The Third Girl: Fleeing to France in this Modern Cozy

The Third Girl by Nell Goddin was published in 2015.

Our Sleuth: Molly Sutton, 38, fulfills her lifelong dream of returning to France after her marriage implodes. She settles in a large village where she rents out buildings on her property and becomes immersed in murder.

The Setting: Molly lives in a large stone home in the fictional village of Castillac in southwest France. The Third Girl, the first book in the series, opens in 2015.

The Premise: We join Molly on her third day in France as she finds her way around Castillac and prepares for her first guests. She soon hears about a missing art student — one of three women to go missing from the village in recent years — and then stumbles across the body.

My Take: Is there anyone who, at some low point, hasn’t dreamed of running away to a beautiful European village and starting over? We get to follow along with the somewhat disorderly, somewhat disorganized, usually wild-haired Molly as she figures out a new life. The author’s own ex-pat experiences lend an air of authenticity and the messy Molly is engaging and funny.

At the same time, in alternating chapters, we’re introduced to Benjamin Dufort, chief of the village’s three-member police force, who has his own idiosyncrasies. It’s clear Molly and Ben will somehow join forces, in fighting crime and, possibly, romance. But the author wisely spends most of her time in the first novel showing us who they are as individuals and describing the village and its residents.

I’ve now dipped into two more of the Molly Sutton series and I appreciate the growth arc of both Molly and Ben, as well as their relationship. The cast of eccentric sidekicks is fun and the mysteries themselves are fully thought-out and smartly done.

Heads Up: There’s lots of discussion among authors and readers about the definition of cozy mysteries, and Goddin herself describes the Molly Sutton series as “rated PG-13.” I categorize it as a modern cozy because it does deal, in small doses, with issues of childhood abuse and violence against women. It’s still escapism, just not completely saccharine. And there’s a funny ongoing gag about Molly’s — ahem — perky assets.

Opening lines:

She was being ridiculous, no question about it. Yes, it had been years since she had studied French, and she hadn’t exactly been a top student. But having moved to Castillac just three days before, surely she could muddle along well enough to buy a pastry to have with her afternoon coffee. The shops were there to sell their wares, not judge her accent, right? And with that thought, Molly Sutton perched a straw hat (brand new, veritable Panama the sign had promised) on her wild curls and marched down her short driveway and into the village, determined to get her first eclair.

Of Note: There are now 11 books in the Molly Sutton series, with the latest, Bittersweet Oblivion, published in 2023.