Picked by American in Paris Mysteries fans

Here are 8 books that American in Paris Mysteries fans have personally recommended once you finish the American in Paris Mysteries series. Book DNA is a community of authors and super-readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

Book cover of One More Croissant for the Road

Ann Claire Author Of A Cyclist's Guide to Crime & Croissants

From my list on reading trip to France.

Why am I passionate about this?

Until recently, my lovely in-laws kept a home in southern France near where my father-in-law grew up. Their hilltop village was everything my summer-in-France fantasies could imagine: red-tile roofs, overflowing flower boxes, croissants on every corner (or at least four), bustling markets, and palm trees framing a snowcapped peak. Downsizing in their eighties meant selling the house, but some of my fondest memories will always reside there. This summer most of my travels will take place from my garden in Colorado. I plan to trek the world through books. These are some of my favorite reads for an armchair trip to France through romance, mysteries, exploration, and cooking.  

Ann's book list on reading trip to France

Ann Claire Why Ann loves this book

This book is a delicious food memoir, travelogue, and two-wheeling adventure around France. London-based food writer Felicity Cloake sets out on her own Tour de France: a cycling tour to taste France’s iconic regional delicacies. Now, I’m an ardent Tour de France fan—from my sofa!

As for cycling, I stick to quiet bike paths. I’m in awe of Cloake’s tour and bravery. She cycles long distances on motorways. She crests mountains. She lugs camping gear. She camps! I felt right there with her, rolling through gorgeous places, struggling uphill, savoring stunning meals, and envying every croissant, even those she rated less than ten out of ten.

I enjoyed the audio version so much that I bought a paper copy for the included recipes. 

By Felicity Cloake ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked One More Croissant for the Road as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'Joyful, life-affirming, greedy. I loved it' - DIANA HENRY

'Whether you are an avid cyclist, a Francophile, a greedy gut, or simply an appreciator of impeccable writing - this book will get you hooked' - YOTAM OTTOLENGHI

The nation's 'taster in chief' cycles 2,300 km across France in search of the definitive versions of classic French dishes.

A green bike drunkenly weaves its way up a cratered hill in the late-morning sun, the gears grinding painfully, like a pepper mill running on empty. The rider crouched on top in a rictus of pain has slowed to a gravity-defying crawl when,…


Book cover of Bruno's Cookbook: Recipes and Traditions from a French Country Kitchen

Ann Claire Author Of A Cyclist's Guide to Crime & Croissants

From my list on reading trip to France.

Why am I passionate about this?

Until recently, my lovely in-laws kept a home in southern France near where my father-in-law grew up. Their hilltop village was everything my summer-in-France fantasies could imagine: red-tile roofs, overflowing flower boxes, croissants on every corner (or at least four), bustling markets, and palm trees framing a snowcapped peak. Downsizing in their eighties meant selling the house, but some of my fondest memories will always reside there. This summer most of my travels will take place from my garden in Colorado. I plan to trek the world through books. These are some of my favorite reads for an armchair trip to France through romance, mysteries, exploration, and cooking.  

Ann's book list on reading trip to France

Ann Claire Why Ann loves this book

This delectable cookbook is my sneaky way of recommending the entire Bruno, Chief of Police, mystery series by Martin Walker, set in southern France.

Bruno fits his detecting in between leisurely meals, good wine, and visits with his neighbors. Thanks to this cookbook by Martin Walker and his wife, Julia Watson, I can picture him and his village even better now and taste his delicious meals.

The recipes come from their home kitchen. Photos show the glorious Dordogne region. Anecdotes and stories tell of Bruno, cooking, village life, and the authors’ time in southern France. I want this book for my coffee table, kitchen, and soothing bedtime reading. 

By Martin Walker , Julia Watson ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Bruno's Cookbook as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the author of the internationally best-selling "Bruno, Chief of Police" series, comes a sumptuous French cookbook that immerses readers in the delectable countryside cuisine of Bruno’s beloved Périgord region, featuring favorite meals from Roasted Tomato Tapenade and Tarragon Chicken to A Most Indulgent Chocolate Cake.

