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Captain Darac #1
Impure Blood
In the heat of a French summer, Captain Paul Darac of the Nice Brigade Criminelle is called to a highly sensitive crime scene. A man has been found murdered in the midst of a Muslim prayer group, but no one saw how it was done. Then the organisers of the Nice leg of the Tour de France receive an unlikely terrorist threat. In what becomes a frantic race against time, Darac must try and unpick a complex knot in which racial hatred, sex and revenge are tightly intertwined.
537 pages, Paperback
First published November 11, 2013
About the author
Peter Morfoot
18 books11 followersPeter Morfoot has written a number of plays and sketch shows for BBC radio and TV and is the author of the acclaimed satirical novel, Burksey. He has lectured in film, holds a PhD in Art History, and has spent thirty years exploring the life, art and restaurant tables of the French Riviera, the setting for his series of crime novels featuring Captain Paul Darac of Nice’s Brigade Criminelle. He lives in Cambridge.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
June 1, 2019
A well-plotted and smoothly-written police procedural set in modern-day Nice, France. The characters are a diverse lot with the main characters fully fleshed out and believable.
I enjoyed Impure Blood, the first in Peter Morfoot's Captain Darac series and will be back for more.
I enjoyed Impure Blood, the first in Peter Morfoot's Captain Darac series and will be back for more.
May 30, 2019
I did find book #1 at my library last Friday and have been chipping away on it. It is 531 pages, and wouldn't you know - not as enjoyable as books 2 & 3 were for me. I can easily imagine someone reading this and giving up on the later books. It tackles too many topics with a cast of thousands and is a frenetic introduction to Captain Paul Darac. The payoff is getting in on his rescue of his boss, Agnès targeted with her father as part of a fiendish plot by insider to discredit the French police at the time of the Tour de France on its leg through Nice.
The goal of discrediting the police was directly related to the roundup of Jews by certain police officers and deporting them by train to Auschwitz.
I would say...skip this one and enjoy books 2 & 3.
The goal of discrediting the police was directly related to the roundup of Jews by certain police officers and deporting them by train to Auschwitz.
I would say...skip this one and enjoy books 2 & 3.
September 20, 2016
Originally published at Risingshadow.
Peter Morfoot's Impure Blood is the first novel in the Captain Darac series of mystery novels.
It's great that Titan Books has published this novel, because it will equally impress dedicated fans of mystery fiction and those who don't normally read this kind of fiction, because the author has come up with a story that is simultaneously modern and old-fashioned.
I've often found it difficult to root for mystery and thriller fiction, because most authors lack the necessary literary skills to captivate me with their stories. Fortunately - every once in a while - I've come across talented authors who are capable of writing good stories and succeed in creating well-developed characters. I'm especially fond of authors who write Victorian mystery fiction, but I also have respect for authors who write modern fiction with a touch of old-fashioned charm.
Peter Morfoot is - along with such modern authors as David Sutton, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & Anna Waterhouse etc - one of the best mystery authors, because he writes well-balanced mystery fiction that is a pleasure to read. His fiction differs nicely from what has become the norm for modern mystery fiction, because he pays attention to atmosphere, happenings and complexity.
In my opinion, Impure Blood is proof of the fact that British authors are masters of the mystery genre. When they write mystery fiction and thriller stories, they concentrate on tiny details and atmosphere, and what's best, they never lose sight of what's important and are not afraid of surprising readers with plot twists. They also create interesting and humane characters who have not been cut out of the cookie cutter mold.
Here's a bit of information about the story:
- In the prologue, a boy is swinging a scythe in the field. He senses some kind of a creature approaching him, but can't see it...
- An anonymoys female caller has informed the authorities that a man has been murdered at a Muslim prayer service. It's impossible for Captain Darac to identify and trace the caller, because the emergency number she'd dialled was a free call. He finds out that the victim, Emil Florian, is a teacher at Lycée Mossette in Riquier...
