Longworth has a good eye and a sharp wit, and this introduction to Verlaque and Bonnet holds promise for a terrific series.”— The Globe and Mail It sort of reflects life really. The fact that awful things can happen – appalling things like people murdering each other and Putin invading Ukraine – and yet the sun can still shine and the birds sing. In that respect, I got absolutely everything I hoped for from Murder in the Rue Dumas. The book is so French. There is much discussion of food, wine, alcohol, and such things. Warning: this book will make you hungry. There's a certain snobbishness to it, but I found it fabulous. The case centers around a prestigious academic scholarship, forged artwork, and professional reputations – all of which may have played a part in the murder of theology Professor Moutte. As much as most of their questions center around university life, Verlaque and Bonnet also have occasion to leave their beloved Aix and travel up and down the coast of southern France, to Paris, and take a side trip to Italy to solve the mystery. But more importantly, the reader is treated to the various dishes and especially the wines that the pair always find time to sample during the course of their investigations. And being a French intellectual snob, why are all the Judge's literary heroes and touchstones English or American? Yes , he had an English grandmother, but that is no excuse; he had a very expensive exclusive French education and appears not to give much of a damn about his heritage other than food. And no self-respecting French intellectual has ever read any Larkin, and probably has never heard of him. Nor, for that matter, would he count distances in miles ::eyeroll::

In 2021, it was announced that BritBox planned to adapt Longworth’s novels into a series titled Murder In Provence. [1] The series debuted in March 2022 with co-stars Endeavour actor Roger Allam in the lead role of Antoine Verlaque, alongside Nancy Carroll ( The Crown) as his romantic partner Marine Bonnet. [2] Still, I enjoyed this book even though it was often hard to concentrate on it. I'm now on the next one. We meet the group of Theologians at a grand party being held by Moutte, the man in charge. He has promised to name the recipient of the Dumas fellowship for which there are several competing and hopeful candidates, but instead he drops a bomb that he is not going to retire. His position included deluxe rent-free housing in the best part of Aix-en-Provence in addition to other benefits.Longworth is an engaging and entertaining writer who holds readers with not only interesting tidbits (such as dropping into Les Deux Garcons, the café where Cezanne and Zola once exchanged ideas), and the badinage between Verlaque and Bonnet while at the same time spinning a mystery. French-set mysteries have never been more popular [and] among the very best is a series set in Provence featuring Monsieur Verlaque, an examining magistrate, and his sometime girlfriend, law professor Marine Bonnet.”— The Denver Post

Beguiling . . . Longworth evokes the pleasures of France in delicious detail—great wine, delicious meals, and fine company.”— Publishers WeeklyAided by his on-again, off-again girlfriend, law professor Marine Bonnet, Berlaque must turn Provence upside down, uncovering a world far more complicated than university politics, to find the killer before it’s too late. Samen met zijn rechterhand Bruno Paulik wordt Antoine Verlaque aangesteld om deze zaak te onderzoeken. Ze ondervragen faculteitsmedewerkers, docenten en studenten, trekken alibi’s na, doorzoeken zijn kantoor en woonruimte en komen erachter dat Moutte een man was die mensen regelmatig tegen elkaar uitspeelde en niet door iedereen aimabel werd gevonden. Daarnaast ontdekken ze dat hij naast zijn werk nog een andere passie had, die een extra onderzoekslijn oplevert. De ondervraagden hebben allemaal hun eigen verhaal, laten niet direct het achterste van hun tong zien en het verdachtenlijstje wordt niet vlot ingekort, er worden eerder mensen aan toegevoegd.

While life seems to be going well for the pair, it all of a sudden comes crashing down when a professor is murdered just before he was due to retire. Longworth’s novels . . . are mysteries for foodies, with the plot providing a table upon which the enchanting meals and accompanying wines are served.”— Booklist Alas I couldn’t actually cook as Antoine, because the kitchen on set in his house just wasn’t practical and I might have burned something down.” The Verlaque and Bonnet mysteries . . . plunge you into a languid world of epicurean pleasures and good living.”—Eleanor Beardsley, NPR The last thing you should do as an actor is to actually eat anything while filming because you’re stuffed a few takes in – and the wine is some sort of diluted prune juice.The head of Aix University’s Theology is expected to announce both the winner of the prestigious Dumas fellowship, and, with his retirement, the appointment of his successor—who will acquire his very luxurious apartment. Before any of this occurs, he is found having been murdered in his office. Police commissioner Bruno Paulik, his boss examining magistrate Judge Antoine Verlaque, and the judge’s lover, law professor Marine Bonnet, seek the killer I think this is the first murder mystery I have read with references to Persian Letters by Montesquieu - a discussion I enjoyed so much I plan to read it again very soon. In het eerste hoofdstuk is te lezen dat Yann en Thierry, twee goede vrienden, op weg zijn een feestje. Het begint allemaal heel “cosy” en Longworth neemt uitgebreid de tijd om de personages voor te stellen en de omgeving te omschrijven. Hieruit blijkt maar weer dat ze hier een kei in is.