Coq Au Vin

Nanette Hayes Mysteries #2

by Charlotte Carter

THEN BOHO SLEUTH MEETS THE HOT LIFE, IT'S MURDER ON THE DOWN LOW...

She's "the most charismatic crime fiction heroine to appear in the last decade", a jazz-playing, freewheeling sleuth with a knack for living cool...and landing in hot water. She's Nanette Hayes, and this time around she's flying high -- back to Paris, the city she's always loved, to find Viv, the jet-setting aunt she still idolizes. But her search will plunge her into a decades-old murder mystery that will endanger her, her fiercely sexy new lover, and Viv. And to solve it, she will have to face hard truths about the past and her own illusions -- and heartbreak of the seriously fatal kind.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, New York, France, Adult Fiction, Crime, African American

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Charlotte Carter is the author of an acclaimed mystery series featuring Nanette Hayes, a young black American jazz musician with a lust for life and a talent for crime solving. Coq au Vin, the second book in the series, has been optioned for the movies. Her short fiction has appeared in a number of American and British anthologies, including John Harvey's Blue Lightning. The first in a new series set in Chicago against the tumultuous backdrop of the 1960s will be published in late 2002 - early 2003. Charlotte Carter has lived in the American Midwest, North Africa and France. She currently resides in NYC with her husband.

Reviews

[Paromjit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't realise when I chose Charlotte Carter's lyrical and witty novel that I had read it before, but it was so long ago that I had forgotten it although I remember having good feelings about it. It features the charismatic Nanette Hayes, a jazz obsessed itinerent saxophonist playing on the streets of Manhattan, New York. Her mother tells her that her Aunt Vivian, a free spirited, beautiful, bohemian woman known for her partying and taking of drugs in her heyday, is in Paris and needs help and money. Hayes had not seen her aunt since her childhood, she had been ostracised by her father's side of the family, but she had worshipped her and is delighted to be looking for her as she returns to Paris, the city of lights and romance that is so close to her heart. The book pays homage to the age old hallowed relationship between black American jazz and blues musicians and Paris.

Hayes plays the French speaking persona of the cool private investigator as she looks for the elusive Vivian and combines it with the nostalgic revisiting of significant memories and old haunts, only to find little has remained the same. She can't stop herself playing on the streets, not always the safest of places as she discovers when racist thugs attack her, but this is how she meets Andre, a violinist with whom she plunges into a thrilling and passionate love affair that has her dreaming of a future with him. Andre opens her eyes to the ghosts of a glamorous black past with his encyclopaedic knowledge of black American jazz musicians and singers in Paris. However, there is no sign of Vivian, and Hayes turns towards the darker and more dangerous underbelly of the place and the characters that inhabit it to help her find her.

This did not really feel like a reread at all, I had virtually forgotten the story, it is a wonderful novel where jazz music is central to the narrative through the character of Hayes and Andre, their musical connection lending a sense of magic to their relationship as they perform together in public. This is a terrific, atmospheric and engrossing read, pulsating with the rhythms of jazz music, with a strong cast of characters, and a marvellous sense of location. I think many crime and mystery readers will adore Nan, and this novel. Many thanks to the publisher.

[Anissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was in the mood for a cozy-ish mystery and have had this in my ebook pile for a while so decided to give it a go. It's the second in a trilogy but I didn't feel lost and Nanette's voice is strong and funny and wrapped me up in her story. Her beloved and estranged Aunt Viv finally makes cryptic contact with the family from Paris and is in need of help. Nanette, being fluent in French and very familiar with Paris, is dispatched by her mother to find Viv and help in any way she can. What follows is part Paris love letter, historic black experience abroad, jazz tour and effervescent romance that lasts just longer than champagne bubbles all bound in family ties that are more complex than Nan could anticipate.

