THE PRISONER OF THE RIVIERA by JANICE LAW

The setting of this amusing little eBook novel is post WWII London, and then southern France and the riviera.  Francis Bacon, London artist, bon vivant, gambler, and ogler of handsome young men has had it with rationing, rebuilding, and chronic lack of good champagne.  When his friend Arnold, a respectable businessman with enough money to finance the trip suggests going to Monte Carlo, Bacon is more than ready to go.  They also take Bacon's former nanny, Nan, who he lives with.  Her vision is going so he won't leave her alone -  and she's fun.

As the two men leave a gambling club the night before their planned departure, they see a man shot.  Bacon tries to save him while Arnold calls for help.  Then the club owner, to whom Bacon owes a lot of money, offers to forgive the debt if Bacon will deliver a small packet to the man's widow on Riviera.  He says the gunshot wound led to pneumonia and the man died.  

This is the beginning of a sort of Shakesperean comedy with mistaken identities, dead people who aren't really dead, scoundrels, some who learned illegal dealings during the war, corrupt cops, even the Tour de France is part of the story.  Meanwhile, Bacon assumes aliases and occasionally has conversations with his alter ego of the moment.  He is a prisoner because a weasel of a police chief confiscates his passport at a time when various bad guys are trying their bumbling best to kill him.

All through the story Bacon rejoices in his appreciation of the male figure.  He is gloriously homosexual, and of course finds many other men of his persuasion along the way.  

There are many hilarious scenes, i.e. when Bacon (who doesn't know how to drive) is behind the wheel of a truck careening down a steep, curvy mountain road while a bad guy tries to stab him in the back.  I laughed and laughed at Bacon's adventures.  Nice eBook for a dreary winter day.

Recommended reading
Source:  Open Road Media