The Brandenburg Cipher

The English are not the favourite nation for much of the French population any more than the inhabitants of France are viewed with affection by the population of Albion. This tradition of mutual antipathy although practised enthusiastically by both parties on a national scale was not reflected within the microcosm of Sarony. The small Burgundian village honoured a tradition equally as ancient - a continuation of the almost feudal respect given to the owners of Château Sarony. The fact that the husband and wife pairing of Martin and Anna Price was wholly English in nature was something the Sarony villagers in their wisdom were prepared to overlook. The unlikely cause of the investigation into events occurring in the dark days of 1940 was the wedding reception in 2016 held at Auberge Fleurie in honour of the marriage of Monique Lascelles to Kev Johnstone. Alcohol and vibrant music often combine to encourage behaviour of an uncharacteristic nature and Anna, never much of a party girl by nature, was having such an unusually stimulating time that she was less than sympathetic on hearing of the embarrassment caused to her mother on the dance floor. Unexpectedly, the incident would enable her, together with Martin, her husband, to seek refuge from the boring work on hand and look into the activities of a German sabotage unit in wartime Britain. As an added complication, the culprit who had pinched her mother's bottom at the reception then asked them for a favour, as owners of Château Sarony. Initially annoyed by Martin's ready agreement to look into the disappearance of an object dear to the hearts of the Sarony inhabitants, she became intrigued by the subject and accepted Martin's view that their immersion in Sarony life brought with it certain traditional social responsibilities. Two wartime mysteries being viewed from the year 2016 and very little in the way of hard evidence to assist in their resolution.