It was a great read and I blew through it quite quickly as I was enjoying it so much. I know next to nothing about jazz so I wanted to look up every song cited, played and talked about. I very much enjoyed the importance of music not just in the story but Nanette's life overall. Another highlight for me was the way Paris came to life through Nanette's eyes, from the meals to the light to the people in the streets and clubs. It was all very vivid. I was sad any time one of Nanette's favourite boîtes was no more and replaced by some retail outlet and I cheered when she found a new place to love. There's even a Maigret mention. The resolution of the mystery was a surprise and I liked that. Everything was woven together well and no threads left dangling and nothing crazy was used to explain it. I'd definitely read another in this trilogy to see what Nanette is up to. Truth be told, I'm sorry to know there are only three books featuring her. Recommended.

Some of my favourite quotes run from the witty to those that provoke further reflection. A sampling:

"Over dinner the previous night, the b.f. (the sh*thead's name is Griffin) had announced, number one, he wouldn't be spending the night at my place because he had other plans, and number two, he had other plans... period."

"To this day, when I hit the dancefloor I look like a holdup man who realizes too late that his victim is carrying a taser."

"I felt a kick then. RIght on the shin. I knew who that was: my conscience, Ernestine. I just kicked the bitch right back. Yes, I'm a liar. I told her; a deceiver, a coldhearted Air France slut. I was thinking not of my Aunt Viv in a French drunk tank but of the braised rabbit in that bistro on the rue Monsieur le Prince."

"Give me your tired, your poor... your Manolo Blahniks... your tart tatin."

"So this is how it ends, I thought fleetingly. Me beaten to death by skinheads. Aunt Viv starves to death in a back alley or rots in prison. Mother, grief stricken, carted off screaming tot he insane asylum. Daddy, riddled with guilt, commits suicide. Negro angst turned Wagnerian."

"For all my musical forefathers, it had to do more than just make the pain go away. God. Negroes and their pain. What the f*ck were we going to do if suddenly it all did go away? Would we even know who we were anymore?"

"Yes, through the music of the past I had, like Andre, found a way to honor my forefathers. But I knew there was something terribly dishonest about the way I lived. It wasn't just living in a fantasy world, it wasn't just being phony- it was wrong. It's wrong not to live in the here and now. It's cowardly and pious and arrogant and wrong."

[Monica **can't read fast enough** · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one more than book 1, but I think my reaction to Nanette relationships with men is a reflection of the time this was written. I think that this may have been a case of my reading mood at the time. I read these right after have a few negative reading experiences and my surliness may have colored my reading experience. I would still recommend anyone looking to have more diverse characters in their cozier mysteries to give this series a try. They're fast reads and there's only three books in the series.

Where you can find me:
•(♥).•*Monica Is Reading*•.(♥)•
Twitter: @monicaisreading
Instagram: @readermonica
Goodreads Group: The Black Bookcase

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

COQ AU VIN
Charlotte Carter

I enjoyed DRUMSTICKS so much I threw this on hold at my library and here it is! This is the book before DRUMSTICKS so I was sort of aware of what happened in Paris because Nanette was mourning hard for her Aunt Viv. Now I know the whole story.

I really enjoy Nanette, she is quite a woman. She has that strong black female thing going and is full of piss and vinegar as my Dad would say. Nan goes to Paris because her Aunt Viv has contacted the family and said she was in trouble. Lucky for her, Nan's mother put Viv's inheritance in the bank years ago and so now there is a small fortune there. While there she falls for a violin man and they almost swear for hearts and ever.... but he doesn't want to come home and she can't stay.

This is a great series, tough girl mystery meets cozy or boozie... whichever you think fits best. I love the musical aspects of the story... uh I guess I like just about everything about it.

4 stars

Happy Reading!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wild and fantastic ride with Nan, this time around my favorite city ever - Paris.  I absolutely loved reading about all the places she ran around the city, so many familiar areas and it sounds like some are the same even now as they were in the 90s. I could completely picture her walking down the streets and eating the delicious food.  The writing is just as sassy and lyrical and wonderful as ever and so easily to get engrossed in the story. Nan is the same stubborn and inquisitive character as the first book and has seemingly no problem just jumping to a problem head (and heart) first, even when it requires getting in with some dangerous people. I love how she loves with her whole heart and can get swept away so easily. She's also smart and getting savvier as the series goes on. I was completely stumped during this story and though I wanted her to find Viv, I also just wanted answers and enjoyed her Paris exploits. A dramatic ending that left my head reeling and my heart aching for Nan. I can't wait to read more of her adventures!

