Provence is a land of long cafe lunches, of lavender, olives, wine, medieval villages and ruined castles. Its history is steeped with myth and legend and peopled with painters, poets and knights. The beauty of its land has been the backdrop of countless movies and books, and its unhurried lifestyle and sublime climate the envy of millions who are obliged to live in other less agreeable and less privileged places.
An American family, the Bakers, came to see and enjoy this very special place - and almost got away with it. As their vacation wound to an end, a simple mistake thrust them into an adventure of a lifetime when Sam Baker decided to celebrate the end of a long family hike with a cold beer at a local cafe.
His innocent stop at the cafe have Sam and his family entangled in the affairs of everyone from a likeable, small-time crook and ex-con, to a proud and much decorated policeman in the city of Aix-en-Provence, and ultimately to the government of La Republique Francaise itself.
Louis Jaubert spent twelve long years in a Marseille prison for a crime he didn't commit. Now, he's back home in Aix-en-Provence trying to make up for all those lost years. But this time he's not exactly innocent. For months, he has carefully nurtured a plan that will make him rich beyoind his imagination. Lately though, after a series of run-ins with the tough cop DesVaux in Aix and now a dumb mistake that's involved the American Baker, Louis is beginning to lose his nerve.
Between the bungling American, who's always in the wrong place at the wrong time and the overzealous DesVaux who dogs his every step, Louis' plan begins to unravel.
Could it be possible, Louis wonders in a moment of desperation, that these two nemeses could help him pull his plan back together.
An American family, the Bakers, came to see and enjoy this very special place - and almost got away with it. As their vacation wound to an end, a simple mistake thrust them into an adventure of a lifetime when Sam Baker decided to celebrate the end of a long family hike with a cold beer at a local cafe.
His innocent stop at the cafe have Sam and his family entangled in the affairs of everyone from a likeable, small-time crook and ex-con, to a proud and much decorated policeman in the city of Aix-en-Provence, and ultimately to the government of La Republique Francaise itself.
Louis Jaubert spent twelve long years in a Marseille prison for a crime he didn't commit. Now, he's back home in Aix-en-Provence trying to make up for all those lost years. But this time he's not exactly innocent. For months, he has carefully nurtured a plan that will make him rich beyoind his imagination. Lately though, after a series of run-ins with the tough cop DesVaux in Aix and now a dumb mistake that's involved the American Baker, Louis is beginning to lose his nerve.
Between the bungling American, who's always in the wrong place at the wrong time and the overzealous DesVaux who dogs his every step, Louis' plan begins to unravel.
Could it be possible, Louis wonders in a moment of desperation, that these two nemeses could help him pull his plan back together.
