Oh, the many pleasures of reading a Peter Mayle novel. If a book could be a mental vacation, this author has it down to first class. The Marseille Caper is second in what may become a series about a LA investigator and his adventures connecting him to France. The first, The Vintage Caper, was about a wine heist, this one is about a potential development deal on the coast of France. Some of the plot developments are a bit skimpy, but that doesn’t lessen the fun of reading Sam sail through the skies on a private jet with topnotch wine and food at his elbow and a beautiful, if sarcastic, sidekick to keep him humble. The tension is ideal for a light read and with the evident sensory delights described of Marseielle, Cassis, and the coast of Provence made this the cheapest European trip I’ve ever enjoyed.