Anything Considered

It's no secret that Peter Mayle (author of A Year in Provence) loves Provence, so it's no surprise that Mayle's new novel is set that area: it takes place in Saint Martin and in Monaco. Bennett is an Englishman scraping together his last few francs, desperate to stay in France. He places an ad promising "anything considered," a wealthy truffle entrepreneur hires him for slightly illicit work, and the plot is off--a combination of a thriller, romance, and page turner. And through it all emanates the whiff of lavender, the curve of country hills, the bubble of champagne, and the sounds and tastes of Provence.