Tag: Bluette Matthey

Guest Post: Bluette Matthey – HOMICIDE HERAULT

Good day, my bookish peeps. I hope you’re all finding lots of wonderful new-to-you books to read this year. I’m still in my re-rereading romance phase, apparently, but I’ve also read some amazing new-to-me suspense, mysteries, and noir. I enjoy re-reading quite a number of series (what can I say, I love re-reading!). I often wonder what inspires an author to write a duology, trilogy, or quadrilogy vs. a series. I’m incredibly honored to welcome back, Bluette Matthey, author of the Hardy Durkin Travel Mystery series, including the latest release, Homicide Hérault. Ms. Matthey will be sharing us with the motivation behind this series. I’m looking forward to learning more and adding Homicide Hérault to my TBR list. I hope you’ll enjoy what Ms. Matthey has to share. Thank you, Ms. Matthey, for taking time away from your travels and writings to join us today. The blog is now all yours.

Murder from A-to-Z
by Bluette Matthey

For my Hardy Durkin Travel Mystery series, I take a “boots on the ground” approach — I like to experience first-hand the locale where I set my books. My protagonist, Hardy Durkin, is a trek guide for more off-the-beaten paths in Europe, so I am obligated to check out the areas involving each mystery (someone’s got to do it). I have duplicated some of Hardy’s treks, but I am definitely not as fit as my protagonist.

I followed Hardy to the French island of Corsica, birthplace of Napoleon, for my first book, Corsican Justice. Corsica is a picturesque Mediterranean island of lush blooming bougainvillea, a stunning coastline with lots of hidden beaches and coves, and gangsters. (Don’t let anyone tell you the Corsican mob doesn’t exist.)

My second book, Abruzzo Intrigue, found me climbing the highest fortress in the Italian Apennines, Rocca Calascio, built by the Romans in the 10th century. I also hiked into an ancient hermitage in the Majella National Park, with no cell phone signal or other sign of human life in an environment home to wolves, bears, and other wild beasts.

Black Forest Reckoning mandated a trip to Germany and the Alsace area of France, with a stop in the exclusive spa town of Baden-Baden for an all-day thermal spa treatment. One of Hardy’s hiking tour clients spent a day taking the waters, and I felt it essential to do so, as well.

Dalmatian Traffick required a trip to the Balkans, specifically Croatia, Albania, and mysterious Montenegro. (They post road signs in Montenegro warning of wild boar crossings!) I didn’t hike to the remote Ostrog Monastery, but took my life in my hands, literally, and drove there. Mostly one very narrow lane, snaking up the mountain of Ostroška Greda with the mountain wall on one side and a drop-off that increased at an alarming rate on the other, and no guard rails, anywhere. Perhaps a row of rather insignificant rocks placed beside the road, or an occasional tree, but nothing substantial to keep you from plummeting over the edge into eternity. I got the impression that driving is a blood sport in Montenegro.

Engadine Aerie, set in the Engadine Valley in Switzerland, featured a visit to the annual Engadine Skimarathon (a marathon for cross-country skiers) in ritzy St. Moritz. I also explored the ancient traboules of Lyon, France, stepping back into the era of the Knights Templar, the warrior monks who claimed Lyon as their financial center. The Knights Templar played a role in settling Switzerland, which may explain why that country is one large bank.

I live in the small city of Béziers in the Hérault region of France, which is the locale for my latest Hardy Durkin mystery, Homicide Hérault. Depending on who you ask, Béziers is the oldest city in France and a fascinating blend of history, culture, and food, as well as a great place for a mystery or two.

My goal is to write a Hardy Durkin mystery for each letter of the alphabet. Thus far, I’ve completed A, B, C, D, E, and H. F and G are on hold. I have twenty more mysteries to write, set in singular locations in Europe and slightly beyond. In the words of poet Robert Frost: “I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep.” ♦

Homicide Hérault

by Bluette Matthey

February 6 – March 3, 2023 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

Homicide Herault by Bluette Matthey

Veteran trekker Hardy Durkin takes his first bike tour group to Béziers, in the South of France, for what is expected to be relaxing, uneventful bicycling in the Hérault region. This notion is kicked to the curb when a double cold-case with present-day repercussions is discovered on one of the group’s outings. Hardy becomes embroiled in another homicide when he is present at a murder that takes place during an innocent flamenco performance that is anything but.

