Death in the Truffle Wood - (Commissaire LaViolette Mystery) by Pierre Magnan (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Long a renowned crime writer in France, Pierre Magnan has won numerous prizes and has a huge popular following in his native country. Now, with this mouthwatering series debut, Magnan introduces the celebrated Commissaire Laviolette to U.S. readers.

In a small, peaceful village in Provence, the principal source of income is the cultivation and sale of truffes. When Commissaire Laviolette arrives to investigate why several of the town's citizens are missing, it isn't long before their bodies turn up. It takes all of the detective's ingenuity to unravel crimes whose origins are as old as the truffe woods.

Review Quotes

"Delightful . . . brings to life the quirky, earthy peasant culture of the Provence region." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"An intellectual feast . . . worthy of that other master of the French mystery, Georges Simenon. A winner." --Richmond Times-Dispatch

"Amusing...truly chilling...Magnan should easily find a niche with American readers who enjoy atmospheric, well-plotted mysteries. The Gallic charm doesn't hurt either." --Denver Post

"Delightful and unusual . . . successfully combines elements of Christie's old-fashioned gentility and Mayle's French pastoral. . . . [W]ill please both mystery readers and Provence lovers." --Booklist

"Whether you like truffes or pigs, it is diffcult to imagine anyone not relishing this savory dish of a book." --Washington Times

"Delectably venal . . . consistently excellent and exquisitely descriptive. Vive Laviolette! Vive Magnan!" --Mystery Scene Magazine

"Deliciously rambles among quirky members of the populace and often macabre aspects of the case. . . . Smartly sublime entertainment." --Kirkus Reviews

"A classic murder mystery." --Indianapolis Star

About the Author