The French Village Diaries: July 2025

Sunday, July 20, 2025

Book review of The Case of the Body on the Orient Express by Kelly Oliver

French Village Diaries book review The Case of the Body on the Orient Express Kelly Oliver

The Case of the Body on the Orient Express by Kelly Oliver

Paris, 1928: Agatha Christie and fellow writer Dorothy L Sayers board the Orient Express, bound for Constantinople. Christie in particular is looking forward to a break from recent dispiriting events in both her work and private life – the finalisation of her divorce from her philanderous husband Archie, and the miserly reception of her latest book.

But before the duo can settle in to enjoy the luxuries of their first-class journey, their journey is derailed when a fellow guest drops dead during the dinner service. And as the last person to speak to the victim, Dorothy finds herself a prime suspect in his murder.

As the train hurtles East, Sayers’ resourceful assistant Eliza and her friend Theo must navigate a maze of suspects. But with each passing mile, the stakes rise, and when another body is discovered, their search to find the killer before they reach their destination becomes increasingly complicated.

Can Eliza and Theo stay one step ahead, crack the mystery and clear Dorothy’s name? Or will this be one journey too far for the amateur sleuths?

The Case of the Body on the Orient Express by Kelly Oliver

My review

I reached the end of this book and couldn’t decide what my favourite part of it was. With the vivid descriptions of the opulent setting of the Orient Express, the menus served in the dining car and the characters found on board, it felt like I was there. Then there were the mysterious circumstances surrounding the deaths to be solved that certainly got my brain ticking, as old flames and forgotten faces from the past all found themselves on the same train heading to Constantinople. But then there was Eliza, a woman to be admired and not messed with. She won me over from the moment she casually mentioned her forensics kit was included in her modest luggage for the journey to Constantinople with her employer Dorothy L Sayers. She had a mysterious and intriguing past that I couldn’t wait to discover.

The Case of the Body on the Orient Express by Kelly Oliver

This book was also fully loaded with a rich cast of characters including George Orwell and Agatha Christie who were perfectly matched with the opulent setting of the Orient Express. I was so happy to board this train, and I really didn’t want the journey to end.

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Ebook – all digital retailers

Kelly Oliver

Author Bio

Kelly Oliver is the award-winning, bestselling author of three mysteries series: The Jessica James Mysteries, The Pet Detective Mysteries, and the historical cozies The Fiona Figg Mysteries, set in WW1. She is also the Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University and lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

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The Case of the Body on the Orient Express by Kelly Oliver

Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Book review of The Village Café in the Loire by Gillian Harvey

French Village Diaries book review The Village Cafe in the Loire Gillian Harvey

The Village Café in the Loire by Gillian Harvey

The Village Café in the Loire by Gillian Harvey

High-flyer Becky Thorne cannot believe what she’s being told. She doesn’t need to be signed off for burnout! Life has been a bit chaotic lately, that’s all. As if dealing with her enviable job and permanent meddling from her mother aren’t enough, she’s also inherited a café in the Loire from an estranged great-aunt, complete with sitting tenant who refuses to budge.

But nobody stands in Becky’s way! Ignoring her best friend Amber’s advice, she decides to storm over to France and sort the tenant out. Then she can finally get the café sold and jump back on the career ladder.

What she doesn’t count on is the tenant being Pascale, who is six feet of tall, dark, handsome and extremely grumpy about her plans for change. Not to mention the village and the secrets it holds about her past.

Becky’s path to success is all planned out. But the Loire has a magic she might not be able to resist…

The Village Café in the Loire by Gillian Harvey

My review

It was a delight to be back in a Gillian Harvey novel wondering just where she will take me this time. Despite this being the ninth book of hers that I have read, the variety of characters, locations and emotional situations that she creates means there is always a surprise in store and this book was no exception.

Becky was a tough one to love at the beginning. Her life was fast-paced, and success was all that mattered, so much so that taking the time to notice what was going on for those around her didn’t register on her radar. She had the job of her dreams and thanks to the inheritance of a café in the Loire, she now had the money for the flat of her dreams in London too. When things began to crumble in her perfect life, sitting still wasn’t an option, so she arrived in France, a whirlwind of energy who was determined to sell the café and grab the money she needed as soon as possible.

The Village Café in the Loire by Gillian Harvey

Life in the little town of Vaudrelle in the Loire ticked over at a much slower pace than Becky was used to. She had no option but to put her brakes on and learn to slow down, allowing long-buried emotions the headspace she had denied them for years. Once she got over the initial frustration, she discovered there was something rather special about the café her great aunt Maud had run and the life she had made for herself in France.

Learning Maud’s secret and the conditions behind her inheritance was a wake-up call that led Becky to rethink certain parts of her life. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, laughed at a lot of the ‘French’ situations Becky found herself in and loved that a bit of rural French magic wove its way into her life.

This is another heart lifting novel from Gillian Harvey to add to your summer reading list.

Purchase links

Amazon link

Ebook – all digital retailers

Gillian Harvey

Author Bio

Gillian Harvey is an author and freelance writer who lives in Norfolk. Her novels, including the bestselling A Year at the French Farmhouse and The Riviera House Swap, are often set in France, where she lived for 14 years.

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The Village Café in the Loire by Gillian Harvey

You can read my reviews of some of Gillian Harvey’s other fabulous novels here:

Midnight in Paris

The Little Provence Book Shop

The Riviera House Swap

The Bordeaux Book Club

A Month in Provence

The French Chateau Escape

One French Summer

A Year at the French Farmhouse

Saturday, July 5, 2025

Book review of The Magic of Provence by Alison Roberts

French Village Diaries book review The Magic of Provence Alison Roberts

The Magic of Provence by Alison Roberts

The Magic of Provence by Alison Roberts

Sometimes facing your fears can be the start of something wonderful

Fiona Gilchrist has spent years running from her demons. But deciding to take back control, she packs up her life and makes the trip to Provence to be reunited with her sisters. And almost instantly, there is something about La Maisonette which is healing and Fi knows she’s ready for a chance to start again.

When an opportunity arises to work alongside vet Christophe Brabant, Fi, although hesitant cannot resist saying yes. Because immersing herself in what she loves is the ultimate distraction. And while Christophe may be utterly charming, he’s also committed to his job so Fi knows she’s in safe hands. Yet, what starts as a blossoming friendship quickly turns to something deeper. Because for the first time in her life, Fi begins to feel relaxed and completely at ease. Could it be that Christophe’s heart is more like hers than she realises? Or has she allowed him to penetrate the boundaries she always considered unbreachable?

Coming to France took a leap of faith, but in doing so it has allowed these two damaged souls a chance to find each other while Provence works its magic…

The Magic of Provence by Alison Roberts

My review

I was equally as delighted to step into this third book about the Gilchrist sisters in Provence, as I was sad that it was the final one in the trilogy. Having loved the previous two, I’d been waiting for this book, and I wasn’t disappointed, despite Fiona having made only fleeting appearances in the previous two books.

As her past traumas were revealed, it didn’t take me long to understand the reasons why she’d put so much distance between herself and her family, and a character who I’d initially found cold and aloof, began to soften. All that was left was for me to get comfy, dive between the pages and wait for the magic of Provence to start to heal her broken heart. The fact that the healing process included a rather attractive French vet and an abandoned donkey foal, was just the icing on the cake. Family also plays an important role in this emotional novel, not just in the main storyline of the three sisters, but also in some of the subplots.

The Magic of Provence by Alison Roberts

What I will take most from these books, aside from the strong characters and sparks of chemistry, is the absolute love for this part of France that Alison Roberts obviously has. She has a great talent to be able to drop in snippets of French culture and customs, as well as describing postcard vistas of Provencal villages, all while keeping the main storyline flowing.

Reading this trilogy will make you feel like you’ve had the most wonderful holiday in Provence and I can’t think of a better way to spend a summer.