Tinker's Cove, Maine has been the setting of over twenty murders in the Lucy Stone series, so to give the small town a break and keep that pesky title of "Most Violent City in the USA" in Detroit or St. Louis, Meier's newest novel is set in Paris. Lucy and her three best friends have been given a two-week all expenses paid trip to Paris with their husbands by Norah (think Oprah) for their philanthropic work for the town. The trip includes a week of cooking classes by Chef Larry, a young and charming pastry chef. When Chef Larry is brutally murdered after one of the classes, and Lucy finds the body, the group is questioned and forced to give up their passports until the authorities are satisfied with their findings. Faced with an extended stay in Paris, Lucy decides to solve the murder so they can go home as planned. Lucy's daughter, Elizabeth, is working at a luxury hotel in Paris and helps her mother figure out what's going on.
Meier highlights the differences between our legal system and France's and what Americans sometimes take for granted. She also touches on the cultural differences between the two countries. Her characters sometimes take on the persona of the "ugly American" but not until they are threatened with being held indefinitely with no legal recourse.
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