"You could tell they were vintners by the gleam in their eyes". In his wine cellar, Rene Neuf "...sobbed...as if life had left him...he finally stopped...he chuckled softly...new emotion winked in his eyes. The gleam had returned".
Alsace, France, 1940. Colonel Karlin Riffel demanded a tour of Neuf's wine cellar. What is your best year? A case of 1934 Pinot Noir, "...bows tied around twelve bottles-every one with a red, feminine kiss on a white label" was loaded into Colonel Riffel's vehicle. Why not gain favor by sending each bottle to a selected recipient accompanied by a personalized note? The first bottle of Pinot Noir was consumed by Generalleutnant Troy Bastick. "Neither Wolfram [Bastick] nor his father could know that ...'the love pea' ...an inactivating protein poison...[had been] added to the Pinot Noir". Famous Gestapo Detective, Wolfram Bastick promised to avenge his father's death.
Upon learning of Troy Bastick's demise, Colonel Riffel confronted vintner Neuf. "I sent your bottles to officers all over Deutsches Reich...". Neuf's comeback, "police detectives will be asking who sent them?" The bottles must be tracked down, the Pinot Noir and attached notes destroyed. To this end, Hungarian clinical psychologist turned detective, Mads Molnar, was hired by the Gestapo. Molnar having served as a psychologist to soldiers during WWI, could no longer "...bear fixing broken soldiers". He was now a top notch detective, but he was between a rock and a hard place.
Budapest, Hungary, 1940. Borrowing a milk truck, Mads Molinar and "hired muscle" Miles Fekete were determined to drive "A bunch of Jews from Hungary, masquerading as milk bottles" to safety...an unexpected roadblock...a member of the Arrow Cross, Hungary's Fascist Party died as the truck barreled through a checkpoint and headed for the Austrian border. Molnar was wanted by the Arrow Cross Party while being recruited by the Nazi Party. A mission as explained by Riffel: quietly destroy all twelve bottles of poisoned wine and accompanying notes...work a miracle". Molnar having no choice, agreed. If he succeeded, he would be given exit papers to Sweden. The Arrow Cross Party claimed however, "Wherever you go in the Reichsmark, we will be watching, and when the Nazis are done with you...".
"Pinot Noir" by Mads Molnar III is a work of historical fiction based upon his grandfather's wartime stories. Having experienced WWI, distaste for war and the struggle between life and death was evident. A little girl was saved moments before experimentation and given a new lease on life. The story of Marilyn Ghetz's family was revealed. What made Wolfram Bastick tick? First time novelist Mads Molnar III has penned a fast paced, page turning thriller, a novel truly written from the heart. Highly recommended.
Thank you ATS Press and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.