that she’s being forced to marry her arch nemesis in order to avoid the detention camp and you have a very tense summer for one very tense ex-pat. Will she have to marry Detective Matteo? Will her dearest pal end up paying for a murder he didn’t commit? And finally, will Jules really have to leave the twins to live behind barbed wire with no freshly brewed coffee or croissants? Check out Book 6 in the Stranded in Provence cozy mystery series and see. Genre: light cozy mystery, women amateur sleuth, cozy animal (dog) less

One thing you can say about the apocalypse, the traffic problem seems to be solved But that’s about all, especially for one American ex-pat stranded in France and trying to make the best of it. When a fellow American at the nearby alien detention camp is accused of murdering her French lover it’s up to Jules to prove she didn’t do it... moreOne thing you can say about the apocalypse, the traffic problem seems to be solved But that’s about all, especially for one American ex-pat stranded in France and trying to make the best of it. When a fellow American at the nearby alien detention camp is accused of murdering her French lover it’s up to Jules to prove she didn’t do it. Jules will travel to Aix-en-Provence to see how her countrywoman was forced to live after the lights turned off, to uncover the people who betrayed her—and why—and finally to confront the ruthless female warden of the alien detention camp who is determined to make her American prisoner pay—not just for the murdered Frenchman, but for the apocalypse itself. Check out Book 7 in the Stranded in Provence cozy mystery series. Genre: light cozy mystery, women amateur sleuth, animal (dog) (cat) less

Autumn has come to the south of France and with it a new harvest of wine and unfortunately—murder. When a stranger to Chabanel shows up in time to end up dead in the garden of La Fleurette Jules quickly finds herself sandwiched between the need to clear herself from the crime and supporting a friend who desperately needs her... moreAutumn has come to the south of France and with it a new harvest of wine and unfortunately—murder. When a stranger to Chabanel shows up in time to end up dead in the garden of La Fleurette Jules quickly finds herself sandwiched between the need to clear herself from the crime and supporting a friend who desperately needs her. Will Luc step up when things look black for Jules? Will her best friend finally forgive her? Only a moment on the terrace with a glass of rose in post-apocalyptic Provence will reveal the answer. (Author’s Note: While this story does not end with a cliffhanger it does reveal a jaw-dropper of a plot point that most readers will NOT see coming.) Check out Book 8 in the Stranded in Provence cozy mystery series. Genre: light cozy mystery, women amateur sleuth, cozy animals (dog and 3 adorable cats) less