"Beguiling. Longworth evokes the pleasures of France in delicious detail--great wine, delicious meals, and fine company."--Publishers Weekly When a scandalous author moves to the outskirts of Aix-en-Provence, Verlaque and Bonnet are called in to investigate whether he's haunted by more than just his past, in this delightful new mystery from M.L. Longworth One hot summer night, Aix-en-Provence is aflutter with news that controversial author Valere Barbier, who once shared dinners with French presidents and all-night drinking bouts with rock stars, has moved into La Bastide Blanche, a grand house left empty for decades. But Valere's ideas of a peaceful retirement are quickly dashed. Rambunctious neighborhood children, a fast-talking gossip of a housekeeper, and a rival novelist filter through the home at all hours of the day--and by night there are unseen visitors with more sinister intentions. While Antoine Verlaque investigates Valere's sordid history, his wife and partner, Marine Bonnet, questions why the estate was abandoned in the first place--and what they both find raises more questions than answers. Is Valere imagining the ethereal cries that fill the bastide at night? Is he losing his mind? Or have these ghosts returned from Valere's checkered past to haunt him?"--
Series
6 primary booksVerlaque and Bonnet is a 6-book series with 6 primary works first released in 2011 with contributions by M.L. Longworth.
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In the 7th installment of M.L. Longworth's Verlaque and Bennet mystery series, we find our hero and heroine considering the purchase of a home while a new Aixois finds a less-than-welcoming situation in his new home.
This book weaves together two points of view: an interview between a young editor and Valere (new resident and famous author whose fictional early works I'd love to read) and Judge Verlaque and Marine Bonnet.
If I remember correctly, Ms. Longworth has not used this technique before and it's very effective in this novel; my favorite sections were from Valere's point of view and really captured the voice of an author caught up in weaving a suspenseful tale. The descriptions of the Bastide Blanche were very well done, as were depictions of the countryside. I certainly felt like I was in France, despite actually actually being in the flatlands of Illinois.
Verlaque and Bonnet were nearly after-thoughts in this go-round, although their culinary choices are always a joy to read and inspire me to do a little more cooking.
The plot started off well, but then got rather silly about 2/3 of the way through and had a ridiculous ending, whereas prior installments in the series were more consistent.
As a side note, the publisher has decided to use a different cover style than the first 6 books, which is s not disappointing as that is what first caught my eye!
