When a hired hit gone wrong culminates in innocent deaths in a small village in southwestern France, Inspector Paul Mazarelle finds the case complicated by the arrival of the victims' daughter, a New York City district attorney.

Welcoming the return of spring in his idyllic French village, chief of police Bruno Courrèges investigates a local murder at an archaeological dig site that is complicated by an animal rights clash and an international summit.

"After attending an exhibit on the facial reconstruction of ancient skulls, Bruno wonders if this technology might provide an invaluable clue to a 30-year-old cold case. But learning the identity of the murder victim is only the beginning. The investigation quickly turns thorny and leads Bruno to a reclusive vintner, Henri Bazaine, whose education at a vocational school in a formerly communist region has raised a red flag. An inquiry into the defunct...