Peter Mayle

After inviting the Los Angeles Times to his impressive wine cellar to write an extensive piece on the treasures of his collection, Hollywood lawyer Danny Roth finds himself the victim of a world-class wine heist. Enter Sam Levitt, former corporate lawyer, wine connoisseur, and expert on cultivated crime. Called in by Roth's insurance company, Sam follows his leads - first to Bordeaux's magnificent vineyards and then to the wine collectors of Provence....

When a Riviera socialite's diamonds are stolen--the latest in a string of seemingly unconnected but ever-more-audacious jewelry heists across France--Elena flies in to investigate the insurance claim. It's a trip she's more than happy to make, as it gives her a chance to meet up with old friends in Marseille--and, particularly, with Sam. Once reunited, Sam isn't entirely distracted by domestic matters. In the pattern of these "perfect crimes" he's...

At work in the south of France on the magazine "Decorating Quarterly," photographer Andre Kelly stumbles upon a plumber loading a Cezanne into his truck and sets off on the trail of the culinary delights of France in pursuit of a wicked art scam.