Mystery in Marseille

Sophie’s Adventures, #3

by

Nupur Tustin

A good art heist mystery for a fun, quick, entertaining story.

Mystery in Marseille is the third entry in author Nupur Tustin’s artworld mystery series, Sophie’s Adventures, and it is a fun, quick, and relaxing story to enjoy with your feet up and you’re ready to be entertained. When a little-known Matisse painting is stolen from the Musée Cantini in Marseille, Sophie and her friend Nicole are on the case and hot on the trail of the thief. 

Sophie and Nicole are best friends, and they finagle themselves a work trip to Marseille, ostensibly to safeguard a valuable Matisse on loan to the local Musée Cantini from Nicole’s employer, the Musée D’Orsay. In reality, the girls want a vacation, and Sophie’s boyfriend, FBI Special Agent Joe Wright, just happens to be in Marseille at an Interpol conference. But upon arriving at the Cantini, they are alarmed to hear that the Matisse has gone missing and is presumed stolen! The girls employ a variety of disguises and wigs, including impersonating the local gendarmes and Interpol agents, as they quickly get a break in the case. As a bonus, because their suspect has joined the same tour bus group as the girls, readers are treated to some of Marseille’s history courtesy of the tour guide. In addition, the narrative provides interesting tidbits about other famous artists and their works as the pair visits art museums and galleries in pursuit of their quarry. 

Sophie and Nicole are a fun pair and, while best friends, quite different from each other. Sophie tends to be quiet and conservative while chafing under the constant supervision of her guardian and cousin, Capitaine Pierre Poisson of the Calais Police. Her ride-or-die, Nicole, is a free-spirited, passionate person. While they make a great team, their investigation is wild and loose, and they continue to snoop even after being warned off by people they respect, risking blowing an ongoing undercover operation working on the same case. In the end, the resolution is appropriate and simple, and Sophie and Joe may finally get to enjoy some time together. 

I recommend MYSTERY IN MARSEILLE to cozy mystery readers, especially fans of the previous books in the series and those who are interested in art or the Marseille setting. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.