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Inspector Pel #7
Pel and the Predators
Pel discovers himself to be the target of a letter-bomb sent by an old enemy – can he stave off the predators? Murders circle around Burgundy where Pel has just been promoted to Chief Inspector, starting with the case of a woman whose body is found on the beach one morning. A death that appeared to be suicide at first glance turns out to have plenty of suspects, each with their own particular motive. Pel’s personal life is going far from smoothly, as he discovers himself to be the target of a letter-bomb sent by an old enemy – aside from the obvious danger, this is yet another obstacle to his plans to marry Madame Faivre-Perret. Can Pel keep his life, his love and his career by solving the murder mysteries, and keeping the predators at bay? Moody, sharp-tongued and worrying constantly about his health, Inspector Pel ensures that no case goes unsolved, in these mordantly witty French mysteries.
Praise for the Inspector Pel Mystery ‘Totally convincing.’ Financial Times ‘Mr Hebden has created a nice band of flics.’ Oxford Times ‘Pel and his procedurals are some of the best things since Maigret.’ Observer ‘Chief Inspector Evariste Clovis Désiré Pel, as well rounded a character as Maigret or Van der Valk.’ Punch ‘Impeccable French ambience, unexaggerated flics, and a well-constructed solution. Hebden proves again that few understand Gallic cops better than English writers!’ The Times ‘Some characters grow as their saga lengthens and Pel… is one of them. You might say he is ripening along with the grapes.’ Police Review ‘…written with downbeat humour and some delightful dialogue.’ Financial Times ‘…all is most cunningly contrived and dovetailed into a coherent plot.’ Irish Times ‘A thoroughly entertaining read.’ Evening Standard ‘The best Gallic sleuth since Maigret.’ London Mystery Selection
Praise for the Inspector Pel Mystery ‘Totally convincing.’ Financial Times ‘Mr Hebden has created a nice band of flics.’ Oxford Times ‘Pel and his procedurals are some of the best things since Maigret.’ Observer ‘Chief Inspector Evariste Clovis Désiré Pel, as well rounded a character as Maigret or Van der Valk.’ Punch ‘Impeccable French ambience, unexaggerated flics, and a well-constructed solution. Hebden proves again that few understand Gallic cops better than English writers!’ The Times ‘Some characters grow as their saga lengthens and Pel… is one of them. You might say he is ripening along with the grapes.’ Police Review ‘…written with downbeat humour and some delightful dialogue.’ Financial Times ‘…all is most cunningly contrived and dovetailed into a coherent plot.’ Irish Times ‘A thoroughly entertaining read.’ Evening Standard ‘The best Gallic sleuth since Maigret.’ London Mystery Selection
213 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1984
7 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
About the author
Mark Hebden
49 books6 followersMark Hebden is the pseudonymn of John Harris, who is well-known for a series of best-selling adventure stories. He wrote 35 books under his own name, 27 under the name of Mark Hebden and a further 10, mostly of a military nature, under the pseudonymn of Max Hennessy.
He was born in Yorkshire in 1916 to Mr and Mrs E J Harris who had The Stag Inn at Herringthorpe. He attended Rotherham Grammar School and after leaving there became a reporter on the Rotherham Advertiser before moving on to the Sheffield Telegraph. He also did some freelance work with a colleage in Cornwall and at various times worked as a cartoonist, travel courier and history teacher.
In World War II he served as a corporal in the RAF and was seconded to the South African Air Force. Indeed, it was said that he served two navies and two air forces during the course of the war!
He returned to the Sheffield Telegraph after the war where he as a political and comedy cartoonist and he remained with the paper until the mid-1950s.
On 31 January 1947 he married Betty Wragg at St Michael & All Angels Church, Northfield, Rotherham. The couple had a son, Max, in 1950 and a daughter, Juliet, in 1950.
He had his first novel, 'The Lonely Voyage' published in 1951 but it was in 1954 that he really came to the fore when his 1953 novel 'The Sea Shall Not Have Them' was made into a successful film. Thereafter he turned full-time to writing novels.
He wrote his first novel under the pseudonymn Mark Hebden, 'What Changed Charlie Farthing', in 1965 and his first novel featuring his French detective Chief Inspector Pel, 'Pel and the Faceless Corpse', was published in 1979. His daughter Juliet was to continue the Pel series after his death under the pen-name Juliet Hebden.
The family moved to West Wittering, near Chichester in Sussex in 1955 and he continued to write his novels from there.
He died on 7 March 1991 with his last book, 'Pel and the Sepulchre Job' being published posthumously in 1992.
The protrait accompanying this article is a cartoon self-portrait.
He was born in Yorkshire in 1916 to Mr and Mrs E J Harris who had The Stag Inn at Herringthorpe. He attended Rotherham Grammar School and after leaving there became a reporter on the Rotherham Advertiser before moving on to the Sheffield Telegraph. He also did some freelance work with a colleage in Cornwall and at various times worked as a cartoonist, travel courier and history teacher.
In World War II he served as a corporal in the RAF and was seconded to the South African Air Force. Indeed, it was said that he served two navies and two air forces during the course of the war!
He returned to the Sheffield Telegraph after the war where he as a political and comedy cartoonist and he remained with the paper until the mid-1950s.
On 31 January 1947 he married Betty Wragg at St Michael & All Angels Church, Northfield, Rotherham. The couple had a son, Max, in 1950 and a daughter, Juliet, in 1950.
He had his first novel, 'The Lonely Voyage' published in 1951 but it was in 1954 that he really came to the fore when his 1953 novel 'The Sea Shall Not Have Them' was made into a successful film. Thereafter he turned full-time to writing novels.
He wrote his first novel under the pseudonymn Mark Hebden, 'What Changed Charlie Farthing', in 1965 and his first novel featuring his French detective Chief Inspector Pel, 'Pel and the Faceless Corpse', was published in 1979. His daughter Juliet was to continue the Pel series after his death under the pen-name Juliet Hebden.
The family moved to West Wittering, near Chichester in Sussex in 1955 and he continued to write his novels from there.
He died on 7 March 1991 with his last book, 'Pel and the Sepulchre Job' being published posthumously in 1992.
The protrait accompanying this article is a cartoon self-portrait.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 3, 2021
Police with more than one crime to solve at a time, enjoyed it.
May 12, 2024
Another winner. Inspector Pel is so comPELing (sorry, I had to), the locales, the ambiance, the characters and the vernacular of the period the book is set in all make for an enjoyable mystery outing. A series of women are murdered and it’s wondered if the deeds are connected, or if they stem from still raw WWII emotions against those who collaborabed? Pel connects the events to individuals preying on vulnerable women: the predators of the title. These novels always satisfy.
May 13, 2013
I enjoy reading the Pel series. Once you learn the french names, it is easier. Solving the crime can take almost the whole book to work out. Great chill reading
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews