The Maggie Newberry Books in Order by Susan Kiernan-Lewis
Murder in France!
What is The Maggie Newberry series about?
Coming from American author Susan Kiernan-Lewis, The Maggie Newberry series is taking us to France and there’re murders on the menu.
This cozy mystery series is about an American ex-pat named Maggie Newberry who lives on a vineyard in the south of France… and she solves mysteries.
Kiernan-Lewis is also writing more series set in France with The Claire Baskerville Mysteries and the Stranded in Provence Mysteries, but also the dystopian series Irish End Game, and more.
The Maggie Newberry Books in Order:
Every book in the Maggie Newberry series works as a standalone story, but the lives of the different characters evolve from one novel to the other.
- Murder in the South of France (2012)
- Murder a La Carte (2010)
- Murder in Provence (2011)
- Murder in Paris (2013)
- Murder in Aix (2013)
- Murder in Nice (2014)
- Murder in the Latin Quarter (2015)
- Murder in the Abbey (2016)
- Murder in the Bistro (2016)
- A Provençal Christmas (novella)
- Murder in Cannes (2017)
- Murder in Grenoble (2018)
- Murder in the Vineyard (2018)
- A Thanksgiving in Provence (novella)
- Murder in Arles (2019)
- Murder in Marseille (2019)
- Murder in Saint-Remy (2019)
- Murder a la Mode (2020)
- Murder in Avignon (2020)
- Murder in the Lavender (2021)
- Murder in Mont-St-Michel (2021)
- Murder in the Village (2022)
- Murder in St-Tropez (2022)
- Murder in Grasse (2023)
- Murder in Monaco (2023)
What is the plot of the Maggie Newberry stories?
For more information about the books in the Maggie Newberry series by Susan Kiernan-Lewis, you’ll find below the official synopsis for all the books:
Murder in the South of France (aka Murder On the Cote D’azur) – When Maggie Newberry’s sister is murdered on the French Riviera, Maggie flies to the south of France to bring home her body. When she arrives in France she makes the shocking discovery that her sister had a child that no one in the family knew about-and finds a mystery that’s much bigger and more insidious than one dead American. As Maggie digs deeper for the answers to what really happened to her sister she runs up against a danger that not only threatens her own life and that of the child’s and even the lives of her family back home in the States.
Murder à La Carte – When her boyfriend inherits an ancient vineyard in France, Maggie Newberry quits her job in Atlanta to accompany him for a year abroad. They settle in the tiny village of St-Buvard, but murder has gone long before them and follows close behind. Murder a la Carte brings Atlanta copywriter Maggie Newberry to the brink of two connected murders-both committed in her home-and both poised to threaten everything she holds dear. When Maggie agrees to move to France with her boyfriend-a French ex-confidence man who has just inherited a house and vineyard-she doesn’t expect her year of French market shopping and weekend trips to Paris to be interrupted by a vicious murder in her living room. Or that the bloody violence that occurred on their front doorstep sixty years earlier after the end of the Second World War might be connected.
Murder in Provence – A year spent living in the south of France is not all it’s cracked up to be-especially when you have no job, a prickly first year of marriage, and your new BFF is murdered virtually before your eyes. Maggie Newberry is determined to help the investigations into Brigitte’s murder even if the incredibly sexy and very available French police detective on the case can only complicate her life in every possible way. Murder in Provence is set in the ancient city of Arles and, like the other books in the series, showcases the sights and mouthwatering cuisine of Provence-with a healthy dash of murder.
Murder in Paris – For a woman who loves fashion, there is no place on earth more exciting than Paris where the clothes are to die for and everyone you meet is dressed to kill. Maggie’s visit to the City of Light during Paris Fashion Week turns into a nightmare when she witnesses a murder in her own family. Determined to find out who the killer is-before her husband’s patience and her marriage expires-Maggie steps into a glittering world of fashion as cutthroat and vicious as any drug cartel. It could be Maggie’s grandest hour–if she can survive it. This book takes Maggie back to Paris for a very personal sojourn. This time it’s all on the line for our intrepid expatriate-with a murder that happens close to her-and for a reason that not even the deceased’s nearest and dearest would ever suspect.
