" I was prepared for this foray into "suspense" writing by Peter Mayle to be fairly light-weight. I enjoyed his Provence cycle of books, and knew intuitively that this break in form was risky. The story lived up to my expectations. The book came off as if Jan Karon of "the Mitford tales" series fame tried to write a book of intrigue, without the dramatic or criminal suspense. The present book came off as a lame attempt to couch a cook's tour of Marseille culture and cuisine in mystery guise. Mayle should probably stick to the genre he does so much better, or at least to the region of France to which he has devoted himself. The characters were typical, if totally fictional, personas with whom we have become familiar in his previous work. Even his thugs come off as affable, as though they had day jobs in the cast of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," without the cunning of 'toons. The book progressed like French cinema, with just enough interest to keep the pages turning, but with the assured happy ending always in sight. Fantastic meals, extravagant architecture and accommodations and cutesy, out-of-the-way bistros litter the story, sadly without the attention to why these should be of interest that made the Provence books entertaining. "
— Mike, 2/12/2014