Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* What Inspector Maigret did for Paris, and, more recently, what Chief of Police Bruno does for the Dordogne, Commissaire Dupin does for Brittany. This mystery, with a setting to die for, was first published in Germany in 2012, where it was a best-seller. In Dupin's first case, he is an appreciative newcomer to Brittany, having been relocated from Paris to the seaside town of Concarneau two years previously. Dupin conducts most of his work from his favorite café right on the North Atlantic waterfront, L'Amiral, an actual café, famous for its views and a brawl involving the painter Gauguin. Dupin is called to investigate a murder in a nearby town, Pont-Aven, once home to a clutch of post-Impressionist painters, most notably Gauguin. The legendary owner of the town's most prominent hotel has been found dead in his restaurant. The mystery deepens when someone breaks back into the crime scene. Dupin is fascinating to watch he's both cranky and enthusiastic. If it weren't for his cell phone and a few light references to forensics, Dupin would seem to be a detective who is very pre-CSI. The star of the mystery, though, is Brittany. Bannalec feeds the reader with intriguing bits of history (for example, Bretons are descended from the Celts, who fled Britain during the Anglo-Saxon invasions) and culture, along with bracing glimpses of centuries-old stone buildings, river banks, and the sea.--Fletcher, Connie Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
[DEBUT] Two years and seven months ago, Commissaire Georges Dupin was reassigned from Paris to Concarneau, Brittany, owing to "certain disputes" with colleagues. Dupin must give up his morning routine of croissant and coffee to travel to the neighboring village of Pont-Aven to investigate the murder of 91-year-old hotelier Pierre-Louis Pennec. It's the height of the tourist season, which adds to the pressure for Dupin to solve the case as quickly as possible. His methods irritate his superiors and mystify his team. Among his suspects are an area politician, a longtime friend of the victim, and a local art historian. When a second death occurs and a painting disappears from Pennec's hotel, Dupin must re-create Pennec's last days in order to uncover the secret long kept by his friends and family. Aiding Dupin in this case is art historian Marie Cassel from the University of Bretagne Occidentale. Verdict In his debut mystery, which was a German best seller, the pseudonymous author brings the charming Breton towns of Concarneau and Pont-Aven to life with his vivid descriptions of the landscape, architecture, and regional food. Dupin has many loner tendencies that do not make him a good team player, but he is likable nonetheless. An excellent choice for readers who enjoy international mysteries as well as for fans of Donna Leon, Louise Penny, and Georges Simenon.-Jean King, West Hempstead P.L., NY © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
