Bretonisches Leuchten

Kommissar Dupin #6

by Jean-Luc Bannalec

Bretonische Ferien und ein perfides Verbrechen
Zwischen den rosa Granitfelsen der Côte d‘Armor steht Commissaire Dupin vor einer unlösbaren Aufgabe: Es ist Hochsommer, und er soll Ferien machen. Am Strand liegen, die milde Süße des Lebens auskosten – zwei Wochen lang. Für Dupin eine unerträgliche Vorstellung. Zum Glück, muss man da fast sagen, verschwindet vor seinen Augen eine Frau. Und ein Verbrechen ungeahnten Ausmaßes erschüttert das malerische Örtchen Trégastel.
Während Claire die Ruhe zu genießen scheint, nutzt Dupin jede Gelegenheit, das Strandhandtuch zu verlassen. Das fabelhafte Abendessen auf der Terrasse und die Gerüchte über eine geklaute Heiligenstatue gehören zu den wenigen spannenden Momenten seiner Tage. Doch dann verschwindet eine Frau vor den Augen der Hotelgäste spurlos und es wird ein Anschlag auf eine Abgeordnete verübt, die im Clinch mit den Landwirten liegt. Wenig später erschüttert der Fund einer Leiche den Küstenort. Heimlich nimmt Dupin mithilfe der Dorfbewohner die Ermittlungen auf, schließlich dürfen Claire und seine Kollegen aus Concarneau nichts mitbekommen, sie haben ihm strengste Erholung verordnet.
Zwischen verwunschenen Tälern, traumhaften Stränden und einer leuchtend bizarren Felslandschaft entwickelt sich ein abgründiger Fall.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, France, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Procedural

300 pages, Paperback

First published June 27, 2017

About the author

pen name of Jörg Bong

The author divides his time between Germany and coastal Brittany, France. Death in Brittany, the first case for Commissaire Dupin, was published in German in March 2012 and sold 600,000 copies, spending many months on the bestseller list. It has been sold into 14 countries.

Reviews

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

What was George Dupin thinking? He has agreed to go on a two week beach vacation with Claire. Two weeks of lying on the beach. Within one day, he’s bored silly. He’s looking for anything to investigate. A missing statue from the local chapel. Some random acts of violence. But when a woman at the resort goes missing, he can’t resist getting involved. And the locals are thrilled. Claire and the local Commissaire, not so much.
There’s a lot more humor in this book, including the daily “how do you know you’re a Breton?” But also, all of George’s attempts to keep his investigation flying under Claire’s radar.
Bannalec likes to make his plots complicated with multiple crimes that might or might not be related. I never have a feel for how they will play out, here included. But I thought the ending worked really well.
This could easily be read as a stand-alone.
Tantor Audio continues to use Graham Halstead as the narrator which is a huge mistake. His American accent does nothing to help the book.

[Blaine DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’ Press for providing me with a free advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Ah yes, it is summertime and Commissaire Dupin and his girlfriend Claire are on a two-week vacation to the coast of Brittany. Idyllic? Not for Dupin, to put it mildly. He was forced to go on this vacation against his wishes, he hates sand and there is nothing worse for him than the inactivity of lying on a beach towel, soaking up the sun.
Luckily for Dupin, his arrival at the lovely resort coincides with a spate of crimes. But, he can do nothing officially about this since this is not his jurisdiction, plus he is on vacation. It does not matter to the locals, as he is peppered with information about such things as the disappearance of a cross from a local church, the break-in at a tourist site, a stone thrown through an elected officials window, and the story of a 7-year old death at a local stone quarry. Despite the lovely dinners at the hotel and the outstanding scenery at the resort, Dupin has little time to enjoy either since he is now “unofficially” making inquiries in order to escape the sandy beaches of the area.
The entire book covers a one week period of time, with each day being its own chapter, and as the days go on the chapters get longer as Dupin gets more involved in these cases. As he tries to establish a pattern in these local crimes, a murder occurs. Then the wife of another resort guest disappears, shortly thereafter another murder takes place, and before you know it Dupin seems to spend more time trying to unofficially resolve these crimes than he does relaxing and enjoying the beautiful pink coast and beaches.
This is the 6th book on the series, and Bannalec does a wonderful job describing the unique food, scenery and culture of the Brittany region. Even if this is the first book you have read in the series you are not at a disadvantage since Bannalec skillfully weaves a story that does not rely on any past character development, and is totally separate from any of the previous cases in this series.
Some people love beach vacations, Commissaire Dupin is not one of those people, and luckily for him the residents of the town continue to interrupt his vacation with tips and details about these cases, and Dupin is able to find time to poke around town to see if he can figure out the connection between these perplexing crimes.
A wonderful mystery story that transports you to the coast France and introduces a host of quirky characters, as well as helping Dupin salvage his sanity and his vacation by solving these crimes.

