Murder on the Ile Sordou by M.L. Longworth

Murder on the Île Sordou by M.L. Longworth ISBN-13: 9780143125549 Trade Paperback: 320 pages Publisher: Penguin Books Released: September 30, 2014

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
Judge Antoine Verlaque and his girlfriend, law professor Marine Bonnet, are hoping to enjoy a relaxing holiday at the Locanda Sordou, an opulent hotel that is reopening after decades. They start to make friends with the other guests and enjoy the food, the sea, and having sex. When a guest ends up dead, Verlaque feels he's getting soft--he can't see any of his new friends as murderers, yet the rough sea that day makes an outsider as murderer nearly impossible.


My Review:
Murder on the Île Sordou is a literary travelogue that happens to contain a mystery. It's the fourth book in the series. You don't need to read the previous novels to understand this one, and this one didn't spoil the previous mysteries.

Nearly the whole first half of the book was a description of the vacation and the food. We're given a chunk of background on each character on the island for character development. Even after the murder happens, the story centered around the character's lives and the food.

While there was a subtle hint about whodunit, other subtle hints pointed at other characters. There were some actual clues about the motive which made it easier to guess than whodunit. Even when the Judge felt that he knew whodunit, exactly who he suspected is kept from the reader until we all know whodunit. The book is more for people who love character development and fine food and wine than for mystery-solvers.

There was a sex scene that covered 2-3 pages. There was some bad language, though most of that was in French.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


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