Murder in Aix – Life is good indeed, especially if you’re a thirty-something expat living in an area of Provence where people would kill to live. And do! When Maggie’s new best friend is arrested for murder Maggie is determined to find the real culprit. Trouble is, there are a few roadblocks in her way, like an old friend on the verge of divorce who’s chosen Maggie’s house to have her nervous breakdown in, an ex-paramour who has the power to make Maggie’s life miserable-and does-and oh, yes, a killer as warped and determined as any Maggie has encountered in her four years living in France.
Murder in Nice – The French Riviera is the ultimate travel destination…unless murder is on the itinerary. When an old high school friend is murdered on the Côte d’Azur while auditioning for the hit TV travel show “Americans See Europe,” Maggie is forced to break away from village life and new motherhood to find the killer. Her sleuthing takes her from the sun-drenched beaches of Saint-Tropez to the cafes and backstreets of Arles, across lavender fields and stunning medieval ruins and straight into the evil hands of her most diabolical adversary yet. Can Maggie find her friend’s killer before an innocent man pays for the crime? And can she do it without paying the ultimate price herself?
Murder in the Latin Quarter – Maggie’s much anticipated Paris holiday takes a dark turn when she ventures into the city’s famed Latin Quarter to visit Laurent’s ailing aunt-only to find a very healthy aunt and a very dead body. Does the murder have something to do with Aunt Delphine? Was she the intended victim? With her new baby daughter in tow, Maggie struggles to find the answers. In the process, she learns more about Laurent’s family-and stumbles across a terrible secret that would tempt anybody to commit murder. Can Maggie find the murderer without destroying the Dernier family name?
Murder in the Abbey – Situated in the rolling hills of England’s pastoral Cotswolds, the Abbey is a charming Bed & Breakfast allowing its guests to taste the pleasures of rank and prestige from a bygone era-until murder slams face first onto its welcome mat. When the victim turns out to be someone close to both Maggie and Laurent, they leave their vineyard in France to say goodbye-and to find out why. Once in England, they discover that the tranquil countryside of Shelley and Wadsworth can be every bit as treacherous as the most sinister souk in the backstreets of Marseilles. What Maggie also discovers is that if she ever hopes to be able to live with herself-or face Laurent with her own guilt-she’ll need to find the killer…
Murder in the Bistro – Is there a connection between the cat found napping in the flour barrel of the newest bistro and the dead American chef in the meat freezer? When it comes to Maggie Newberry and the cranky villagers of St-Buvard, how could there not be? Once more back in Provence, Maggie finds her hands full with village politics ratcheting up to nuclear level, her BFF back on her living room couch-this time with a snotty teenager in tow-and a full blown riot developing over the brand new American-owned bistro. When the fractious American chef ends up dead, Maggie will need to find out who killed her-and fast-before the chef’s killer decides that two dead Americans in the village are better than one.
A Provençal Christmas (novella) – It’s Christmas in St-Buvard where Maggie and Laurent are home in Provence for the holiday for first time ever. When Danielle gives the Dernier children a mysterious old Advent calendar, things begin to happen that drive Maggie to the unmistakable conclusion that Christmas in Provence is different than anywhere else.
Murder in Cannes – Summer on the Côte d’Azur means tan bodies, wide beaches and glamorous nightclubs throbbing with the vitality of the rich and beautiful. So when Maggie Newberry arranges to meet an old boyfriend at the International Advertising Festival in Cannes, it’s no surprise she begins to feel the seduction of her old life. But amidst the glamor, beautiful clothes and brilliant creative work on display, there is also the side of the business Maggie had forgotten was always there too. The petty rivalries, the dirty deals, the betrayals, are all still front and center. When the back-stabbing turns literal and the wife of Maggie’s childhood friend is accused of the murder, Maggie knows she has to help. Along the way she needs to fight the police, Laurent, and even her own natural instincts about who she is now and the life she left behind.
