Nightmare in Burgundy
A Winemaker Detective Mystery
by Jean-Pierre Alaux, Noël Balen
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app
1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date Jul 31 2014 | Archive Date Sep 05 2014
Description
A Note From the Publisher
Kindle version available for sale in March 2014.
Advance Praise
Twenty-two-book series A hit on television in France
“A terrific new series.” —William Martin, New York Times bestselling author
“Unusually adept at description, the authors man- age to paint everything...The journey through its pages is not to be rushed.” —ForeWord Reviews
“A fine vintage forged by the pens of two very different varietals. It is best consumed slightly chilled, and never alone. You will be intrigued by its mystery, and surprised by its finish, and it will stay with you for a very long time.” —Peter May, prize-winning, international bestselling author
“An excellent mystery series in which you eat, drink and discuss wine as much as you do murders.” —Bernard Frank, Le Nouvel Observateur
“Combines a fairly simple mystery with the rich feel of the French winemaking industry. The descriptions of the wine and the food are mouth-watering!” —The Butler Did It
“Benjamin Cooker uses his composure, erudition and intuition to solve heady crimes that take place in the exclusive—and realistic—world of grand cru wines.” —Jean-Claude Raspiengeas, La Croix
“A series that is both delectable for connoisseurs of wine and an initiation for those not in the know.”
—Marine de Tilly, Le Figaro
Available Editions
EDITION | Paperback |
ISBN | 9781939474056 |
PRICE | $12.95 (USD) |
Featured Reviews
Nightmare in Burgundy by Jean-Pierre Alaux. Published by Le French Book Posted on March 20, 2014 by cayocosta72
Wine detective Benjamin Cooker returns in a new mystery. Cooker travels to Burgundy to visit the vineyards and wineries of one of the most famous wine making regions in France. It was supposed to be a simple wine tasting trip, but it becomes something more when he discovers graffiti scrawled across old monuments. Is it vandalism or something more, a message perhaps? With the help of the kind and gentle Brother Clement, Cooker uncovers the truth.
I read this during yet another snowstorm in Maine on this, the first day of spring. I was whisked away to the beauty and intrigue of France and highly recommend this to anyone who loves France, wine, or just a little mental vacation
Like fine wine, Jean-Pierre Alaux and Noël Balen get better as the “Winemaker Detective Mystery” series get older (translation – more books are written).
In “Nightmare in Burgundy”, Benjamin Cooker leaves his native Bordeaux to go to Burgundy for a dream wine tasting trip to France's other key wine-making region.
To use an American vernacular, the wine in Burgundy might be to die for; but the grand cru is innocent when two teenagers were shot to death. Still, that crime is a cut and dried case – the teens were caught writing graffiti and a drunk shot them.
What caught Benjamin Cooker’s attention were the graffiti themselves. Written in Latin with biblical references, it looked more like an erudite person would write it than a teenager. Unsure of his translations, Cooker visited his old mentor at the Citeaux Abbey who explained to Cooker that everything was not what it seemed.
Needing help both for the wine tasting and the mystery of the Latin graffiti, Benjamin Cooker asked his assistant Virgile to come to Burgundy. Together, the two amateur sleuths were able to piece together the puzzle but the more they know, the more they don’t like what they were uncovering.
This is the third book from the series that I have read and I am beginning to understand why the “Winemaker Detective Mystery” is a hit on television.
While Benjamin Cooker and Virgile remain central to the story line, the sidebars like the history of the locale and the wines make the series more than just a whodunit. It also becomes a fountain of knowledge.
Another thing that makes the series stand out is the piousness of Benjamin Cooker. British by birth but a Catholic and living in France which is predominantly Catholic, as a character Benjamin Cooker exudes faith and piety.
And though some readers of Christian books might disagree with me, I can honestly say that I see more religion and Christianity in the “Winemaker Detective Mystery” than most of the fiction books that have been labeled as “Christian” literature.
Still, the best part of it all is that the books are written in lyrical prose that though I am reading it in English, the poetry of the French language has not been lost in translation.
The location, the mystery, the detective all are a perfect blend in this wine cozy. Its is a highly enjoyable short read. A definite must read in this fun series. Well done.
Received from Netgalley in exchange for a review. Translated from the French, it is the third in the Winemaker Detective series, following on from Grand Cru Heist.
Benjamin Cooker, half French, half English, finds himself in Burgundy where he is to receive the honour of being named Chevalier du Tastevin by the Knights of the order (slogan 'Never whine, always wine!'). He takes the opportunity to spend a few days in area, staying in the small town of Vougeot, in order to do some tastings of the local producers in order to prepare notes for his new book.
However, the trip is spoilt when two young men are shot dead in the process of spraying some graffiti on a wall - there has been a spate of slogans written in Latin on walls around the town. Benjamin cant resist trying to work out what these couplets mean and why they have been daubed on the walls. He invites Virgile, his young and attractive assistant, to the town to lends a hand with the investigations, whilst allowing the younger man to continue his foray into wine tasting.
This is a shortish book, and not the first of the series. There is not much in terms of description of Cooker, which may have been done in a previous book (or perhaps because this is related to a TV series I've never heard of, it allows for anyone to be cast in the role). Virgile isnt described much either, apart from being a terrible flirt and a hit with the women.
There are some great descriptions of the food eaten and the wine drunk (they seemed to be a little more detailed in the previous book), as well as some of the local traditions and fokelore. The denouement comes a little quick and the clues are a little tenuous to get to that point, but that is only a small point in an otherwise enjoyable and short book.
I am a big fan of the wine detective series. If you enjoy the other books, you will enjoy this one too. Benjamin Cooker has left his beloved Bordeaux to journey to Burgundy where he is being initiated into a celebrated "club". While he is there, strange things begin to happen starting with graffiti written in Latin that leads to the deaths of two young cousins.
We know that our intrepid hero will not be able to resist the siren song of a mystery but as usual, it is more complicated than it seems at first. It is always a joy to read as Benjamin unravels the secrets while eating fabulous food and quaffing amazing wine. It is hard to read the books without drooling.
My only proviso on this one is it would not be my choice to read it as my first book in the series. Taste Bordeaux before you venture to Burgundy.
We have been to this area and felt the reference to l'Hôtel-Dieu de Beaune was significant. Not being a connoisseur, we were somewhat lost by the references to the various wines of the region. However, we did enjoy the book and the interplay between Cooker and Virgile was brilliant.
I appreciated the Holmes-and-Watson interaction of the main characters. I liked elements of backstory brining depth and credulity to the mystery at play. My only regret was having to skip entire kindle pages of lists of wine regions Between, before, after,and parallell in an effort to explain differences and finer elements of varietals.
The third book in this charming series is not quite up to par with the previous mystery but still brings plenty of murder, mayhem and wine to the table. There is a puzzle, along with two deaths, that must be unravelled and Benjamin Cooker finds himself calling upon an old dying friend, a monk to help him decipher the Latin clues. I really enjoyed the Catholic aspect of this particular story. The relationship between Cook and Virgile is a warm strong bond between a Catholic and an unbeliever bringing about many interesting discussions. I igly enjoy this dou who casually stumble upon mysteries on their travels as wine critics/tasters. This book, the third, does take some assumption that you will know who the characters are so there is little to no introduction or background on them. Which in my opinion would make this one not suitable as a starting point for the series. A quaint cozy set in the wine country that will please both cozy mystery readers and wine enthusiasts. Looking forward to the next book!