Bruno Courrèges, the protagonist of Martin Walker’s internationally acclaimed mystery series, is not only the local police chief of the idyllic French village of St. Denis, but he also happens to be an impassioned amateur chef. In this delightful cookbook, the culinary and cultural inspiration behind Bruno’s fictional world comes to life. Featuring meals…


Book cover of The Paris Novel

Ann Claire Author Of A Cyclist's Guide to Crime & Croissants

From my list on reading trip to France.

Why am I passionate about this?

Until recently, my lovely in-laws kept a home in southern France near where my father-in-law grew up. Their hilltop village was everything my summer-in-France fantasies could imagine: red-tile roofs, overflowing flower boxes, croissants on every corner (or at least four), bustling markets, and palm trees framing a snowcapped peak. Downsizing in their eighties meant selling the house, but some of my fondest memories will always reside there. This summer most of my travels will take place from my garden in Colorado. I plan to trek the world through books. These are some of my favorite reads for an armchair trip to France through romance, mysteries, exploration, and cooking.  

Ann's book list on reading trip to France

Ann Claire Why Ann loves this book

I’m already revealing a pattern, aren’t I? I adore books that plunge their protagonist into a new life abroad. When Stella’s estranged mother dies, Stella receives an unusual inheritance: a one-way ticket to Paris.

Alone in a foreign city, Stella falls back into her cautious, frugal ways. I can relate! However, an impulsive purchase propels her on a path to new discoveries—of Paris and herself. Stella plunges into the culinary scene. She lives as a “tumbleweed” at the famous Shakespear and Company Bookshop.

What a dream! I loved traveling along with her. 

By Ruth Reichl ,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked The Paris Novel as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'No one writes about food like Ruth Reichl... I consider her essential nourishment.' NIGELLA LAWSON

Ripping open the envelope, she read Celia's last words to her. There was just one line written on the paper: 'Go to Paris.'

The last word anyone would use to describe Stella St. Vincent is adventurous. She's perfectly comfortable with the familiar, strict routines of her life as a copyeditor in New York. Or at least, she is until she receives a mysterious note from her late mother and a one-way plane ticket to Paris.

Alone and overwhelmed in a foreign city, Stella avoids new…


Book cover of Paris is Always a Good Idea

Ann Claire Author Of A Cyclist's Guide to Crime & Croissants

From my list on reading trip to France.

Why am I passionate about this?

Until recently, my lovely in-laws kept a home in southern France near where my father-in-law grew up. Their hilltop village was everything my summer-in-France fantasies could imagine: red-tile roofs, overflowing flower boxes, croissants on every corner (or at least four), bustling markets, and palm trees framing a snowcapped peak. Downsizing in their eighties meant selling the house, but some of my fondest memories will always reside there. This summer most of my travels will take place from my garden in Colorado. I plan to trek the world through books. These are some of my favorite reads for an armchair trip to France through romance, mysteries, exploration, and cooking.  

Ann's book list on reading trip to France

Ann Claire Why Ann loves this book

The title says it all—Paris is always a good idea! My now-husband romantically invited me to meet him in Paris, way back when, so it’s a special place for me. So is this book, which is a fun, emotional story about love, wanderlust, and finding one’s self.

Chelsea Martin threw herself into work to cope with her mother’s death. Seven years later, her father announces he’ll remarry, prompting Chelsea to examine her own life. She plans a trip to Europe to retrace the last time she remembers being happy.

I adore Chelsea for her bravery and this book for transporting me to gorgeous places, from Paris to Ireland and a vineyard in Italy. 

By Jenn McKinlay ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Paris is Always a Good Idea as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

One of Popsugar’s Best New Books for Summer 2020

A thirty-year-old woman retraces her gap year through Ireland, France, and Italy to find love—and herself—in this hilarious and heartfelt novel.

