Review: Homicide Herault by Bluette Matthey

 

The Details:

Homicide Herault by Bluette Matthey

Publisher: Blue Shutter Publishing

Published: December 2022

Genre: Murder Mystery/Travel Guide

Pages: 199

Available: ebook, paperback

TW: murder, some violence, human trafficking. Nothing graphic

The Blurb: 

Veteran trekker Hardy Durkin leads his first bike tour group to Béziers in the South of France, during its annual grand Feria, for what is expected to be relaxing, uneventful bicycling in the Hérault region. This notion is kicked to the curb when a double cold-case with present-day repercussions is discovered on one of the group’s outings. Hardy becomes embroiled in another homicide when he is present at a murder that takes place during an innocent flamenco performance that is anything but.
The bottom line: murder and intrigue follow Hardy Durkin like a shadow, even in the sunny, laid-back South of France, but this time his wheel of fortune veers uncomfortably off the rails in Homicide Hérault.

My Review:

Two men, both military, one American, one French, are desperate to deliver a film that will rock French politics. Others are out to stop them. Decades later their bodies are discovered by a group of Americans on a biking holiday in Beziers, France. Luckily, their tour guide is none other than Hardy Durkin, a man of talent, ability and a more than a whiff of mystery. As multiple forces attempt to control the fallout from the finding of the bodies, a second murder occurs at a flamenco performance and once again, Hardy and his trekkers are in the thick of it...

If there was ever a book that shouldn’t be judged by its cover, Homicide Herault is it. My apologies to the cover designer but in my opinion, it hinders rather than helps. Inside this blah cover is a fun, lively book packed with historical tidbits, amazing description of the small towns that dot the South of France, food, wine, along with spies, intrigues and of course a set of murders that must be solved.

The writing is good, the pace is swift, and the author makes use of an omniscient POV to narrate the story from multiple viewpoints.  A lover of murder mysteries, I enjoyed the investigation and dramatic resolution of the crimes. I especially loved the history of the region including the tragic stories of Cathars and the Knights Templar. The travel descriptions made me drool with envy and Beziers in now at the top of my bucket list of places to visit.

I highly recommend this enjoyable read for lover of murder mysteries set in unique locations with the added bonus of a history lesson threaded through the story.

I rate this book: 5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