‘Going There’ by Donna Fletcher Crow

Published by Verity Press,
1 December 2023.
ISBN: 979-886832465-9 (PB)

Tales from the Riviera and Beyond

Donna Fletcher Crow’s latest book, Going There: Tales from the Riviera and Beyond, weaves together travel writing, historical fact and legend, and short mysteries featuring three amateur detective couples from her novels. 

The book describes the author’s journey through France and Switzerland in 2021 when many countries still had Covid restrictions in place, particularly for travellers.  Possible delays notwithstanding, Donna, heads for Europe accompanied by daughter-in-law Kelly, also a published writer.  They plan to enjoy the delights of the French Riviera and spend some time with Kelly’s daughter, Jane, a ballet student about to finish summer school in Monaco.  Each destination prompts a short story from the author. 

Crow’s love of  Europe and the creative writers and artists it has inspired over many years enriches the text with a touch as light as the lace worn by Lady Antonia Danvers from the writer’s ‘Lord Danvers Investigates’ series.  Appropriately, therefore, Charles and his wife Antonia star in the first mystery, Le Crime Passionnel (Crime of Passion), a title that is not quite as straightforward as it might suggest. 

The next stop on the journey takes the travellers to the sunshine of St Tropez and gives rise to the second story, La Mère Décrète (The Mother Decrees).  This time it is Richard and Elizabeth Spenser, the academic couple from ‘The Elizabeth and Richard Literary Suspense Series,’ who are confronted with a perplexing conundrum.  But will they be able to help? 

Then back to the real-life Riviera adventure, where Donna and Kelly arrive in Cap Ferrat.  The idyllic location gives rise to the second Elizabeth and Richard tale when the couple find themselves in a most unusual situation, the nature of which can be gleaned from the enigmatic title Le Garçon Fantôme (The Ghost Boy). 

Donna and Kelly leave for Monaco where they meet up with Jane.  The wealth and glamour associated with the tiny sovereign city state provides an appropriate setting for Monégasque Fracas (Mayhem in Monaco) and for the detectives from ‘The Monastery Murders’ series to make their first appearance in the book.  Felicity and Antony are travelling in France when a carefree walk leads to a nasty discovery! 

Reluctantly, our literary ladies must then bid farewell to the Riviera and journey on to Tours where a visit to a winery inspires Donna’s second Antony and Felicity short story,  Le Vieux Vigneron (the Old Winemaker)in which Antony confronts a clash between tradition and modernity.

Basel is the next stop on the 2021 itinerary.  Here the travellers visit Saint Gallen and its famous monastery, which inspires the final evocative story Flüstern der Legend (Whispers of Legend). Antony leaves his beloved Felicity to do some research only to make a discovery he had not anticipated!

Going There: Tales from the Riviera and Beyond is beautifully written and packed with charming insights about each stopping point.  The stories are captivating and thought provoking as Donna Fletcher Crow crafts a tapestry of creative writing that is joyful, inspiring and informative.

Highly recommended.
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Reviewer: Dot Marshall-Gent

Donna Fletcher Crow is a former English teacher and a Life Member of the Jane Austin Society of America. She is the author of 50 books, mostly novels dealing with British history.  The award-winning Glastonbury, A Novel of the Holy Grail, an Arthurian grail search epic covering 15 centuries of English history, is her best-known work.  She is also the author of The Monastery Murders: A Very Private Grave, A Darkly Hidden Truth and An Unholy Communion as well as the Lord Danvers series of Victorian true-crime novels and the literary suspense series The Elizabeth & Richard Mysteries. Donna and her husband live in Boise, Idaho.  They have 4 adult children and 12 grandchildren. She is an enthusiastic gardener.

To read more about all of Donna’s books and see pictures from her garden and research trips go to: http://www.donnafletchercrow.com/

You can follow her on Facebook at: http://ning.it/OHi0MY

Dot Marshall-Gent worked in the emergency services for twenty years first as a police officer, then as a paramedic and finally as a fire control officer before graduating from King’s College, London as a teacher of English in her mid-forties.  She completed a M.A. in Special and Inclusive Education at the Institute of Education, London and now teaches part-time and writes mainly about educational issues.  Dot sings jazz and country music and plays guitar, banjo and piano as well as being addicted to reading mystery and crime fiction.