It is the color of the cloak of the Virgin Mary, a dazzling pigment coveted by artists around the world and through the ages, an exquisite, richly hued blue infused with danger, adventure, sensuality, and perhaps, just a touch of the supernatural. It is . . . SACRÉ BLEU In July 1890, Vincent van Gogh, went into a cornfield and shot himself. Or did he Why would an artist at the height of his creative powers attempt to take his life . . . and then walk a mile to a doctor’s house for help Who was the crooked little “color man” Vincent had claimed was stalking him across France And why had the painter recently become deathly afraid of a certain shade of the color blue These are just a few of the questions confronting Vincent’s friends—baker-turned-painter Lucien Lessard and bon vivant Henri Toulouse-Lautrec—who vow to discover the truth behind van Gogh’s untimely death. Their quest will lead them on a surreal odyssey and brothel-crawl deep into the art world of late 19th century Paris. Along the way, Lucien will learn that years earlier, his father’s friends Monet, Renoir, Pissaro, and Cezanne were all haunted by the same strange little Colorman . . . and always, eternally, a mysterious woman in blue. Oh là là, quelle surprise, and zut alors! A delectable confection of intrigue, passion, and art history—with can-can girls, baguettes, and fine French cognac thrown in for good measure—Sacré Bleu is another masterpiece of wit and wonder from the one, the only, Christopher Moore.