Murder in Grenoble – Maggie and Grace’s plan to work out their differences at a charming ski resort in Grenoble takes a deadly nose-dive when they become trapped by an avalanche with ten people–one of whom is a cold-blooded murderer. Will the two of them make up in time to uncover who the killer is before he or she systematically makes his way through the guest roster, one murder at a time?
Murder in the Vineyard – Life in Provence was just settling down for American ex-pat Maggie Newberry when a dead body shows up in her vineyard…with a knife in its back. Curious to learn about who the victim is, Maggie’s motivation skyrockets when her husband Laurent is arrested for the murder. With the evidence piling up against Laurent by the day, and witness after witness coming forward to swear he is the killer, can Maggie find the real murderer and will she find the cabal behind the campaign to send Laurent to prison for life? And can she do it before her life and those of her dear ones come crashing down around her?
A Thanksgiving in Provence (novella) – This year’s Provencal Thanksgiving at Maggie and Laurent’s is not the usual mail-order turkey and hard-to-find cranberry sauce. When unexpected and decidedly unpleasant dinner guests arrive equipped with an agenda at the traditional American feast, Maggie is faced with a shocking discovery that threatens to not only ruin the holiday for everyone-but destroy the very fabric of treasured friendships for years to come.
Murder in Arles – Once an arena for gladiators and wild beasts, the Arles Amphitheatre today is a popular tourist attraction-except when it is a setting for murder When an afternoon flea market held in the Roman ruin spells mortal ruin for one poor soul the police have good reason not to care who killed him. But because Maggie’s small son was nearby when the murder occurred, Maggie can’t let it go-even if it means following and unraveling the tangle of lies and secrets to find the truth–and forever upsetting the happy balance of life at Domaine St-Buvard in the process.
Murder in Marseille – When the dead body of one of Marseille’s most corrupt politicians is found stuffed in Maggie’s car trunk it creates a bubbling stew of deception, betrayal and revenge. Is there a connection between the victim and Maggie? Her family? Or is this a message for Laurent as a result of his nefarious history of crime and misdeeds? Even worse, a devastating family secret that Laurent and Maggie have spent the last twelve years hiding is shockingly revealed to the world, putting everything they have-as well as everyone they love-in immediate jeopardy.
Murder in Saint-Remy – Some say that Saint-Rémy-de-Provence is the most beautiful village in all of France. That’s especially true at Christmastime when the scent of baked gingerbread mingles with the fragrance of evergreen boughs and wafts deliciously through the village’s quaint cobblestone lanes. It’s hard to believe anything sinister could be waiting in any of its many charming streets and alleyways. But when American ex-pat Maggie Newberry finds a pregnant, homeless teenager there she’s thrust into a whirling maelstrom of enmity and treachery that quickly reveals in devastating clarity that not all families are created equal. In fact, some are so badly damaged nothing can fix them.
Murder a la Mode – With the wine harvest behind them, things had just started to calm down for Maggie and Laurent in their French village of Saint-Buvard when a team of celebrity judges arrives to put on a contest to decide in a blind taste test which country makes the best pastries-the Brits, the Americans, the Germans or the French. When one of the contestants ends up stabbed to death, the suspect is a friend. Maggie will need to find a way past the woman’s obvious motive and the damning circumstantial evidence to free her-without putting herself or Laurent in the hot seat in the process.
Murder in Avignon – When a popular actress is killed during Avignon’s famous summer theater festival, all the evidence points to the police needing a fast resolution–regardless of the truth. It will be up to Maggie to find the killer who wanted the city’s most popular actress dead-and before he turns his attention on her. As Maggie desperately scours this beautiful medieval city for clues to uncover the killer’s identity it soon becomes clear that failing will put her center stage with her most ruthless adversary yet–with the final curtain about to come crashing down on everything she holds dear.
