August 26, 2019
In Longworth’s appealing eighth Provençal mystery featuring magistrate Antoine Verlaque and his wife, law professor Marine Bonnet (after 2018’s The Secrets of the Bastide Blanche), vendors from sister cities all over the world have descended on the city of Aix to sell their wares during the holiday season. To celebrate, the Protestant church hosts a carol sing, inviting both vendors and locals to attend. Meanwhile, Debra and Cole Hainsby, U.S. expats, are having money trouble because of Cole’s failed touring business, and Debra has taken a job at a local private school. When Cole drops dead during the carol sing, Antoine begins to dig into links between the private school’s head and a desperate move Cole made just before his death. Meanwhile, Marine guards her own secret, one that could have lasting consequences for the couple. Antoine and Marine’s repartee over exquisitely described French meals is one of the book’s pleasures. Never mind the slightly rushed denouement—the enchanting setting and the likable characters make the reader feel right at home. Armchair travelers and gourmets will have fun. Agent: Katherine Fausset, Curtis Brown.
September 1, 2019
A community carol sing turns deadly. Christmas season is a trying time for examining magistrate Antoine Verlaque (The Secrets of the Bastide Blanche, 2018, etc.). Booths crowd the town square of Aix, blocking access to his favorite cafes, and when he watches his friends celebrate, it brings back sad memories of his own neglectful parents. But this year, his wife, Marine Bonnet, on leave from her job teaching law to write a book, seems unusually eager to join the community caroling at the Anglo-Protestant Church of Aix, so he reluctantly agrees to accompany her. And it's a good thing he does, since right before the service, American expat Cole Hainsby eats a plate of food provided by vendors from Aix's sister cities across Europe, Africa, and North America--and dies. Verlaque quickly determines that Hainsby was poisoned. The list of suspects is extensive. Hainsby was a shady operator who may be in debt to even shadier Corsicans from Marseille. His wife, Debra, is exasperated by his financial failures and perhaps a little too cozy with her boss, Alain Sorba, who runs an expensive private school for students who don't quite fit into Aix's excellent public schools. Verlaque must also ponder whether the couple from Perugia who made the eggplant Parmesan or the Philadelphia siblings who whipped up the cheesesteaks may have had some unknown reason to do away with the entrepreneur. But the knotty problem doesn't prevent Verlaque from enjoying his favorite eating places and even discovering an excellent new addition to Aix's dining scene. A typical Longworth cassoulet of good food, fine wine, and murder.
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October 1, 2019
Antoine Verlaque finds the excesses of Christmas celebration in his small town in southern France to be a bit too much. Marine Bonnet, Antoine's partner and wife, would like to celebrate, but in a moderate fashion. When they attend a carol sing at Cathedral Saint Sauveur, their local church, and a shady businessman is poisoned at the buffet, their holiday takes a decidedly different turn toward work. The sleuth duo discover many murder suspects, including the businessman's wife and most of the Christmas fair vendors. VERDICT Longworth's lovingly rendered small town of Aix-en-Provence and its charming characters create a mellow tone, while the murderous actions provide compelling drama. This is the latest in a long-running series but can be read as a stand-alone.
Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
October 1, 2019
It's Christmastime in Aix-en-Provence, and the city's holiday fair stalls are filled with treasures from Aix's global sister cities. In addition, the stall owners donate the meal served after the local Anglican church's annual carol singing. Examining Magistrate Antoine Verlaque and his wife, Marine Bonnet (last appearing in The Secrets of the Bastide Blanche, 2018), attend the event for the first time and witness another first: the murder of abrasive local businessman Cole Hainsby who dies suddenly during the meal. The autopsy reveals that Hainsby was murdered with an overdose of acetaminophen, and Verlaque and police commissioner Bruno Paulik find the case complicated by the easily accessible weapon and the expat community's festering dramas. Was Hainsby murdered by his wife's lover, or was he killed by the Corsican gangsters he owed? In a small city like Aix, truths appear to the observant, allowing Marine to extract tidbits from the locals that help Verlaque and Paulik develop their case. Atmosphere, seasonal and culinary, complements, rather than overshadowing, this well-constructed mystery.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)