Vintage Murder — William S. Shepard

This post 9/11 thriller raises questions about terrorism and the American reaction to it. Can and should the CIA ever deal with terrorists? In the first of a new series of "diplomatic mysteries," set in American diplomatic missions overseas, career American diplomat Robbie Cutler faces this issue. Cutler, American Consul in Bordeaux, witnesses the murder of America's leading wine critic at a Wine Vintage Dinner at the Willard Hotel in Washington. Returning to Bordeaux, Cutler finds himself threatened by the Basque ETA, "the last active terrorist network in Western Europe." Helped by the lovely Sylvie Marceau, a French journalist, Cutler discovers that the Washington murder is linked with a blackmail scheme against Bordeaux's famous vineyards. Cutler and Marceau must stop the ETA killers before they succeed in terrorizing the region, and making good their threat to kill Cutler. In the meantime, the famous Bordeaux vineyards, and the scenic glories of France provide the background for their unfolding romance. The visit of a prominent United States Senator of Basque origin then raises the stakes, as the ETA targets the Senator as well as Cutler for assassination.