Book Review: Cognac Conspiracies

Book: Cognac Conspiracies (Winemaker Detective Mysteries book #5) by Jean-Pierre Alaux and Noel Balen with translations by Sally Pane

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: February 18, 2015

Description:

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.


Rating: 1 star

Review:

I was disappointed with this and mostly because of wine expert Benjamin Cooker. First, he accepted a job by the new shareholder of Lavoisier Cognac that he really didn't want to do, which means he left all of his responsibility to his assistant Virgile. Second, while Virgile was off doing Benjamin's job, the wine expert was too busy being in a foul mood and was constantly meeting up with his ex-girlfriend, Sheila.

The version of Benjamin Cooker in this book reminds me of the one I found unappealing in book #2 The Grand Cru Heist who was a slimy, rude and a pretentious womanizer. I didn't like that he was getting jealous over Shelia and who she may have possibly been with. This is not the Cooker I found interesting in the other books I've read.

The mystery surrounds the death of Pierre Lavoisier one of the owners of the Lavoisier Cognac. The timing of his death is very suspicious despite it being ruled as an accident. Not believing that Pierre's death was an accident Cooker and his assistant try to investigate with yet again Virgile doing most of the work. Cooker wasn't the only one caught up in some weird type of romance Virgile found himself enchanted by the last remaining owner of the Lavoisier Cognac, Marie-France.

The mystery was really an after thought because it spent so much time focused on characters various and implied romantic relationships. This was not a good read at all for me because I kept wondering where was the mystery.

I hope if I get a chance to read any more books from this series that the next book will be better and Cooker will return to being a much more likeable character.