Coq au Vin

Starred review from February 1, 1999
African-American saxophonist Nanette Hayes lives a life that's like good jazz: it's full of soul, and she makes it up as she goes along while somehow keeping it all together. She believes she owes something to her Aunt Viv, who taught her how to enjoy life and bounce back from trouble. So when, at the start of this brilliant second outing (after Rhode Island Red), Nan is asked to hunt down the wayward Viv and hand over a substantial inheritance from Nan's father, she leaps at the opportunity. Besides, it gives her an excuse to go back to Paris, her only constant love. Once there, Nan sobs each time she passes a landmark. Nan's tale is spun craftily, taking readers on a very personal tour of the city that is inextricably linked to her soul. The search for Viv is a continuous riff, but it soon becomes secondary to the story of Andre, an expatriate and fellow street musician working on his accent, his music and Nan's affections. Before long, Nan's feelings for Andre surpass even her passion for Paris and the two play a mean duet with their instruments and their bodies. Nan's charm and daring allow her and Andre to navigate the world of expatriate jazz artists, who, they discover, are tied into swindles, robbery, betrayal and murder. Things end on a sad note, as Nan must head back to the States, having discovered that neither Viv nor her own relationship with Andre are quite what she'd hoped for. This is a top-notch mystery, engaging throughout and quite moving at the end. Foreign rights sold in France and Germany.