Thanks to the publishers for a review copy!

[The FountainPenDiva, Old school geek chick and lover of teddy bears · Rating 4 out of 5]

So glad to have finally got my hands on this! I love Nanette Hayes.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is brilliant and I'm very happy i discovered this series and this author. Jazz, solid mystery, great characters, and a lot of humour.
It's a book that kept me hooked and guessing, I loved it and want to read the other books in this series.
The author is a talented storyteller and the atmosphere made me wish I was in Paris.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[jane richardson · Rating 2 out of 5]

i feel like she forgot she was writing a mystery halfway thru then in the last 50 pgs remembered and quickly wrote a conclusion

[Nancy H · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had read the earlier two in this series a while back, and I thought this one would be as good, although I just couldn't seem to get into it like I did the first two. For some reason, the story just seems somewhat disjointed, but that could be because I read it do long after the others.

[It'sBrynanas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this series a lot. This one was a good one, and I really enjoyed the reveal and the explanation. Ugh. I wish the fourth book would be reprinted.

[JaNel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started out perfect—the French, Paris, etc, but then got a little too serious. The mystery was a bit confusing as well.

[Mary Kenney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was better than I was expecting! A few little fun surprises and a overall good mystery!

[Eva · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bruh this shit is so boring in the end. In the beginning it’s kinda fun and interesting because of the way the author describes Paris and love and the new man. But the actual investigation is so boring

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and John Murray Press for an advance copy of Coq au Vin, the second novel to feature musician Nanette Hayes, originally published in 1999.

Nanette’s aunt Vivian, the family black sheep, has sent an SOS from Paris for money after many years of no communication. Nanette’s mum sends her to Paris with instructions to find Vivian and solve her problems. Paris is Nanette’s favourite city so she has trouble keeping on task, especially when she meets Andre, a jazz musician from Detroit.

Coq au Vin is not what I thought it would be (a straightforward crime novel) so I have mixed feelings about it. For much of the novel the crime aspect takes second place to Nanette and her efforts to take charge of her life. I’ll be honest and say that I didn’t understand much of it as I found her reasoning difficult to understand. Obviously I’m not a black American, so there’s that in the background but it’s more about her lack of purpose and direction and it’s not even as if she enjoys this rootlessness.

On the other hand the author has a good feel for Paris, the loucheness of the night club scene, the joy of the restaurants and the beauty of the city although she ignores the endemic rudeness and the viciousness of the petty crime.

The crime element, i.e. the hunt for Vivian, simmers away unsuccessfully until the final quarter of the novel when it explodes in a flurry of action and debriefs. It is exciting and satisfying in that all the questions are answered. Whether it’s credible or even believable is another matter. It’s all tied in to Vivian’s character and all the bad decisions she’s made in her lifetime, so that’s probably every decision she ever made. Again, it’s hard to empathise with her.

Coq au Vin is a pleasant read, but not what I look for in a crime novel.

[Craig Pittman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Charlotte Carter's second novel featuring (and narrated by) Nanette Hayes, a free-spirited jazz obsessed saxophonist who makes a living playing on the streets of New York while lying to her mother that she's a French tutor. Nan's voice is the big attraction in these books -- forthright, free and funny.

In this novel, her mother has gotten a telegram from Nan's favorite relative, her Aunt Vivian, that she's down and out in Paris and in need of money. As it happens, Nan's mom has been holding onto a bundle for her and so she dispatches Nan to the City of Lights to rescue Vivian and bring her home.

Nan, who loves Paris and not just in the springtime, leaps at the chance to return. Soon she's found the place where Vivian lived in Paris, taken a room there and begun her search. Meanwhile, she's found a handsome man named Andre to dally with as well.

