Macarons and Murder

Sarah Kuklis doesn’t just narrate this audiobook—she *plates* it. Her crisp, precise delivery mirrors the elegant precision of macaron-making, while her ability to shift between Emma’s wide-eyed wonder and the dry cynicism of Parisian locals keeps the story zipping along at a brisk pace. The moments when Kuklis adopts a breathy, almost reverent tone to describe the delicate process of macaron baking contrast sharply with her clipped enunciation during tense confrontations, creating an audio experience that’s as tactile as it is auditory. If there’s a flaw, it’s that some secondary characters—like the brooding Jacques Leclair—feel a tad under-sketched, their motivations veering between mysterious and generic. Still, the production is top-tier: the sound design subtly layers in ambient café chatter and the occasional clink of porcelain, making you feel like you’re hovering over a café table with Emma. The mystery itself is cleverly structured, with red herrings dusted like powdered sugar over the narrative. By the time Emma confronts the killer in a rain-slicked Parisian alley, you’ll be as invested in solving the crime as she is in perfecting her recipe. Kuklis’s performance elevates what could have been a forgettable cozy into something deliciously memorable.