This ARC was courtesy of netgalley - the below thoughts and opinions are mine and unbiased

This is the second book of a series. I haven't read the first book but feel this can be read as a standalone book well

I really enjoyed this. Well written, I loved the characters and the setting is just lush

The author's use of humour works really well too

I really struggled with this book. I liked the descriptions of the location in France but I could not get on with the characters.

I really enjoyed Frankie and wished she had been introduced earlier on as I was frustrated by the other characters, they weren't likeable and also didn't add much. Also it's 2019 why was being a feminist so bad?! I felt some of the negative characters really detracted from the story line which just wasn't that believable to me.

I hadn't read the previous book so maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I had.

Thank you to netgalley for giving me an advanced reader copy.

This is the second book in the Penelope Kite series, it follows Death In Provence. Although part of a series, this is can easily be read as a standalone.

This was a really enjoyable read, as I got immersed into Penelope’s world. The descriptions of Provence are just beautiful, so evocative of the area. This book sees Penelope trying to solve the murder of Roland Doncaster, a painter in Avignon, who chokes on an almond stuffed olive.

I really enjoyed this book, it is well written and very funny.

I thoroughly enjoyed this captivating story set against a rural French backdrop to provide endless descriptions of beauty and rustic charm. The story pulled me in with its wit and intrigue and I was hooked until the concluding page.

Penny has done it again! Found herself at the heart of yet another murder investigation and channelling her inner Jessica Fletcher she sets off to solve the mystery. This investigation whisks us away on a whirlwind journey of art forgery, smuggling and murder and I simply couldn't get enough of this stunning story.

The characters were quirky with endless amounts of wit and colourful appeal. I fell in love with the cast as a whole and felt that they added something special to the story. Now let's talk about the delectable descriptions of food and wine that graced the pages of this book.....my mouth was watering at the turn of each and every page and I had to do everything in my Slimming World power not to pounce on the nearest croissant in my reach. Highly unfair but oh so sumptuous at the same time.

This book is bursting with endless amounts of fun, suspense and adventure and I feel it is the perfect read to settle down with on these warm summer nights......but don't forget that all important glass of wine. I loved everything about this book and I know you will too.

The second in the Penelope Kite mysteries - following on from 'Death In Provence' - and Penelope is settling into her new life in France. Despite the sultry Summer evenings, glorious sunshine, chilled rose and long hazy days some form of evil is brewing and Penelope finds herself once again turning amateur sleuth. Engaging, entertaining and very amusing with a likeable protagonist and a colourful, eccentric cast of characters. Ideal holiday reading - from your armchair or otherwise.

Penny has moved to France, for a new life after her divorce….

She has friends, the ‘sharp’ Clemence is chic and glamorous, takes Penny to Museums, Art Galleries and music events……the handsome Mayor, Laurent is a possible romance too and the marvellous Frankie brings some humour…

One evening at an art exhibition, an artist, Roland Galbraith Doncaster ‘Don’, collapses and later dies…..the police investigate this as a suspicious death….Penny had previously investigated a suspicious death (previous book) and she is again drawn into the mystery…

She had worked for the Home Office in Forensic Pathology, so she believes Don May have been poisoned!!

And so the investigation begins, with art forgery, smuggling and murder….all set in a marvellously idyllic lifestyle of rural France, with deliciously described food, wine and pastries….made my tummy rumble more than once..

There’s the chaos of Penny’s family arriving, a disagreeable police officer and a budding romance which makes this an absolutely charming cosy crime mystery. It has a clever plot and likeable, well drawn characters and a satisfying end…….one to enjoy, relaxing in the sunshine with a glass of wine…

Thank you to The publishers, the author and NetGalley for a free copy of the ebook. This is my honest, unbiased review.

In the first book of the series, Death in Provence, we meet Penelope Kite a woman who leaves England to move to France where she has bought an old farm to renovate. Here she finds herself involved in the investigation of a murder. In this second novel, in true Jessica Fletcher style, Penelope stumbles again in a murder during an art gallery opening when one of the artists is killed right in front of her. Unable to let it go, Penelope starts her own investigation with the help of her former estate agent and now friend Clemence, her larger-than-life best friend Frankie, and her possible love interest Laurent, the Major of St Merlot.

In DEATH IN AVIGNON, we meet again some of the quirky and entertaining characters we met in the first novel and we are introduced to new ones. We find out more about Penelope, about her past, about her family. Her good-natured and inquisitive character make people confide in her, sometimes without realising it, and we see her putting herself in danger once again to solve a murder.

I loved the beautiful descriptions of Providence, so detailed, evocative, and realistic. And let’s talk about the food and the wine. My mouth was literally watering as, page after page, I read about croissant, cheese, and much more.

Twists and surprises that I didn’t see coming go perfectly along with the comedy of some of the situations Penelope finds herself in. A story of intrigue, jealousy, and friendship DEATH IN AVIGNON is the new refreshing, entertaining, and suspenseful novel by the husband-and-wife writing duo, Deborah Lawrenson and Rob Rees, and I am already looking forward to book number 3!

A very good cosy mystery: it's engrossing, entertaining and you cannot help liking Penelope.
The descriptions of Provence make you crave to be there and those of food are mouthwatering.
The cast of characters is likable and well written, the plot flows flawlessly and it keeps you hooked.
I didn't read the first installment in this series but I hadn't any issue with the plot and the characters.
The mystery was good, no plot hole, and it kept me guessing till the end.
It's a lovely book and I look forward to reading the next installment in this series.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

One thing that I have going for me at this time is that despite picking up books with a similar tone, the contents of the stories and the rich layered backgrounds are making for interesting reading. 

