THE BODY BY THE SEA

4 stars out of 5

A police procedural with relatable characters, an intriguing plot and a far-away setting that sounds like a wonderful place to visit (if only through someone else's eyes)? In my book, it doesn't get much better. The star of this show is French Commissaire Georges Dupin, who lives in Brittany. And for the first time in the series, his home turf is the setting for some very nasty goings-on.

This is the eighth in a series, of which I've previously read only one; I assure other readers, though, that this stands alone well (although I do feel it was an advantage to be at least somewhat familiar with the characters). At any rate, it's Pentecost season, and most of Dupin's cohorts are on vacation - even he, a workaholic, is taking things a bit easier than usual. Then, it all takes a nosedive; well, more accurately, a town big-wig, a doctor, takes a dive off the balcony of his residence - and not by accident. 

Turns out the good doctor and two also big-wig friends are business partners in several ventures, and in the midst of an investigation that seems to be going nowhere, one of them is the scene of a big explosion that quite likely also wasn't an accident. One by one, Dupin's treasured and relied-upon team members return to work (all of them are workoholics just like their boss). In the midst of all this, Dupin's lady love, Claire, was hoping he'd be around for the weekend because her parents are coming for a visit. Having to be on the job makes Dupin quite certain they won't be happy - and Claire's mother has never been all that fond of him anyway. Then comes yet another murder, and an intriguing twist: What's happening now bears an uncanny resemblance to events from a book a local author wrote many years earlier. 

As always, readers are treated to enticing descriptions of Brittany, its people and it's places as well as plain old good sleuthing by Dupin and his colleagues. Very enjoyable, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

The Body by the Sea by Jean-Luc Bannalec (Minotaur Books, April 2023); 298 pp.