M. Pamplemousse, former Surete agent, now a food critic for Le Guide, a Michelin-type publication, is assisted by his bloodhound, Pommes Frites, on many food and wine tasting trips. This one takes place at the Director's request: a holiday tour through the vineyards of Burgundy on the Canal de Bourgogne. As dogs are not permitted, Pommes Frites will have to walk the towpath beside the barge, a plot to help him trim down. Bond's stories of M. Pamplemousse and Pommes Frites are excellent for the description of food and wine alone. With zany comedy thrown in, the action becomes more of slapstick farce than murder mystery.

Bond is well-known for his Paddington Bear stories. ( )