The quiet village of Tremolat nestled in the Dordogne valley is best known for its cingle, where the sinuous river forms an Instagrammable loop. Home to about 700 people, along with restaurants, a cafe, boulangerie and wine bar, it is a picture-perfect French idyll and a popular place for a getaway or even retirement. Karen Carter, a 65-year-old British-South African national, knew the appeal of Tremolat well: she ran two gites in the village, a beautifully renovated 250-year-old farmhouse and neighbouring 18th-century stone barn collectively called Les Chouettes.