The Saint-Maurice Mysteries
Meet pin-up photographer Julie Belmain. When she starts poking her nose into a murder investigation, the people in her Beaujolais village turn out to hide more secrets than she'd care to know. Will her newfound knowledge be the death of her?
Death by Naked Ladies
A quiet Beaujolais village. A gruesome murder. What they need is… a pin-up photographer?
Don’t you hate it when a sexy young man shows up on your doorstep and wants to be your assistant? My criminal ex-husband’s nephew seems to think I need him. But even in this rural French village, my photography business is doing very well, thank you.
The moment he arrives, the village is overrun with poison pen letters, and the old postmistress turns up dead. I convince myself it’s a coincidence, until one of those nasty letters finds its way into my letterbox. Is my unwanted assistant as innocent as he seems, or has my past finally caught up with me?
If I turn a blind eye, who will prevent another murder?
Beaujolais Blood
A locked room in a castle contains a dead body. Or does it?
Trapped in a medieval wine château, a fierce snowstorm raging outside. This is not how I imagined celebrating the Beaujolais Nouveau. A sparkling extravaganza had seemed the perfect escape from ordinary life in Saint-Maurice, but now I’m stuck with the local crème de la crème, who all hate each other.
What was supposed to be a festive evening of sipping wine by a crackling fire turns into a web of intrigue and suspicion. Tensions run high as accusations fly, but the guests are shocked into silence when one of them is found murdered in a locked room.
With no way out and the police unable to reach us, I’m forced to investigate not only who the killer is, but how and why they made the body disappear. The secrets and lies of the Beaujolais jet-set send me round in circles, but if I can’t solve this baffling puzzle, none of us will make it out of the castle alive.
Who killed the Woman in the Wine?
It’s a question that has haunted the village for over thirty years, but the woman’s daughter is convinced I, Julie Belmain, can come up with an answer.
No one cares that I have the worst cold ever. And no one cares – because no one knows – that the daughter’s boyfriend is also my old crush. All I want to do is run into his arms... but all he wants is for me to crack an unsolved murder case that’s older than I am.
Do I really want to poke my snotty nose into my neighbours’ and friends’ affairs? When the cold trail heats up in the old hotel I’ve invested in, I don’t have much choice.
Diving into the past brings up shameful secrets and private grudges that send shock waves through the village. No one – including my own mother – can escape the consequences.
If I keep digging into the past, we may end up with another death...
Sieste in Peace
A retreat into the wellness of art turns into a brush with murder
I’m worried. Why is my sexy assistant acting so strangely? Is he connected to the three deaths that occurred in and around Saint-Maurice on the same day? I promised the police that I, Julie Belmain, photographer extraordinaire, wouldn’t investigate, but this time it’s personal.
With a friend under suspicion of murder and my mother on my case about the involvement of a famous spa resort, it’s impossible for me to keep my promise, but my assistant proves unreliable. Why is he late for work? Why does he disappear for days on end?
But most importantly, why does he get shot right when my ex-husband is released from jail?
The Gift of Death
Hollywood comes to Saint-Maurice!
I, Julie Belmain, do not read the gossip magazines. But even I have heard of the four Hollywood actors – superheroes no less – who have made reservations at my newly opened hotel. They’re here to tour the Beaujolais region, and I’m hired to photograph them enjoying our picturesque French village. Tall, handsome, and muscular, they seem the epitome of virtue.
But someone doesn’t agree.
The day of their arrival, big, red letters spell out GO HOME on the hotel’s front window, and I get just a little nervous about my hotel’s reputation. When a dead body is discovered right outside the hotel, I get a lot nervous. And with good reason. Someone keeps sending me threatening messages, and I soon find out that big names can have even bigger secrets.
Sorting through stale baguettes, pétanque balls, and boxes of chocolates, I don’t have much time to find out which secret is worth killing for. Once the actors return to America, I might never catch the killer…
Second Hand Murder
A murder too close to home.
After successfully solving several Beaujolais murders, I’m ready to hang up my deerstalker and focus on my photography business. A champagne party seems like the perfect way to find new clients!
But my assistant is attacked, this heatwave just won’t end, and to top it all off, my criminal ex-husband shows up on my doorstep asking for my help. Moments after I've slammed the door in his face, one of my guests is murdered in my own home, and with my own shoe!
All fingers point to my ex, but I’m not so sure. Could it have been one of the other guests? And who keeps making these attempts on my life? This murderer is getting too close, and I can’t think straight! I will need the help of friends both new and old if I’m to solve this case. Because if I don’t, it just might be my last.