Published By: Podium
Pages: 216
Released On: 16/06/2026
The South of France is stunning, though not without its imperfections, from pickpockets to burglars to the occasional cold-blooded killer. But in his twenty-five years of service, Baxter—with a spotless reputation as a polished, well-mannered butler—has never run into any issues catering to the ultrawealthy. Until now.
Baxter’s latest assignment is at Villa Sérénité, where Alec Prescott is hosting a colorful cast of characters, including his ex-wife, his much younger lady friend, and some Hollywood hotshots, after the Cannes Film Festival. But it doesn’t take long for a week of sun, wine, and a family birthday celebration to devolve into bickering and backstabbing. And soon, secrets aren’t the only thing floating to the surface . . .
When one of the guests is found dead in the villa’s glittering pool, the unflappable Baxter must assist the gendarmes in determining who’s responsible. With some standing to gain and others motivated to take it away, fingers are pointed in all directions. A good butler is expected to see everything and say nothing—but what if he too becomes a target?
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and Podium for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I was very intrigued by this. I love Clare’s books, and a short book was a new offering from her, and I was intrigued to see how she would fit all of her clever plots and characters into a short page count.
It was quick and to the point, ideal if a) you don’t have a lot of time, or b) you are new to her books and want to see if they’re for you.
Baxter is a dream of a main character, and I enjoyed reading a book set mostly from the Butler’s perspective, it felt quite unusual. Nearly all the other characters are horrid. Some have their good points, but on the whole they are all instantly unlikeable.
I think the main whodunnit element should have been a bit earlier. It doesn’t happen until relatively late in the book, which means there’s not much time after to try and investigate it.
What I am impressed by is that generally, the whole book is set in one location, in one house, and revolves around the same…maybe dozen characters. To keep the reader interested without a change in scenery or characters is impressive.
It didn’t hit me as hard as her other books and I think that might be because of the length. It’s still got everything that makes her work great, but there isn’t enough time, in my opinion to really layer the story and themes and suspects. And therefore I didn’t feel that tension I was after.
I would love her to expand this and turn it into a full-length novel, which would give her time to shine, just like she does in her other books.
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