Rating: 3.5
Source: Blog Tour
Description: When a body of an elderly man is found with 12 neatly arranged wine glasses and only one filled wine expert Benjamin Cooker is called in. With the help of the local police and his assistant Virgile, Cooker is on the hunt of a killer who has a connection to Bordeaux's complicated past. As the bodies fall and the wine glasses fill up Cooker is racing against time and a killer.
Genre: Mystery
Why I Picked This Book: The premise appealed to me. Also, how could I resist a book that mixes murder and wine?
My Impression:
Pro: I was a little worried going in because this is a translation and my luck with those has been decidedly mixed. However, I needn't have worried. The writing style and pacing is smooth and this is a quick entertaining read. There was a slightly formal feel to the book so that it read like a classic mystery which really appealed to me. Benjamin Cooker is an interesting character - he's a well recognized expert in his field and has the ego that goes along with it - so I really appreciated the bit of humor dealing with the cabbage soup diet imposed by his wife. It brought the character down a bit and definitely humanized him. I did see that this was #4 in a long going series. I haven't read any of the previous books but I don't feel like that was a problem. While you do get the sense that this isn't Cooker's first case there isn't any knowledge that you're missing as a reader by starting at this point in the series.
Con: While the book felt like a classic mystery the end took a darker turn that surprised me a bit and maybe didn't quite fit. I would've liked to have had a little more setup to what happened. Everything made sense and was fit the story so this is just a minor quibble.
Overall: This was an interesting mystery series that I am looking forward to read more of. If you enjoy wine, France and murder mysteries this is not to be missed!
Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Absolutely!
Would I Recommend this Book?: Definitely to any mystery lover!
For the Giveaway:
Mystery and wine? What's not to love :-)
ReplyDeleteRight! I enjoyed this one!
DeleteI love this title! I wish I was part of this tour! I do not read a lot of cozy mysteries, just starting to get into them so I can not name a favorite,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this one! Definitely worth trying.
DeleteThe premise was definitely unique. Don't know that I would pick it up, but I'm glad you liked it. :)
ReplyDeleteI really did enjoy it. It's definitely an interesting series!
DeleteHmm, I am curious about the darker aspects but totally agree murder and wine go well together :) LOL
ReplyDeleteIt definitely didn't end like a cozy! It's worth a read.
Deletethanks for your nice review. keep an eye on France Book Tours, we will soon have the next in the series available for review
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'm definitely looking forward to reading more!
DeleteSounds like a fun and intriguing mystery novel. :)
ReplyDeleteJust so you know, I tagged you in The Ultimate Book tag on my blog. You can go to this link to check it out. :)
http://youmeandacupofteablog.blogspot.com/2014/10/ultimate-book-tag.html
It really is! And thanks! I love everyone's answers to the question!
DeleteNow you've got me curious about the ending. :-) I am glad you liked this one, Katherine.
ReplyDeleteIt's a good one! I really enjoyed it.
DeleteThis sounds interesting and I'm also curious about the darker aspects you mentioned. I may see if my library has this.
ReplyDeleteI definitely recommend it!
DeleteI've recently started really liking cozy mysteries and this sounds like a fun one. I definitely agree with you - wine & murder make a great combo! I'm glad the translation was smooth, that's always something I worry about with books I get in translation. Great review!
ReplyDeleteI've had some bad experiences with translations but this one was great! I love cozies though it can be difficult to find one that isn't too cutesy!
DeleteI had to laugh at the Cabbage Soup diet...ugh...I remember trying that one. There is a reason you lose weight on it...repeated trips to the bathroom. Poor guy. I'm curious about the dark turn at the end. Glad you enjoyed this one. I've never read a translated book. Might have to give it a shot.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds awful! But if did make for some humor!
DeleteI read the first one in this series last month and really enjoyed it, I can't wait to read the rest of the series especially this one. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you discovered the series and liked it.
-Kimberly @ Turning the Pages
I'm definitely looking forward to reading more of this series!
DeleteI have the first one in this series and it looks really good.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to reading more of this series!
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