The bottom line: murder and intrigue follow Hardy Durkin like a shadow, even in the sunny, laid-back South of France, but this time his wheel of fortune veers uncomfortably off the rails in Homicide Hérault.

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery
Published by: Blue Shutter Publishing
Publication Date: December 2022
Number of Pages: 199
ISBN: 9781941611227 (Paperback)
ISBN: 9781941611203 (eBook)
ASIN: B0BR47S8HQ (Amazon Kindle)
Series: Hardy Durkin Travel Mystery Series Book 6 | Each is a Stand Alone Mystery
Purchase Links #CommissionEarned: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Amazon Kindle | Barnes and Noble | B&N eBook | BookDepository.com | Kobo eBook | Goodreads | Smashwords

Author Bio:

Bluette Matthey

Bluette Matthey is a 3rd generation Swiss American and an avid lover of European cultures. She has decades of travel and writing experience. She is a keen reader of mysteries, especially those that immerse the reader in the history, inhabitants, culture, and cuisine of new places. Her passion for travel, except airports (where she keeps a mystery to pass the time), is shared by her husband, who owned a tour outfitter business in Europe. Bluette particularly loves to explore regions that are not on the “15 days in Europe” itineraries. She also enjoys little-known discoveries, such as the London Walks, in well-known areas. She firmly believes that walking and hiking bring her closer to the real life of any locale. Bluette maintains a list of hikes and pilgrimages throughout Europe for future exploration.

Bluette is the author of the Hardy Durkin Travel Mystery series, author and developer of the South-of-France travel app, Potty Poche, and her latest mystery, Two Murders Too Many. She lives in Béziers in the South of France, with her husband and trio of loving cats.

Catch Up With Bluette Matthey:
www.BluetteMatthey.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @notyourusualtrek
Instagram – @notyourusualtrek
Twitter – @HardyDurkin
Facebook

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaway entries!

Click here to view Homicide Hérault by Bluette Matthey Tour Hosts.

GIVEAWAY:

This is a giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Bluette Matthey. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

https://kingsumo.com/js/embed.js

 

Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Tours

 

Advertisement

Guest Post: Bluette Matthey – TWO MURDERS TOO MANY



Good day, my bookish peeps. It’s hard to believe that it’s the second Friday in December of 2020. This year has seemed to drag on and on and on since the pandemic began in late-February. One of the many things that I’ve actually enjoyed about this year, is learning more about the authors that write the books that have provided me with hours of reading pleasure throughout this year. Today I’m pleased to welcome a new-to-me author to the blog as a guest. Bluette Matthey is the author of the Hardy Durkin Travel Mystery series as well as the recently released mystery, Two Murders Too Many. Sit back, relax, and travel along with Ms. Matthey’s character Hardy Durkin as she describes her travels as an author. Thank you, Ms. Matthey, for taking time out of your busy schedule to stop by today and share with us your experiences or life as an author. 

My Life as an Author by Bluette Matthey
or
Where In The World Is Hardy Durkin?



I’ve been hooked on mysteries since third grade and traveling at least as long. My dad was forever getting us up at two or three in the morning to start off on a trip to Florida, or Canada, or to head out West from our Ohio farm. So, I decided to merge my two passions and began writing the Hardy Durkin Travel Mystery series, international mysteries, with amateur sleuth Hardy Durkin as my hunky protagonist.  

Traveling inspires me to write. It feeds the part of me that wishes it had been born in a different century. The thrill and wonderment of discovering and exploring something totally new, experiencing something so beautiful that it astounds, or beholding a thing so ancient I marvel it still exists … all resonate and beckon, drawing me on.

Instead of the London-Paris-Rome circuit (all fantastic places), I chose to use less-known locales as settings for my mysteries. My books are heavily researched for authenticity, which includes a boots-on-the-ground approach, so I get to enjoy visiting all the places I write about. I’ve had some amazing experiences, eaten wonderful regional foods, met lovely people, and taken some pretty interesting treks.  

Hardy Durkin owns an outfitter business specializing in European treks.  He is also a crack marksman, trained in signals intelligence, who speaks four languages. I’ve duplicated some of his easier hikes (I’m not as fit as he is). I hiked into the Hermitage of San Bartolomeo (11th century) near Roccamorice, Abruzzo, Italy, aware I was the only human around for miles as I trekked through the Majella National Park. Animal scat along the trail reminded me there were bears, wolves, and other beasts present. I climbed to the top of Rocca Calascio, built in the 10th century by the Romans as a watchtower and the highest fortress in the Apennines. This was for my second book, Abruzzo Intrigue.

