History Corner Backstabbing in Beaujolais by Jean-Pierre Alaux and Noël Balen, Trans. by Anne Trager

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

Synopsis:

Vintage rivalries — A business magnate calls on wine expert Benjamin Cooker to kickstart his new wine business in Beaujolais, sparking bitter rivalries. Can the Winemaker Detective and his assistant keep calculating real estate agents, taciturn winegrowers, dubious wine merchants and suspicious deaths from delaying delivery of the world-famous Beaujolais Nouveau?

Review:  

This is the 9th book in the Winemaker series, and wonderful venture for Benjamin and Virgil, as they attempt to help a businessman enter the world of wine making, and help to keep the winery on task to be a valid newcomer, in a field of established wineries and families. With every book in the winemaker series I feel like I get to learn more of the varied history of France and how the wineries both mirror and sustain the varied cultures of the different regions. Much like the US regions, each wine region has its own ways, traditions and charms. In taking on a winery in Beaujolais, Benjamin helps the under understand there is much more to the culture than just an annual 'new wine', but the grapes that make, if allowed, can make wines that age well. Much like Benjamin. In this 9th novel he is allowing Virgil to handle more and more of the hands on business (and even the wheel of his precious car, but stopping at his daughter's hand!). This is a super quick read and Anne steps in with a fluid translation that keeps the uniqueness of the original French. The reader may guess at parts of the mystery, but others remain cloaked, much like the Beaujolais wine. It's a fun read, and I hope all you mystery lovers have gotten into this fun series! 

About the Authors:

Jean-Pierre Alaux is a magazine, radio and television journalist when he is not writing novels in southwestern France. He is a genuine wine and food lover, and won the Antonin Carême prize for his cookbook La Truffe sur le Soufflé, which he wrote with the chef Alexis Pélissou. 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.Website: http://www.jean-pierre-alaux.book.fr/

Coauthor of the Winemaker Detective series, 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. Website: http://www.noelbalen.com/

About the Translator:

Anne Trager has lived in France for over a quarter of a century, working in translation, publishing and communications. In 2011, she woke up one morning and said, “I just can’t stand it anymore. There are way too many good books being written in France not reaching a broader audience.” That’s when she founded Le French Book to translate some of those books into English. The company’s motto is “If we love it, we translate it,” and Anne loves crime fiction, mysteries and detective novels--and wine.

WIN:

Quick- you can enter to win a copy of this book on Goodreads, but it ends TONIGHT, so hurry!