Monsieur Pamplemousse Hits the Headlines

Monsieur Pamplemousse #14

by Michael Bond

During his time as an inspector with the Paris Surete, Monsieur Pamplemousse had been "in at the death" on more than one occasion; but the phrase took on an entirely new meaning when he was present at the spectacular ending to Cuisine de Chavignol, France’s premier television cooking program. Seated in the front row, he watched in silent horror as the host, having downed an oyster in close-up, uttered a strangled cry and slowly but surely disappeared from view behind a kitchen worktop. As screens across France went blank, hands reached for the telephone and the media swung into action. Eyes glued to the Pamplemousses’ television, Pommes Frites, dog extraordinaire, has his own views on the matter. Claude Chavignol was a bad egg if ever he’d seen one, and in his experience villains seldom came out smelling of roses. Subsequent events prove him right as usual, but not before both he and his master find themselves caught up in a bizarre world of unrequited lust, murder and blackmail in high places.

Genres: Mystery, Audiobook, Humor, Crime, Fiction, Detective, Food

213 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2003

About the author

Michael Bond, CBE was an English children's author. He was the creator of Paddington Bear and wrote about the adventures of a guinea pig named Olga da Polga, as well as the animated BBC TV series The Herbs. Bond also wrote culinary mystery stories for adults featuring Monsieur Pamplemousse and his faithful bloodhound, Pommes Frites.

Reviews

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Monsieur Pamplemousse is in the audience for a live TV cookery show when the chef collapses and dies after eating an oyster. His investigations lead him to the bedroom of the chef's wife, a sex shop in Montmartre and a cemetery full of Japanese tourists, accompanied as always by his faithful bloodhound Pommes Frites.

Enjoyable and light hearted cozy crime, full of far-fetched but amusing moments with Monsieur Pamplemousse in good form and some nice descriptions of French cuisine. The plot is fairly predictable, but this series is always undemanding and heartwarming.

[M M · Rating 2 out of 5]

This has in it every possible stereotype an Englishman holds of the French: oversexed women, gourmets, intellectual dogs, corrupt civil servants. Michael Bond, famous for the Paddington Bear series, has written a bunch of harmless and humorous accounts of the exploits of Monsieur Pamplemousse, a retired policeman and gourmet. In Monsieur Pamplemousse Hits The Headlines, a famous TV chef dies while he films a cooking show where Pamplemousse is in attendance, and obviously our man has to get involved. There are horny vamps out to blackmail every male in power, even Pamplemousse who is not really powerful, and sundry colourful characters who have much to say on food, but it’s Pamplemousse’s dog Pommes Frites who guides the detective to the solution. There are a couple of innocuous misdirections to keep the reader’s interest going. A very light book, this, which offers almost nothing to the intellect. General time-pass.

[Bill Hobbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

A famous TV chef collapses (and dies) air (while eating fresh oysters!) and there are just too many loose ends for it to be cut and dried! Enter Monsieur Aristide Pamplemousse, an expert in things cuisine. He works for Le Guide, France’s most sacrosanct “gastronomic bible,” and as in the previous three novels in this series, a “detective” with a flair for good taste! He knows his wines, his cheeses, and his desserts—and a thing or two about murder.
In Michael Bond’s “Monsieur Pamplemousse Hits the Headlines,” we find him at full throttle. Earlier he had been given a ticket to the cookery show, Cuisine de Chavignol, and while watching the airing, he sees the chef eat the (cyanide-laden) oyster and keel over dead, immédiatement. Mort. Merde, he thinks. And we didn’t even get to the dessert course! Aristide takes it upon himself to solve this case (after all, being the gourmand he is, he doesn’t want to see good chefs dropped by the wayside so wantonly!).
He’s not alone, though, for his trusted sidekick is Pommes Frites, his faithful bloodhound, who’s been with him since book one (and continued through book 18, the final one published in 2014). Between the two, there are few partners more skillful and picking up the scent and capturing the bad guys.
With this case, though, Pommes Frites, as usual, has a mind of his own—and definite opinions. (What a waste of a good oyster, he thinks!) This sniffer chien extraordinaire knows that Chavignol was a bad egg if ever he’d seen one (egotistical and basically insufferable, not that that stereotypes French chefs) and, of course, as the story develops, Pommes Frites is right and the tale unfolds into a “bizarre world of unrequited lust, murder, and blackmail in the highest of places (involving a minister of the government and Chavignol’s “seemingly insatiable wife”)!
Besides being set in La Belle France, with aptly described and depicted Gallic situations, Bond (an Englishman born in 1926—who, incidentally, probably is more famous for his Paddington Bear series) seems to catch the landscape and atmosphere with plenty of entertaining, colorful humor (even though these are murder cases).
(“Pommes frites” is French for French fried potatoes and “pamplemousse” is both French and German for grapefruit.) An easy, fun to read book and it’s especially endearing for anyone who’s spent some time in France.

