I don’t think of myself as a novelist. I’m more like a short-form writer who doesn’t know when to stop. This story 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.
Currently available on Amazon for all my mother’s friends to read.
What complete strangers are saying
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!
Shelly
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 😆
Add it to your reading list!!
Christi
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.
Bob