This is another great book in the Wine Detective series. Benjamin Cooker and his assistant Virgile Lanssien are in Burgundy helping bring in the harvest. They experience a hailstorm that threatens the crops and the death of a grape picker. The police think Benjamin is the guilty party so the two of them must do their part to find out who really killed the picker.

I have read all the books in the series up to this book. I love the unique and quirky personalities of the characters and the description of the French countryside. The story moves at a steady pace and is written in the third person point-of-view. If you are interested in wine, French countryside and/or detective mysteries, you will enjoy this series.

If you like wine or just want to learn more whilst enjoy a cosy mystery set in France, then these books are for you. They are easy to read, there is no overt violence, the descriptions of the scenery make the story come to life; and there is a great personal interaction between Benjamin and his protegee, Virgile. The stories are not overly long, and the pace is constant, all being riveting to the end.

This is Cooker and Co. at their finest, matching those around them wit for wit, glass for glass.

As much as I enjoy following Benjamin and Virgile throughout this series, Elizabeth has grown to be my favorite character. Her interactions with "Beau-Papa", as she calls Benjamin's father, are some of the best scenes in this book. Readers really get to see the different facets to her in this work, and it is quite the treat.

This doesn't mean that Cooker and Virgile's adventures are taking it easy in the meantime, far from it! They're embroiled in a case, a vineyard's race against time, and simmering family intrigues. Readers must take a deep breath and try to keep up!

This particular book goes more into the wine process than the previous in the series, and really brings that side to life. From Virgile reminiscing about his grandmother and childhood memories - to Benjamin advising local winemakers using both old and new techniques - the authors' love for this craft really shines through. It allows the reader to enjoy the story on a deeper level, something the authors find a new way to achieve every time.

Yet another stellar read!

I received a review copy of this work from the publisher through NetGalley

<http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=63155>

Though “Red-handed in Romanée-Conti” is arguably the best book in the Winemaker Detective mystery series, it is definitely my favorite! This latest book from Jean-Pierre Alaux and Noël Balen brings readers a new mystery and also shows a wide swath of Benjamin Cooker’s family life.

Alaux and Balen take us to London first, to meet Cooker’s father. Then, the writers move us to Burgundy, France where our protagonists, Benjamin Cooker and Virgile Lanssien have to solve a perfect murder right in the middle of the grape harvest.

To those of you who are new in the series and just picking up a book for the first time, the plot seems simplistic. But, that assessment is far from the truth. Aside from telling you a story, authors Alaux and Balen are also your guide to the beautiful French countryside and its wine producing regions. They do not take any artistic licenses in their narrative when it comes to their description of the area, its history and its importance in relation to France’s wine industry. They describe it in lyrical prose, thus making it a joy to read.

While they weave their yarn of mystery, Alaux and Balen incorporate factual data in relation to the region they are in, thus making every book a must-have for wine connoisseurs albeit they are in fiction form.

Once again, a great and engaging read! Red-handed in Romanée-Conti is Rated T for Teens due to violence. There are no sex scenes in this book.

I struggled with this tile. I would be u likely to recommend.

I am a big fan of Le French Book and all their translations. This book is part of the series: The Winemaker Detective series and stars all the usual suspects: Benjamin, his wife Elizabeth and Virgil, Benjamin's assistant.
It starts off London. Benjamin and Elizabeth are visiting B's aging father when Benjamin is called to Burgundy to help out after a huge hail storm destroyed many crops during the Vendange.

The plot is a good one and the treachery is balanced out, as always, by stories of wine, food and a celebratory meal. We get to learn a little more about Elizabeth as she stays in London with Dad and has some strong opinions about how he cares for himself. Opinions that I share so I found the inclusion of aging, loneliness and care a welcome sideline.

But the main focus is on winemaking and what a backstabbing competitive business it is. As Benjamin and Virgil go about their detecting, the reader is treated to a very real picture of what a vendange is like, the risks involved in growing grapes even without the excitement of murder and mayhem, and the pressure to get all the grapes harvested before, in this case, they rot from the tremendous storm.

This series is fun. Especially if you love wine and food. The site of Le French Book gives summaries of the lives of the authors Jean-Pierre Alaux andNoël Balen. Neither were authors before commencing on this series. One has a long and knowledgeable history with wine and vineyards, the other is a musician and fun guy and together they have produced a not quite Cozy mystery but close.

There is a wonderful 'made for TV' series (french) called Blood on the Vine which is the exact translation of the french books. These are terrific also.

Enjoy!!