When Claudia, a wealthy American art student, doesn’t return to her
lodging after a lecture, Bruno is called in to find out what happened
to her. There are few clues in her room, so he proceeds to the castle
where the lecture was held. Finding no obvious clues, he sets his
basset hound, Balzac, on the trail. Balzac is attracted to the
plaintive cries of a kitten trapped in the well that has not been
carefully covered by the workmen who are restoring it. Unfortunately, the
kitten is clinging to the body of the dead girl.
At first it appears
to be a case of suicide, or accident perhaps brought on by drugs.
However, Claudia has a wealthy father who is friends with the
American president and he wants answers. As Bruno digs into the case
he is led to a famous art historian, Monsieur de Bourdeille, who
Claudia was working with. Just before her death she had suspicions
that some of the paintings authenticated by Bourdeille were falsely
attributed.
The Perigord region
of France where the Bruno books are set is delightful, and the author
does an excellent job presenting the region, the wines, the food, and
the small town atmosphere. This is one of the strengths of the book.
The other strength is Bruno. He is a lover, makes wonderful meals,
and enjoys hiking, canoeing and horseback riding. Bruno and his
friends make you keep coming back to the series.
I also enjoyed the
French history the author threads through the story. That with the
art history makes the book well worth reading. The plot in this book
is quite complex. It’s easy to see the underlying complications
early in the story. However, the author does a good job of fleshing
the reasons for the murder. If you enjoy murders with a French
background, you’ll want to get to know Bruno.
I received this book
from First to Read for this review.
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