THE SITE FOR DIE HARD CRIME & THRILLER FANS
iBookKindlePrintReviews

Cognac Conspiracies

2 Mins read

cognacconspiracies200Written by Jean-Pierre Alaux and Noël Balen, translated by Sally Pane — The Winemaker Detective series from Le French Book continues here and this time we’re in the Cognac region. As the heirs to one of the oldest family-run Cognac estates, the Lavoisier, face a hostile takeover by Chinese investors. Renowned Anglo-French wine expert Benjamin Cooker and his assistant Virgile (irresistable to women of a certain age) are called in to audit the books. What they find in this area in the West of France, however, is a hotbed of intrigue, family feuds, glamorous femmes fatales and lies.

When one of the heirs is found drowned, it doesn’t take much imagination to figure out that it’s not an accident or suicide, but murder. Inevitably, Benjamin and Virgile get involved in the investigation. We start to question Benjamin’s judgement, however, as he accidentally meets a former girlfriend from his student days and becomes rather partial to her attentions, while Virgile is not immune to the charms of the last remaining Lavoisier heir.

At the time the story was written in the 2004, the French wine industry was sliding into recession, and the Armagnac/Cognac area was particularly hard hit. So the story of foreign investment and selling out rings very true. However, you do not read the Winemaker Detective series for its realism or social commentary. This is the fifth book by the writing duo to be translated by Le French Book, and each is set in a different wine-producing region of France. Like the previous books in the series, it is a quick, pleasant read, a good introduction to the country’s culinary charms and regional beauty. In this case, it’s also a primer in the art and science of blending aged wines to produce fine cognacs.

The setting is what makes the charm of this series – and it’s always convincingly described, appealing to all senses. The plot itself feels a little too thin: I’d have liked to find out more about the main characers and their motivation. Perhaps the pace at which the authors churn out these books (on average four a year) doesn’t work in their favour, but they also work as film scripts for a very popular TV series in France.

Packed with drama and wine-related knowledge, what keeps this from descending into a rural mayhem of cosiness of the long-running Midsomer Murders series on British TV is that dash of realism. In this instance, however, I could have done with a little less love interest and a bit more mystery.

It remains, however, a delightful way to while away a winter afternoon, reading in front of an open fireplace, glass of brandy in your hand.

Le French Book
Print/Kindle/iBook
£5.94

CFL Rating: 3 Stars


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related posts
iBookKindlePrintReviews

A Novel Murder by EC Nevin

We crime fiction lovers do enjoy a good book festival – but for all the cloak and dagger and fake crime scene tape that abound there, I don’t imagine that many of us have actually discovered an honest-to-goodness murder victim at one. That dubious pleasure…
KindlePrintReviews

Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman

Acclaimed crime and mystery author Laura Lippman has produced her first cosy mystery, and it’s a delight from beginning to end. You may know her as the author of the Baltimore, Maryland-based Tess Monaghan series, and Murder Takes a Vacation is, as they say, Monaghan-adjacent….
iBookKindlePrintReviews

Murder on the Marlow Belle by Robert Thorogood

It’s murder ahoy as the Marlow Murder Club take to the Thames and pit wits against another nefarious killer in Murder on the Marlow Belle. Robert Thorogood’s cosy mysteries – which have inspired a television series starring Samantha Bond – continue to go from strength…
Crime Fiction Lover