In this novel we once again encounter Swedish mystery author Berit Gardner, the main character in The Murders of Great Diddling. She has agreed to be part of a two-week long workshop for writers in a somewhat run-down villa in France. Berit has published several books and will be one of the workshop teachers, but the main attraction of the workshop is acclaimed writer John Wright. Some of the would-be writers revere him, in spite of his cantankerous nature. When Wright ends up dead, the workshop goes on, partly to keep all the suspects together while the police investigate the murder. Several of the participants find that the police work is giving them a window into how investigations work, helpful if they want to write murder mysteries.
Berit's way of noticing details is helpful to Commissaire Beatrice Roche, although Roche's newbie inspector, who has been dubbed "The Mayor," is suspicious of her. Berit herself is trying to figure out who the murderer was, and is concerned that some of the younger writers at the workshop are so set on finding the murderer and writing a book about it, that they may not be considering their own safety.
I liked so much about this book. Not only was I kept guessing about whodunnit, but the characterizations are well done. Berit isn't just a smart writer trying to figure things out, she is also a person who feels kind of down about experiencing another murder up close, and realizing that she needs to widen her pool of suspects to include her friends.
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