Book Review: Flambé in Armagnac

Book: Flambé in Armagnac (Winemaker Detective Mysteries book #7) by Jean-Pierre Alaux and Noel Balen with translations by Sally Pane

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available in print August 6, 2015, in digital July 2, 2015

Publisher: Le French Book

Description:

In the heart of Gascony, a fire ravages the warehouse of one of Armagnac's top estates, killing the master distiller. Wine expert Benjamin Cooker is called in to estimate the value of the losses. But Cooker and his assistant Virgile want to know more. Did the old alembic explode? Was it really an accident? Why is the estate owner Baron de Castayrac penniless? How legal are his dealings?"


Rating: 4 stars

Review:

In this mystery, Wine expert Benjamin Cooker was hired by an insurance company to look into the fire damage of the cellar to the estate of Baron Jean-Charles de Castayrac. When Cooker and his assistant Virgil Lanssien traveled to Gascony they soon found out that there was more going on than a simple assessment of fire damage.

It turns it was more than just property that was destroyed because Cooker found out the Castayrac's cellar master Francisco Vasquez had died in the fire. That information which had not been included in the report to Cooker had the wine expert wondering what really happened at the estate.

The more the two investigated the more unsettling information they found surrounding the Baron, his family and Francisco Vasquez. This story held a lot of secrets that really made the mystery that much more interesting.

I enjoy reading this series because for a cozy mystery series, the reader is given a fascinating look into the goings on in whatever city Cooker and Virgil are visiting in the story as well as the people who live there and not to mention all the wonderful food and drinks.

This was good, I like reading this series because similar to The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series it's the slow build up to the mystery and the character interactions that makes this fun to read.