The Diamond Caper

Zusatztext “A romp. . . . Food and wine are delicious! sunsets gorgeous and everyone has a good time. So will the reader.” — The Washington Times   “For nearly 20 years! Peter Mayle has entertained foodies! Francophiles and armchair travelers with his adventures in the South of France.” — The New York Times Book Review   “Witty. . . . As the [characters] eat and drink their way through Provence! there’s also the matter of solving a string of jewelry heists! which poses more danger than they expect.” — The Sacramento Bee   “A plot-twisting mystery set against a rosé-fueled Riviera backdrop.” — Yahoo! Travel Informationen zum Autor Peter Mayle Klappentext When a Riviera socialite's diamonds are stolen-the latest in a string of seemingly unconnected but increasingly audacious jewelry heists across France-Peter Mayle's bon vivant and master sleuth, Sam Levitt, and his partner, Elena Morales, are soon on the case. In these "perfect crimes," Sam sees the hand of a master criminal, but as he and Elena dig deeper, they begin to realize just how dangerous it may be to pursue the truth. In the midst of all the excitement, there's a house to renovate, rosé to share, and feasts of the Provençal summer bounty to enjoy-giving The Diamond Caper all the hallmarks of another delightfully sun-splashed Peter Mayle adventure. Chapter 1   Why is it that bad news so often arrives on Monday mornings?   The call came at 6:00 a.m. local time, waking a reluctant Elena Morales from a deliciously deep sleep. It was her boss, Frank Knox, founder and CEO of Knox Insurance, and there was an undercurrent of tension in his voice. There was a problem, he said, and it was urgent. Despite the early-morning Los Angeles traffic, Elena was with him in his office by 7:30.   For once, his normally cheerful manner had deserted him. “I guess you’ve read some of this stuff already,” he said, opening the folder of newspaper clippings that was on his desk. “These jewelry robberies in the South of France are getting worse every year. And now it’s getting closer to home. A couple of hours ago, I had a call from our Paris office; one of their clients, Madame Castellaci, has just had a bunch of diamonds lifted from her house in Nice. She’s hysterical, and the office in Paris has been sent a claim the size of the national debt.” He paused to take a swig of coffee.   “What’s our liability?” Elena asked.   Knox’s eyebrows went up, and he shook his head. “We laid off as much of the risk as we could, but it’s still going to hurt us.” He took a deep breath. “We’re looking at seven figures. Two million, maybe three.”   “Do you reckon the claim’s valid? What do the police say?”   Knox shrugged. “Not much. From what I’ve been told, it seems to have been a professional job—no clues, no prints, nothing.”   “And what do our people in Paris say?”   “Help.”   Knox slumped back in his chair. Elena had never seen him look so despondent. He was planning to retire in a few months and enjoy a prosperous retirement, after thirty-five years of hard work. And now this. Even with the money he’d put away over the years, it was a blow. “Frank, what do you want me to do?”   “I’d like you to get over to the Paris office and go through everything they know,” Knox said after a deep sigh. “And then I’d like you to go down to Nice and grill the client.” He held up one hand. “I know, I know. The police will have done that, but sometimes they miss little things. It’s a long shot, but it’s all we’ve got.” He slid the folder of clippings across the desk. “Here—something to read on the plane. Good luck.” — Elena’s feelings were mixed as she packed for the trip. Normally, she would be delighted to be going once again to France. This visit, however, was unlikely to offer mu...

Product details

• Authors: Peter Mayle
• Publisher: Vintage USA
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback
• Released: 31.07.2016
• EAN: 9780804173193
• ISBN: 978-0-8041-7319-3
• No. of pages: 211
• Dimensions: 132 mm x 203 mm x 17 mm
• Series: VINTAGE BOOKS; Sam Levitt; Sam Levitt Capers; Sam Levitt; Sam Levitt Capers
• Subject: Fiction > Suspense