Requiem in Yquem by Jean-Pierre Alaux
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Requiem in Yquem has me planning a wine-tasting tour through the South of France for my next vacation and I just returned from vacation a week ago. It is the latest in the WineMaker Detective Series and the series really gets better and better. Admittedly, I have missed a few in between Treachery in Bordeaux and Requiem in Yquem, but, this book has me eager to go back and pick up the ones I missed. I received a copy from Le French in exchange for an honest review. Requiem in Yquem follows Benjamin and Virgile as they take interest in the double murder of an older couple that lived in the Sauternes region of wine country in France. The couple did not appear to have much money and what money they had most of the neighbors thought went right to their granddaughter, Cecile. A granddaughter that left home and went to Paris to become an actress and whom most neighbors thought was a selfish, ingrate, especially after the grandparents loved her and did all they could for her.

But, things are not always as they seem, especially to neighbors that see things from the outside looking in, even those closest to the couple. Not much appears to be missing and the police appear to be grasping at straws to try and find the murderer. Benjamin has his own thoughts on the case and he has taken enough interest that he is starting to step on a few toes. This case is a bit more important because it strikes close to home for Virgile who studied in the Sauternes region and has a friend who was very close to the couple, so close that the police might just start looking in his direction. Requiem in Yquem is a great mystery. The characters are engaging and the best part of this book is how the author makes the region, wine and food read like another character. I was so enamored of what I read that I kept taking breaks to look up the towns mentioned and the wine mentioned. I even started reading blurbs of things I liked to family members. It is a great addition to the series which makes me really happy that I have a few to go back and read before the next one is released.