The Corsican Caper

March 3, 2014
Readers who want to engage by proxy in the lives of Europe’s mega-wealthy will best appreciate this frothy bit of fun from bestseller Mayle, his third novel featuring Sam Levitt (after 2012’s The Marseille Caper). Billionaire Francis Reboul owns the Palais du Pharo, which was “originally built for Napoleon III” and is “the biggest private residence in Marseille, and the most glamorous.” Russian businessman Oleg Vronsky, accustomed to getting whatever he desires by fair means or foul, covets the Palais du Pharo, which Reboul has no interest in selling. Vronsky’s machinations and Reboul’s responses, mostly engineered by his American detective friend, Sam Levitt, who is conveniently visiting, provide the slender framework for Mayle to send his characters on outings to a variety of eating establishments around Provence and Corsica. Those who find the excess a bit much may struggle to invest concern in the nominal suspense. Agent: Ernest Chapman, Escargot Productions (U.K.).

April 1, 2014
A third volume in the light-as-a-bon-bon adventures of expatriate gumshoe Sam Levitt, his partner in all manners, Elena Morales, and the billionaire friend who cares more about their company and the quality of the wine than protecting his wealth. It's barely more than a year since we met up with the farcical detectives in Mayle's The Marseille Caper (2012, etc.). We catch up with Levitt's amigo Francis Reboul, looking out upon his Corscican estate, Le Pharo, and awaiting the arrival of his cherished friends. The sort of contentment Reboul enjoys often breeds jealousy, and his estate has captured the notice of an unsavory Russian tycoon named Oleg Vronsky, known to the international press as "The Barracuda." Vronsky has set his eye firmly on Reboul's estate and if 50 million or more won't do the trick, well, perhaps the influence of the murderous Vicomte de Pertuis--a dark-tempered but clever real estate agent whose real name is Vincent Schwarz--can work miracles. After all, accidents happen all the time. That's about all that can be told about another talk-heavy and action-light conflict set in the lush and luxurious surroundings of France. The truth is that, much like an Agatha Christie novel and their many copycats, readers are attracted to these books not because they are difficult or engaging but because they are richly descriptive and emotionally comforting. Sure, a hit may have been put out on the rich Reboul, but that's no reason not to enjoy the meal to come: "Your order has been taken, your first glass of wine is in hand, tantalizing whiffs come through the kitchen door each time it swings open, waiters scurry, there is the moist creaks of corks being eased out of bottles, and everything is as it should be. You settle back in your seat, and all's well with the world." Smooth as the most decadent dessert, with just as many empty calories.

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March 15, 2014
The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming! could be an alternate title for this third in Mayle's Provence caper series. An uncouth Russian capitalist, Oleg Vronsky has a history of getting what he wants, which often requires those standing in his way disappearing in the process. But Vronsky can't obtain what he wants most: the ocean villa of Francis Reboul, the refined billionaire who has figured in other Caper mysteries. Fortunately, Reboul's friend Sam Levitt arrives for a visit just in time to set in motion his own investigation into Vronsky. What floats this novel are the bubbles from the champagne that always seems to be chilled and waiting, along with Mayle's usual airy descriptions of French wines and meals. The caper is a little light on plot, and Mayle doesn't brief new readers about Sam Levitt (a former lawyer, wine connoisseur, and sleuth). Also, for Mayle, the meal and scenery descriptions are fairly thin this time. Still, fans of the series will stick around for the ambience, even though much of it comes from Levitt's girlfriend reading aloud from a guidebook.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)