Murder in the Lavender – When a young homeless girl is found dead in the lavender field she was hired to harvest a friend of Laurent’s is arrested for her murder. In spite of her personal misgivings, Maggie promises her husband to work with the local authorities to either clear Rochelle or find the real killer.
When Maggie begins to look closer into the business of lavender production it soon becomes clear that much more sinister forces are at play than drawer sachets and soap.
Will Maggie listen to the facts or what her gut is telling her about the crime?
Murder in Mont-St-Michel – Situated off the Normandy coast, Mont-Saint Michel has been many things in its history: a prison, a siege fortress and an abbey. When Maggie and Laurent-who are struggling with the revelation of a family secret that threatens their marriage-take part in a couples’ counseling weekend on the island they are thrust head first into the setting for a brutal double murder. Because a once-in-a-century storm is bearing down on the island preventing communication with the outside world, their small group of six is trapped on the island-with a murderer. And the clock is ticking. Maggie has only one night to find the killer-and elicit a confession-before the police arrive and go with the obvious evidence-all of which points directly at Laurent.
Murder in the Village – A series of malicious poison pen letters leads Maggie into a writhing snakepit of revenge, spitefulness, and murder. When the village cheese seller is shot to death, an easy scapegoat is found on the strength of the vicious lies in the letters. Maggie knows what small-minded villagers are capable of-especially when a decades-old grievance is at the heart of the bitterness. If she doesn’t work fast, the festering resentment could very well send an innocent woman to prison for a murder she didn’t commit.
Murder in St-Tropez – Maggie and her vintner husband Laurent are long overdue for a real vacation. So with the harvest in their Provençal vineyard over, they’ve slipped away to the jewel in the Cote d’Azur-St-Tropez-for a week of sunning, shopping, and…reconnecting. Unfortunately, St-Tropez was more than just fun in the sun back in Laurent’s day when he and his cronies used to scam the rich tourists there for a living. Who could blame him for thinking his deeds in St-Tropez had been buried for good? And when the bodies start falling over the side of their rented yacht, who could blame Maggie for thinking he should have known better? With the clock ticking and Laurent’s freedom in jeopardy by a very determined policeman with an axe to grind and a long memory, Maggie will have to dig deep this time to find the culprit behind the murders. Or return to Domaine St-Buvard minus a husband.
Murder in Grasse – When the helpful docent of their perfume tour ends up dead in their rented apartment swimming pool, Maggie and Grace decide that something definitely smells rotten. When the girl’s twin sister begs them to find the killer, they do-but there’s a catch. If they don’t find the killer in time, the tourism that the area depends so heavily on will dry up…like a rose petal in direct sunlight. With the clock ticking, Maggie and Grace will have to dig deep to find the culprit behind the murder before the killer decides that the two of them are the real barrier to a good life on the Côte d’Azur.
Murder in Monaco – The Cote d’Azur is a timeless epitome of beauty, from its lush green hills to its azure waters and white sandy beaches. And Monaco has always been the jewel right in the center of the Riviera, a sparkling example of incomparable wealth and beauty. So when Maggie goes there to interview a wealthy heiress for the new book she’s writing, she’s excited to experience the country’s legendary explosion of fun and food-maybe with a little gambling thrown in. What she gets instead is a healthy dose of glamour, greed and…murder. When a young male escort is found murdered in the heiress’s bedroom, Maggie decides she must help the woman clear her name.
At least until she finds out if she’s really guilty.
What should you read if you like the Maggie Newberry novels?
If you like reading the Maggie Newberry mysteries, you may be interested The Country Club Murders by Julie Mulhern, or maybe a bit more of France with the Verlaque and Bonnet (aka Murder in Provence) series by M.L. Longworth and the Bruno, Chief of Police series by Martin Walker.
