Though “Red-handed in Romanée-Conti 
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 (Winemaker Detective Book 12)
The “addictive” Winemaker Detective mystery series returns to Burgundy, France, where wine connoisseurs and amateur sleuths Benjamin Cooker and Virgile Lanssien sniff out wrongdoers during a hazardous harvest.
The perfect wine, the perfect harvest… and the perfect murder?
When world-renowned wine expert Benjamin Cooker’s elderly father needs him most, the erudite consultant and his dashing assistant Virgile Lanssien are called away to Burgundy to orchestrate the harvest. More than just picking grapes, the Winemaker Detective must keep a delicate balance between an old-time vintner and his heir as a catastrophic hailstorm endangers some of France’s most celebrated wines. Adding insult to injury, the brutal and mysterious murder of a grape picker sends shock waves through the winemaking world and the small-town gendarmes find evidence incriminating Cooker. He and his trusty assistant put their sharp senses to work detecting clues and subtleties in the tight-knit community to find where the real killer is lurking.
In another satisfying wine novel with a French flair, authors Jean-Pierre Alaux and Noël Balen give readers a perfectly intoxicating combination French wine, gourmet meals, and mystery in the gloriously described Burgundy wine region with all the scenery, scents, and sounds of France. This light, fun mystery combines amateur sleuths, food, and wine in a wonderfully French mystery novel that doubles as a travel guide. It is a new kind read on the international mystery and crime scene: a pitch-perfect, wine-infused, French-style cozy mystery.
