Delicious? Oh, yes, truffles are to die for.
When Sophie decides to test her detective skills, she intends to take it gently. After all, what could be more harmless than looking for a dog? What she didn't imagine was coming across a strange stone construction in the forest, and finding more than she bargained for...
Discover the fascinating world of truffles in this novel set in a beautiful Provençal village, its inhabitants faced with calamities of biblical proportions. Including a crime that Sophie sets out to solve with nothing more than her own audacity and a mischievous sense of humour.
In a tragic incident near Marseille, two divers die – accident or murder? And how are their deaths connected to calissons, the world-renowned almond and fruit speciality of Aix en Provence? As a bitter feud erupts between two calisson producers, Sophie sets out to investigate – but soon gets out of her depth in a world that’s not as sweet – nor as cozy – as it seems.
‘You need one-third almonds, one-third fruit confits, one-third sugar – and a quarter savoir faire.’ So said the Provençal writer Marcel Pagnol. Here you’ll also find a dose of greed, a splash of revenge, and a pinch of thwarted love. Mix all that together and what do you get? A perfect calamity.
A country house. Two hosts, eight guests, food, wine and sun. And a dead body. Everyone turns into suspects as secrets emerge, relationships suffer, and motives multiply like mosquitoes. In spite of herself, Sophie is soon dragged into an investigation as strange and intense as the heatwave oppressing them all - including the hapless Captain Eveno, inescapable ally, ardent adviser and persistent pain in the neck.
Tongue-in-cheek homage to Agatha Christie, Painter Palaver is a modern drawing room mystery where truth and lies swap places and perhaps only the goldfish really knows what happened - unless he’s just another red herring.
A mild and humble heart. In a seaside resort in the south of France, the episcopal motto chimes with Sophie’s hopes for a peaceful Christmas. Reality, alas, decides otherwise. The troubled heart of a gangster’s wife, the cynical heart of a wily Mayor, the raging heart of Sophie’s sister, the shattered heart of a santon maker - all combine in an escalating drama of sin, guilt, jealousy, corruption and murder.
In the final book of the series, fates and futures are decided, unfinished business gets finished, and the story of the Gospel is given a new twist as God and Satan battle it out with theatrical intensity. No wonder the nativity play doesn’t go quite as planned. Hallelujah!