The Angels' Share

When food writer Harriet Lowe buys a run-down Armagnac estate in a sleepy Gascon village on an impulse, she knows a great deal about food and nothing at all about distilling, neighbours, or how many people in Sainte-Aurélie have something to hide.

Then, the morning after the travelling still comes rumbling out of the November fog, a Parisian dealer who once swindled half the valley is found dead in her chai.

The gendarmes have a suspect. The village has opinions. The café has a betting book. And Harriet, who has never once been able to leave a question alone, is about to make herself very unpopular indeed.

With the help of a mournful Gascon hound, an elderly fox terrier with firm views, and a gruff neighbour who would rather mend her door than talk about his feelings, Harriet sets out to discover who wanted the dealer dead, before her new life in France goes up in smoke.

The Angels' Share is the first book in the Armagnac Mysteries, a warm, witty cozy mystery series set among the vineyards of South West France. Perfect for readers who love village sleuths, good food, eccentric neighbours and a satisfying puzzle, with no gore, no bad language and plenty of Armagnac.