Review: Magnifigue!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 16, 2012
The setting for this book is the charming Provencal region of France in the quaint village of  St - Buvard where Maggie Newberry and Laurent Dernier have moved onto the vineyards inherited by Laurent.  They have settled in nicely into the spacious farmhouse and befriended three American ex-patriots:  Grace and Windsor, wealthy chateau owners, and Connor a wealthy artist.  They have also been welcomed by their French neighbors, Jean-Luc, the Delacores, Madame Dulcie and Madame Renoir the town baker who makes marvelous breads and pastries, and who also gave beautiful puppies to Grace and Maggie.  Laurent, with Jean-Luc's advice is tending his vineyards, and, of course, preparing sumptious gourmet meals.  Maggie is cultivating a warm relationship with Grace, and smartly decorating the farmhouse.Maggie's parents with her niece Nicole arrive to celebrate our American Thanksgiving, and Laurent and Maggie invite twelve guests for dinner, which goes very well.  However, Maggie is annoyed with Connor who arrives very late, and leaves, so she thinks, without saying goodbye.  After the dinner, Laurent holds a degustation which is the tasting of the different wines that his vineyard has produced.  Laurent has invited over 100 people from the village.  Maggie can't wait for everyone to leave.  Finally, only one guest is left, and Maggie offers to drive her home.  Laurent says he will also come along, but first he wants to go to the basement to get more bottles of wine.  Maggie's father goes with him.  They return immediately, upset, call the police and report that Connor is dead in the basement--murdered.This is not the first murder that took place in Maggie and Laurent's farmhouse.  A family of four had been killed in 1947 by the town war hero according to village lore.  Maggie decides to research and investigate this incident, and also try to figure out who murdered Connor.  Her probing is starting to show that these murders may be connected.  To further exacerbate matters, Maggie and Laurent are being harrassed by some of the villagers who are trying to force them out of France.This book is not only an excellent whodunit, but the author also imparts interesting data about the wine industry.  She states that at the end of the 19th century a pestilence ravished the vineyards of France and Europe until American vinestocks were grafted onto French and European vinestocks.  This impeded the pestilence and saved the vineyards.  Moreover, it saved the entire French and European wine industry.  Fascinating!This book is not only a cozy murder mystery which keeps the reader guessing until the end as to who the murderer is, but it is a delightful, scenic visit to the Provencal region of France in the deft hands of Ms.Kiernan Lewis. Amazon Verified Purchase