French Fried

Chris Dolley’s interesting memoir “French Fried” details his first eight months in France. Aptly titled “A Year in Provence with Miss Marple and Gerald Durrell,” this book is full of misbehaving animals, other people’s misfortunes, and the strangest real crime narrative ever. Unexpected difficulties arise for Chris and Shelagh when they relocate to France: their life savings disappear and Chris’s identity is taken.

Chris takes matters into his own hands after being left behind by police in four different nations. He solves the crime with the aid of his gregarious puppy and his 80-year-old mother-in-law.