Another Winemakers Detective Series book is here, to
serve up the finest wines with a soupçon of death and
treachery. Our intrepid pair of winemakers don't expect
that a trip will bring them a NIGHTMARE IN BURGUNDY.
Benjamin Cooker, author of a famed wine guide, is taking a
break from being a vintner to be guest of honour at a
dinner in the town of Vougeot. Next morning it's on with
the serious - though delightful - task of wine-tasting in
this Burgundy country. His younger assistant Virgile is
taking care of his own batch, so Cooker has time to notice
unusual Latin graffiti around town. Soon afterwards two
teenagers are shot by a farmer with a shotgun while
spraypainting a wall in the supposedly quiet town. The
punishment seems excessive, so was there a reason to
silence them? Cooker learns from a monk that the Latin
quotes are from a Psalm of David.
Summoned to his boss's side, Virgile drives through places
like Marsannay-la-Cote, Chambolle Musigny and Brochon - a
sea of grapevines being tended at the start of spring with
chateaux and abbeys built from local stone. The food is
just as lush... stuffed saddle of rabbit with prunes and
bacon on spinach and tomato confit. Too satisfied to move,
the gentlemen discuss the tragic shooting, which has
resulted in the deaths of the boys. Other strange events
occur in the village, which have historical parallels; they
sound like the effects of a poltergeist but the police are
kept busy. Is everything connected, and are superstitions
to blame?
Chatting and puzzling their way through the mystery and
local characters, Virgile and Cooker once more introduce us
to some wine lore and French history. Novella length,
this mystery is just right for relaxing with over one
evening, while learning a little more about the wine in our
glass and how the limestone, clay, or well-drained soil
affects the flavour. Translated by Sally Pane, NIGHTMARE IN
BURGUNDY by Jean-Pierre Alaux and Noel Balen reads fluidly,
and we can almost smell the morels and goats' milk
cheeses. Bon appetit!
After Treachery in Bordeaux, and Grand Cru Heist, our Winemaker Detective leaves his native Bordeaux to go to Burgundy for a dream wine tasting trip to France’s other key wine-making region. Between Beaune, Dijon and Nuits-Saint-Georges, it turns into a troubling nightmare when he stumbles upon a mystery revolving around messages from another era. What do they mean? What dark secrets from the deep past are haunting the Clos de Vougeot? Does blood need to be shed to sharpen people’s memory? Jean-Pierre Alaux and Noël Balen, wine lover and music lover respectively, came up with the idea for the Winemaker Detective series while sharing a meal, with a bottle of Château Gaudou 1996, a red wine from Cahors with smooth tannins and a balanced nose.
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