annieb123's Review of Death of a Master Chef (Commissaire Dupin, #9)

by Jean-Luc Bannalec

Commissaire Georges Dupin is certain these first beautiful summer days in June would be perfect for a fun trip to Saint-Malo. In a region known as the culinary heart of Brittany, the paradoxical city is known for being a uniquely Breton, yet un-Breton, place. Their cuisine’s moto is voyages et aventures. Travel and adventure. Dupin would love to explore the internationally renowned cuisine one bite at a time. But to his chagrin, Dupin is there instead to attend a police seminar dedicated to closer collaboration between the Breton départements.

To prepare himself for what’s to come while in Saint-Malo, Dupin wanders through the halls of a local market - stopping to sample its wares as he goes - while admiring its aromatic orchestra. But Dupin’s morning is derailed when there’s a murder at a nearby stall. He quickly realises this case is unlike any he’s worked on before. The police know the victim: Blanche Trouin, a grand chef of the region. They know the perpetrator: Lucille Trouin, Blanche’s sister and fellow successful chef in the area. The two had a well-known and public feud. After a bit of searching, Lucille is even in custody. The only thing they’re missing is the motive. And Lucille refuses to talk.

Saint-Malo doesn’t want any help from the visiting commissaires. Even Dupin’s assistant, Nolwenn, is telling him to stay out of it. But Dupin, along with a few of his Breton colleagues, can’t help but begin an investigation into why a chef killed her sister in the middle of a crowded market.

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Death of a Master Chef is the 9th Brittany mystery by Jean-Luc Bannalec. Released 30th April 2024 by Macmillan on their St. Martin's Press imprint, it's 336 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats. Paperback format due out from the same publisher in Feb, 2025. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout.

This is a very well written destination mystery, absolutely redolent of the Breton coast and full of the food and culture of the area. Commissaire Dupin is at a multi-district police conference when a brutal stabbing death throws his plans to enjoy the sunshine and local cuisine right out the window. The plotting is well controlled and the characterizations are beautifully rendered and believable. It works well enough as a standalone, but readers may struggle a bit to keep the characters straight.

There will be inevitable comparisons with Leon's Brunetti, Walker's Bruno, and Trinchieri's Tuscan mysteries. Although not at all derivative, this series is more than competently written and can stand on its own merits in that company. With 9 books extant in the series and a 10th out in 2nd quarter 2025, it would make an excellent choice for a long binge or buddy read.

Four and a half stars. Quite highly recommended, especially to fans of destination mysteries and procedurals.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Reading updates

23 May, 2024: Started reading

23 May, 2024: Finished reading

23 May, 2024: Reviewed