Guillaume Perithiard is a name well known as the owner of a DIY business chain; now having sold the stores, the businessman wants to buy a vineyard in Beaujolais country. His wife acidly tells him that she won't leave Versailles in the Paris suburbs to rusticate in a muddy farmyard. But Perithiard forges ahead with his plans and engages Benjamin Cooker to provide advice, before completing the purchase. Benjamin, the author of the quality Cooker Guide to Wines, travels with his handsome assistant Virgile to see how they can be of service; they love inspecting wineries anyway. They don't know it, but the undertaking will lead to a murder.

We get a guided tour of the slightly neglected vineyard and the wine-making equipment, much of which needs replacement. Cooker estimates that a harvest and wine could be made this year, but a lot of money would need to be sunk into the place first. Of course, his client is known to have that money, so the agents won't drop the price. They'll be staying for a few days during this evaluation, so the men had better get along, no matter how ill-tempered Perithiard can occasionally be. And when the sharp trader filches expert staff from a neighbouring winery, the sparks are bound to fly.

I love the descriptions of countryside and vineyards in these tales, from the flowering vines to the hornbeam-lined drive. I also savour the local dining - in this case, Lyon meals strong on sausage and beef tripe. Summer is a busy period and conversations include new thinking versus venerable tradition; screw-top bottles versus corks, promotion versus quality. We learn that a hundred million bottles of Beaujolais are sold annually, in a hundred countries; that there are three types: fresh Nouveau, the better Beaujolais Villages and the best, the Cru. Life is too short to drink bad wine, we are told, a small amount of good wine even improving our health, and I would add that life is definitely better when you read an enjoyable and informative book. There are plenty of suspects and motives scattered delicately through the tale by Jean-Pierre Alaux and Noël Balen, superbly translated by Anne Trager, so pick your favourites as the death rate increases. BACKSTABBING IN BEAUJOLAIS has all the usual ingredients and a flavour to rival any lively cosy mystery. Vive la France!

Book Summary