A Twist of Orchids: A Death in the Dordogne Mystery by Michelle Wan

Death in the Dordogne #3

by Michelle Wan

"Cross-pollinates Susan Orlean's The Orchid Thief with Peter Mayle's A Year in Provence. " —The Washington Post Book World on Deadly SlipperWinter in the delicious food, ruggedly beautiful scenery, unscrupulous orchid hunters, illegal drugs, a poetic house-breaker, and three mysterious deaths and counting . . .In this electrifying third installment of the highly acclaimed Death in the Dordogne series, expat Montrealer Mara Dunn and Brit Julian Wood are living together in an uneasy, on-and-off way. When bad things start to happen to their friends—first Amelie Gaillard falls mysteriously to her death, then a local Turkish couple’s son disappears—each has a very different way of helping out. So different that each begins to wonder if they are really meant to be together. But when Julian, with his unerring understanding of the orchid lover’s mind, thinks he has found the link between the local spike in drug traffic and murder, one of them might lose the other—permanently.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

Hardcover

First published June 30, 2006

About the author

Michelle Wan was born in Kunming, China, in the middle of an air raid. Her early years were spent in India, and she has subsequently lived in the USA, England, Paris, Harare, and Rio de Janeiro. Her passions include French food, Brazilian novellas, walking, and orchids. She and her husband, a botanist, visit the Dordogne annually to photograph and chart wild orchids. She speaks English, Portuguese, and French. She is a great-grand niece of Sun Yat-Sen. Her first Dordogne mystery, Deadly Slipper, which introduced Mara Dunn and Julian Wood, was published in 2005.

Series:
* Death in the Dordogne

Reviews

[Bonny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first time I have read anything by Canadian author Michelle Wan. Now that I have read this book, I'm going to find copies of the first 2 books in the series.

These mysteries are set in the modern day Dordogne region of France. Antiques, a pssion for finding and cultivating orchids, a clash of several cultures, drugs and murder - all ingredients come together in a fabulous mystery book. I sat up until the early hours of the morning to finish it. Tomorrow I'm looking for the first 2 books in the series.

[Mystic Miraflores · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a delightful book with quirky and sometimes loveable characters. This is a new setting for me, as I usually read British and American mysteries, and I enjoyed it. The amateur detectives, Julian and Mara, aren't perfect, but eventually get the job done. There are a few twists and turns at the end. There were many laugh-out-loud moments. I look forward to reading another book in the series.

[Wendy Hearder-moan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed catching up with Mara and Julian and learning a bit more about the things people get up to in order to grow their collections of orchids. Cypripedium incognitum remains elusive but Mara introduces an interesting quandary as to how Julian will protect it if he finds it.

[Mejo · Rating 1 out of 5]

One star is generous. Boring! Boring! Cold. Damp. Dreary setting. Insipid characters. Halfway through the book and only a teeny hint of orchids. Don't bother.

[Don Carey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the twining of the orchids through the story.

[Nicholas George · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wan has achieved something admirable here: there's a standard mystery combined with a tougher, police-procedural-type story, and the two mesh perfectly. We see the charm of the Dordogne Valley as well as the dark underbelly of drugs and those seeking to capitalize on (and undermine) the valley's appeal. The main characters (Mara and Julien) are very well-drawn, believable and fascinating. If you're looking for a book on orchids, though, this isn't the one for you--they only play a marginal role in the proceedings.

[Linda Schwartz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found one of Michelle Wan's books in an airport at some time and have kept up with the series. Interesting little mysteries set in the Dordogne region of France are possibly more interesting for the cultural interaction of the protagonists (a woman from Quebec and an Englishman) with the locals. Sometimes gets a bit too much into information about various species of orchids for someone like me who isn't really into raising exotic plants!

[H.L. Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy Michelle Wan's Death in the Dordogne mystery series infused with just enough suspense to lend a tingle of real fear! This book was no different. There were, however, a couple things I picked up in book three that, while extremely minor, ever so slightly spoiled the story. I suppose I could sum it up in saying some racial prejudices and social issues slipped in that I hope aren't reflective of the author's opinion. Still, it's worth the read!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the best of the three Dordogne mysteries by Wan to date. I like her characters Mara and Julian - a Canadian ex-pat desinger and a British landcaper and orchid hunter - and it was fun to "catch up with them". The mystery is this outing is stonger, more surprising, and more rooted in modern realities, I DO hope that Ms. Wan continues their story.

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the Dordogne (as I will be, soon), this novel creates suspense while delivering lots of local colour. It is the third in a series, about French Canadian Mara and her partner Julian, an orchid enthusiast who confront a local drug lord and live their lives in their small town. I liked it lots, and will look for #4 to enjoy soon.

[Kay Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

More talk about flowers, less about food than I expected but a cute little mystery with a teeny bit of jagged romance added for atmosphere. Not much of a tribute to southern France as I would have liked either. Might go back and read the first two books of the series. I have a feeling they are more about her career than his.

[Vionna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This well-written mystery set in the Dordogne area of France was fast-paced and lots of good characters. Mara and Julian are certainly not the perfect couple or sleuths which make for some friction in the story. Will certainly read more of her mysteries

[Michele · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book did nothing for me. It started off so slowly that it was a chore to read, then the themes were predictable and depressing, evil developers want to kill off forests where beautiful flowers grow, blah blah blah.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m surprised the review Amazon quotes calls this book “electrifying.” It was anything but. A sweet mystery with hardly any menace. If I were more interested in the characters, I might have turned the pages faster. One of the “Death in the Dordogne” mysteries and a nice sense of place.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable mystery with good characters. I have an interest in the Dordogne in France which is why I chose this book. This is the third in the series and I haven't yet read the first two. Going to do that next.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one takes place in France so I enjoyed trying to remember the correct pronunciation!

[Joann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting to learn more about orchids with information in between the murder mystery and also the relationship between the two sleuths.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED this book and series and would like to see continue!

[Francine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the third volume about the missing orchid and the twists and turns of the relationship between Julian and Mara. Looking forward to the next book

[Jeanine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun mystery series set in the Dordogne region of France. Some of the characters are avid orchid fans, as is the author's husband. All in all, it is a fun summer read.

[Joanne Gass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of an interesting new series with the Dordogne region of France in full charm.

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first two books were much more interesting than this one.

[Janneke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heerlijk spannend boek, waarbij je steeds op het verkeerde been gezet wordt door de onlogische gedachtesprongen van de hoofdpersonen. Fijn om te lezen op een mooie zomerdag.

[Renée Mee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not one of my favourites of the series. Found it a little wordy.

[Gabrielle]

Het orchideeenspoor