This is the beginning of an intriguing story that has subtle complexity, interesting characters and a location (Nice) that has seldom been used in mystery fiction.
The characterisation is good, because the author makes his characters come alive by writing vividly about their various deeds and traits. Readers get to read about who and what the characters are and how they deal with things. It was interesting for me to read about their differences and how they interacted with each other. The relationship between Captain Darac and the public prosecutor Jules Frènes is a good example of excellent character interaction.
Captain Darac is a well-created and fascinating protagonist. He has been living in Nice for ten years, and he plays jazz in his free time. Because he's a Frenchman, he offers excellent counterbalance for British and American detectives and police constables, which have been seen in many mystery novels.
I enjoyed reading about the investigations and police procedures, because Captain Darac and his team found out interesting things about the victim. As an example I can mention that traces of GHB sweetened with sugar was found on the victim. I won't go into more details about what the investigations reveal, but I can mention that many readers will enjoy finding out what happens.
It's nice that the events take place in France, because it brings freshness to the story. When you read this novel, you get a feeling that the author is genuinely fascinated by France and the French Riviera. He evokes a beautiful and evocative vision of Nice with his prose. His depictions of the city, its surroundings and its people vibrate with life and atmosphere.
I found it interesting that the author also wrote about Tour de France, because it added additional fascination to the story. I'm not an expert on mystery fiction, but I think that this is something that is not often seen on the pages of mystery novels.
It's great that Peter Morfoot has combined several different elements ranging from murder mystery to possible threat of terrorism into his debut novel, because it makes the story intriguing. This mystery novel has quite a lot of substance and subtle complexity, which sets it apart from other similar kind of novels.
Readers who enjoy reading Impure Blood will be pleased to know that two sequels (Babazouk Blues and Box of Bones) will soon be published by Titan Books. I look forward to reading them, because I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and its thrilling atmosphere. This novel effectively lays the foundation for the further novels.
I was genuinely impressed by Peter Morfoot's Impure Blood and its entertainment values. If you're in need of good and well written mystery fiction, please invest a bit of time into reading this novel, because the story is entertaining and the events take place in Nice.
My final words are:
This novel is intriguing mystery fiction for adult readers!
Peter Morfoot's Impure Blood is the first novel in the Captain Darac series of mystery novels.
It's great that Titan Books has published this novel, because it will equally impress dedicated fans of mystery fiction and those who don't normally read this kind of fiction, because the author has come up with a story that is simultaneously modern and old-fashioned.
I've often found it difficult to root for mystery and thriller fiction, because most authors lack the necessary literary skills to captivate me with their stories. Fortunately - every once in a while - I've come across talented authors who are capable of writing good stories and succeed in creating well-developed characters. I'm especially fond of authors who write Victorian mystery fiction, but I also have respect for authors who write modern fiction with a touch of old-fashioned charm.
Peter Morfoot is - along with such modern authors as David Sutton, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & Anna Waterhouse etc - one of the best mystery authors, because he writes well-balanced mystery fiction that is a pleasure to read. His fiction differs nicely from what has become the norm for modern mystery fiction, because he pays attention to atmosphere, happenings and complexity.
In my opinion, Impure Blood is proof of the fact that British authors are masters of the mystery genre. When they write mystery fiction and thriller stories, they concentrate on tiny details and atmosphere, and what's best, they never lose sight of what's important and are not afraid of surprising readers with plot twists. They also create interesting and humane characters who have not been cut out of the cookie cutter mold.
Here's a bit of information about the story:
- In the prologue, a boy is swinging a scythe in the field. He senses some kind of a creature approaching him, but can't see it...
- An anonymoys female caller has informed the authorities that a man has been murdered at a Muslim prayer service. It's impossible for Captain Darac to identify and trace the caller, because the emergency number she'd dialled was a free call. He finds out that the victim, Emil Florian, is a teacher at Lycée Mossette in Riquier...
This is the beginning of an intriguing story that has subtle complexity, interesting characters and a location (Nice) that has seldom been used in mystery fiction.
