Unauthorized Departure: A Mystery

When DI John Bright leaves England to escape the aftermath of a murder investigation, the last thing he expects is to become embroiled in another one.

Detective Inspector John Bright has never seen much going in holidays abroad, and he's certainly not a man to run away from danger. So he's inclined to ignore the death threats he has been getting ever since he put a vicious London crime boss behind bars. It is only when the threats begin to target his girlfriend, Jude, that Bright decides to take her on an unexpected holiday in France.

Driving through the countryside toward Provence with Jude, Bright is lulled by the gorgeous sunlight, the food, and the wine. They stop over in the small, sleepy town of Neufchâtel, where the tranquility is only slightly marred by the obvious tension between the inn's gloomy owner, Louis, and his wayward fiancée, Mariela.

When a local woman disappears, at first Bright and Jude think nothing of it. Then, they learn the shocking truth: She'd been raped and then brutally murdered. Suddenly, Bright finds himself the prime suspect for the first time in his life. Faced with a police force whose language, rules, and customs he doesn't understand, frustrated by his virtual prisoner status, he realizes that his only chance to clear his name is to help them find the killer.