Murder in Lascaux

Art-history professor Nora Barnes and her husband, antique dealer Toby, finessed an appointment to visit the ancient cave paintings in Lascaux, France, by using her academic credentials. Her specialty is actually nineteenth-century painting and she plans to spend the rest of her trip studying Jenny Marie Cazelle, an ancestor of the proprietors of the bed-and-breakfast that is their base of operations. Their trip to Lascaux is interrupted by murder. When the local police decide that Nora and Toby are the chief suspects, the two go to work to clear their names. When they are not enjoying the beautiful scenery and gourmet cuisine of the Dordogne, they are discovering old secrets about the owners of the B&B. They also learn about the Cathars, a thirteenth-century religious cult that still has followers, and about some of the unsavory activities of the locals during WWII. With a colorful melange of art, French history, food, and a surprising perp, this tale will keep readers entertained (and entice them to visit southwestern France).--Bibel, Barbara Copyright 2010 Booklist

Draine and Hinden (A Castle in the Backyard, a memoir about the Perigord region) put their knowledge of France to good use in their first novel. The special tour of the Lascaux cave's Cro-Magnon paintings that art historian Nora Barnes and her antique dealer husband, Toby Sandler, take to kick off their Dordogne vacation is abruptly cut short by the garroting of another visitor, government investigator Michel Malbert. In an effort to recover their bearings, the couple sign up for a cooking class from Marianne de Cazelle, one of the aristocratic owners of the nearby chateau where they're staying, while Nora also conducts research on Marianne's ancestor Jenny Marie, an obscure painter. She goes on to uncover the Cazelles' troubled history and a possible link to Malbert's death over the course of a whodunit that nicely balances a breezily light travelogue with urgency and suspense. Readers will hope this is the first of a series. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

When art historian Nora Barnes and her husband scored a coveted tour of France's famed Lascaux cave, they hadn't bargained for a murder at the site. Deeply shaken, they proceed to the chateau for their cooking school vacation, joined by the other couple from the tour. Police investigators suspect the four outsiders, which worries Nora and Toby. Nora's research is tied to this particular home, and as she learns more of its history, she senses that the murderer is among the guests. This densely written and marvelously detailed excursion through the Dordogne will leave you dreaming of castles, chateaus, and caves. But it's haunted with 20th-century history involving World War II atrocities and theft. VERDICT With the cooking school component, this multifaceted read will hold great appeal for art, food, travel, and, oh yes, mystery readers. It couples beautifully with Deborah Lawrenson's The Lantern. Jane Langton's mysteries also come to mind, and Elly Griffiths's fans will enjoy the archaeology angle. (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

magret de canard before she gets booted out of the chateau, or before anyone else gets killed? Emeriti Professors Draine and Hinden's mystery debut offers a good dose of Prigord culture, but Nora's antics make you want to send an apology to her hosts.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Art-history professor Nora Barnes and her husband, antique dealer Toby, finessed an appointment to visit the ancient cave paintings in Lascaux, France, by using her academic credentials. Her specialty is actually nineteenth-century painting and she plans to spend the rest of her trip studying Jenny Marie Cazelle, an ancestor of the proprietors of the bed-and-breakfast that is their base of operations. Their trip to Lascaux is interrupted by murder. When the local police decide that Nora and Toby are the chief suspects, the two go to work to clear their names. When they are not enjoying the beautiful scenery and gourmet cuisine of the Dordogne, they are discovering old secrets about the owners of the B&B. They also learn about the Cathars, a thirteenth-century religious cult that still has followers, and about some of the unsavory activities of the locals during WWII. With a colorful mélange of art, French history, food, and a surprising perp, this tale will keep readers entertained (and entice them to visit southwestern France). Copyright 2011 Booklist Reviews.

When art historian Nora Barnes and her husband scored a coveted tour of France's famed Lascaux cave, they hadn't bargained for a murder at the site. Deeply shaken, they proceed to the château for their cooking school vacation, joined by the other couple from the tour. Police investigators suspect the four outsiders, which worries Nora and Toby. Nora's research is tied to this particular home, and as she learns more of its history, she senses that the murderer is among the guests. This densely written and marvelously detailed excursion through the Dordogne will leave you dreaming of castles, châteaus, and caves. But it's haunted with 20th-century history involving World War II atrocities and theft. VERDICT With the cooking school component, this multifaceted read will hold great appeal for art, food, travel, and, oh yes, mystery readers. It couples beautifully with Deborah Lawrenson's The Lantern. Jane Langton's mysteries also come to mind, and Elly Griffiths's fans will enjoy the archaeology angle.

Draine and Hinden (A Castle in the Backyard, a memoir about the Périgord region) put their knowledge of France to good use in their first novel. The special tour of the Lascaux cave's Cro-Magnon paintings that art historian Nora Barnes and her antique dealer husband, Toby Sandler, take to kick off their Dordogne vacation is abruptly cut short by the garroting of another visitor, government investigator Michel Malbert. In an effort to recover their bearings, the couple sign up for a cooking class from Marianne de Cazelle, one of the aristocratic owners of the nearby chateau where they're staying, while Nora also conducts research on Marianne's ancestor Jenny Marie, an obscure painter. She goes on to uncover the Cazelles' troubled history and a possible link to Malbert's death over the course of a whodunit that nicely balances a breezily light travelogue with urgency and suspense. Readers will hope this is the first of a series. (Nov.)