The characterisation is good, because the author makes his characters come alive by writing vividly about their various deeds and traits. Readers get to read about who and what the characters are and how they deal with things. It was interesting for me to read about their differences and how they interacted with each other. The relationship between Captain Darac and the public prosecutor Jules Frènes is a good example of excellent character interaction.
Captain Darac is a well-created and fascinating protagonist. He has been living in Nice for ten years, and he plays jazz in his free time. Because he's a Frenchman, he offers excellent counterbalance for British and American detectives and police constables, which have been seen in many mystery novels.
I enjoyed reading about the investigations and police procedures, because Captain Darac and his team found out interesting things about the victim. As an example I can mention that traces of GHB sweetened with sugar was found on the victim. I won't go into more details about what the investigations reveal, but I can mention that many readers will enjoy finding out what happens.
It's nice that the events take place in France, because it brings freshness to the story. When you read this novel, you get a feeling that the author is genuinely fascinated by France and the French Riviera. He evokes a beautiful and evocative vision of Nice with his prose. His depictions of the city, its surroundings and its people vibrate with life and atmosphere.
I found it interesting that the author also wrote about Tour de France, because it added additional fascination to the story. I'm not an expert on mystery fiction, but I think that this is something that is not often seen on the pages of mystery novels.
It's great that Peter Morfoot has combined several different elements ranging from murder mystery to possible threat of terrorism into his debut novel, because it makes the story intriguing. This mystery novel has quite a lot of substance and subtle complexity, which sets it apart from other similar kind of novels.
Readers who enjoy reading Impure Blood will be pleased to know that two sequels (Babazouk Blues and Box of Bones) will soon be published by Titan Books. I look forward to reading them, because I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and its thrilling atmosphere. This novel effectively lays the foundation for the further novels.
I was genuinely impressed by Peter Morfoot's Impure Blood and its entertainment values. If you're in need of good and well written mystery fiction, please invest a bit of time into reading this novel, because the story is entertaining and the events take place in Nice.
My final words are:
This novel is intriguing mystery fiction for adult readers!
February 28, 2016
This author is new to me. The story started out fine, yet I had trouble engaging myself in the story as it kept progressing. The murder itself was not interest. In fact, I kind of missed it the first time and had to re-read it again. Which again that was the theme for me for most of the first third of the story. I found myself more re-reading or even reading for a third time sections again. Captain Darac was interesting and lent a nice voice to the story. After a while I could not stick with this book anymore. While I was not a fan of the story itself or found the characters engaging, I did like the location and the feel of the overall story. Therefore, I would give this author another try in the future.
September 2, 2017
So many names to remember but it was nice plot. Overall it was good, 3.5 of 5
June 1, 2020
An enjoyable crime thriller set in Nice. This has all the usual suspects: a central character, Paul Darac, with a troubled love-life and an antagonistic relationship with some of his superiors, who see him as a bit of a loose cannon; a dead body that leads to lots of red herrings and any number of suspects; a race against time to catch the killer before someone close to Darac gets harmed....
Throw in a backdrop of the opening stages of the Tour de France, turbulent race relations with the Muslim population and dredging up France's unhappy past in the 1940s and the stigma of collaboration - and what you get is a long book that seems to want to be so many things, but actually ends up being a little bit patchy.
It is undemanding, and despite its length is actually quite a quick read. Darac is just about fleshed-out enough to carry the story (his 'human' touch is that he plays in a jazz band in his spare time), but the rest of the cast of characters are pretty much paint-by-numbers. A decent pass-the-time kind of read - something you might take on holiday (as and when we can!) but leave in the hotel room for the next guest, rather than bring it home with you!
Throw in a backdrop of the opening stages of the Tour de France, turbulent race relations with the Muslim population and dredging up France's unhappy past in the 1940s and the stigma of collaboration - and what you get is a long book that seems to want to be so many things, but actually ends up being a little bit patchy.
