Benjamin Cooker, the titular sleuth of the Winemaker Detective series by Alaux and Balen (Treachery in Bordeaux), is in Burgundy to be inducted into the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin (a prestigious honor conferred on only a few winemakers) and to evaluate a number of wines for the next edition of his Cooker Guide.
But as he drives around with his assistant, Virgile, Cooker keeps seeing Latin inscriptions spray-painted in odd places--the front of a café, a stone wall, the middle of a road. His old friend Brother Clément, an elderly monk, reveals that the inscriptions are Bible verses, which include repeated pleas for God's mercy. Cooker and Virgile try to piece together the inscriptions to figure out what's motivating the vandal, but before they fully decipher things, two young boys (paint cans in hand) are gunned down. Were the inscriptions a bizarre teenage prank? Or are darker forces at work in Burgundy?
Nightmare in Burgundy is a slim novel, but its short length belies its intrigue. With few words, the authors have managed to bring thoughtful, proper Cooker and reckless Virgile to life, and ably captured Cooker's unease about the dark nature of the mysterious messages. It's also clear that Alaux and Balen share a love of good wine with their amateur detective; Nightmare in Burgundy is full of oenological references sure to please wine aficionados. This just might be the perfect mystery to read with a glass of vino in hand. --Jessica Howard, blogger at Quirky Bookworm