Latest in the French Winemaker Detective series to
grace
our tables is a mystery revolving around the famous red
wine from Beaujolais, which has a fun profile as people
contend to drink the first 'nouveau' or new vintage each
year. BACKSTABBING IN BEAUJOLAIS implies that some take the
race far too seriously.
Guillaume Perithiard is a name well known as the owner of a
DIY business chain; now having sold the stores, the
businessman wants to buy a vineyard in Beaujolais country.
His wife acidly tells him that she won't leave Versailles
in the Paris suburbs to rusticate in a muddy farmyard. But
Perithiard forges ahead with his plans and engages Benjamin
Cooker to provide advice, before completing the purchase.
Benjamin, the author of the quality
Cooker Guide to Wines, travels
with his handsome assistant Virgile to see how they can be
of service; they love inspecting wineries anyway. They
don't know it, but the undertaking will lead to a murder.
We get a guided tour of the slightly neglected vineyard and
the wine-making equipment, much of which needs replacement.
Cooker estimates that a harvest and wine could be made this
year, but a lot of money would need to be sunk into the
place first. Of course, his client is known to have that
money, so the agents won't drop the price. They'll be
staying for a few days during this evaluation, so the men
had better get along, no matter how ill-tempered Perithiard
can occasionally be. And when the sharp trader filches
expert staff from a neighbouring winery, the sparks are
bound to fly.
I love the descriptions of countryside and vineyards in
these tales, from the flowering vines to the hornbeam-lined
drive. I also savour the local dining - in this case, Lyon
meals strong on sausage and beef tripe. Summer is a busy
period and conversations include new thinking versus
venerable tradition; screw-top bottles versus corks,
promotion versus quality. We learn that a hundred million
bottles of Beaujolais are sold annually, in a hundred
countries; that there are three types: fresh Nouveau, the
better Beaujolais Villages and the best, the Cru. Life is
too short to drink bad wine, we are told, a small amount of
good wine even improving our health, and I would add that
life is definitely better when you read an enjoyable and
informative book. There are plenty of suspects and motives
scattered delicately through the tale by Jean-Pierre Alaux
and Noël Balen, superbly translated by Anne Trager, so pick
your favourites as the death rate increases. BACKSTABBING
IN BEAUJOLAIS has all the usual ingredients and a flavour
to rival any lively cosy mystery. Vive la France!
A business magnate calls on wine expert Benjamin Cooker to
kickstart his new wine business in Beaujolais, sparking
bitter rivalries. Can the Winemaker Detective and his
assistant keep calculating real estate agents, taciturn
winegrowers, dubious wine merchants and suspicious deaths
from delaying delivery of the world-famous Beaujolais Nouveau?
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