Death in the Vines: A Verlaque and Bonnet Provencal Mystery (Verlaque and Bonnet Provencal Mysteries)
This mystery set in Aix-en-Provence, the third in Longworth’s Verlaque and Bonnet series, starts with the owner of a renowned winery in Provence realizing that many bottles of wine, some dating as far back as 1929, have been stolen from his cellar. He tries to settle down by touching an ancient object that has comforted him from the time he was a boy, an aquatic fossil in the form of a scallop shell, embedded in the cellar wall. Longworth’s description of this vineyard fossil, common in an area once under the deep sea, and her characterizations of the qualities of different wines are the kind of details that make this series riveting, along with the quirky characters of Aix-en-Provence judge Antoine Verlaque; his girlfriend and co-sleuth, law professor Marine Bonnet; and Police Commissioner Bruno Paulik. But these kinds of enlivening details are, unfortunately, much scarcer here than in the previous two Verlaque and Bonnet stories. The plot, involving murder and grievous bodily harm to several women, is the strong point this time. Not quite as entrancing as earlier series entries but still satisfying for fans. --Connie Fletcher