Series Debut
There are several ways to judge a book. If three are present – plot, character, and setting – the book (to me) is good, if not great. The x factor is prose style. This novel has three excellent elements – character, setting and lovely prose. The plot is OK and I figured out whodunnit long before the last page, but the prose just sings as does the setting of the novel, and I was carried away.
That setting is a tiny Paris neighborhood, Gros-Caillou, abutting the Eiffel Tower. The arrival of American sommelier Olivia Beech to a local anchor restaurant, Chez Jacques, is something of a sensation, becoming even more so when, during a wine tasting, the eponymous Jacques falls dead at Olivia’s feet. While Olivia has been gifted with an extraordinary “nose” for wine, covid has taken away her sense of taste, which for a sommelier is a disaster. Surfacing from a career crisis in an attempt to reclaim her life, she’s pinned her hopes on a resurrection at Chez Jacques.
The stunned Olivia is immediately considered a suspect by the police, but the neighborhood cops on call think she’s not guilty, and allow members of the neighborhood watch to whisk her away before she can be arrested. She’s taken to the home of Auguste Dupin (a shoutout to Poe’s character) who used to be the best detective on the police force, but hasn’t left her home in years. Much like Olivia and her sense of smell, Auguste’s ability to see subtle discrepancies marks her as different but also invaluable, making the combined powers of the two women formidable.
Postel-Vinay also introduces the reader to the neighborhood watch, a motley group which includes a florist, a baker, a perfumier, a rebel who works as the American Library in Paris and the now former partner of the dead man. They almost immediately accept Olivia as one of their own, and she’s able to continue to stay at Auguste’s and enjoy the wonderful cooking, including a souffle, the description of which will leave your mouth watering.
The police are willing to step back to a degree to let the watch investigate and in their gentle way, the group solves the crime, bringing everyone together at the flower shop for a dénouement in the classic fashion. Nothing goes quite as smoothly as expected, but justice arrives in its own way, and the murderer is eventually caught. What makes this book a standout are the descriptions of food and wine, with the wine tasting especially revealing the kind of technical details that make a narrative memorable. Also standing out is the portrayal of a small slice of Paris that was so evocative it made me head to my computer to see it for myself.
The final thing that makes this book memorable was simply the lovely prose. I was arrested, captivated, bedazzled – the writing lifts the book up in every way. You’ll stop to savor as you read, just as you might with a wine or a pastry. The determination on the parts of the characters to embrace joy and beauty in a difficult world are the parts of the book that will stay with me. — Robin Agnew