The Messengers of Death - Softcover

Pierre Magnan was born in Manosque in 1922 and has rarely left his native Provence. In 1943, during the Occupation, he fought with the Resistance in the Isere, and in 1946 he published his first novel, L'Aube Insolite. During his lifetime he published over twenty novels, four of which have so far been translated into English. He died in May 2012, at the age of 89.

The second Commissaire Laviolette mystery (Death in the Truffle Wood, 2007) opens in the Provence village of Banon with the death of a local woman shortly after she receives a mysterious letter. Laviolette, now happily retired and ruled by his large band of cats, is only reluctantly drawn in to investigate after being repeatedly pestered by his friend, Judge Chabrand. Mademoiselle Veronique’s death is not the first; it seems all her female relations are being targeted, and Laviolette is convinced that the answer lies in the family’s tumultuous past. The story unfolds slowly, wrapped in the rich atmosphere of 1960s Provence. The landscape, with its distinctive scenery and way of life, becomes as much of a character as Laviolette. Best-sellers in France, these delightful, old-fashioned mysteries will appeal to readers who prefer their crime fiction with a strong sense of place and a heavy dose of local atmosphere. The Provence setting will draw in Peter Mayle fans, even if they are not regular mystery readers. --Jessica Moyer