I don’t think of myself as a novelist. I’m more like a short-form writer who doesn’t know when to stop.
The Girl in the Third Window (2026)
A gothic novel for younger readers, set in 1833 New Orleans.
Thirteen-year-old Violet Bell moves with her family from Philadelphia into a narrow townhouse on Chartres Street with three dormer windows tucked under the roof like watchful eyes. Behind the locked third window waits Isabelle, the spirit of a girl who desperately wants to reach out. Outside the iron gate, a man in a white hat is trying to get in. And Violet, who has always been told she's fragile, is going to have to figure out which threat she can survive.
Five years of living in New Orleans gave me this book. The eerie sounds of dusk, the clank of an iron gate that never quite closes, the way the air thickens before a storm, it's all in here.
The French Word for Murder (2022)
This one started pouring out of me in the summer of 2014.
The French Word for Murder is the story of Bradley and Veronica Piper, an affluent Bay Area couple who make a small fortune in advertising and buy their dream home in the tiny French village of Saint-Arnac. They purchase the home en viager, meaning they must wait for the current resident, Agnes Depuy, to die before taking possession. The problem is that despite being very old and in bad health, Agnes just won't die. Desperate to move in, Bradley and Veronica go to France to hurry the process along.
What complete strangers are saying about The French Word for Murder.
Shelly
I enjoyed this book! It was a fun, quick read! Because of the book’s exploration of greed, the comparison of life in CA vs France, and the characters’ shenanigans due to very poor decision making, I think this book would make for an entertaining movie, too!
Christi
Mr. Lavelle wrote an utterly charming and entertaining novel, a mysterious romp from California to France, exploring human behavior and finding what really matters in a world so packed with exterior trappings of success. I read it on my recent trip and loved it. Bonus points for anyone in the brand and advertising industry who will snicker at the industry characterizations.
Bob
The characters are delightfully original, and the story is definitely a page turner. To be honest, I was surprised how much I found myself rooting for these characters as they descended into a moral quagmire. Continually making choices that I found abhorrent and yet so damn charming at the same time! By the end of the book, they had become like the misfit siblings who continually disappoint but whom you can't help but absolutely love. Great writing that makes you think....and question how far you may go for what you think you want.