Winemakers Detective Series sounds like a good way to
while away an evening. These are translated from the French
and I must say that I found the logo off-putting - a pistol
drips blood into a wineglass. But on with the story of
TREACHERY IN BORDEAUX. Benjamin Cooker, France's most
famous winemaker, is tortured by self-doubt as he writes up
notes on his famous wines in the Medoc region. A young man,
Virgile, arrives to apply for a job and between firing
questions at him about maceration of enzymes and terroirs,
Benjamin invites him to sample his wife's cooking which
that day is lamprey casserole.
We read of a neighbour's disaster when his casks are
contaminated, the laboratory finding high phenols, of
carcinogens in fruit purees, of the careful science in the
trade. Meanwhile Benjamin, who loves buying anything
connected with wine and antiques, has an old painting of a
winery which reminds him of someone else's painting. An
elderly professor tells him that it is part of a medieval
tryptych, but shortly afterwards he is found dead. Can this
be sinister?
Any devoted wine buff may enjoy reading a whole page of
Benjamin tasting a red wine and deciding what blend and
vineyard it was, and it is good to appreciate what a
complex process is involved in getting wine from harvest to
customer. However compared to most mysteries the short book
is detail-heavy and action-light, and Benjamin and Virgile
talk their way through events with rarely a glimpse of a
female in more than a domestic role. Jean-Pierre Alaux and
Noel Balen live in France and each write novels, while the
former is a journalist and the latter a music critic. This
is not your usual tale of sleuthing and while it is nicely
descriptive, it will suit certain readers, particularly men
keen on wine tastings, better than others.
Benjamin Cooker is a renowned winemaker and critic turned
gentleman detective who sets out to find who is trying to
take down the prestigious grand cru Moniales Haut-Brion. Is
it negligence or sabotage? Who would want to target this
esteemed vintner? Cooker and his assistant Virgile Lanssien
search the city and the vineyards for answers, giving
readers and inside view of this famous wine region.
Treachery in Bordeaux is the first of the 20-book Winemaker
Detective series that delves into the underworld of a global
luxury industry.
© 2003-2025 off-the-edge.net
all rights reserved Privacy Policy