5 - Question of Brandy… or Death | Jean-Pierre Alaux, Noël Balen

Driven out by Franco's regime, Francisco Vasquez seeks refuge on the other side of the Pyrenees, in the heart of Gascony. He starts working for the impoverished Baron Jean-Charles de Castayrac, whose armagnacs are known even in the New World. Hired as a seasonal worker, Francisco becomes over time the cornerstone of the estate. He is involved in all distillations, in all blends, until that December morning when his charred body is found in the ruins of the warehouse that was destroyed by the fire that ravaged the spirits' storage. Did the ancient still explode? Human error or foul play? Nevertheless, the insurance company responsible for compensating Baron de Castayrac appoints Benjamin Cooker to assess the stock of armagnacs reduced to ashes. The estimation turns out to be risky, especially since chance has no place in the shadow of the very disreputable baron's cellars.