Death at the Chateau Bremont (Verlaque and Bonnet Series #1)

by M. L. Longworth

Overview

Introducing a seductive new mystery series set in Provence-featuring chief magistrate Antoine Verlaque.

Set in charming and historic Aix-en-Provence, France, Death at the Château Bremont introduces readers to Antoine Verlaque, the handsome and seductive chief magistrate of Aix, and his on-again, off- again love interest, law professor Marine Bonnet. When local nobleman Etienne de Bremont falls to his death from the family château, the town is abuzz with rumors. Verlaque suspects foul play and must turn to Marine for help when he discovers that she had been a close friend of the Bremonts. This is a lively whodunit steeped in the rich, enticing, and romantic atmosphere of southern France.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780143119524
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	06/28/2011
Series:	Verlaque and Bonnet Series , #1
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	20,340
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.70(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

M.L. Longworth has lived in Aix-en-Provence since 1997. She has written about the region for The Washington Post, The Times (U.K.), The Independent (U.K.), and Bon Appétit Magazine. She is the author the Verlaque and Bonnet series, as well as of a bilingual collection of essays, Une Américaine en Provence. She divides her time between Aix and Paris, where she teaches writing at NYU's Paris campus.

Editorial Reviews

"We all have our secrets" could be the mantra for this troubled family with noble roots in beautiful Aix-en-Provence. Their story begins with the apparent suicide (by falling from the family château) of one of the Bremont sons. Chief Magistrate Verlaque finds the death suspicious, and law school professor Marine Bonnet, who grew up with this family, agrees. But it isn't until another victim turns up that we know a murderer is underfoot. Ex-lovers Verlaque and Bonnet find their own relationship starting to sizzle as they pursue suspects as varied as the Russian Mafia, gambling personnel, and the hired help. VERDICT A beloved home turns sinister in this evocative romantic suspense debut from veteran travel and food writer Longworth. Via great sights and a strong sense of place, readers can leisurely follow Verlaque and Bonnet as they uncover a complicated backstory. Your readers will eat this one up.

Library Journal

The death of a cash-poor count offers problems and opportunities for an examining magistrate in Provence.

Aix has grown since the TGV high-speed rail line made the town more accessible. Rents have increased, and trendy shops line thecours Mirabeauin the center of town. But townspeople still greet each other with friendlybiseson each cheek when they meet in one of the town's innumerable cafes. Aixoises love their cafes, none more than Marine Bonnet, who calls Le Mazarin her office, since her law school offers on-campus space only to the most senior professors. It's on Le Mazarin's terrace that she and best friend Sylvie console each other over their affairs, most recently Marine's breakup with Antoine Verlaque. Not exactly handsome, and certainly not kind, Antoine still haunts Marine's dreams even when she lies in the arms of her young lover Arthur. So Marine has big butterflies in her stomach as she climbs the stairs tojuge d'instructionVerlaque's apartment to help him in his latest case: the death of Étienne de Bremont, who supposedly fell from the window of his family's chateau. Marine, a childhood friend of Etienne and his brother François, confirms that a fall by the sure-footed young count is unlikely. But why should the good brother, who worked hard as a filmmaker to support his large family, be lying dead in Saint-Antonin while François runs up gambling debts and plays polo with Russian mobsters on the Côte d'Azur? Verlaque and Bonnet want answers—but is that all they want?

A promising debut for Longworth, who shows there's more to France than Paris and more to mystery than Maigret.

Kirkus Reviews