It is undemanding, and despite its length is actually quite a quick read. Darac is just about fleshed-out enough to carry the story (his 'human' touch is that he plays in a jazz band in his spare time), but the rest of the cast of characters are pretty much paint-by-numbers. A decent pass-the-time kind of read - something you might take on holiday (as and when we can!) but leave in the hotel room for the next guest, rather than bring it home with you!
April 18, 2022
This is an overpopulated dull middling failure from beginning to end. The detective is one of those needlessly quirky police detectives who speak the Queens English except to drop in an occasional flic, or chomp bit of pastry to remind us we are in France. There is supposed to be sadness about the death of a relationship that matters not a bit, and we are ordered to care about a police superior that exists only to be put in danger. The murder at the center of the investigation is unlikely and dull, and the Tour de France subplot doesn't matter. Overall this book just sprawls pointlessly, never settling into a rhythm or gaining a focus. The tone is flat, the details are generic, and the motives are under explained. Jazz detective Darac is a boring guy who the author insists is super cool and admired by his coworkers.
A novel that I struggled to finish, but is not truly worse than others of its ilk. This book has forced me to add another category to my list of things to avoid: Novels that take place in the south of France written by non-natives.
A novel that I struggled to finish, but is not truly worse than others of its ilk. This book has forced me to add another category to my list of things to avoid: Novels that take place in the south of France written by non-natives.
February 8, 2018
In the heat of a French summer, Captain Paul Darac of the Nice Brigade is called to a highly sensitive crime scene. A man has been found murdered in the midst of a Muslim prayer group. There were many witnesses but no one saw how it happened.
As the Tour de France heads towards Nice, the police receive a terrorist threat. But Darac is convinced the threat is a hoax and some how the murder is involved. What is the real goal? Darac must try and unravel a complex knot in which racial hatred, sex and revenge are tightly intertwined before anyone else dies.
As the Tour de France heads towards Nice, the police receive a terrorist threat. But Darac is convinced the threat is a hoax and some how the murder is involved. What is the real goal? Darac must try and unravel a complex knot in which racial hatred, sex and revenge are tightly intertwined before anyone else dies.
May 10, 2020
This police procedural takes place in Nice ad involves mainly the central character, Captain Paul Darac, as he investigates a murder which leads to various other crimes (terrorist threat, kidnapping ...). It introduces a host of other characters in his police section, all different and interesting. The plot moves along nicely and the book is certainly engaging. It's also a bonus for me that i know the town a little. so the many street directions (an unnecessary and frequent thriller writer's inclusion) mean something to me. Recommended.
March 4, 2021
More like 3.5 stars.
Good story, compelling major detective. However, it introduced *too many characters to keep track of* too early in the story. I almost felt like it needed a list of the characters like one of those historical novels that puts a "cast of characters" on 1-2 pgs. before the story starts (no family trees needed, however).
Now that I know most of the police staff at the precinct, I would be willing to read another in the series.
Prediction: Astrid will join Darac's squad.
Good story, compelling major detective. However, it introduced *too many characters to keep track of* too early in the story. I almost felt like it needed a list of the characters like one of those historical novels that puts a "cast of characters" on 1-2 pgs. before the story starts (no family trees needed, however).
Now that I know most of the police staff at the precinct, I would be willing to read another in the series.
Prediction: Astrid will join Darac's squad.
July 9, 2023
DNF around page 150/400
The beginning was captivating, and then I kind of lost if when more and more characters got introduced. I kept reading back and getting confused. On hindsight longer reading sessions might have helped improve my experience. Also, I have zero interest in tour de France and terrorists attacks so I lost interest once it became clear that that's the main plot. From the summary, I was expecting the story to center around secrets and infighting within a religious group...
The beginning was captivating, and then I kind of lost if when more and more characters got introduced. I kept reading back and getting confused. On hindsight longer reading sessions might have helped improve my experience. Also, I have zero interest in tour de France and terrorists attacks so I lost interest once it became clear that that's the main plot. From the summary, I was expecting the story to center around secrets and infighting within a religious group...
