Book Review: Flambé in Armagnac by Jean-Pierre Alaux, Noël Balen, Translated by Sally Pane


Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook, free of charge,from le French Book, via Edelweiss, 
for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it


And now for the latest book in the Winemaker Detective series to be translated by le French Book...

flambe in armagnac cover

Synopsis:

In the heart of Gascony, a fire ravages the warehouse of one of Armagnac’s top estates, killing the master distiller. Wine expert Benjamin Cooker is called in to estimate the value of the losses. But Cooker and his assistant Virgile want to know more. Did the old alembic explode? Was it really an accident? Why is the estate owner Baron de Castayrac penniless? How legal are his dealings?

Review:


The loss of an entire warehouse of a year's bounty of wines can be pretty depressing, especially for Benjamin! Once again, out favorite wine detectives set out to solve a mystery that lands in their laps literally. In many ways Benjamin reminds me of Hercule Poirot, he also seems to sense when there is trouble afoot,and all is not as it seems. Only this time Virgile and his new relationship share equal footing with the mystery, leaving Benjamin with more than 1 mystery to sous out! Every time I read one of these books I feel like I should have a notebook beside me to make notes on the wines being discussed, for future wine tastings! And don;t forget the food!it's France after all, and great food goes with great wine- which is a nice way of saying do NOT read this series on an empty stomach! once again Sally gives us a wonderful translation that will have you sighing at te end, and wishing your French was better, so you could watch (and understand) the French TV series, of this book series! Don't miss this latest entry!


About the Authors;




Jean-Pierre Alaux is a magazine, radio and TV journalist when he is not writing novels in southwestern France. He is the grandson of a winemaker and exhibits a real passion for wine and winemaking. For him, there is no greater common denominator than wine. 


Noël Balen lives in Paris, where he shares his time between writing, making records, and lecturing on music. He plays bass, is a music critic and has authored a number of books about musicians in addition to his novel and short-story writing. 

About the Translator: 

Sally Pane studied French at State University of New York Oswego and the Sorbonne before receiving her Masters Degree in French Literature from the University of Colorado. Her career includes more than twenty years of translating and teaching French and Italian at Berlitz and at the University of Colorado in Boulder. She has translated several books in the Winemaker Detective series. She lives in Boulder, Colorado with her husband.

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