Hotel Pastis: A Novel of Provence, Peter Mayle
Review by: Suzy

Peter Mayle is best-known for his charming books about his adopted home, Provence. But he has also written a few equally charming novels, also set in Provence, which are perhaps a little less known.

My personal favorite of these novels is his first, Hotel Pastis. A tired London advertising executive decides to give up the rat race and retire to the South of France, where he opens a boutique hotel in a very small town. The setting is exquisite, the cast of characters amusing, and the plot weaves together not only the trials and tribulations of building and opening the hotel, but a kidnapping, a robbery, Mafia hit men, a disreputable, artistic uncle and a scattering of models and Sloane Rangers. All in all, a book like a glass of champagne, fizzy and enjoyable.

Suzy

Back to Main