This review was previously published at www.mysteryandsuspense.com

[Blaine DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’ Press for providing me with a free advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Ah yes, it is summertime and Commissaire Dupin and his girlfriend Claire are on a two-week vacation to the coast of Brittany. Idyllic? Not for Dupin, to put it mildly. He was forced to go on this vacation against his wishes, he hates sand and there is nothing worse for him than the inactivity of lying on a beach towel, soaking up the sun.
Luckily for Dupin, his arrival at the lovely resort coincides with a spate of crimes. But, he can do nothing officially about this since this is not his jurisdiction, plus he is on vacation. It does not matter to the locals, as he is peppered with information about such things as the disappearance of a cross from a local church, the break-in at a tourist site, a stone thrown through an elected officials window, and the story of a 7-year old death at a local stone quarry. Despite the lovely dinners at the hotel and the outstanding scenery at the resort, Dupin has little time to enjoy either since he is now “unofficially” making inquiries in order to escape the sandy beaches of the area.
The entire book covers a one week period of time, with each day being its own chapter, and as the days go on the chapters get longer as Dupin gets more involved in these cases. As he tries to establish a pattern in these local crimes, a murder occurs. Then the wife of another resort guest disappears, shortly thereafter another murder takes place, and before you know it Dupin seems to spend more time trying to unofficially resolve these crimes than he does relaxing and enjoying the beautiful pink coast and beaches.
This is the 6th book on the series, and Bannalec does a wonderful job describing the unique food, scenery and culture of the Brittany region. Even if this is the first book you have read in the series you are not at a disadvantage since Bannalec skillfully weaves a story that does not rely on any past character development, and is totally separate from any of the previous cases in this series.
Some people love beach vacations, Commissaire Dupin is not one of those people, and luckily for him the residents of the town continue to interrupt his vacation with tips and details about these cases, and Dupin is able to find time to poke around town to see if he can figure out the connection between these perplexing crimes.
A wonderful mystery story that transports you to the coast France and introduces a host of quirky characters, as well as helping Dupin salvage his sanity and his vacation by solving these crimes.

This review was previously published at www.mysteryandsuspense.com

[Julie Durnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this episode of Commissaire Dupin who’s on “vacation” at the Pink Granite coast with Claire! Humorous as they both try to work- but keeping it secret from each other! The mystery was well plotted, food/drink descriptions mouthwatering, and the setting was beautiful as well as enchanting! Each time I read one in this series my desire to visit Brittany increases!!

[eyes.2c · Rating 4 out of 5]

French food, fabulous Brittany coastline, and fortuitous detecting!

Well a lucky happenstance had me wandering into the world of Commissaire Georges Dupin! Forced to take holidays, Dupin and his girlfriend, chief cardiologist Claire Lannoy, travel to the Côte de Granit Rose on the coast of northern Brittany. This is supposedly purely a holiday—no work. A sentence to madness and more for Dupin. Working is not to be entertained, so imagine workaholic Dupin’s glee when he finds himself smack bang in the middle of a murder, a disappearance, possible illegal mining and more.
It’s wonderful to watch Dupin investigating without letting Claire know—and the local law enforcement who jealousy guard their provenance.
The food descriptions are sensational. My mouth was watering.
I loved the concentrated focus of Dupin’s train of thought, with leaps of inutuition, complimented by seasoned understanding.
I especially was struck by the geographical description of this part of the world—rose granite formations that could become maze like, threatening at times. Sounds fabulous!
A super enjoyable mystery!

A St. Martin's Press ARC via NetGalley

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually like these books more than I did this one, but I had watched it already some time ago. Thus...spoilers in my head from previous knowledge. There were some pretty amusing scenes as Dupin hates sand and must rinse his eyes repeatedly as he is attempting to cooperate with enforced vacation. Beautiful beach, lovely resort, wonderful girlfriend...all conspiring to keep him away from murder investigations. Does it work? Read to find out.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Minotaur Books for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review The Granite Coast Murders by Jean-Luc Bannalec. All opinions are my own.

