I LOVE FRANCE
And maybe you do too!
If you have recently read a good book in connection with France,
or watched a movie, read an article on France, etc,
please mention it in the comment section
and add a link to your blog post if you have one.
I will regularly post a recap of all the links mentioned.
If it’s a book review, why not enter it in the 2015 French Bingo?
*******
Cognac Conspiracies
|
In full compliance with FTC Guidelines,
|
Cognac Conspiracies By Jean-Pierre ALAUX and Noël BALEN translated by Sally Pane Publisher: Le French Book Pub. Date: February 18, 2015 ISBNs: 9781939474339 (ebook) 9781939474322 (trade paperback) First published in French: Buy the book | on Indiebound | Amazon | on Barnes & Noble |
This book counts for the following Reading Challenges:
MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS BOOK
I am back with “The Winemaker Detective series of cozy mysteries”, for its 5th book: after Bordeaux and Burgundy, we are now with another great French wine: Cognac Conspiracies.
The eau-de-vie business was already existing and doing well in Jarnac at the time of Napoleon, with the family Lavoisier. But now with bad economy and fierce Chinese competition ready to buy the shares, things are not going well for Marie-France, at the head of the company, and her two brothers.
The Chinese investment group has hired the Cooker firm to audit the business and see what it’s really worth. Benjamin Cooker is an internationally respected wine expert, and when he approaches the Lavoisiers with his assistant Virgile, he finds rather shady people. Things don’t seem right in the family relationships.
Benjamin has enough of all this and is ready to leave the case, especially when he discovers Sheila, a former lives nearby.
But Virgile is persistant and wants to clarify what’s really going on, as one more tragedy touches that family.
I enjoyed the plot, or rater the plots, and how they end up interconnecting.
Characters are also evolving along the series: Benjamin still loves quoting the classics, but he is maybe closer to burn out and lets his guard down, which he would not have done earlier on. Whereas Virgile is maturing in his job and attention to details.
And of course, like in the other books of the series, what’s really neat is the description of the region and information on the wine. The passages about the cognac, its making and its multiple aromas and scents was really fabulous! Too bad the ebook does not come with a sample!
The financial background is also key and so relevant, as many French wines, especially in the Bordeaux region, are indeed bought up by Chinese companies.
NB: The French title has a nice play on words: Dernier coup de Jarnac. Un coup de Jarnac is an unexpected blow, and Jarnac is also the name of the real city where the story takes place.
VERDICT: Shady characters and great wine join for a new adventure in company of wine expert detective Benjamin. Reconnecting with your past may lead you to unexpected mysteries and dramas.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT
The heirs to one of the oldest Cognac estates in France face a hostile takeover by foreign investors. Renowned wine expert Benjamin Cooker is called in to audit the books. In what he thought was a sleepy provincial town, he is stonewalled, crosses paths with his first love, and stands up to high-level state officials keen on controlling the buyout. Meanwhile, irresistible Virgile mingles with the local population until a drowning changes the stakes.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
©David Nakache
The authors of the Winemaker Detective series, are Epicures.
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 wine making.
For him, there is no greater common denominator than wine.
He gets a sparkle in his eye when he talks about the Winemaker Detective,
which he coauthors with Noël Balen.
Noël 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
HAVE YOU READ THIS BOOK YET?
Have you read any other good mystery focusing on wine?
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS IN A COMMENT PLEASE
***
AND NOW FOR A CHANCE TO WIN THIS BOOK !
Be sure to follow each participant on Twitter/Facebook,
they are listed in the entry form below.Entry-Form
Visit each blogger on the tour:
tweeting about the giveaway everyday
of the Tour will give you 5 extra entries each time!
[just follow the directions on the entry-form]8 winners
Choice of print or digital format for US residents
Digital format for all other residents
CLICK ON THE BANNER HERE BELOW
TO READ OTHER REVIEWS AND EXCERPT
AND GET MORE CHANCES TO WIN THE BOOK!
Words And Peace 
Pingback: France Book Tours stops for Feb 15-20 | France Book Tours
Pingback: Jean-Pierre Alaux and Noël Balen on Tour: Cognac Conspiracies | France Book Tours
Pingback: 2015 Ebook Reading Challenge | Words And Peace
Pingback: My kind of mystery 2015 Reading Challenge | Words And Peace
Pingback: 2015 Books in Translation Reading Challenge | Words And Peace
Pingback: 2015 New Release Challenge | Words And Peace
Pingback: 2015 – Books on France challenge – My list | Words And Peace
The Vintage Caper by Peter Mayle
LikeLike
thanks for mentioning this one. I read his Marseille Caper, should try this one now. I almost prefer these to his nonfiction genre
LikeLike
I’ve loved the Tour. And I look forward to reading The Cognac Conspiracies. Thank you for the chance.
Carol L
Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com
LikeLike
you are welcome
LikeLike
2 books into the Nico Sirsky series by Frederique Molay. I also enjoy Cara Black’s Aimee LeDuc series.
LikeLike
I also enjoy Cara’s books. Glad you know Molay, she’s really amazing!
LikeLike
I’m not familiar with this series at all, but I think I’d enjoy it 🙂 I love France – and I live very, very close to France… if I walk for two minutes I can cross the border!
Have a fantastic weekend, Emma.
LikeLike
wow, 2 mn and you are in France, that’s a great place to be! This is a fun series, that you can probably even see on TV where you are
LikeLike
Emma, I am currently reading The Little Paris Bookshop
by Nina George from Netgalley. You might like it.Jean Perdu has a bookshop on a barge, docked in Paris . After learning about what happened to a lost love from long ago, he sets sail along the canals of France, along with a young, bestselling author, who has writer’s block.They have many adventures along the way.
LikeLike
wonderful! this one is actually already on my list
LikeLike
Pingback: Cognac Conspiracies: Tour quotations | France Book Tours
I accidentally added a German short story to the link.
LikeLike
thanks for letting me kow. Removed it. also specified the square for your Bingo entries. I assume you want A4 for the play.
see the format other reviewers used for their entries: http://www.blenza.com/linkies/links.php?owner=wordsandpeace&postid=28Jan2015&meme=12282
LikeLike
I thoroughly enjoyed the previous book in this series and was sad I wasn’t able to get to Cognac Conspiracies. This sounds like a great entry and I’m looking forward to getting caught up on Benjamin’s investigations.
LikeLike
yes, it’s a good series
LikeLike
Pingback: 2015: February wrap-up | Words And Peace