Betsy Draine - Death on a Starry Night

Praise for Mur der in Las caux, the first Nora Barnes and Toby Sandler Mystery:

If you like a murder mystery you can get your teeth into, give this one a try. Bon apptit!Mystery Scene

This... marvelously detailed excursion through the Dordogne will leave you dreaming of castles, chateaus, and caves.... This multifaceted read will hold great appeal for art, food, travel, and oh yes, mystery readers.Library Journal (starred review, Mystery Debut of the Month)

A whodunit that nicely balances a breezily light travelogue with urgency and suspense.... The first of a series.Publishers Weekly

That the book feels like the seamless work of a single author is no coincidence; readers of Draine and Hindens first mystery will be both entertained and educated by what is clearly a shared passion for the Dordogne and its considerable charms.Capital Times

A strong first mystery that tells a traditional amateur detective story in a fascinating setting.Chicago Tribune

Some fascinating French historyand prehistoryis layered into the plot.... The cooking classes evoke the delicious tastes and aromas of the Dordognemagret de canard, foie gras, and walnut cake, to say nothing of the wines.... Skillfully blends travelogue with an intriguing mystery.France Today

Into the intricate plot the authors were able to weave Cro-Magnon art, a medieval religious sect, and Nazi intrigue, not to mention cooking lessons.Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

Praise for The Body in Bodega Bay, the second Nora Barnes and Toby Sandler Mystery:

If youre a fan of Alfred Hitchcocks The Birds, you will thoroughly enjoy this murder mystery.Mystery Scene

The Body in Bodega Bay is set on the northern California coast and involves a mysterious death, Alfred Hitchcock artifacts, angels, and a husband-and-wife team set on solving the crime.Madison Magazine

[This] writing duo have now done for Californias North Coast what their earlier Murder in Lascaux did for Frances Perigord: brought it wonderfullyand eerilyto life. A winner.Aaron Elkins, Edgar-winning author of the Gideon Oliver mysteries

This crimes solution takes us into the world of Russian icons, the Russian past in Sonoma County, and even into the realm of communications from guardian angels. This novel delivers. Grab it and enjoy. Richard Schwartz, author ofThe Last Voice You Hear

Nails the vibe and history of... the Sonoma County coast. Antiques dealer Toby Sandler teams with his art historian wife, Nora Barnes, to help solve a murder and art theft.Sacramento Bee

Betsy Draine and Michael Hinden must be having a wonderful time researching and writing their mystery series. It certainly is a lot of fun reading their books.Capital Times

Death on a Starry Night

A Nora Barnes
and Toby San dler Mys tery

Betsy Draine and Michael Hinden

The University of Wisconsin Press

The University of Wisconsin Press

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Madison, Wisconsin 53711-2059

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Copyright 2016

The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System

All rights reserved. Except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles and reviews, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any format or by any means digital, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwiseor conveyed via the Internet or a website without written permission of the University of Wisconsin Press. Rights inquiries should be directed to .

Printed in the United States of America

This book may be available in a digital edition.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Draine, Betsy, 1945 author. | Hinden, Michael, author.

Title: Death on a starry night / Betsy Draine and Michael Hinden.

Description: Madison, Wisconsin: The University of Wisconsin Press, [2016] | 2016 | Series: A Nora Barnes and Toby

Sandler mystery | Includes bibliographical references.

Identifiers: LCCN 2015036321 | ISBN 9780299307301 (cloth: alk. paper)

Subjects: LCSH: Gogh, Vincent van, 18531890Fiction. |

MurderFranceSaint-Paul (Alpes-Maritimes)Fiction. | Saint-Paul

(Alpes-Maritimes, France)Fiction. | Art teachersFiction. |

AmericansFranceFiction.

Classification: LCC PS3604.R343 D43 2016 | DDC 813/.6dc23

LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015036321

This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. No reference to any real person is intended or should be inferred.

For the cousins

Death on a Starry Night

I didnt mean to shoot him. I can still see him clutching his side and looking at me like a wounded animal. He kicked over his easel and stumbled to his knees. The painting he was working on fell to the ground. Later they said he shot himself, but that isnt true. I did it. I wanted to help him but instead I killed him, and Ive been sorry for it all my life.

A STARRY NIGHTit seemed made to order for the opening of a Van Gogh conference. And what location could be more idyllic? Not far from the beaches of the French Riviera, the village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence is stacked upon a dramatic hilltop, its stone houses encircled by medieval walls. In summer, the town is a beehive swarming with tourists. Tonight, in mid-December, all was quiet as we climbed the steep cobblestone street into the village. It was the dinner hour, clear and cold. I could see my breath. The shops that lined the pedestrian street looked closed for the season, and many of the houses were shuttered.

We reached the crest of the hill and stopped to admire an old stone fountain shaped like a Grecian urn. Spigots dripped water into a basin with a rim high enough to sit on. Toward the top of the urn a decorative fringe suggested a laurel wreath. I think of it now as a funeral urn, for an image of death clings to that lovely stonework fountain. But that evening all was serene.

Behind the fountain, two arches housed low pools, which in the old days must have been used for washing clothes. These same arches served as supports for the terrace of a restaurant overlooking the square. That was our destination. We circled the fountain and climbed another cobbled street toward the restaurants entrance. Overhead, stars sparkled against the black sky.

Despite the chilly evening, I was thinking how lucky I was to be here, on what my sister called a paid vacation. I called it professional development. As a professor in the art history department of a small liberal arts college, Im eligible to apply for support to present a paper at an international conference once every five years. This one was sponsored by the Society for Vincent van Gogh Studies and was hosted by the Maeght Foundation, a mecca for modern art located just outside the ramparts of Saint-Paul. Off-season rates pared the cost of travel and accommodations, and because the dates overlapped with my winter break, I didnt have to miss a class. Im not an expert on Van Gogh, but I do teach a course on nineteenth-century painting, and I was counting on learning a lot at the conference.