Commissaire Georges Dupin turns a vacation on the Cote de Granit Rose into a secret murder investigation in this, his sixth outing. He’s there with his girlfriend, Claire -- who’s forbid him to do anything except relax. He’s hating it. The enforced idleness isn’t for him. He’s been told about an unsolved murder, and some current burglaries. A policeman can never get away from these things. Then a fellow guest at the hotel goes missing, and we’re off, on a case that will task all of the Commissaire’s abilities, as he has to do his sleuthing while hiding everything from Claire.

Around all this we’re shown the local scenery, a fairy-tale valley, pink rocks on the beach and in the sea, of every shade imaginable. Brittany is an amazing place, and our author delights in describing it, as he has in every book in the series. And of course, there’s the food. We get menus.

Once again, it’s the characters that bring our tale to life: the hotel owners, the newspaper store proprietor, the hairdresser, the local police. Dupin mentions their individuality himself, but readers (touch finger to nose) already know, as our author has brought them to life.

Another element in every book – environmental issues. No lack of those either, as you will see.

And stories. Besides the food, and the scenery, and the characters, we get the stories of the region, beautifully presented. You can read these books for all that, never mind the mystery inside. Speaking of that investigation – it all comes together in a walk through a magical forest, beautifully described.

Accordingly, Jean-Luc Bannalec ensures that Dupin can now enjoy the rest of his vacation. It’s all good, in The Granite Coast Murders.

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another appealing entry in the series set in Brittany and featuring the brilliant homicide detective Commissaire Georges Dupin. In this one, Georges and his girlfriend, Claire, are on a beach vacation when (of course) a series of crimes take place, including a woman’s disappearance, all leading to murder. The running gag throughout the book is that Georges the workaholic is under strict doctor’s orders to rest, and Claire is vigilant to ensure that he does. But of course Georges enlists the locals to feed him info and continues to detect undetected, so to speak, under Claire’s nose. And, as always with this series, I was compelled to Google the locales in the book and found myself blown away by the strange beauty and pleasantly imagined myself planted on a beach towel next to Georges and Claire, enjoying the beauty of the sea and the striking pink granite formations surrounding us.

[Otto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mein dritter Bannalec/Dupin. Wieder ein entspannter Erholungskrimi, erinnert an Donna Leon. Es steht dieser Kommissar Dupin halt im Mittelpunkt, rund um ihn sein ihm ergeben Team, irgendwann einmal fällt ihm ein, dass ihm irgendetwas aufgefallen ist, das e gerade nicht greifen kann, hier beginnt sich er Fall langsam zu klären, der dann überraschend endet, dank der unheimlichen Kombinationsgabe dieses Kommissars gelöst wird.
Drum herum - und das ist das Besondere - die Bretagne, ihre Landschaft, ihre Leute, ihre Speisen und Gebräuche. Eigentlich ist es ein Reiseführer oder auch Appetizer für diese Gegend. Ob Jörg Bong (der Mensch, der sich hinter dem Pseudonym verbirgt) von deren Touristenverein bezahlt wird?
Diesmal stehen die Felsformationen um Trebeurden, die Cote de Granit Rose, im Mittelpunkt. Es geht um Betrug im unternehmerischen und politischen Bereich. Besonderen Reiz gewinnt die Erzählung dadurch, dass Dupin eigentlich verdeckt ermittelt, wird er doch als Tourist in einen Kriminalfall hineingezogen.
Also für entspannte Stunden durchaus geeignet.

[John Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

It must be longer ago than I had thought that I last read about our Breton Commissaire Dupin. It was either that or I must have missed one, as I can't remember him having a serious girl friend. Also I have to admit that the picture I have of him needed tweaking somewhat as I couldn't imagine my Dupin stretching out in this swimming trunks on a towel on a beach for even a short period.

Yes, in this instalment, Dupin and his girl friend Claire are on holiday albeit still in his adopted Brittany. It has been a combined effort with everyone in his office, his doctor and Claire insisting he takes a complete break.

However, when a few small local crimes are committed,  how can he resist trying to help out. However, trying to keep his efforts away from those insisting on his complete rest turns this into a bit of a French farce.

For me, it detracted from the investigation of the  crimes which soon developed into more substantial matters.

Perhaps I was too distracted by this subterfuge but I missed fairly obvious hints at what had been going on which should have meant me getting to the culprit  first.

Maybe this one was written a bit tongue in cheek but for me it lacked some of the substance that the others had built up. Not as good as the previous ones in my opinion but won't stop me finding the next.

