M. Pinaud, on his way back to Paris after solving the case of "the perverted landlady of Lucarne and the incredibly revolting things she kept in her refrigerator" suffers a car breakdown near a remote small village and becomes involved in the investigation of the suspicious death of a man hated by everyone else in the village. The story, though late in the series, is a flashback to M. Pinaud's early days as a detective, when he thought everything was black and white. In this story, he finds out that it isn't. Though it only has the single murder, it is still a darker story than the first two Pinaud mysteries I have read. It benefits from a memorable cast of characters, nearly all of whom become suspects. As usual, the book extolls good food and drink--and M. Pinaud drinks before lunch, with lunch, after lunch, with dinner, after dinner, and any other occasion I forgot to mention. An interview with a suspect seems to take at least two bottles of wine and his initial meeting with the head of the local police requires three bottles of brandy. There are amusing moments and great surprises as usual, but unlike the other books I've read, M. Pinaud doesn't become violent himself. Instead, he does his best to try to get to the bottom of an apparent murder despite no one in the village caring and everyone declaring it an accident. The result is that he is exasperated much of the time. M. Pinaud continues to be a superb character. In this book we get to see him from a slightly different angle. Definitely recommended! ( )