It's been seven years since Chelsea Martin embarked on her yearlong postcollege European adventure. Since then, she's lost her mother to cancer and watched her sister marry twice, while Chelsea's thrown herself into work, becoming one of the most talented fundraisers for the American Cancer Coalition, and with the exception of one annoyingly competent coworker, Jason Knightley, her status as most successful moneymaker is unquestioned.

When her introverted mathematician father…


Book cover of 48 Clues into the Disappearance of My Sister

D.J. Adamson Author Of Admit to Mayhem

From my list on mystery and thriller you’ll read the entire weekend.

Why am I passionate about this?

My father estranged himself from his sister because she was an alcoholic. I never met my aunt. However, when looking for a strong character for my Lilian Dove Mystery Series, I decided this aunt was a good mentoring character. Fictionally, I gave my aunt sobriety, but her recovery is not so much from drinking as it is recovering from the past to take on life anew. The mysteries Lillian Dove becomes involved her help her see how to do this. And first, she needs to learn to admit life is full of mayhem. Small-town Iowa amateur sleuth who ends up owning a liquor store.

D.J.'s book list on mystery and thriller you’ll read the entire weekend

D.J. Adamson Why D.J. loves this book

Joyce Carol Oates is genuinely an extraordinary author, known for her prolific output. While some writers focus on series, Oats dedicates her time to crafting numerous standalone books, each a gem in its own right. 

The plot may appear simple at first glance—a missing sister, and a protagonist who must piece together the clues to find her. However, as the story unfolds, the reader becomes immersed in a web of subtle evidence that gradually weaves together, resulting in a rich and suspenseful novel. Put the book down.

By Joyce Carol Oates ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked 48 Clues into the Disappearance of My Sister as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When a woman mysteriously vanishes from her small town home, her sister must tally up the clues to uncover the truth behind the mystery. Beautiful sculptor Marguerite has disappeared from her small town in upstate New York. But was foul play involved? Did she merely get away for some fun? Or did she finally make the decision to leave behind her claustrophobic life of limited opportunities? Younger sister Gigi wonders if the flimsy silk Dior dress, so casually abandoned on the floor, is a clue to Marguerite's vanishing. The police puzzle over the footprints made by her Ferragamo boots, which…


Book cover of Bombay Monsoon

D.J. Adamson Author Of Admit to Mayhem

From my list on mystery and thriller you’ll read the entire weekend.

Why am I passionate about this?

My father estranged himself from his sister because she was an alcoholic. I never met my aunt. However, when looking for a strong character for my Lilian Dove Mystery Series, I decided this aunt was a good mentoring character. Fictionally, I gave my aunt sobriety, but her recovery is not so much from drinking as it is recovering from the past to take on life anew. The mysteries Lillian Dove becomes involved her help her see how to do this. And first, she needs to learn to admit life is full of mayhem. Small-town Iowa amateur sleuth who ends up owning a liquor store.

D.J.'s book list on mystery and thriller you’ll read the entire weekend

D.J. Adamson Why D.J. loves this book

Bombay Monsoon, first book in the new Emergency Series, delivers Ziskin’s talent for blending literary techniques and believable characters while taking the reader on an intense ride.

Journalist Danny Jacobs, young and anxious to make his mark, hasn’t been in Bombay long when he is caught up into intrigue, romance, and danger. Set in India during 1975 when India was shaken with political unrest after Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergence, Zisken weaves cultural adjustment along with crime and romance.

The book written by Zisken is an impressive page-turner, thanks to his meticulous attention to detail and insightful knowledge of India.

By James W. Ziskin ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Bombay Monsoon as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The last thing Danny wants to see published is his obituary

The year is 1975. Danny Jacobs is an ambitious, young American journalist who's just arrived in Bombay for a new assignment. He's soon caught up in the chaos of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's domestic "Emergency."

Willy Smets is Danny's enigmatic expat neighbor. He's a charming man, but with suspicious connections. As a monsoon drenches Bombay, Danny falls hard for Sushmita, Smets's beguiling and clever lover-and the infatuation is mutual.