This particular book was no different, in being different that is. The entire book is set in France and the love that the lead protagonist feels for her new life is very vividly described. We meet middle-aged, step-grandmother to young kids Penny Kite. This is the second book of the series but we get a good dose of information regarding the previous case and all the people involved. The characters were all not remarkably likeable: the children are selfish and mean, the local friend is catty for the most part, the love interest is distracted and does not say much, Penny is self-conscious constantly and even the good friend embarrasses her more than helps her. One of these things and not all added to the times that all of the above characters behaved well would have been nicer. The case was solid and well done. The reasoning will not be obvious until the players start to describe it themselves. 

If I was not bogged down by all the negativity floating around (something which I cannot deny makes it more authentic and possible), I would have enjoyed it more. I read it slower than others trying to ensure I was not letting the speed of the tale influence my reactions. I would recommend this to those people looking for a cozy mystery without quirky characters, just realistic ones and a more intricate case than usual.

Penelope Kite enjoys her decision of leaving her old life behind and moving to Provence. However, trouble seems to follow our Penny around and during a very usual art exhibition that she's attending one artist is taken ill. He dies in hospital few days later. But it is only the beginning of further dead bodies, people going missing and smuggled art and Penelope finds herself in the centre of this all. Her old habits outweigh her common sense again and she starts to investigate. In the meantime, her whole family comes to visit and then Frankie to help her with the investigations, again against the recommendations of Penny's nemesis, police chef Georges Reyssens.

It was another brilliant, light and quick cosy crime authored by Serena Kent. It is a second book in the Penelope Kite series, but to be totally honest, it doesn't matter too much if you have read the first book or not, there are enough cameos and references to what has happened, and the characters actually stay the same. Though I'd really advise you to read "Death in Provence" because it was simply another great and entertaining read.

Serena Kent is a dazzling story - teller and her writing style is engaging, welcoming and chatty. She knows well when to loosen up the atmosphere and when to put a red herring to make the story even more complex and thrilling. It is also humorous and more than once a sentence or innocently dropped word or two made me chuckling to myself. The descriptions of the landscape, setting and food are long and very detailed but they are vivid, beautiful and bring all the things to life easily and effortlessly.

The characters are so well developed and feel very realistic, really, like breathing and living people. The banter between them is flawless and effortless, actually everything in this book seems to simply flow seamlessly, and it is a great feeling. Because not many new characters are introduced in this book, I felt like coming back to a group of my old mates and beginning right where we have ended our last adventure. Penelope, as usual, soon finds out that there is more to the deaths as initially supposed and with police that's not so willing to cooperate, she has to use her skills she's learnt as a former forensic pathologist's assistant. Who did it? And why?

"Death in Avignon" was a breezy, light - hearted read, a perfect escapism that you're going to enjoy on an evening or two, with a glass of wine. Or two. It has such a relaxing feeling to it, flawlessly transporting you to the autumnal and wintry Provence. Even though it deals with murder and some dead bodies there is a lightness to it, humour and sparkling, clever sarcasm and irony. There are many possible killers in this story, and it was absolutely brilliant, to read about their motives, trying to make a guess and - of course - not guessing. But that's me, the super - detective. So pour yourself this above mentioned glass of wine, grab a croissant and prepare yourself for a fantastic visit to France, with a murder or two as a bonus. Truly recommended!

This is a book to enjoy and let transport you to the French Provence, with murder included, but this always makes the trip more interesting! Unless you are the victim or the killer of course… 😉
This is a quite interesting case, Penelope Kite and her group of friends will be involved in a mysterious death of a famous painter; with so many enemies that it will be difficult to discover what has happened. But of course Penelope can not stay away of a good mystery and will start asking questions because when your friends are investigated you have to do anything to save them, am I right?
I have to admit that I love a good murder, but if the story happens in a small village full of interesting characters, then the read is a delight! I always love when the story is full of possible killers and you can make your guesses and possible motives on your head thanks to the hints that are dropped on the book. Who doesn’t love a good riddle?
This is the second book of the Penelope Kite series, but you can follow the characters and the story perfectly; but the friendship and glamour of the story will make you want to read the first book too!
If you are looking for a book to enjoy and make you travel around to France, this is your perfect murder, ready?

This is a light, quick murder mystery, perfect for summer – and a nice relief from well-intentioned literary fiction or, frankly, the depressing state of the world right now. I hadn’t read the first in this series, but to be honest I don’t think that matters; there are enough references to it to get the gist of what happened and who the main characters are without necessarily feeling that you are missing out on much.

Penelope Kite has settled into her new life in Provence, having separated from her husband, and is now, in her early 50s, enjoying her dream. In the first book of the series a man was apparently found drowned in her swimming pool; here, a man is taken ill at an art exhibition that she is attending. Trouble seems to follow Penny around, of course! What follows is a tale of art forgery and smuggling that draws in various nefarious characters in the area, as Penny locks horns with her nemesis in the police department, Georges Reyssens. In the midst of her investigations Penny’s children descend on her farmhouse and provide a series of family set-pieces which set a domestic tone to the book. As Penny investigates, the bodies start to pile up and, ably assisted by her best friend Frankie, who also comes to visit, and other local characters, the plot is unravelled and all’s well that ends well.

Come to this with an open mind and a sense of escapism and readers will definitely enjoy this cozyesque murder mystery. There are elements of Martin Walker’s Bruno series with long, detailed descriptions of the local food, and there is a sense of the Brit abroad that made Peter Mayle’s books so popular. It’s a bright, breezy book that doesn’t take itself too seriously and allows the reader to spot the clues whilst just relaxing into the undemanding warmth of a Provencal autumn. It all slips down rather nicely, like a good glass of wine.

(With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.)