As with her first book, nothing Nan encounters is quite what it seems, both for good and bad. There will be plenty of jazz -- and plenty of violence -- before the plot's all done. I particularly liked her discussions with Andre about music and living abroad as an American, and the fact that a key clue involves John and Alan Lomax.

The ending is a crusher, but well earned, and I look forward to seeing what happens in the third (and apparently final) book in the series.

[Kwoomac · Rating 3 out of 5]

This mystery had such potential.it starts out great. Protagonist Nanette Hayes is a twenty-something busker who plays the sax around town to make a living. Her mother asks her to go to Paris to track down her wayward aunt, who appears to be in trouble. She loves Paris so has no problem dropping everything (her sax). She hooks up with a variety of lowlifes as she searches the dives of the shadier parts of Paris.

I loved reading about Nanette’s Paris. She’s been there a number of times and has her favorite spots, and she loves talking about food. She hooks up with a fellow busker, who educates Nanette, and us, about all the black artists who’ve lived and performed in Paris. That was a lot of fun.

And then the not so great part- the mystery and its resolution involved a lot of coincidences. Once we learn who the bad guy is, author Charlotte Carver rehashes the whole thing by having the characters explain various unclear points to one another, and us. I’m really not a fan of this technique.

I did like Carver’s writing style. I was unable to find much info about her, aside from this three part series about Nanette.

[Fey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Due to a friend's delightful mishearing of Black History Month as Black MYSTERY Month, I thought it would be a great idea to devote my February reading to Black mystery authors.

Second up for #BlackMysteryMonth is Coq Au Vin, the 2nd book in the Nanette Hayes mysteries in which our intrepid heroine finds herself (finally!) back in Paris looking for her aunt Vivian who has apparently landed herself in a bit of trouble.

I think the romance between Nanette and her new Parisian lover played a much larger role than the actual mystery here but the intensity of their connection makes that well worth it. Their adventures thru Paris as they try to find Vivian are beautifully written and I couldn't help but feel the pain of nostalgia for a place that was so meaningful in the past and yet subtly changed in a way that alters your entire relationship to it.

The mystery itself is good here too. If you liked the first book in the series you will definitely like this one! :)

[Laura Hoffman Brauman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nanette is a Black jazz loving saxophone player from NYC who often makes her living as a street musician. When she receives word that her Aunt Vivian is in trouble, she heads to Paris - her favorite city - to try to help out. Vivian is missing when she arrives and she begins her search, but rather than her Aunt, the first thing she finds is an American street musician from Detroit, Andre, that is an expert on all things Black in Paris. Trying to solve the mystery of Aunt Vivian's location takes them back into the past and accounts of crime and murder that Vivian may or may not have been involved in. Solid mystery, sideline love story, a lot about jazz music, and an absolute love letter to Paris - this was a fun read. I enjoy Nanette and her amateur sleuthing and I am looking forward to reading the next one in the series.

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book and it was truly one of the worst books I’ve ever read. The plot was incredibly thin, the premise is that the main character goes to France to find her aunt and despite immediately having obvious clues she just seems to be wandering around Paris but that’s not even described - we are told she spend the day looking for her aunt (where? How? Unclear) and then she has this amazing dinner and the dinner gets more detail than any part of her supposed interest in finding her aunt. There is an unlikely random romance that feels totally sudden and out of the blue, and then at the end it’s one of these books that explains everything through convos with the cops. It’s very let me explain all this random stuff than actually showing you and bringing you along with it. It’s just not a good book. It feels like a first draft that needs to be wild rewritten.

[Johanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are things I like about Rhode Island Red and Coq au Vin, the first two of a trilogy featuring Nanette Hayes. Nanette is determined, she’s vibrant, she never gives up, she’s sassy, and she’s unique in the history of mystery heroines (as far as I know).

However, what I don’t like is that the story lines seems overly preposterous - I mean, if you think about it, most mystery plots are fairly unrealistic. I find it hard to believe that Nanette falls for guys over the course of one night or that she has all these crazy, dangerous things happen to her spontaneously.

