Max Maguire, a twenty-nine-year-old female detective with the New York Police Department, flies to France to attend the wedding of her friend, Chlo├®Marceau, at a grand estate east of Paris in the Champagne region. There Max meets an older man, the urbane Olivier Chaumont, and experiences a fairy-tale evening. But when Chlo├®'s widowed aunt, the beautiful and successful L├®a de Saint-Pern, is found murdered, Max and Olivier are snapped back into their professional roles. To Max's chagrin, she is banned from an official investigative role, while Olivier, a magistrate, is put in charge of the investigation.
The value of vineyards and champagne companies is at an all-time high, and Olivier learns that there were several people attempting to gain control of L├®a's business at the time of her death. Max, with her quintessential American girl-next-door looks that belie a gritty interior, takes a stealthier approach. Using the sleuthing skills that she inherited from her detective father, she insinuates herself into the victim's family until their long-held secrets begin to surface like bubbles in a glass of champagne. After another family member is found dead on the day of Lea's funeral, however, Max puts her career and her tentative relationship with Olivier in jeopardy as her determination to find the murderer—and prove herself in the process—takes over.
Between interrogations and pursuits and while sipping the finest beverage in the world and tasting food that leaves the listener salivating, the bicultural detectives discover that they are an unbeatable team when it comes to bringing criminals to justice.
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"This was an interesting read, set in France, but with an American heroine. I really liked the character and look forward to reading mor about her in future books. It also made me want to open a bottle of champagne too!"
— Jennifer (4 out of 5 stars)
“Champagne: The Farewell has the character of a fine wine, sparkling and flavorful, with just a touch of malice.”
— Craig Johnson, New York Times bestselling author of The Cold Dish, As the Crow Flies, and Hell Is Empty“[An] agreeable debut.”
— Publishers Weekly“A NYPD detective, in France to attend a wedding, finds herself investigating a murder as well…First in a planned series inspired by the author’s many trips to France…[with a] heroine who’s nearly as appealing as the descriptions of the wine district.”
— Kirkus Reviews" Set in the Champagne region of France, with a New York City detective visiting to attend the wedding of a college roommate, this had more potential than follow through. The mystery was not bad, but the writing was a bit stiff, and the characters didn't seem very realistic. "
— Judy, 4/1/2013" Great mystery/romantic mix, hopefully the second book will be available soon fr the library. "
— Deanna, 10/14/2012" Mediocre writing and for an audio book edition equally mediocre reading. Plotting is done fairly well, but for me it could not compensate for the over-dosage of cliches and banalities. "
— Irena, 10/4/2012Janet Hubbard works as a writer and editor in Fayston, Vermont, and teaches fiction writing at the University of Vermont. She lives in Vermont.
Kathe Mazur has narrated many audiobooks, winning the prestigious Audie Award for best narration in 2014, being named a finalist for the Audie Award in 2013 and 2015, and winning several AudioFile Earphones Awards. As an actress, she can be seen as DDA Hobbs on The Closer and in the upcoming Major Crimes. She has worked extensively in film, theater, and television, including appearances on Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, House, Brothers and Sisters, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, ER, Monk, and many others.