Murder in Lascaux (A Nora Barnes and Toby Sandler Mystery) - Hardcover

Draine, Betsy; Hinden, Michael

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0299284204 ISBN 13: 9780299284206

Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press, 2011

Synopsis

The cave of Lascaux may be closed to the public, but five scholars a day are allowed inside, and Nora Barnes has finagled an appointment. True, she may have fudged a bit in her letter to the authorities, but she does teach art history, and she isn’t about to miss her chance to see the world’s most famous prehistoric paintings. Nora and her high-spirited husband, Toby, are visiting the Dordogne, in the southern French region of the Aquitaine. Aware that the Dordogne’s renown for cave art is matched only by its reputation for delicious cuisine, the couple has also signed up for a cooking class at a nearby château, but they soon find that more than food is on their minds.
    During their tour of the cave, another visitor is murdered. When the local inspector pegs Nora and Toby as suspects, they embark on a mission to solve the crime, tracing strange links between a Cro-Magnon symbol and a thirteenth-century religious cult. As they match wits with the crusty inspector, Nora finds herself immersed in the notebooks of a forgotten artist who once lived in the château. In sifting through the artist’s papers and uncovering old secrets, she begins to piece together the motives for the murder. But has she cooked up more trouble than she can handle?

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About this title

About the Author

Betsy Draine and Michael Hinden cowrote the memoir A Castle in the Backyard: The Dream of a House in France and translated and edited The Walnut Cookbook by Jean-Luc Toussaint. They are professors emeriti of English at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Review

“I found the world of this book a charmed one.”—Lynn C. Miller, author of Death of a Department Chair

“Art history (and prehistory), French food, wonderful descriptions of France’s lovely Perigord region, and a clever mystery to boot. What’s not to like? Betsy Draine and Michael Hinden have a wonderful knack of educating you painlessly—almost without your noticing—while you make your way through their twisty, witty plot.”—Aaron Elkins, Edgar-winning author of The Worst Thing

“A whodunit that nicely balances a breezily light travelogue with urgency and suspense. Readers will hope this is the first of a series.”—Publishers Weekly

“That the book feels like the seamless work of a single author is no coincidence; readers of Draine and Hinden’s first mystery will be both entertained and educated by what is clearly a shared passion for the Dordogne and its considerable charms.”—Capital Times

“Take a touch of prehistoric art, sprinkle in some delicious southern French cuisine, add a dash of World War II history and a dollop of murder, and you’ve got a mystery novel that’s appetizing, intriguing, and informative. . . . If you like murder mystery you can get your teeth into, give this one a try. Bon appétit!”—Mystery Scene

“Into the intricate plot the authors were able to weave Cro-Magnon art, a medieval religious sect, and Nazi intrigue, not to mention cooking lessons.”—Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

Edition details

• Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0299284204
• ISBN 13: 9780299284206
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 272