Book review Monsieur Moonlight by Lise McClendon

Monsieur Moonlight by Lise McClendon

Monsieur Moonlight by Lise McClendon

 

What a great start to a New Year of reading, slipping into the pages of a new book, with familiar characters and a cracker of a mystery. Monsieur Moonlight is the nineteenth book in Lise McClendon’s Bennett Sisters Mysteries series, that I fell in love with in book one, Blackbird Fly.

 

Merle and Pascal are busy people and adding a new property with a vineyard, Château des Corbeaux, only increased their workload, but they wouldn’t have it any other way. It was Pascal’s dream to make his own wine and in this book they continue to settle into life at château, tending the vines in spring as well as working on their accommodation. In a previous novel, they had found some long-hidden treasures on the land that they’d donated to a museum in Paris, and it seems that adventure isn’t quite done with them yet.

 

As Pascal spreads himself thinly between Merle, the vineyard and his wine fraud investigation work in Bordeaux, things take a sinister turn at work. While not directly involved in the enquiry that follows the sudden death of a collegue, he and Merle can’t help but feel something has been missed out and are soon delving into the detail.

 

As Merle busies herself making the château their special place, a mystery visitor makes an unexpected appearance, dragging up Pascal’s childhood. This proves to be yet another problem for him to solve, and Merle to cope with in her own way.

Monsieur Moonlight by Lise McClendon

 

I do love the chemistry between these two. Their enquiring minds, sixth sense for trouble, and dogged determination to solve a mystery and right a wrong, are perfectly balanced with their tenderness for each other and their pure enjoyment of a good wine, a delicious homecooked meal, or a special dinner out together.

 

Set in the Dordogne, Bordeaux and the Atlantic coast, both location and food play strong roles, and I couldn’t think of better destinations to escape to in January. This book would be best accompanied by a full-bodied glass of Bordeaux’s finest red wine.

 

Thank you, Lise for yet another gripping update to Merle and Pascal’s exciting lives.

Here are some Amazon purchase links: 

Monsieur Moonlight

 

Blackbird Fly 

 

Chateau des Corbeaux 

 

Bennett Sisters Mysteries series 

 

French-themed reading bingo

This year I’ve set myself a reading challenge bingo, with twenty-five different types of French themed books to tick off. Monsieur Moonlight fits for a few categories, but I think I’ll tick off “A mystery set in France”.

 

If you fancy joining in, here is my bingo card:

 

My French-themed reading bingo card 2024