Jean White is an antiques expert, but she doesn’t like to leave London. So it’s her husband, Rory, who travels to France regularly, staying in their cottage in Sainte Victoire, a small village that is famous as a hub for antiques. Before he boards a flight to England, Rory calls Jean to show her the gift he has for her – a ruby and diamond ring. Rory doesn’t make it back to London. The local police call Jean with bad news – Rory has been killed in a car accident. When Jean arrives in Sainte Victoire the ring is not among Rory’s possessions. Someone took the ring and murdered Rory. She sets out to find the truth.
Locals, most of them Brits, are surprised when Jean reveals herself to be Rory’s wife. In the village, he was usually seen with another woman. Jean’s grief over Rory’s death is somewhat mitigated by the fact that he was engaged in an affair. However, she remains resolute in her determination to uncover the truth behind his murder and retrieve the ring.
Turns out the ring was stolen by a local teenager who intended to pawn it. The ring is currently being held in evidence until the forensic investigation can be completed. The murderer doesn’t know that, and continues to target Jean, breaking into her cottage and threatening her with phone calls.
Dom, the owner of a local cab company, begins to ferry Jean around as she pursues leads. They quickly form a friendship. Dom’s wife, an actor, has been gone for a long time, the marriage essentially over. He lives with his daughter, Claudette, who is fluent in French and often works as a translator for Dom and now for Jean.
Although Jean’s attention is on her own case, the local police chief, Major André Caron, often taps her expertise when a crime involves art. And with this series now in its fourth year, those robberies and murders begin to pile up.
The Madame Blanc Mysteries is the brain child of veteran British actor Sally Lindsay. Besides playing Jean, she also serves as writer and executive producer. She’s surrounded by a talented supporting cast, several providing comic relief. Steve Edge is terrific as Dom who not only knows his way around the village, but also has a deft touch managing those who live there. And it’s a quirky crew. Sue Holdeness is a hoot as Judith Lloyd James, who lives in the village mansion with her husband, Jeremy (Robin Askwith). Who really owns the mansion is a question dealt with in one episode where one relative ends up being killed during the James’ 35th wedding anniversary. The Connors – Aonghus Weber as Niall and Margeaux as Celine – run the local bar which is a pub away from home for the expats. As Major Caron, Alex Gaumond is the calming force in the village. When he has to question someone, he doesn’t forget that suspects are also longtime residents of the village and need to be treated fairly until charges can be brought.
The setting, Sainte Victoire was inspired by a real French village, Vauvenargues, Bouches-du-Rhone. But the series is actually shot on Malta on the island of Gozo with the village of Sannat substituting for Sainte Victoire. In one episode Jean travels to Lourdes to consult an expert on holy relics. The tacky gift shops in this holy pilgrimage place were recreated on Malta, too. Wherever the series is filmed, the scenery evokes the lovely ambiance, what one hopes to experience in a Southern French town, that was the spark causing this group of Brits to pull up stakes in a big city and live in the countryside.
In season one, Jean does have an encounter with the woman who has been targeting her. Although wounded her attacker escapes to live through many more seasons tormenting Jean.
The Madame Blanc Mysteries can be streamed on Acorn TV or Amazon Prime.
