Cognac Conspiracies, Jean-Pierre Alaux & Noël Balen,
Cognac Conspiracies, Jean-Pierre Alaux & Noël Balen, Translated from French by Sally Pane, Le French Book, 2015, 103 pages, ISBN: 978-1939474339 Ebook
It’s spring, and Benjamin Cooker, wine critic extraordinaire, and his, usually trusty, occasionally wayward, assistant, Virgile Lanssien, are off to Charente, home of the historic and politically sensitive region of Cognac. The Chinese (merde!) are trying to buy one of the oldest and most prestigious of Cognac houses, Lavoisier.
Cognac Conspiracies, the fifth in the Winemaker Detective Series, by journalist and cookbook author Jean-Pierre Alaux and musician and author, Noël Balen, is a delightful, frequently tongue-in-cheek excursion through the mysteries and politics of cognac production with a sprinkling of murder and other unpleasantnesses thrown-in to spice the mix. As well as potentially dastardly interlopers, this latest includes a murder and several interfamily intrigues.
This time Benjamin has been hired by a Chinese company to investigate the finances of the prestigious Cognac firm it is trying to buy. At the same time the French Ministry of Culture is incensed at the possible loss of this cultural icon to the Chinese. Benjamin and Virgile must travel to Jarnac on the River Charente to investigate first-hand. It is inescapable. One grieves for them. There they meet the luxurious Marie Lavoisier and her eccentric brother ‘Little’ Pierre, one of the foremost Cognac noses in the business.
After this first meeting, Benjamin is left feeling conflicted about the assignment, and so goes to have lunch in nearby Cognac. There, on the restaurant terrace he encounters Sheila Scott, a lost love from his time in London. She has a few secrets of her own.
Left behind to become better acquainted with Pierre, Virgile soon falls under his spell. After Pierre is discovered drowned, Marie takes the young assistant under her wing, causing the naïve Virgile to suffer a loss of professional detachment. With the pot sufficiently loaded, the chase, as Sherlock would say, is on.
Published by Anne Trager’s, delicious imprint, Le French Book, this series is one of several translations from French into English of popular modern French novels and novellas. At barely 100 pages, this is an easy and quick read. For me, it enlivened an otherwise leaden bus ride to Tallinn for a meeting. While the plots are straightforward, and the language unchallenging, in very good translations by Sally Pane, the details are accurate and frequently very perspicacious on the issues affecting France today. Totally recommend 4****.