Jean-Luc Bannalec

Today's entry into the WE LOVE BRITTANY campaign is the island of Belle-Île where Inspector Dupin is called to solve the murder of a most unpleasant man. It's an especially good one because we are actually given a clue, that, if we are clever enough (I wasn't) would have given an idea of the murder's identity, sort-of.

As always the descriptions of the scenery and food will make you want to go there immediately, and the description of the August heat wave that Inspector Dupin is suffering through will cloud your mind from the generally wretched Brittany weather. I loved it.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.com.… (more)

When a sibling rivalry becomes deadly, Commissaire Dupin and colleagues are called upon to conduct an investigation into the crime. Through many unexpected twists and turns, the team comes together to put into practice a collaborative system. Hidden plans and plots come to light, including remnants of the corsairs and their treasures! The Brittany setting places the reader in the beautiful and intriguing center of the action. For foodies, this novel also provides delicious forays into local restaurants and specialty foods of the region.

Although part of a series of crime novels about Georges Dupin, this story can be read as a standalone. While it features crimes, the novel can be classified as a cozy mystery, lacking in overt and descriptive criminal actions. There are no instances of strong language or descriptive intimacy.
I found the many names and characters introduced at the beginning to be somewhat confusing at the outset, but they quickly sorted themselves out.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.… (more)

Commissaire Dupin investigates three corpses that washed ashore off the French coast near an island. Questions arise about why the men were together in the same boat and about the apparent accident that increasingly looks like homicide. Dupin hates boats, but he and his team must go out and get stranded on the island during a storm. He knows he couldn't get a helicopter to land there in the storm even if he had a cellular signal. I listened to the audiobook. I found that I liked this installment better than the first. I appreciated the teamwork effort put forth by Dupin's team to resolve the murder. It bogged down in.a place or two, but overall, it wasn't a bad installment. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator seemed capable.… (more)

Commissaire Georges Dupin has been to a police seminar in Saint-Malo. He hates attending the seminar but is charmed by the town and the broad array of food products available there. Browsing through the local Farmer's Market he is first on the scene of a murder, a local chef who has been stabbed by her sister. The sister confesses, but will not explain why she has committed this crime.
The mystery is interesting but the book is outstanding for it's loving descriptions of the scenery and foods of the area. It makes me want to go and visit.

library book read 7/… (more)