THE GRANITE COAST MURDERS

Unsolved crimes and a restless policeman turn out to be excellent holiday companions in Brittany.

Commissaire Georges Dupin is on vacation. His doctor has ordered it. His girlfriend, Claire, has arranged it. Most important, his assistant, Nolwenn, is enforcing it. Two weeks of rest on the beach, that’s it. No phone calls about any dastardly deeds back in the gendarmerie in Concarneau. Inspectors Riwal and Kadeg have been instructed to answer his calls by regaling him with tales from Breton folklore. So of course Dupin’s going absolutely crazy. Despite the spectacular scenery of the Rose Coast, with towering cliffs of pink granite cascading down to a turquoise sea, despite its quaint inns with beautiful vistas, despite delicious meals each night on the spacious terrace of his hotel, he’s bored silly. Fortunately, it amuses Rosmin Bellet, proprietor of L’Île Rose, to regale his restless guest with tales of local outrages. The statue of the patron saint has been stolen from Chapelle Sainte-Ann. Someone has broken into the Gustave Eiffel House, once owned by the famous tower’s architect. A stone thrown through her window injures Deputy Viviane Rabier. Soon Dupin is sneaking out like a guilty lover to Tabac-Presse, where owner Élodie Riou fills him in on the latest gossip. Wealthy quarry owner Jérome Chastagner is suspected of financial fiddles. So is Mme. Rabier’s sworn enemy, Hugues Ellec. Then Gilbert Durand’s flighty young wife, Alizée, disappears after dinner. Vacation is soon every bit as exciting as work for Dupin, who attacks this smorgasbord of malfeasance with gusto.

Between the food, the scenery, and the felonies, what’s not to like?