Murder in the Rue Dumas (A Provençal Mystery Book 2)

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Longworth was born in Toronto and moved to Aix in 1997. She has been influenced by Barbara Pym, and her mysteries are like "intricate puzzles". Longworth also teaches writing at NYU Paris. [3] Bibliography [ edit ] Murder in the Rue Dumas also happens to be a very academic mystery. The murder victim works in the theology department of the same university where Bonnet teaches law. Most of the large cast of characters work in academia, so there's quite a bit of theological or otherwise very intelligent discussion. In this way, the book reminded me quite a bit of David Lodge's books, which are sort of academic humor and are in fact referenced in this novel. Another egregious plot When Dr. Georges Moutte is found mudrered, investigator Antoine Verlaque is stumped. Certainly the director of theology at the Université d’Aix had his enemies. Moutte was just about to name the recipient of an elite fellowship as well as his own successor—a highly coveted position—when his lips were sealed permanently. But Verlaque isn’t convinced that anyone in the tiny community of academics is capable of murder.

Voor mij was dit niet de eerste kennismaking met M.L. Longworth. Ik las een tijdje geleden al ‘Dood op kasteel Brémont‘ van haar hand en had hier nogal wat op- en aanmerkingen op. Maar toch was ik nieuwsgierig naar dit vervolg. Ik was vooral benieuwd of dit verhaal spannender zou zijn. Dat was ‘Moord in Rue Dumas’, gelukkig wel. Longworth’s novels . . . are mysteries for foodies, with the plot providing a table upon which the enchanting meals and accompanying wines are served.”— Booklist

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In that respect, I got absolutely everything I hoped for from Murder in the Rue Dumas. The book is so French. There is much discussion of food, wine, alcohol, and such things. Warning: this book will make you hungry. There's a certain snobbishness to it, but I found it fabulous. M. L. Longworth who also penned Death at the Chateau Bremont (2011) has lived in Aix-en-Provence for the past 15 or so years, and has written for major publications regarding this region. One can only assume that she loves her adopted home from the warm descriptions of places and food included in her story. Rather than hindering the mystery they simply serve to enrich and vivify it. Another egregious plot device which made me want to throw the book across the room was that our hero, a JUDGE, deliberately breaks into premises outside his jurisdiction with his accomplice a LAW PROFESSOR, based on nothing more than a hunch and conjecture. In the real world they would both have been fired and prosecuted, not been invited to dinner. And they aren't even contrite about it. Even so, the whole sequence should have been resolved with a simple telephone call (which, in a way, it ultimately is). Alas I couldn’t actually cook as Antoine, because the kitchen on set in his house just wasn’t practical and I might have burned something down.” While life seems to be going well for the pair, it all of a sudden comes crashing down when a professor is murdered just before he was due to retire.

What I love about this book is the other stuff. I love the characters, they are really well written and interesting. I also love the travelogue (author was a journalist and travel writer(?) before she wrote this series) and the food and wine. Apart from that, there is also romance, some literature, art and philosophy - some very interesting stuff that sometimes I would put the book down and start looking up some of the stuff she talks about in the book. Some stuff makes me think and some stuff that is just really cleverly written. So you can see how busy this book is. Enter Judge AntoineVerlaque and Inspector Bruno Paulik to systematically interview the usual suspects from among the faculty and student body. Longworth never rushes the plot along and some readers may be disracted by several of her musings on travel, cooking and love, but we found each delightful. Each of these digressions enhanced our overall enjoyment of the story. Of course the mystery is solved in the end, both by intuition and solid clues but honestly, with “Murder in the Rue Dumas,” it is the journey to it we appreciated most. The head of Aix University’s Theology is expected to announce both the winner of the prestigious Dumas fellowship, and, with his retirement, the appointment of his successor—who will acquire his very luxurious apartment. Before any of this occurs, he is found having been murdered in his office. Police commissioner Bruno Paulik, his boss examining magistrate Judge Antoine Verlaque, and the judge’s lover, law professor Marine Bonnet, seek the killer Bonnet, actually, is not a detective at all. She's Verlaque's girlfriend, who, I presume, he hooked up with in the first book. Their relationship is in that awkward phase where neither is quite sure how serious it is. Bonnet does help some with the case, but is, largely, on the periphery. I do like her, and I like that she isn't his partner, as that changes up typical dynamics a bit. I was not super attached to the characters, but I was entertained by them, which was enough for me. Mary Lou Longworth, known as M. L. Longworth, is a Canadian author best known for her Verlaque and Bonnet series of detective novels set in Aix-en-Provence.The last thing you should do as an actor is to actually eat anything while filming,” says actor Roger Allam. Making a return appearance in Longworth’s second mystery are magistrate Antoine Verlaque and his girlfriend law professor Marine Bonnet. He has been called to investigate the murder of Dr. Georges Moutte, chair of the Theology Department at the University d’Aix. Moutte’s soon-to-be retirement has become a permanent one, hastened by blows to his head delivered by a blunt instrument. Verlaque is assisted by Paulik in interrogating faculty members, students, and those in attendance at a party the night before.

Longworth’s gentle procedural succeeds on several levels, whether it’s for academic and literary allusions, police work, or armchair travel. With deftly shifting points of view, Longworth creates a beguiling read that will appeal to Louise Penny and Donna Leon fans.”— Library Journal Longworth is an engaging and entertaining writer who holds readers with not only interesting tidbits (such as dropping into Les Deux Garcons, the café where Cezanne and Zola once exchanged ideas), and the badinage between Verlaque and Bonnet while at the same time spinning a mystery. First Sentence: The friendship between Yann Falquerho and Thierry Marchive had surprised everyone at the university. In 2021, it was announced that BritBox planned to adapt Longworth’s novels into a series titled Murder In Provence. [1] The series debuted in March 2022 with co-stars Endeavour actor Roger Allam in the lead role of Antoine Verlaque, alongside Nancy Carroll ( The Crown) as his romantic partner Marine Bonnet. [2] If you’d like an intriguing mystery story peopled with unique characters, enhanced with descriptions of mouth watering edibles and lush pictures of the Italian and French country side Murder in the Rue Dumas is the book for you.Still, I enjoyed this book even though it was often hard to concentrate on it. I'm now on the next one.

Although the author is British, her absolute love of all things French and Italian, shines through. Almost more than anything else, the book is a delight to read for its detailed descriptions of foods and wines, while art—I’d not known before of Gallés glass and ex-votos--, history—during the plague, the town fathers of Aix closed the city gates resulting in the plague passing without the loss of a single life in Aix--, literature—“What will survive of us is love.”--, and the French countryside receive their fair share of attention, as well.

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The head of philosophy department at the nearby college is planning to retire and several of his colleagues are hoping to be his replacement. The position not only comes with prestige and a raise, but also included is a fabulous apartment suite on the campus itself. Some actually believe the apartment if more valuable than the title itself and there is the fact that once awarded, it is a lifetime position. Things go awry when at a party in his apartment, Prof. Moutes tells his friends he has changed his mind and is not going to retire. The next morning he is found dead in his office, his head smashed in. What really makes Longworth’s writing special is her deep knowledge of French history, landscape, cuisine, and even contemporary cafes and restaurants. This is that rare atmospheric mystery that is street-wise and café-canny.”— Booklist (starred review) For the general plot and mystery I can't say I love it because the book is bogged down with too many characters. There are too many changing POVs and the mystery proceeds slowly because so much is going on.