I was given an introduction to an agent through a friend of a friend, so I sent out the first three chapters and very quickly got a response asking for the full manuscript. Trying not to get my hopes up too much, I sent it off. Just a few weeks later, I received this response:

Thanks for the sending through the remainder of the ms. – I’ve had to take time to read and also I wanted a colleague to read it as well and I’m afraid I’m going to pass on the novel.   It was my initial reaction about the chemistry between the sleuths that I just didn’t love and this is the type of cozy you have to love the protagonists as well as the mystery in order to make it work.   I wish the Paris theme worked better it was there but not quite giving the right atmosphere in the background of the story. I did like the initial idea of these traveling sleuths but I can’t pinpoint what exactly was missing from it all -maybe a better setup from NY to Paris to establish the characters home life and how it changes once they arrive in Paris (just a thought).   I wish I had liked it more to be honest but I’m going to follow my gut and just respectfully pass on the project.  Again, thanks for your patience and thinking of me and I’m sure someone else will feel differently about Max and Miranda’s adventure.  

I am very grateful for the introduction. I am very grateful that the agent, as well as his colleague, read the whole book. I appreciate and am taking to heart his comments about the chemistry — re-reading the pages to figure out where/how to spark that up.

But . . . there was one comment — two comments, really — that made me laugh. Not a happy laugh, but a rolling-my-eyes laugh:

1.  I wish the Paris theme worked better
2. maybe a better setup from NY to Paris to establish the characters home life and how it changes once they arrive in Paris (just a thought)

Nota bene: The title of the novel is MURDER ON THE CÔTE D’AZUR and it is set in Nice, not Paris. So I guess it’s quite clear that I am not “giving the right atmosphere in the background of the story” and that the Paris theme is not working.

Sigh.

Onward.