Review by Library Journal Review
COVID may have robbed American sommelier Olivia Beech of her sense of taste, but she still has one of the best noses in the business. It's her incredible sense of smell that tells her there's something wrong with the glass of wine being served to her by Parisian bistro owner Jacques de Bizet, whom she's applying to work for. Olivia isn't able to warn Jacques before he downs the glass of wine himself and dies on the spot. Now the prime suspect in Jacques's murder, Olivia doesn't know what to do. Then a group of Jacques's friends and neighbors, known collectively as the Paris Neighborhood Watch, step in to help her find the real murderer. This title has everything cozy mystery fans could crave, including an endearingly quirky, close-knit community of characters, luscious descriptions of French food, and a puzzling plot that also joyfully celebrates the French way of life and happiness. VERDICT With a generous dash of wry wit and an abundance of éclat, Postel-Vinay, who also writes as bestselling Danielle Trussoni (Mike Brink series), has fashioned a très charmant cozy mystery.--John Charles
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A sommelier's life is devastated when she loses her sense of taste. Olivia Beech had a job at a Michelin-starred New York restaurant until Covid-19 wiped out her taste buds. Only the fact that her amazing sense of smell returned might save her. Now she's auditioning for a job with Paris chef Jacques de Bizet, whose bistro, including a legendary wine cellar, is located in the Gros-Caillou, a charming area under the Eiffel Tower. Jacques has set up a blind tasting of Burgundy. As Olivia smells the first glass, she realizes that something's wrong with the wine. When she tells Jacques, he takes a sip--and dies. Jacques' friend Chantal, who had brought flowers over from her shop, witnesses the event and is shocked when Olivia says she thinks the wine was poisoned with cyanide. Chantal talks Olivia out of calling the police and takes her to the only person who can help them: legendary detective Augusta Dupin, leader of the Neighborhood Watch. Before they leave the bistro, they're approached by two police officers, Hedi and Romain, who adored Jacques. After Chantal talks Hedi out of arresting Olivia, they call on Augusta, who never leaves her house and rarely admits anyone new but depends on Olivia's knowledge to solve the mystery. When a rare bottle goes missing from Jacques' cellar, which contains a fortune in wine, a potential motive emerges. The discovery that the poison was antique perfume owned by a Watch member just confuses an already difficult case. A tantalizing mystery that will make you want to book a ticket to Paris. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
