The French Paradox

(Hardback, Large Print Edition)

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Description

Lucie Montgomery's discovery of her grandfather's Parisian romance unlocks a series of shocking secrets in the gripping new Wine Country mystery.

In 1949, during her junior year abroad in Paris, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis bought several inexpensive paintings of Marie-Antoinette by a little-known 18th century female artist. She also had a romantic relationship with Virginia vineyard owner Lucie Montgomery's French grandfather - until recently, a well-kept secret.

Seventy years later, Cricket Delacroix, Lucie's neighbor and Jackie's schoolfriend, is donating the now priceless paintings to a Washington, DC museum. And Lucie's grandfather is flying to Virginia for Cricket's 90th birthday party, hosted by her daughter Harriet. A washed-up journalist, Harriet is rewriting a manuscript Jackie left behind about Marie-Antoinette and her portraitist. She's also adding tell-all details about Jackie, sure to make the book a bestseller.

Then on the eve of the party a world-famous landscape designer who also knew Jackie is found dead in Lucie's vineyard. Did someone make good on the death threats he'd received because of his controversial book on climate change Or was his murder tied to Jackie, the paintings, and Lucie's beloved grandfather

Reviews

Intriguing . Well-researched historical details bolster the complex plot. This tale of ambition, artistic integrity, privacy, and wine should win Crosby new fans * * Publishers Weekly * *
Imagined revelations about Jacqueline Kennedy's early life provide a brilliant background for a tale of treachery and deceit . The lifestyles of the rich and famous dovetail neatly with art history in Crosby's newest character-driven mystery * * Kirkus Reviews * *
Entwined with fascinating facts about wine and winemaking, this satisfying addition to the series will please oenophiles * * Booklist on The Angels' Share * *
Wine lore and mystery, both historical and modern, combine in an enthralling read * * Kirkus Reviews on The Angels' Share * *
Crisp and elegant ... The disparate plot threads come together in an exciting and satisfying conclusion. Crosby knows how to keep the reader guessing * * Publishers Weekly on The Angels' Share * *
A corker of an entry in a series that often pairs fascinating historical mysteries with clever modern ones * * Kirkus Reviews on Harvest of Secrets * *
Crosby is a steady hand in unraveling the tangled subplots, and she populates Lucie's world with sympathetic secondary characters who come fully alive. Fans of contemporary regional mysteries will be well satisfied * * Publishers Weekly on Harvest of Secrets * *

Author Bio

Ellen Crosby is a former reporter for the Washington Post and foreign correspondent for ABC News Radio. She has spent many years overseas in Europe, but now lives in Virginia with her husband and three sons. She is the author of ten previous Wine Country mysteries.

ellencrosby.com