Dark Vineyard | Martin Walker

Bruno Courrèges, chief of the municipal police, is awakened in the middle of the night: a fire has broken out in a field of genetically modified cereals. The investigation immediately points towards the environmentalist militant group. But this criminal act is just the first sign of a series of incidents that will disrupt the peaceful life of Saint-Denis in Dordogne. Foreign winemakers arrive in the region to take over the fertile soils of the village. However, when it comes to wine, St Denis already has quite a few rivals: Max who wants to try his hand at organic wine, Jacqueline, the too seductive Québécoise recently settled in the area, and Fernando, the heir to a prestigious estate that many envy. Between traditional methods, organic wine, and respect for the terroir, a real war of taste is underway. And the two mysterious deaths will not bring calm back to this idyllic region. Translated from English by Gabrielle Merchez.