In modern-day Bordeaux, there are few wine estates still within the city limits. The prestigious grand cru Moniales Haut-Brion is one of them. When some barrels turn, world-renowned winemaker turned gentleman detective Benjamin Cooker starts asking questions. Is it negligence or sabotage? Who would want to target this esteemed vintner? Cooker and his assistant Virgile Lanssien search the city and the vineyards for answers, giving readers and inside view of this famous wine region. The start of a 22-book wine-plus-crime mystery series that delves into the underworld of a global luxury industry. The world of wine is no more respectable than the world of finance. There’s money, deceit, death, crime, inheritance, jealousy―all the ingredients needed to distill a fine detective series. The series is a hit on TV in France.

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From Booklist

The debut volume of the Winemaker Detective series features Bordeaux and its acclaimed wines and vineyards. Sleuth Benjamin Cooker enjoys an estimable reputation as a knowledgeable winemaker and critic, and he has a formidable eye for paintings as well. Both these skills prove valuable in his quest to discover why a respected old Bordeaux vintner’s latest wines have been infected with wild yeast, rendering them undrinkable. He and his young assistant Virgile enlist a local biologist to identify the rogue contaminant, apparently malevolently introduced. Cooker’s coincident search for a missing panel from a triptych depicting the landscape around legendary Château Haut-Brion uncovers a surprising motive for spoiling the vintage. Alaux and Balen offer intrigue and plenty of good eating and drinking within just a few pages. Already turned into a popular television series in France, this book and its successors will whet appetites of fans of both Iron Chef and Murder, She Wrote. --Mark Knoblauch

Review

Praise:
"Already turned into a popular television series in France, this book and its successors will whet appetites of fans of both Iron Chef and Murder, She Wrote." - Booklist
“I love good mysteries. I love good wine. So imagine my joy at finding a great mystery about wine, and winemaking, and the whole culture of that fascinating world. And then I find it’s the first of a series. I can see myself enjoying many a bottle of wine while enjoying the adventures of Benjamin Cooker in this terrific new series.”
—William Martin, New York Times bestselling author of Back Bay and The Lincoln Letter

“Treachery in Bordeaux is a fine vintage forged by the pens of two very different varietals. It is best consumed slightly chilled, and never alone. You will be intrigued by its mystery, and surprised by its finish, and it will stay with you for a very long time.”
–Prize-winning, bestselling author Peter May

“An excellent translation. The author obviously knows Bordeaux extremely well, and he knows quite a bit about oenology. The book should be a hit with lovers of Bordeaux wine.”
–Tom Fiorina, The Vine Route

“A series you can read with great pleasure.”
–Rayonpolar

Reviews
ForeWord Reviews Winter Edition: ""Unusually adept at description, the authors manage to paint everything...the journey through its pages is not to be rushed.”

Review of Treachery in Bordeaux from AustCrime: “It is the perfect book for people who might like a little treachery with their evening glass of Bordeaux, a little history and tradition with their Merlot.”

Rachel Cotterill Book Reviews on Treachery in Bordeaux: “An enjoyable, quick read with the potential for developing into a really unique series.”

French Village Diaries review: “It is a good read with some strong characters, it moves nicely and is easy to follow, even with quite a bit of technical wine speak.”

Review by Kate Eileen Shannon at Rantin’, Ravin’ and Reading: “…a wonderful translation… wonderful descriptions of the art, architecture, history and landscape of the Bordeaux region…The shoes are John Lobb, the cigars are Cuban, and the wine is ‘classic’. As is this book.”

Review at The Butler Did It: “This book combines a fairly simple mystery with the rich feel of the French winemaking industry.  The descriptions of the wine and the food are mouth-watering!”