"The Emergency," a virtual coup by the prime minister, is only the first twist in the high-stakes drama of Danny's…


Book cover of What She Saw

D.J. Adamson Author Of Admit to Mayhem

From my list on mystery and thriller you’ll read the entire weekend.

Why am I passionate about this?

My father estranged himself from his sister because she was an alcoholic. I never met my aunt. However, when looking for a strong character for my Lilian Dove Mystery Series, I decided this aunt was a good mentoring character. Fictionally, I gave my aunt sobriety, but her recovery is not so much from drinking as it is recovering from the past to take on life anew. The mysteries Lillian Dove becomes involved her help her see how to do this. And first, she needs to learn to admit life is full of mayhem. Small-town Iowa amateur sleuth who ends up owning a liquor store.

D.J.'s book list on mystery and thriller you’ll read the entire weekend

D.J. Adamson Why D.J. loves this book

I was already familiar with Sheila Lowe's Claudia Rose Forensic Handwriting Mystery Book series, but I was eager to explore her latest work and see what work she was crafting. It's easy to forget about authors we have previously enjoyed when we're immersed in reading so many books.

However, What She Saw not only lives up to Lowe's previous works but also reinforces the notion that the more an author writes, the more they can improve their craft. In this captivating Beyond the Veil Mystery, Lowe the story begins with the protagonist awakening on a train, devoid of any memories, yet possessing an intuitive understanding that she must avoid involving the police.

Along the way, familiar characters from Lowe's Claudia Rose series make appearances, aiding our protagonist in unraveling the secrets that have robbed her of her memory. Lowe's ability to create engaging narratives is showcased once again in this…

By Sheila Lowe ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked What She Saw as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Imagine waking up on a train with no recollection of how you got there. You have no idea who you are--no name, no memories, no life. The only thing you know is, you cannot tell anyone, especially the police.By chance or by fate, leaving the train in a beach town, this young woman runs into someone who knows her and gives her a ride home. There she finds two IDs, two sets of keys. One face, but two separate lives.A story of psychological suspense that follows a young woman through the terrifying labyrinth of amnesia, where no one is who…


Book cover of Carrots

Cat Gilbert Author Of Brain Storm

From my list on thrillers and mysteries with psychic twists.

Why am I passionate about this?

My grandmother had what we in the South call the sight. I have it as well—that sense of foreboding. Of knowing what will happen next. Some call it a premonition, others Deja vu. Whatever you call it, I think it’s something we’ve all experienced at some point in our lives. Empathy, telepathy, telekinesis…the list is endless. There’s no proof that psychic abilities exist, but there’s no proof that they don’t, either. I find the concept fascinating, so when I started writing, it was a natural fit for me to combine my love for thrillers and mysteries with the added twist of psychic ability. I hope you love it too.

Cat's book list on thrillers and mysteries with psychic twists

Cat Gilbert Why Cat loves this book

As much as I love complex, dark protagonists, I adore a lighter side now and then. I found it in this book with the main character, Shelby Nichols. She just makes me laugh.

I even found myself reading sections out loud to my husband, who laughed right along with me. Shelby is a wife and mother, and after being shot in the head, she develops the ability to read people’s minds. Her sudden awareness of what her teenage children and husband are thinking takes the plot up to a whole new level.

This is one ability I’m glad I don’t have. I think I’d rather not know.

By Colleen Helme ,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Carrots as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A mind-reader, a mob-boss, and a hit-man. What could go wrong? More fun than you can imagine! Book 1 in the Shelby Nichols Adventure Series

"One of the best and rarest gems of the indie book market."~ Matthew LeDrew

USA TODAY and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author Colleen Helme offers a clever mix of mystery, laugh-out-loud humor, and page-turning adventure in the highly acclaimed Shelby Nichols Adventure Series.

Stopping at the grocery store for some carrots shouldn't be dangerous, but in Shelby's case, it changes her life forever. During a bank robbery, she is caught in the cross-fire and grazed…