[Rob Anybody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich hab einige Male gelacht - ob Dupins Urlaubsvermeidungsstrategien :) Der Fall selbst nimmt ein wenig Anleihen an Agatha Christie. Da gibt es auch Schlimmeres :)

[Keksisbaby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Das unglaubliche geschieht, Commissaire Dupin macht Ferien mit seiner Freundin zwischen rosa Felsen an der Cote d’Amor. Während Claire sich jedoch in der Sonne auf dem Handtuch am Strand aalt, überfällt den Commissaire eine Unruhe. Rastlos lässt er sich immer wieder nichtige Ausreden einfallen um der Langeweile zu entfliehen. Just als hätte das Schicksal diesen Wink verstanden, verschwindet eine Frau aus dem Hotel und in einem Steinbruch wird eine Tote entdeckt. Natürlich entgeht keinem Bretonen etwas, auch nicht das der berühmte Commissaire Dupin bei ihnen Urlaub macht. Daher wird kurz mal die lokale Staatsmacht übergangen und le Commissaire ermittelt, wenn auch zunächst nicht ganz freiwillig. Doch immer mehr findet er Gefallen an der Abwechslung und fühlt sich wieder wie ein Fisch im Wasser. Nur der hiesige Kommissar findet diesen Umstand wenig amüsant und droht Dupin eine Disziplinarstrafe an.

Irgendwie haben die Romane um den Kaffee- und genusssüchtigen Kommissar mich in ihren Bann gezogen. Sein sechster Fall bisher ist einer der Besten. Er ist etwas leichter, was daher kommt, dass der Leser ja mit dem Ermittler in die Ferien reist. Und wieder einmal lernte ich etwas über eine wunderschöne Landschaft in der Bretagne und seine kauzigen Einwohner dazu. Witzig ist, dass Dupin beginnt ein Doppelleben zu führen, um heimlich seinen Ermittlungen nachzugehen. Dies tut er nur zu gern, da er der Tristesse des Strandurlaubs entfliehen will. Noch lustiger ist jedoch, dass auch Claire anscheinend nicht von ihrer Arbeit lassen kann und die Ausreden ihres Liebsten nur zu bereitwillig glaubt, um sich selbst Freiräume zu schaffen. Ein bisschen vermisst habe ich in diesem Band Nolwenn, aber auch die patente Sekretärin ist Verlass. Gegen Ende trägt sie mit ihren unkonventionellen Methoden zur Klärung des Falles auf. Dafür lernt der Leser in diesem Buch andere liebenswerte Charaktere kennen. Wie den gutunterrichteten Frisör, eine umsichtige Kioskbesitzerin und ein hobbyermittelnden Hotelbesitzer. Einer putziger als der andere und typisch bretonisch trocken. Mit der Auflösung hätte ich so nie gerechnet. Und der perfide Plan hätte auch aufgehen können, wenn Le Commissaire nicht ausgerechnet da Urlaub gemacht hätte.

Ich habe dieses Buch in meinem Urlaub gelesen und war sofort so entspannt, als würde ich selbst am Strand liegen. Ich hoffe Commissaire Dupin bleibt mir noch lange erhalten, denn nirgendwo sonst lässt sich scheinbar so schön morden wie in der Bretagne.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Commissaire Georges Dupin has a problem. He is on a two week vacation, with his girlfriend, on the Brittany coast, in one of the most beautiful seaside villages in the world. And he hates being on vacation. Lying on the beach and doing nothing, despite his promises to his doctor, his assistant, and to Claire herself, is torture. He swims. He invents errands. He is bored to tears. Fortunately for him, if not for the victims, a series of crimes begin to plague this idyllic place, and he feels compelled to investigate.

The characters are not well drawn, though if you begin at the beginning of the series, perhaps you'd have more background and thus more understanding. The plot is not written in such a way that the reader can figure out the mystery. If you like long descriptive passages and a very slowly unfolding story, this might be appealing. It's well enough written, just not my style.

[Rosa Dracos99 · Rating 4 out of 5]

De momento, este autor sigue sin defraudarme. Seguimos con las investigaciones del comisario Dupin en el entorno idílico de las costas bretonas. En esta ocasión, estando de vacaciones y teniendo terminantemente prohibido investigar nada, se ve envuelto en unos crímenes es su lugar de veraneo y no tarda en implicarse, a escondidas de su novia, con quién disfruta del ocio.
Recomendable toda la serie, sobre todo a quién le guste la novela policíaca sin mucho "gore".

