The picturesque town of Bellevue-Sur-Mer, nestled in the
corner of South France, known as the French Riviera, is the
new home for ex-pats. English speaking, they gather
together, become friends and talk about their hopes and
dreams. William and Benjamin, lifetime partners, own a
home, a few doors away from Theresa Simmonds, 60-ish who was
a chef and lost her job before she was ready to retire.
A recent newcomer, she lives in a ground floor apartment and
is wondering what to do with the rest of her life. A few
steps away resides 70-ish Zoe, eccentric, who maintains her
hair and always any lines from appearing. Nearby is Sally
Connor, once a celebrity, who owns a darling home. Sally
often wonders if she gave up too easily on her career but is
happy with her new friends and safe haven. Carol, is
beautiful and always perfectly groomed, but in fact, had
been born a boy. Still the most dashing, stylish girl in
town, her friends know but never let on to her secret.
This circle of expats band together. They are all
creative, looking to fill their days with rewarding work
and maybe make some money. They agree it is never too late
to start something new. They decide to open a restaurant
together in this lovely seaside village. It is not far from
the glitz and glamour of Cannes, known for its well
attended yearly film festival, and Monte Carlo, a mecca for
gambling, a stop for cruise ships loaded with tourists, the
group is convinced a bistro would be successful. They vote
and begin work in looking for the perfect location. Carol
finds one in what used to be Madame Magenta's ex-restaurant
near the waterfront. She signs a lease that is "almost too
good to be true" with the grandson. Constanzo. Hold your
hats for this exciting journey!
Preparing to open La Mosaique for business is a fun romp.
A delight of an adventure filled with fun, mystery, plots
and sub-plots that will have you laughing and guessing until
the finale. Sally meets Stanislav Serafim, a Russian
millionaire, or is he? Wined and dined by this handsome,
charming man, while watching fireworks on his fantastic
yacht, he proposes marriage to Sally. Se is offered a
future with him that is unbelievable and it tuns out that's
what it is.
Celia Imrie is an award winning actress known for great
roles in the Marigold Hotel Series and author of NOT QUITE
NICE, which is the first in her story about Bellevue-Sur-
Mer and the introduction of the characters in this sequel.
NICE WORK (IF YOU CAN GET IT) is utterly delicious and I
enjoyed it all including
the fabulous recipes at the start of each new chapter. Love
triangles, family dysfunctions, gorgeous locales and food,
even a Picasso painting will keep you riveted to this
charming story of elderly folks who opt to try something
new, to stay young and keep busy and it works! Nice read
and I look forward to a sequel, coming soon?
Somewhere on the French Riviera, tucked between glitzy Monte
Carlo and Cannes' red-carpets, lies the sleepy town of
Bellevue-Sur-Mer. Sheltered from the glittering melee, it is
home to many an expat – although it hasn't proved as
peaceful as expected. Now an enterprising band of retirees
has resolved to show it's never too late to start afresh,
and open a restaurant.
Snapping up a local property and throwing themselves into
preparations, Theresa, Carol, William and Benjamin's plans
are proceeding unnervingly well. But when Theresa encounters
a mysterious intruder, she begins to wonder what secrets the
building is concealing.
Meanwhile Sally, an actress who fled the stage to live in
quiet anonymity, has decided not to be involved. She's far
too busy anyway, shepherding around a gaggle of A-listers
including a suave Russian with a super-yacht and a penchant
for her company.
As the razzmatazz of Cannes Film Festival penetrates
Bellevue-Sur-Mer, its inhabitants become entangled in a
complex pattern of love triangles and conflicting business
interests, and something starts to feel distinctly
oeuf. Finding themselves knee-deep in suspicion and
skulduggery, the restaurateurs realise they can no longer
tell who's nasty … and who's nice.