Synopses & Reviews
A serial killer is on the loose in Bordeaux. A local chief detective calls wine expert Benjamin Cooker to the crime scene of a brutal murder. The killer has left a strange calling card: twelve wine glasses lined up in a semi-circle with the first one filled with wine. Cooker is charged with the task of identifying the fabulous grand cru and is astonished by what he learns. A second victim is found, with two glasses filled. Is the killer intentionally leaving clues about his victims and his motives? Memories are jogged about the complicated history of Bordeaux during Nazi occupation. It was a dark time: weinfuhrers ruled the wine trade, while collaborationists and paramilitary organizations spread terror throughout the region. In present-day wine country, time is running out. Will Cooker and his young assistant Virgile solve the mystery before all twelve glasses are full?
Review
Wine plus crime in French vineyards, an immersion in French countryside and gourmet attitude with two amateur sleuths gumshoeing around French wine country. The Winemaker Detective series delves into the underworld of a global luxury industry, where there's money, deceit, death, crime, inheritance, jealousy--all the ingredients needed to distill a fine detective series! That and a decent dose of Epicurean enjoyment of fine food and beverage. It follows master winemaker Benjamin Cooker and his sidekick Virgile Lanssien in their adventures solving mysteries in vineyards throughout France and beyond. Each book is a homage to wine and winemakers.Twenty-two-book series
A hit on television in France
Praise for Deadly Tasting
"Its celebration of fine wine, food, and cigars charms." -Publishers Weekly
"It's a crime mystery thriller at its best, intrigue, mystery, set in the heart of Bordeaux and time is running out." - 5-star Goodreads review
"Reminded me of why I fell in love with mysteries in the first place...what a gem. Truly, I think I may have found my favorite new mystery series." Les Thompson, educator, Netgalley review
"Quite clever, enjoyable, nuanced in all the right ways." -Martys Reads
"Some of the detail was new to me and illuminating." - Thinking about Books
"A grand book that is thought provoking." -5-star Goodreads review
"In part this is true tourism in France and in part it is true murder mystery fiction. Lovers of either or of both subjects will be well-served if they purchase this book." - Netgalley review
"A great read and a great mystery." -Marienela
Praise for books in the Winemaker Detective Series
"Will whet the appetites of lovers of both Iron Chef and Murder, She Wrote"-Booklist
"Unusually adept at description, the authors man- age to paint everything...The journey through its pages is not to be rushed." --ForeWord Reviews
"I love good mysteries. I love good wine. So imag- ine my joy at finding a great mystery about wine, and winemaking, and the whole culture of that fascinating world. And then I find it's the first of a series. I can see myself enjoying many a bottle of wine while enjoying the adventures of Benjamin Cooker in this terrific new series." --William Martin, New York Times bestselling author
"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 mur- ders." --Bernard Frank, Le Nouvel Observateur
"Perfect for people who might like a little treachery with their evening glass of Bordeaux, a little histo- ry and tradition with their Merlot." --AustCrime
"A wonderful translation... wonderful descriptions of the art, architecture, history and landscape of the Bordeaux region... The shoes are John Lobb, the cigars are Cuban, and the wine is 'classic.' As is this book." --Rantin', Ravin' and Reading
"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
"An enjoyable, quick read with the potential for developing into a really unique series." --Rachel Coterill Book Reviews
"A series that is both delectable for connoisseurs of wine and an initiation for those not in the know." --Marine de Tilly, Le Figaro
"I finished it in one sitting! I learned so much about wine making...But more than that is was a good little mystery--nothing wasted. The book would be perfect for a book club to have a 'wine' night." --Bless Your Hearts Mom
"This is an excellent translation. You never have the feeling you are reading a translated text. The author obviously knows Bordeaux extremely well, and he knows quite a bit about oenology. The book should be a hit with lovers of Bordeaux wine." --Tom Fiorini, The Vine Route
Praise for Deadly Tasting
"This is a real page turner, so you may want to keep that bottle of wine handy so you don't have to budge from visiting Bordeaux." - Goodreads (5 stars)
"Another spanking good mystery set in the wine country of France. A story to savor." - Goodreads (5 star)
"Another great mystery from authors Jean-Pierre Alaux and Noël Balen with a poignant touch as our amateur sleuths look into crimes committed about 70 years ago." - Marienela Blog
"I haven't been this enthusiastic about a series in a long time, but now that I've read Deadly Tasting, book number four in the Winemaker Detective series, I'm hooked." - Not Quite Home
"It's not surprising that this quite charming food and wine mysteries have been made into a popular French television series. The characters are well drawn and reasonably believable. The book is well plotted, the motivation and resolution is tragic but credible." Memories of Lives Left Behind
Review
"This story of amateur but expert sleuths in wine country is a polished piece of work." --Fresh Fiction
Review
"The hero, Bordeaux-area wine expert Benjamin Cooker and his assistant, Virgile, add sleuthing to their credits and quickly immerse the reader into a menu of murder, fine wine and food...Enjoy a glass of French wine as you read this slim paperback." --El Paso Times
Review
"Difficult to forget and oddly addictive...deserves a high mark for keeping the answers hidden and the pages turning." --Foreword Reviews (Deadly Tasting)
Synopsis
In a new Winemaker Detective adventure, a serial killer stalks Bordeaux, signing his crimes with a strange ritual. To understand the wine-related symbolism, the local police call on the famous wine critic Benjamin Cooker. The investigation leads them to the dark hours of France's history, as the mystery thickens among the once-peaceful vineyards of Pomerol.
Synopsis
When wine tasting turns deadly
About the Author
Jean-Pierre Alaux is a magazine, radio and television journalist when he is not writing novels in southwestern France. He is a genuine wine and food lover, and won the Antonin Carême prize for his cookbook La Truffe sur le Soufflé, which he wrote with the chef Alexis Pélissou. For him, "there is no greater common denominator than wine."Noël Balen lives in Paris, where he shares his time between writing, making records, and lecturing on music. He plays bass, is a music critic and has authored a number of books about musicians in addition to his novel and short-story writing.Sally Pane studied French at State University of New York Oswego and the Sorbonne before receiving her Masters Degree in French Literature from the University of Colorado where she wrote Camus and the Americas: A Thematic Analysis of Three Works Based on His Journaux de Voyage. Her career includes more than twenty years of translating and teaching French and Italian at Berlitz and at Colorado University Boulder. She lives in Boulder, Colorado with her husband.