[Estcavi · Rating 4 out of 5]

La sexta entrega de esta saga ubicada en la Bretaña francesa y está me ha gustado mucho más que la última, más trepidante y me ha durado nada en las manos.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a weirdly effective mix of travelogue (Brittany's pink granite seaside), police procedural, and character-driven farce.
Georges Dupin is on an enforced vacation, demanded by his girlfriend Claire, his superiors, and even his investigating team. He actually hates the beach, and really hates being idle all day, every day. The only good thing about the vacation is the food and drink, excellent versions of which are available almost everywhere he and Claire go.
But when Georges begins to receive unsolicited hints--from the hotel manager, the local news agent, even the town hairdresser--that strange events are occurring locally, he can't resist investigating. He has to be very much undercover while doing it, so as not to upset Claire. And he can expect no help from his investigators.
As he receives the latest news about a theft from a local chapel, an attack on a councilwoman, and the disappearance of the wife of a hotel guest, Georges has to keep finding excuses to not be on the beach with Claire all day. Then, a body turns up in a local granite quarry--in the same place where, six years ago, another murdered woman's body was found. What is going on? And can Georges figure it out without upsetting Claire, or stepping on the toes of the local commissaire?
Like some other France-based mystery series I have tried, the setting and the food-glorious-food background is part of the enjoyment. I enjoyed getting to know Georges Dupin, and hope to find a few other books in the series to see if they all follow this pattern, or are a bit more like standard police procedurals.

[Audrey Dry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Siempre es un placer volver a la bretaña francesa, si es con mi querido gruñón Dupin, mejor que mejor. A pesar de que no ha sido el libro que más me ha gustado de la serie, como siempre el autor resulta muy bueno en la descripción de la zona. Y para qué voy a mentir, es lo que más me gusta de esta serie. En cuanto al caso, bueno, no ha estado mal. Es cierto que se hace difícil adivinar quién es el culpable, porque hay muchos frentes abiertos, pero se resuelve muy bien.

[Gabi Coatsworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good mystery. Lovely setting (Brittany). Great French pronunciation from the narrator. Only drawback was the many character names - when they’re foreign I sometimes find them harder to keep track of in an audiobook. It would be great to have a list of characters as part of the info.

[Kwoomac · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun little murder mystery which takes place in a quaint little French town. A little slow to get moving but once there was an actual murder things picked up.

[Elizabeth Theiss Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Commissaire Dupin takes a vacation in my very favorite place in France—the Cote d’Armor, an idyllic place on the coast of Brittany, replete with sandy beaches, seaside cafes, ancient churches, and the huge pink granite boulders that gave the book its name. Unlike me, Dupin dreads a week of beautiful beaches, preferring the excitement of his profession, catching criminals. Lucky for him, a series of murders and mysterious crimes occur, and despite the warnings of his partner Claire who has made strict no-work vacation rules, Dupin finds a way to pursue the clues that come his way. Slowly the puzzle falls into place.

The plot’s pace is as slow as the snails that leave their iridescent slime on slate walkways on Brittany’s coast as befits a murder investigation undertaken between one’s partner’s mandatory beach sessions. The pleasure is in the rich descriptions of local flora and the quirks of Breton life and it’s people. Savor the evening dinner menu, the wild strangeness of the pink granite boulders strewn along the coast, and the magical forests. Follow the newspaper France-Ouest’s daily answer to the question, How can you tell someone is Breton I relived years of wonderful vacations reading this tale and it’s evocation of the Breton coast.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, ho! Do you want to know all about Bretons and the beauty of Brittany and the pink granite? It's all here. Do you like sly situational humor about two workaholics on a forced vacation at the beach in summer? Got that in spades. And then there are the mysteries, murders, and co-conspirators who want Commissaire Dupin to get involved in these local issues while the local law is adamantly against his *interfering*. Dupin can't just shut off his brain, and he really hates the irritation of sand, but Clare is insistent. His superior back home is also adamant that he keep his nose out of a territory not his own. But. The due diligence is exceptional and uncovers a web of deceit and more. I absolutely loved it and had more than a few good snickers (we workaholics do, indeed, understand each other).
I requested and received a free ebook copy from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Many thanks!

[Alyssa · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. I was fortunate to receive this book for no cost as part of a giveaway. The cover is beautiful and the description sounded really interesting. I was so excited to crack it open! Sadly, I wasn’t able to make it through the first chapter as I found the translation to be unenjoyable. There were many uncommonly used English words. Overall, I found this book extremely wordy and unable to keep my attention.

[Jessica - How Jessica Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really funny mystery! Dupin kept sneaking around, trying to investigate without his girlfriend noticing that he was working on their vacation. It made me laugh, and I spent a ton of time google-image searching the places mentioned! (Seriously, go google Le château de Costaérès right now.)

[Darius Ostrowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Granite Coast Murders” is the latest installment (number 6) of Jean-Luc Bannalec’s Brittany Mystery series featuring Commissaire Dupin and his girlfriend Claire.

This time our Inspector Dupin is forced to drop his workaholic ways and take a two-week vacation with Claire, under strict orders from his colleagues, his doctor, and his girlfriend to not involve himself with any work. Claire quite easily slips into vacation mode, enjoying long days on her towel on the beach. Dupin, however, is going crazy, and uses every possible excuse to get up and do something, anything. He finds himself slowly being drawn into the local mysteries, from a stolen (worthless) church statue to an (accidental?) attack on a local deputy who is confronting striking farmers. But when a fellow tourist’s wife vanishes from Dupin’s hotel and an unknown body is found murdered in a quarry where another woman was killed seven years ago, the cases become more than just a passing interest. But can Dupin solve the crimes without the local Commissaire (or even worse – Claire) finding out about his involvement?

After the disappointing previous outing, it is great to see Mr. Bannalec get back into his groove. The small and large mysteries all flow nicely, and watching Dupin out on his own in Brittany without his supporting crew is a fun turn. And as usual, the descriptions of the scenery and especially the food really add local color and flavor and get me excited about returning to the days when we can once again travel.

But the real joy of this episode is the slapstick comedy of Dupin trying to keep his investigations from Claire – from going out to the grocery store for hours to getting a ridiculous haircut, Dupin gets wilder and wilder in his schemes to hide his involvement from Claire (and the local Commissaire as well). The villagers and local police are on his side, and work hand-in-hand with Dupin to get the issues resolved. It is nice to see that Dupin is now considered the insider, the one who understands Brittany and represents the locals against the outsiders. A very satisfying and entertaining read.

I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from St. Martin's Press / Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

While wandering the stacks in my local public library recently, I came upon the collection of Jean-Luc Bannalec's mysteries set in Brittany. I've read several and know they offer wonderful descriptions of the area, the people and the food. In this sixth mystery, Commissaire Georges Dupin and his girlfriend, Claire Lannoy , chief cardiologist, are on a two week vacation on the Rose Coast. Relaxing or taking a break from work is not something either one of them does easily; Claire welcomes the time on the beach, exploring the natural beauty of the area, and Georges pursues every distraction to remove him from the sun, sand, and beach towel. An attack on a local deputy, stolen goods, an old murder, a disappearing woman, a new murder, Georges welcomes being pulled into the investigation, keeping his work a secret from Claire and trying not to disturb the local police. The plot reflects the Brittany culture, is filled with surprises, a little winter European vacation for me.

[Larry Fontenot · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the Dupin character and his companion Claire. This is the only one in the series I've read and since both main characters are on vacation, perhaps the other books in different scenarios might read differently. But the personality of Dupin certainly comes through in this volume. He's restless, determined, clever and bright. Some of the situations and side characters were annoying and all the French names were hard to keep up with. But the book was an enjoyable read.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

J’ai moins aimé ce tome que les précédents, avant tout parce qu’il n’impliquait pas toute l’équipe (très attachante) du commissariat de Concarneau – mais aussi parce que j’ai trouvé l’affaire, et plus particulièrement la participation de Dupin, très tirée par les cheveux. Une lecture peu mémorable, c’est dommage ! J’espère que les tomes qui restent me plairont davantage.

[Maurynne Maxwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another of my new favorites now that I've started reading mysteries again. Lush descriptions of countryside and food interspersed with quirky characters and atmosphere, atmosphere. I saved this one until I had the new one in my hands.
It's not about the mystery, but the characters, setting, relationships. Sheer pleasure every time.

[Iwik Pásková · Rating 5 out of 5]

Velice zajímavý detektivní román, jehož zápletka byla spletencem několika zajímavých okolností a případů. Líbilo se mi, že autor zápletku nechal dojít do samého konce a neodhalil rozuzlení dříve. Velmi ráda jsem si počkala do konce.

[Kaya Kobold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sternabzug, weil ich keinen Reiseführer, sondern einen Krimi erwartet habe.

4 Sterne für den Krimi.

Obwohl mich das 50er Jahre Flair massiv stört. Ich rechne es zum Reiseführer.

(ja,wenn dieses Buch nur 3 Sterne bekäme, müsste ich NSA runterstufen - das hat dieser Krimi nicht verdient.)