Murder in the Midi — Cecilia Peartree

Isabelle doesn't expect a summer job in the south of France to turn into a nightmare. But even before she encounters the mysterious Nathan Freelander at the wheel of a boat on the Canal du Midi, she is already fighting for survival, and after that things go from bad to worse. Is Nathan's friend Josh friend or foe? Who can she trust?
This romantic suspense novel developed from an opening paragraph in the style of Mary Stewart, the well-known novelist. This paragraph was inspired by a competition run on Jan O'Hara's 'Tartitude' blog.
It is a departure from Cecilia Peartree's quirky mystery writing, so don't expect to visit the east coast of Scotland or meet the usual cast of grumpy Scots, visiting Americans and Tibetan refugees. Just think of this as a holiday in the sun!