Michelle Wan’s second book in her Dordogne series is The Orchid Shroud. Julian and Mara have started a relationship although it is rocky and they have several falling out ‘events’. I do like their resolution in the end.
The tying of French inheritance law, genealogy, lycanthropy and murder with Julian’s elusive Cypripedium incognita and a dead baby in a wall is very interesting and very memorable. I do like what was learned in the epilogue and how it balances the way justice is done in the end. Well… except for justice to the war hero of the Resistance.
I enjoyed this book and would continue to recommend the series to anyone who likes well constructed mysteries with lots of twists and turns. Especially if you like botany. I do miss Paul and Mado’s close involvement but maybe there will be more of them in A Twist of Orchids.
