The Charlemagne Connection
R. M. Cartmel
Crime Scene Books, May 26 2015, $13.99
ISBN: 9780992948627
In Nuits-Saint-Georges, Burgundy, Madame
Blanchard informs the Gendarme that German tourist Horst Witter is
missing. Constables Lenoir and Montbard
find no evidence of foul play so assume Witter found either a companion or a
job; so they close the case and move his abandoned camper to their compound.
Vintner Simon Marechale calls Paris-based
Commander Truchaud informing him that his Alzheimer’s inflicted father urinated
on a neighbor’s vines. Obtaining
time-off, Truchaud heads home to Nuits-Saint-Georges to consult with his widow
sister-in-law on what to do. However,
though on leave, his supervisor and the town’s mayor arrange for Truchaud to
fill the vacant Municipal Chief of Police position temporarily. Not long after that, Horst’s sister Dagmar
and her traveling companion arrive looking for him. Needing someone fluent in German, Truchaud
arranges for Paris-based Sergeant Natalie Dutoit to join him. Soon after her arrival, Dutoit and Truchaud
investigate what happened to a badly decomposed corpse found in the nearby
woods.
The second Commander Truchaud French police
procedural (see The Richebourg Affair) is a pleasant leisurely-paced
mystery. The sleuthing is limited as Truchard’s
family and other personal issues supersede the inquiry; which takes off late in
the storyline. Feeling more like a
transitional middle book, The Charlemagne Connection still
provides readers with an interesting glimpse into life amongst the vines of
Burgundy.
Harriet Klausner
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