The Curse of La Fontaineby M.L. Longworth
Rating: ★★★★
isbn: 9780143110941
Series: Verlaque and Bonnet Provencal Mystery #6
Publication Date: April 4, 2017
Pages: 320
Genre: Fiction, Mystery
Publisher: Penguin Crime
This one was better than #5, but not quite as compelling as the first few. But I think that’s to be expected as a series progresses: familiarity with the characters and the storytelling creates a higher set of expectations.
Love has made Verlaque soft. This isn’t a bad thing, but I’ll admit he’s slightly less interesting now that the sharp edges have been softened. Marine had far fewer pages in this book, which was a little bit of a disappointment; I liked her presence and contributions to earlier cases in previous books.
There were several plots going at once, all interwoven together and delightfully – and believably – muddying each others’ waters. Almost all of the stories were interesting (one was a bit meh) and the resolution concerning the murder victim’s drug usage/dealing was so very cheeky; I loved it. In the background runs the Curse of La Fontaine, adding a touch of atmosphere to everything.
I’m thoroughly enjoying this series and am very pleased there’s another one on its way; I’m really looking forward to its release.
This works for the Book themes for Advent: […] or a book featuring 4 siblings. The murder victim is 1 of 4 brothers, and at least one of the other brothers plays a significant part in the book; the other two brothers appear frequently as well.
(With this cover, it also works for the Pancha Ganapati book theme: the cover is entirely yellow, with orange text and black illustrations.)