Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Giveaway - The Mystery of the Lost Cèzanne - M.L. Longworth

Hello mystery readers! I've got a wonderful giveaway for you today - The Mystery of the Lost Cèzanne is the fifth entry in M.L. Longworth's  Verlaque and Bonnet mystery series. (But can be read as a stand-alone!)

What's it about? From the publisher, Penguin Books:

"The fifth entry in this acclaimed series finds Verlaque and Bonnet investigating a murder and the provenance of a mysterious painting.

Like Donna Leon and Andrea Camilleri, M. L. Longworth’s enchanting mystery series blends clever whodunits with gustatory delights and the timeless appeal of Provence. The Mystery of the Lost Cézanne adds a new twist by immersing Antoine and Marine in a clever double narrative that costars Provence’s greatest artist.

A friend in his cigar club asks Antoine to visit René Rouquet, a retired postal worker who has found a rolled-up canvas in his apartment. As the apartment once belonged to Cézanne, Rouquet is convinced he’s discovered a treasure. But when Antoine arrives at the apartment, he finds René dead, the canvas missing, and a mysterious art history professor standing over the body.

When the painting is finally recovered, the mystery only deepens. The brushwork and color all point to Cézanne. But who is the smiling woman in the painting? She is definitely not the dour Madame Cézanne. Who killed René? Who stole the painting? And what will they do to get it back?" Read an excerpt of The Mystery of the Lost Cèzanne.

For a great introduction to the Verlaque and Bonnet series, you can listen to NPR’s “Morning Edition” / “Crime in the City” profile of M.L. Longworth from last summer: “Mystery Writer Weaves Intricate Puzzles in Sleepy French Town”. NPR’s Eleanor Beardsley praises Longworth’s mysteries, which “plunge you into a languid world of epicurean pleasures and good living.”

Photo: © Marcus Lyon and The Glassworks
"M.L. Longworth has lived in Aix-en-Provence since 1997. She has written about the region for The Washington Post, The Times (U.K.), The Independent (U.K.), and Bon Appétit Magazine. She is the author of the Verlaque and Bonnet series, as well as of a bilingual collection of essays, Une Américaine en Provence. She divides her time between Aix and Paris, where she teaches writing at NYU’s Paris campus." You can connect with M.L. Longworth on her website.

If The Mystery of the Lost Cèzanne sounds like a book you'd like to read, I have a copy to giveaway to one lucky reader. Open to US only, ends Sept. 26/15. Enter using the Rafflecopter form below.

10 comments:

Margie said...

I like the mystery of the painting and the setting of Provance. Thanks for the giveaway. Have a good day.

Ethan said...

I'm always in for a mystery!

Erin P said...

sounds like a good one, thanks

traveler said...

This novel would be fascinating and extremely interesting and greatly enjoyed. Thanks for this wonderful giveaway. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

holdenj said...

Glad to hear it can be read as a stand alone, this series is new to me! Thanks for the info and chance to win!

Unknown said...

I would love to read this!

Grandma Cootie said...

Thanks for the giveaway and link to NPR. new series for me, think I would really like it.

Grandma Cootie said...

Thanks for the giveaway and link to NPR. new series for me, think I would really like it.

Sue Farrell said...

A mysterious painting---sounds like a great read. Thanks for the contest.

Kimberly V said...

This sounds like a very fun series. I love reading books set in France.