Dalmatian Traffick took me to the Balkans, where I visited Croatia, Montenegro, and Albania. I didn’t hike to the Ostrog Monastery, but took my life, literally, in my hands and drove there. Mostly one-lane, snaking up the mountain of Ostroška Greda with the mountain wall on one side and a drop-off that increased at an alarming rate on the other, and no guard rails, anywhere. Perhaps a row of rather insignificant rocks placed beside the road, or an occasional tree, but nothing substantial to keep you from plummeting over the edge into eternity. The guide books tell you to hire a taxi, but driving in Montenegro is almost a blood sport and I opted to control my own fate, so I drove slowly and steadfastly, praying that no cars would come from the other direction.


Walking the streets of Ajaccio, Corsica, one night while working on Corsican Justice, I was drawn into a small, unremarkable bar by polyphonic singing, the a cappella music whose harmonious chords express the heart of Corsican culture. Deeply moving, other-worldly, listening to the exquisite music was a time-travel journey for my soul that spanned ages, leaving an imprint I cherish.


Black Forest Reckoning took me to Baden-Baden, Germany, where I spent half a day in the Friedrichsbad Spa, Roman baths that are a monument to Old World pampering, followed by a meal to remember at Schneider’s Weinstube. That was before spending the night at Gasthaus Zum Lowen in Staufen, where Faustus met his end when the devil came to collect his due.


Exploring the traboules of Old Lyon, France, was part of stepping back in time with the Knights Templar in Engadine Aerie. I also was a guest at the annual Engadine Skimarathon, which features prominently in Engadine Aerie. Dangerous conditions at the time prevented me from hiking into the eternal ice of the Morteratsch Glacier.  


Hardy’s next adventure takes him to the Hérault region of the South of France in Homicide Hérault where he joins forces with his old friend Alain Clotiers, a Legionnaire from Corsica.


I invite you to discover where in the world is Hardy Durkin … he can be a tough guy to keep track of.


My newest release, Two Murders Too Many, is a break from my Hardy Durkin series and is an adaptation of true and terrible events that took place in the small Midwest town of Shannon. My father was a masterful storyteller, and Two Murders Too Many wraps itself around many of my father’s tales in this small town’s history. Even small towns have an underbelly of secrets and human darkness where potential monsters dwell. 


I have also developed a travel app for the South of France, Potty Poche. Potty Poche is a unique travel app for Provence and the Languedoc-Roussillon written in five languages and highlighting must-see destinations for the two regions. Potty Poche can be purchased on Apple Apps and Google.

See you out and about,
Bluette Matthey

Two Murders Too Many
by Bluette Matthey
December 1-31, 2020 Tour



Synopsis:

Barn burning in a sleepy farming community is a serious enough matter, but a grisly murder or two in a small midwest town is a showstopper. Throw in a serial blackmailer who has his claws in some of the town’s leading citizens and you have one big recipe for disaster.


Charlie Simmons, newly sworn in as Shannon’s policeman, takes on the challenge of investigating this cauldron of crimes in stride, untangling one thread after another from the fabric of the town of Shannon to find the simple truth.

Book Details:
Genre: Mystery
Published by: Blue Shutter Publishing
Publication Date: October 21st, 2020
Number of Pages: 254
ISBN: 978-1-941611-16-6
Purchase Links:  Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Smashwords | Goodreads

Author Bio:

Bluette Matthey is a product of the melting pot of America’s settlers, with her ancestry rooted in the Swiss, German, and English cultures. She is a keen reader of mysteries who loves to travel and explore, especially in Europe. Bluette currently lives in Béziers, France, with her husband and band of loving cats. Other books by Bluette Matthey include the Hardy Durkin Travel Mystery series: Corsican Justice, Abruzzo Intrigue, Black Forest Reckoning, Dalmatian Traffick, and Engadine Aerie.



Catch Up With Bluette Matthey On BluetteMatthey.com, Goodreads, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook!

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways! Click here to view Two Murders Too Many by Bluette Matthey blog tour participants. 

Giveaway!:

This is a Rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Bluette Matthey. There will be five (5) winners for this tour. Each winner will receive an eBook of Two Murders Too Many by Bluette Matthey. The giveaway begins on December 1, 2020, and runs through January 2, 2021. Void where prohibited. Click here to enter.