Book Review: Mayhem in Margaux by Jean-Pierre Alaux and Noel Balen

It s summer in Bordeaux. There s a heat wave, the vineyards are suffering, vintners are on edge, and wine expert Benjamin Cooker s daughter is visiting. A tragic car accident draws the Winemaker Detective and his assistant Virgile into a case where the stakes are very personal, and they uncover some dirty secrets hiding behind the robe of some of Bordeaux s finest grand cru classe wines from Margaux."

*Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. *

France, wine and summer. A perfect recipe for pure joy! And when you add mystery to it! It is an absolute divine!

Let me introduce you with the plot. The main character is Benjamin Cooker, a famous winemaker in Margaux, France. His lovely daughter, Margaux, who is a student, visits him for the summer. She is a lovely and beautiful young woman, and men are interested in her, especially Antoine Rinetti, the new manager of Gayraud-Valrose chateau. Margaux and Antoine go for a trip by car and they have an accident that almost kills them. Like every concerned father, Benjamin is very worried about his daughter, especially after he hears that the car has been sabotaged. He has been helping the police before, and this time he uses his detective skills to find the culprit behind the car accident.

I loved Benjamin Cooker as a main character. He is old-fashioned husband and father, an excellent winemaker and true noir detective. Like every father, he sees his daughter as a little girl, even if she is woman, and acts very protective. He is suspicious for every man around her. As a winemaker, he has an excellent taste and works very hard to make the best wine he can. And as a detective, he has very old-fashioned skills that always work. He doesn't need modern technology to find out what he wants to know. He is not a real detective, but his style reminds me of the very famous Hercules Poirot.

It seems that even the wineyards aren't safe these days. But with winemakers like Benjamin, we can all feel little bit safer. And with a glass of wine, you can enjoy this interesting cozy mystery, perfect for this summer.

My opinion: 4 / 5.