Death in Avignon

A Penelope Kite Novel

By: Serena Kent

Narrated by: Antonia Beamish

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.

©2020 Serena Kent (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers

Fun story

I truly enjoyed this second installment of Penny’s adventures in the south of France. I was pretty sure I had figured it out, but I only got about half of it, which was so satisfying when almost every mystery is easy to guess. As an American with only a high school-level grasp of French, this narrator does a STUNNING job of not only speaking what sounds to my ear as perfect French, but she also is able to differentiate French accents among the various characters speaking English. To be able to give voice to English characters and French characters and men and women….she is truly talented! I sincerely hope there will be more installments of these books.

The F word

To many F words and other swear words…unnecessary and took away from what would have been a delightful story set in Provence like the first Penelope Kite, which I enjoyed.

Provence descriptions

Complicated plot — fun to listen to the development of the characters. Frankie was one of my favorites.

Better than the first

Can’t believe it was even better than the first book. What a delightful series. Can’t wait until future editions. So colorful and exquisite descriptions it’s transporting

Great Read

I love this series. I feel transported when I read it. I have never been to the South of France and this book takes me there. Not only is it a great escape, but it has charming characters and a nice little mystery to go along with it. I can hardly wait to see what happens next with Penelope and all her friends! I hope she keeps writing this series.

Performnce different from bk 1 & character change?

I love the storyline and the setting. I don't like how Penelope's bff Frankie is now portrayed as the "fat, loud and obnoxious friend". As a chubby girl, myself, I find this off-putting and stereotypical. In the first book I didn't feel/hear that at all. I don't know if this is an author edit/reveal: more of Frankie's "personality" coming out or if it's the narrator's prerogative to make Frankie sound different this time. Either way the image this character evoked in my mind in book two is completely different than that in book 1.

Poor audible at end of book

Poor audible at end of book which is unfair for the reader and the listener.