May 31, 2017
It's hard at first to remember with the many unfamiliar names of people and places (this is my first time reading a novel took place in france). But once I get past that, the story itself is pretty interesting. At first, these 2 cases seem unconnected. But as the plot unrevealed, the tension is getting higher and higher until the end.
October 4, 2018
A good editor could have cut this 536 page book in half! More of a beach read, Captain Darac of the
Nice Brigade Criminelle has his hands full: French muslims, nazis, marital discord, revenge, a murder, a kidnapping, the Tour de France, gay men, sexual predators --- you name it, it's in there.
Nice Brigade Criminelle has his hands full: French muslims, nazis, marital discord, revenge, a murder, a kidnapping, the Tour de France, gay men, sexual predators --- you name it, it's in there.
August 17, 2020
I kept thinking that there was something incredible about to happen . . . some way for the author to tie together all the threads. But when they started to come together I felt like it fell flat. Even the ending was a little lack luster.
November 7, 2024
A well plotted, detailed analysis of police procedure and methods in Nice, First in the Drake series - a number of characters- maybe will get used to in the next ones. A new crime author to follow. And even whilst going on six decade old history maintains the suspense
August 10, 2017
Unusual setting - south of France during the Tour de France - and tight writing. A few too many characters too soon, perhaps, but I enjoyed it a lot
April 3, 2018
It was ok. Struggled with it a bit at times. Not sure how plausible the story line is though
January 7, 2019
Very entertaining, excellent twists and turns.
March 13, 2019
Good,well-paced read
July 20, 2019
It was a good story, albeit a tad confusing. I liked that it took place in Nice with the Tour de France as a backdrop.
July 29, 2019
Too long for the story it told
January 14, 2020
I got halfway though, but I never finished. I just couldn’t get into the story
July 9, 2020
The ending came as a big surprise, although I had no idea where the book was going. Interesting characters.
August 31, 2021
Highly recommend, great characters, engaging story!
November 27, 2022
A very enjoyable complex mystery. Well developed likable characters. Anyone who is a fan of Martin Walker's Bruno series will be a fan of Captain Darac too.
November 16, 2025
A Captain Darac Mystery book where police, famous bike races, murder, and family all intertwine and keep you on your toes throughout the book.
March 26, 2017
Good story
This book has an unusual plot with many twists and turns. I found it hard to put down but just possibly a bit too long.
This book has an unusual plot with many twists and turns. I found it hard to put down but just possibly a bit too long.
July 28, 2024
7/10 7% Not a great score as took six months to read - not actually a bad book but wish I could recall where I acquired it as may have the rest of the series somewhere!
August 22, 2016
I received a free proof copy. Thoroughly enjoyed this one. Once I got my head around the French personal and place names I was immersed in this stylish crime novel that strayed towards being a thriller. Pegged around the excitement that is the Tour de France and with a glamorous gloss and seedy underbelly it felt refreshing. The police methods were sometimes less than politically correct which frees up the story-line. It has a driven, headstrong, handsome yet vulnerable lead in Captain Darac. Maybe a few too many characters but if this becomes a series the reader will start to feel very comfortable and knowledgeable about their back stories, strengths and weaknesses. I know I want to read more about these characters who were all given distinct personalities and I want to return to the evocative and steamy South of France. Oh and the dialogue was clever and witty making it a pleasure to read.
August 27, 2016
Terrific ensemble police procedural set in Nice. The main character, Paul Darac, is a jazz-playing detective inspector with a great supervisor (think Judi Dench as 'M'?) and a fine bunch of colleagues in various roles around him. When a man kneels at outdoor prayer and then fails to rise, the detectives are called in to find the motive and murderer. Meanwhile, in the background, local and national law enforcement deal with bizarre threats of a terrorist attack apparently tied to the arrival of the Tour de France on a leg through the city. The ultimate solution to the mystery is far fetched, but the book gets there fairly, and the characters along the way are tremendously appealing. I'm looking forward to future volumes in this series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews