Deadly Tasting (St. Pétrus et le Saigneur)

By: Jean-Pierre Alaux, Noël Balen, Sally Pane - translator

Narrated by: Simon Prebble

When wine tasting turns to murder...

A serial killer is on the loose in Bordeaux. A local chief detective calls wine expert Benjamin Cooker to the crime scene of a brutal murder. The killer has left a strange calling card: 12 wine glasses lined up in a semi-circle with the first one filled with wine. Cooker is charged with the task of identifying the fabulous grand cru and is astonished by what he learns. A second victim is found, with two glasses filled. Is the killer intentionally leaving clues about his victims and his motives? Memories are jogged about the complicated history of Bordeaux during Nazi occupation. It was a dark time: weinfuhrers ruled the wine trade, while collaborationists and paramilitary organizations spread terror throughout the region. In present-day wine country, time is running out. Will Cooker and his young assistant Virgile solve the mystery before all 12 glasses are full?

©2005 Librairie Arthème Fayard, English Tanslation 2014 Sally Pane (P)2014 Audible Inc.

Critic reviews

"An excellent mystery series in which you eat, drink, and discuss wine as much as you do murders." (Bernard Frank, Le Nouvel Observateur)

"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." (Peter May, prize-winning, international best-selling author)

"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 best-selling author)