A Noel Killing (Verlaque and Bonnet Series #8)

by M. L. Longworth

Overview

Christmastime in the south of France is as beautiful as ever, but when a shady local businessman drops dead in the middle of the festivities, Verlaque and Bonnet must solve the case while keeping the holiday spirit alive.

Provençal Mystery Series #8

Antoine Verlaque, examining magistrate for the beautiful town of Aix-en-Provence, doesn't like Christmas. The decorations appear in the shops far too early, festive tourists swarm the streets, and his beloved Cours Mirabeau is lined with chalets selling what he regards as tacky trinkets. But his wife and partner Marine Bonnet is determined to make this a Christmas they can both enjoy, beginning with the carol sing at the Cathedral Saint Sauveur, a beautiful service in a packed church.

Just as the holiday cheer is in full swing, a man is poisoned, sending the community into a tailspin. The list of suspects, Verlaque and Bonnet quickly discover, almost fills the church itself, from the visiting vendors at the Christmas fair to the victim’s unhappy wife and his disgruntled business partner. In A Noël Killing, with the help of an ever-watchful young woman named France, the pair must solve the murder while the spirit of the season attempts to warm Verlaque’s stubborn heart.

“Full of gourmet meals, silky wines, and sumptuous homes, these cozy mysteries transport you to the south of France . . . Perfect for the gourmands or Francophiles in your life.” —Slate

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780143134060
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	11/12/2019
Series:	Verlaque and Bonnet Series , #8
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	72,043
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.70(h) x 0.80(d)

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 (London), the Independent (London), and Bon Appétit. She is the author of a bilingual collection of essays, Une Américaine en Provence. She is married and has one daughter.

Editorial Reviews

08/26/2019

In Longworth’s appealing eighth Provençal mystery featuring magistrate Antoine Verlaque and his wife, law professor Marine Bonnet (after 2018’s The Secrets of the Bastide Blanche), vendors from sister cities all over the world have descended on the city of Aix to sell their wares during the holiday season. To celebrate, the Protestant church hosts a carol sing, inviting both vendors and locals to attend. Meanwhile, Debra and Cole Hainsby, U.S. expats, are having money trouble because of Cole’s failed touring business, and Debra has taken a job at a local private school. When Cole drops dead during the carol sing, Antoine begins to dig into links between the private school’s head and a desperate move Cole made just before his death. Meanwhile, Marine guards her own secret, one that could have lasting consequences for the couple. Antoine and Marine’s repartee over exquisitely described French meals is one of the book’s pleasures. Never mind the slightly rushed denouement—the enchanting setting and the likable characters make the reader feel right at home. Armchair travelers and gourmets will have fun. Agent: Katherine Fausset, Curtis Brown. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for A Noël Killing

“The enchanting setting and the likable characters make the reader feel right at home. Armchair travelers and gourmets will have fun.”
—Publishers Weekly

“A typical Longworth cassoulet of good food, fine wine, and murder.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Longworth’s lovingly rendered small town of Aix-en-Provence and its charming characters create a mellow tone, while the murderous actions provide compelling drama. This is the latest in a long-running series but can be read as a stand-alone.” 
—Library Journal

“Atmosphere, seasonal and culinary, complements, rather than overshadowing, this well-constructed mystery.”
—Booklist

“Captivating . . . [A] choice pick especially recommended . . . for connoisseurs of the cozy mystery genre.” 
—Midwest Book Review

“It doesn’t get much cosier than Christmas in Provence. . . . Longworth happily peppers her seasonal tale with lovely and cheeky references to films such as Manon des Sources and The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover, Kate Bush songs, and the swoon-inducing Bradley Cooper.”
—The Seattle Review of Books

More Praise for M. L. Longworth’s Provençal Mystery Series
 
“The Verlaque and Bonnet mysteries . . . plunge you into a languid world of epicurean pleasures and good living.”
—Eleanor Beardsley, NPR
 
“Beguiling . . . Longworth evokes the pleasures of France in delicious detail—great wine, delicious meals, and fine company.” 
—Publishers Weekly
 
“Longworth’s novels . . . are mysteries for foodies, with the plot providing a table upon which the enchanting meals and accompanying wines are served.” 
—Booklist

From the Publisher

10/01/2019

Antoine Verlaque finds the excesses of Christmas celebration in his small town in southern France to be a bit too much. Marine Bonnet, Antoine's partner and wife, would like to celebrate, but in a moderate fashion. When they attend a carol sing at Cathedral Saint Sauveur, their local church, and a shady businessman is poisoned at the buffet, their holiday takes a decidedly different turn toward work. The sleuth duo discover many murder suspects, including the businessman's wife and most of the Christmas fair vendors. VERDICT Longworth's lovingly rendered small town of Aix-en-Provence and its charming characters create a mellow tone, while the murderous actions provide compelling drama. This is the latest in a long-running series but can be read as a stand-alone.

Library Journal

2019-08-19
A community carol sing turns deadly.

Christmas season is a trying time for examining magistrate Antoine Verlaque (The Secrets of the Bastide Blanche, 2018, etc.). Booths crowd the town square of Aix, blocking access to his favorite cafes, and when he watches his friends celebrate, it brings back sad memories of his own neglectful parents. But this year, his wife, Marine Bonnet, on leave from her job teaching law to write a book, seems unusually eager to join the community caroling at the Anglo-Protestant Church of Aix, so he reluctantly agrees to accompany her. And it's a good thing he does, since right before the service, American expat Cole Hainsby eats a plate of food provided by vendors from Aix's sister cities across Europe, Africa, and North America—and dies. Verlaque quickly determines that Hainsby was poisoned. The list of suspects is extensive. Hainsby was a shady operator who may be in debt to even shadier Corsicans from Marseille. His wife, Debra, is exasperated by his financial failures and perhaps a little too cozy with her boss, Alain Sorba, who runs an expensive private school for students who don't quite fit into Aix's excellent public schools. Verlaque must also ponder whether the couple from Perugia who made the eggplant Parmesan or the Philadelphia siblings who whipped up the cheesesteaks may have had some unknown reason to do away with the entrepreneur. But the knotty problem doesn't prevent Verlaque from enjoying his favorite eating places and even discovering an excellent new addition to Aix's dining scene.

A typical Longworth cassoulet of good food, fine wine, and murder.

Kirkus Reviews

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