Longworth experiments with a new way of storytelling for the series here, alternating between one character recounting his story in the first person a few months after the events of the story and the third-person omniscient set during the time of the story. It was an easy read full of good food, which is what I expect from this series. ( )

The Secrets of the Bastide Blanche is written by M. L. Longworth. The title is Book #7 in the Verlaque & Bonnet Provencal Mystery series.
When a scandalous author moves to the outskirts of Aix-en-Provence, an investigation ensues.
Is France’s ‘National Treasure author’ Valere Barbier haunted by more than his sordid past?
(* The investigation involves the reopening of a cold case - the death of Barbier’s wife
Agathe, and mysterious happenings at Barbier’s Bastide Blanche.)
This is a narrative that jumps back and forth from a very elaborate and ‘baring one’s soul’ meeting between Valere Barbier and literary agent wanna-be Justin Wong on September 22,
2010 in New York City interspersed with the early weeks of July 2010 in Aix.
There are many characters and time periods and it is somewhat complex. (I admit to rereading several chapters in order to keep the plot points straight!) But the conversation between Valere and Justin is very interesting and, of course, the food and the wines are a bit overwhelming! (Who can eat and drink that much at one sitting??!!)
The investigations by Antoine & Marine are very interesting, also, and involve the Paulik
family, especially daughter Lea, who live next door to Bastide Blanche.
The locations are spectacular, the characters interesting and the plot threads complex.
I have taken to looking up several of the many expressions I have come across in the books.
*Bastide - is a local term for a manor house in Provence, located in the countryside or in a
village, and originally occupied by a wealthy farmer.
*coucou - (pronounced kookoo) is an informal ‘hello there’ or ‘hi there’. An affectionate and easy going way to say ‘hey’.
*bise/bises - an informal and affectionate greeting - a light kiss on the cheek.

I am very fond of this series. All the titles, including The Secrets of the Bastide Blanche make
for very enjoyable reading. **** ( )

A departure from the format of the first 6 mysteries, I had doubts at first (as always), but it's possibly one of the best in the series.

Longworth tells this story from two angles, a few months apart. One is set over a dinner in NYC, between an editor and a world famous, Nobel-level author, ostensibly discussing the possibility of the great man's newest book, a memoir. But over dinner, at the editor's prompting, he tells the story of events that took place 3 months previously, in France. The second angle is set 3 months back in time, focussing on Verlaque, Bonnet and Paulik as they find themselves in the middle of events as they unfolded.

The events surrounding the author's purchase of the Bastide Blanche are the culmination of several past events and include haunting, gaslighting, kidnapping, and a missing woman. Verlaque and Bonnet each delve into different parts of the house's - and the author's - histories to try to untangle the mess of events.

Longworth created a story to get lost in; one of those where I should probably have liked some of the characters a lot less than I did. It was well plotted, bringing an end that even though it was foreshadowed early on, was both unexpected and tragic for almost everyone. My only complaint was a sketchy resolution concerning the house's history; the reader gets enough to fill in the broad strokes, but I'd have liked to have known how much of the legend was real: was anyone buried in the basement? (not a spoiler, btw) But I did particularly like the ending, the editor's advice to the author; yes, there was a mercenary aspect to it, but truth, redemption and justice won too.

An excellent cozy series that isn't anything like cute and fluffy, but rather intelligent and well-written, and one that seems to be getting better as it goes. ( )

Well I really do not know, I'm torn 50-50....

This was written from 2 different points of view and takes place in Aix-en-Provence July 2010 and New York September 2010.

The former is the version w/ Antonie Verlaque, Marine Bonnet, Bruno Paulik & his family. The latter is the first person account of a well known writer, with a huge secret, about what happened in his life & how it all culminated in July 2010.

I did not like September 2010's first person narration by the famous author.

Here goes: A famous Author (for me that is his name) moves into Le Bastide Blanche, which is next to the Pauliks... The Bastide has a haunting past that effects Lea, the Paulik 11 year old daughter.

The Author's past does a good job of haunting him as well; his wife a famous ceramicist, died several years before, falling off of a boat in foul weather... and the presence in the house of ghostly night-time visits & dreams in addition to the Lady in Pink portrait (which was left unresolved) lends to the mysterious history of the house.

Antoine & Marine (now married) once again join forces investigating the still open case of the death of the Author's wife.

Bruno, investigates the kidnapping of the Author's stepson (which seemed like filler & was poorly executed/thought out/written).

Marine's mother investigates, the letters & college papers of the Author's wife.

Sylvie is as inconsistent & selfish as ever.

The descriptions of the meals & wines was as wonderful as always...

What made this difficult for me to like, was that I didn't like the Author, in telling his story his arrogance was more than evident , and it was obvious that the friendship that Antoine, Marine, Bruno, Helene, & Lea bestowed upon him was unappreciated & for naught.

With the task of tying two p.o.v. together to fit one story, I think Longworth lost her usual steady flow.... Her attempt at melding the two p.o.v. to make a coherent ending was awkward and left too many things unexplained. I feel like something HUGE is missing.

I'm pretty sure I didn't like this book. ( )