Maybe I’m just being cranky, but the stories didn’t grab me.

[joyce w. laudon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A look at this book’s cover will give a good sense of what readers will find inside; in these pages are Paris, food, music, and Nan who does things her own way. All true to the contents of this title.

I first got to know this author a number of years ago and am delighted to see her books back in print. This is a short (under 200 pages) read that features Nanette. She is in Paris to locate a missing relative but much happens along the way, including meeting a street musician. Get to spend time in Paris. Have a bit of a mystery and some romance. All in all, an enjoyable read

Many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.

[Ann Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The most enjoyable part of the book was the Paris setting! The mystery was secondary, far fetched and confusing. The main character, however is entertaining and takes the reader on a wild goose chase through the streets of Paris making this a nice cozy travel mystery. Information about the world of Jazz and love interest named Andre keep the reader interested.

Nanette Hayes, the main character, is a black jazz musician who makes her living performing on the streets of NYC. The mystery involves Nanette’s missing Aunt Viv who disappeared in Paris. Nanette’s mom sends her to Paris to locate and help the missing Aunt Viv. Lots of snooping around Paris keeps Nanette’s in a lot

[TJ Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

More Nan, Amateur Sleuth

Nan meets Andre, a violinist, when she travels to Paris to find her Aunt Vivian, who has communicated with the family about trouble. Nan and Andre investigate. Nan leaves him behind and returns to the US after solving several crimes that require the same high level of willing suspension of disbelief as do the other Nan mysteries.

The book moves along quickly. The author's ability to make Nan, a self-centered woman who lies often and is irresponsible, likable is a major achievement.

[Greg Masters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each of the three novels in this series feature a 20-something African-American female jazz musician who embroils herself in getting to the bottom of anomalies in the just order of things. I remain entranced by Nanette Hays for her appetites in the delights available – whether that's the best of jazz music, fine wine and decent men – or the solving of mysteries. The writing through all three volumes is savory, like our protagonist, enlivening the characters and illuminating the streets, swell clubs and dives of Manhattan and Paris. The series is ripe for adaptation into a TV or movie series.

[Don Gorman · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3). Nan Hayes is a hoot. This is the second in the series and I think it was even more entertaining than the first. Nan goes to Gay Paree and she is all over the place. Falling in love, playing her tunes, doing her thing. And when Nan does her thing there is never an end to the fun. A couple of smaller twists to start, then some major ones at the finish. The 160 pages just fly by. Good stuff.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of late nineties goodness! It's just a really fun mystery series. And this one takes place in Paris :)
Don't get me wrong; it's not a cosy as such (because of violence and sex and murders) but it does evoke a sense of music and jazz and doing the right thing.
I was routing for Nanette & Andre (romance is not the focus but there is some spice) so had to go straight on and read the next book in the series immediately 🤫

[Ryan Hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second installment in the Nanette Hayes series. Nan is a jazz musician in Harlem/Brooklyn NYC, NY, (what l assume is the 60's or 70's) yet this one takes place in Paris. Nan's aunt Vivian/Viviahas gotten lost in Paris and Nan is asked to find her. Except she finds herself in another mystery (including murder). Like the first book.

[Randi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nanette Hayes goes to Paris to rescue her estranged aunt and gets caught up in more crime than she expected. I thought this was definitely better than part one. As with the first book in this series, this is full of cultural and musical references. I still think the mystery itself needs work but I did love the characters. 3 is a blender score between the best and the worst of this book.

[Lau Malbec · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esta historia (que te atrapa con su sencilla prosa) protagonizada por Nannete Hayes, saxofonista, es tan solo una dentro de una serie de novelas plagadas de música, noche, bares, amores y, por supuesto misterios y asesinatos.

[Lourdes Alejandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

No pensaba continuar la serie, pero el final del primer libro me entusiasmó un poco... Veré como va este...

#Terminado

Sin dudas Nanette Hayes es otra cosa. Lleva una vida calamitosa y no deja de atraer más calamidades. Qué pena por André. Definitivamente Nanette siempre se va por las peores decisiones...