A romantic story full of affectionate humour and suspenseful plots by Peter Mayle
Simon Shaw seemingly has nothing to complain about: He's forty-two, healthy, wealthy and successful. But he's just gotten divorced and his ex-wife is trying to rob him not only of a lot of money, but (with a lot of help from his clients) of all his energy. On the advice of his butler, friend and confidant Ernest, Simon goes to the south of France to rest. A chance (or accident) traps Simon in a Luberon village and brings the charming Nicole into his path, who gets him excited about a brilliant plan: buy an abandoned gendarmerie in the village with a beautiful view of the countryside and turn it into a cosy Provençal hotel. Simon, Nicole and of course Ernest dive headfirst into their new lives. Everything's running like clockwork, the idyll is at hand..., Unfortunately, a bank in a nearby town is robbed, which opens the floodgates to a flood of unfortunate events and unpleasant revelations, that threaten paradise on earth, that Simon was going to build. A Hotelier in Paradise, or Robbery in Provençal Style About the Author Peter Mayle (1939-2018) was one of the best-known contemporary English writers. He lived in the USA for a long time and worked in an advertising agency, then became a full-time journalist, columnist and writer. In the late 1980s, he moved to France with the determination to write a novel. The result of his efforts was the book A Year in Provence, which brought him international success and won him numerous awards. Other successful books followed, which were translated into more than twenty languages, e.g. Forever Provence, Hotel Pastis, A dog's life, Provence again, A scam like wine, Good year, French feasts, Secrets of a French Baker and The Corsican Scam. The book A Year in Provence became the basis for a TV series, the novel The Good Year for a romantic film comedy. The year in Provence caused such a surge in popularity and the attendant loss of privacy that Mayle had to leave France for a temporary period. When he later returned to the Luberon in Provence with his wife and dogs, only his closest neighbours knew his exact address. Since 2002, he has been a recipient of the Knight of the Legion of Honour, an order awarded by the French government in recognition of Mayle's contribution to culture and France. He died in Provence. Shouting Stolen Idyll or Robbery Provençal.