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Monsieur Pamplemousse Hits the Headlines is set in one of my favourite cities, Paris, and Bond certainly builds up the sense of place well. The main way in which he does so is through the medium of food. Monsieur Aristide Pamplemousse – who works for ‘Le Guide’, a ‘gastronomic bible’ in France, and who has a trusty companion in the guise of a dog named Pommes Frites – is given a free ticket to a cookery show, Cuisine de Chavignol. Whilst he is watching the demonstration, Monsieur Chavignol, the host of the show, is poisoned by a cyanide-laden oyster and drops dead. Monsieur Pamplemousse takes it upon himself to solve the crime.

The book is nicely written, but the mystery was not a stunning one, and nor was it particularly intriguing for the mostpart. Monsieur Chavignol was portrayed in such a way that one did not really care, nor even seem surprised, that he was targeted by a killer. Monsieur Pamplemousse Hits the Headlines is the fourth book in the series (something which I did not know when I purchased it), and I do not think that I got the full benefit from the book’s story by reading it before the others. Parts of it felt a little flat, and at times elements went unexplained, which I can only presume had been outlined in preceding books. It is not a series which I am overly enamoured with the idea of continuing, sadly. It is not a bad novel by any means, but it did not hold much interest for me personally. I did enjoy Bond’s writing, however, so it has received a wholesome three star review.

[Stephanie Tanton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Pamplemousse story revolves around the death of a television chef, murdered on air. It is always amusing to read the racy scenes in this mystery and think that this is the author of Paddington Bear.
A fun read with an amazing conniving woman.

[Randy · Rating 5 out of 5]

6-8-17

[JD · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I'd have liked it more if I knew any French. There are lots of French words that I had to assume meaning from the context, but I'm certain I assumed wrong in many cases.

[Kaiti Laughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story, hard to follow at times, at least for me.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Monsieur Pamplemousse is always delightful. This one is no exception. We did have a little trouble understanding Bill Wallis in places. Otherwise a fun adventure!

[Enrica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very ‘tongue in cheek’ funny. Loved it. Would highly recommend!

[Elaine Meszaros · Rating 4 out of 5]

oes the name Michael Bond ring faintly familiar in your head? It should. Bond was the creator of the Paddington Bear books. Apparently Bond decided to free himself from a sea of marmalade and give mystery writing a whirl. Who can judge a book by its cover? I can. This one was shiny and red and had a picture of a dog on it. Works for me. While the plot of Bond’s "mystery" is gossamer thin to start, and merely vestigial by the end, the books is still thoroughly enjoyable. The fourth in a series, Bond’s Monsieur Pamplemousse (Mr. Grapefruit) and his dog Pomme Frittes (French Fries) bobble along merrily through France, not really solving crimes. The main focus of the book is instead the heart of the Gaelic world - food. Paragraphs and even pages are devoted to long, loving conversations of French cooking and in turn, France and the areas where various foods are produced. With occasional forays into discussion of French culture and Paris architecture, this book is thoroughly enjoyable with the most minimal brain functions needed. Perhaps the next one will involve less of that clutter called plot line and just stick to the important stuff - creating the perfect tripe pie.

[Dharia Scarab · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...

1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.

2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.

3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.

4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.

5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.

[E. Kahn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Completely empty. The protagonist is a one-dimensional stereotype and the supporting characters are even less deep, which makes them zero-dimensional mathematical abstractions, I guess. The "mystery" is profoundly uninteresting, tawdry BS, too.

This vapid little volume was written by a childrens' books author and it shows.

[Michel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The whole series is such a fun cocktail of farce, fine cuisine and detective story! Read one and you will never again browse a Michelin Guide Rouge without a smile...
Three macaroons for Pamplemousse and Pommes Frites.

[Steve Wales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great fun! Pamplemousse and his dog Pommes Frites are very entertaining characters.

[Lynn Palin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved Monsier Pamplemousse and his dog, Pommes Frites!

[William Almeida]

it is a good story

[Beachcomber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and enjoyable.