The Body by the Sea: A Brittany Mystery

The suspicious death of Pierre Chaboseau, a cardiologist and general practitioner who takes a fatal fall from a restaurant balcony, drives Bannalec’s intoxicating eighth Brittany mystery (after 2018’s The King Arthur Case). The death occurs in the harbor town of Concarneau over Pentecost weekend when Commissaire Georges Dupin and his wife expect to entertain his in-laws and most of his investigators are away. Despite the skeleton crew, Dupin soon establishes the death was a homicide and begins to look into the victim’s business dealings, particularly those with a pharmacist and a wine merchant. The trio have invested in a several local businesses, including breweries and canneries, and tension has mounted among the partners. The action takes place over two very busy days, which includes an explosion in the harbor, another murder, and Dupin frequently indulging his penchant for sampling food and drink. Bennalec smoothly blends the beauty and charm of the region into the whodunit plot. Readers will be ready to pack their bags and head to Brittany by the end of this one. Agent: Iris Brandt, Verlag Kiepenheuer & Witsch (Germany). (Apr.)