Leslie Meier’s French Pastry Murder: My Cozy Reading Escape to Paris (By Hani)

 

Let me paint you a picture: you're in Paris, the Eiffel Tower is sparkling, you're surrounded by flaky pastries and fancy people who can pronounce “pain au chocolat” without sounding like they’re choking on their own tongue… and BAM — someone gets murdered.

Welcome to French Pastry Murder by Leslie Meier, where baguettes and bodies collide.

Wait... Murder in Paris?

Yup. And not just any murder. A pastry chef is found dead. Let that sink in. Someone had the audacity to kill the guy responsible for making buttery, custardy magic. Honestly, that should be the real crime.

But back up a little — this is the 21st (yes, twenty-first) book in the Lucy Stone mystery series. Don’t worry if you haven’t read the others. I hadn’t either, and I followed just fine. All you need to know is: Lucy is a journalist/mom/amateur sleuth from a small town in Maine who somehow keeps stumbling over dead bodies like it’s her part-time job.

In this installment, Lucy and her pals are gifted a free trip to Paris. (Where are these friends in my life?) They’re all set to sip espresso, admire architecture, and gain five happy pastry pounds. But then — dun dun dunnn — the murder happens, and one of their own gets accused.

Cue Lucy turning into the most wholesome detective you've ever met.

Things I Loved (Besides the Food)

  1. Lucy is all of us. She’s not a super-sleuth with a trench coat and a magnifying glass. She’s basically that one friend who notices everything and low-key knows your secrets before you do. Her approach to solving a murder is about 40% intuition, 30% coffee, and 30% “Oh no, I’m probably breaking a law right now.”

  2. The Paris setting is a vibe. There’s enough Parisian flair to make you want to book a flight — or at least walk to the nearest bakery and pretend. But it’s not overly romanticized. There’s a bit of culture shock, a lot of “wait, what did that waiter just say?” moments, and some fun with how Americans really do stick out sometimes. (Spoiler: it’s the sneakers.)

  3. Food descriptions that made me feel personally attacked. Every few pages, someone’s biting into something golden and flaky, and I’m over here with my sad cup of coffee and a half-eaten Veg sandwich. Don’t read this book hungry. Or do. Just have snacks ready.

Things That Made Me Laugh (On Purpose and Accidentally)

  • Lucy’s inner monologue. She’s constantly worried about being polite while literally poking around crime scenes. It’s like Miss Marple with social anxiety.

  • From Whitby to Paris: wholesome chaos. Picture your most earnest Whitby cousin ordering steak tartare, thinking it’s just fancy hamburger, then pretending they totally meant to eat it raw. That energy.

  • The whole “we’re solving a murder, but also let’s shop for scarves” vibe. Because, you know, balance.

Would I Recommend It?

If you love cozy mysteries, YES. If you love Paris, YES. If you love food, YES. If you’re looking for A dark crime story with tough detectives and heavy moral struggles… absolutely not. This is the book equivalent of a warm blanket and a cookie with a knife hidden inside. In the best way.

Final Thoughts

French Pastry Murder feels like a cozy Hallmark movie—until someone gets killed. — but still somehow stayed adorable. Lucy Stone is the kind of heroine you root for not because she’s perfect, but because she’s real. She’s nosy. She’s kind. And she’s really bad at letting murder go unsolved.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to find a croissant and look suspiciously at everyone around me. You know, just in case.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 flakey pastry stars 🥐🔪💁‍♀️


Want to dive deeper into the mood of the book? Check out my Pinterest board ‘Pastries & Paris Murder Mystery Vibes’ for cozy crime + croissant inspiration!”

https://pin.it/2yvLdqmcw


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