One of my favorite things in a mystery is a detective told to take a vacation...because the detective never wants to go on vacation and I know mysteries will soon follow. The Granite Coast Murders (book 6 in the series) did not disappoint. Loved the scenery, food, characters and mystery. Well done!

Jean-Luc Bannalec immerses the reader in another Brittany mystery in the Granite Coast Murders. Commissaire Georges Dupin and his girlfriend Claire are on a two week beach vacation with orders for both to relax totally away from work. Then a tourist vanishes and strange events happen in the seaside resort. Dupin is drawn into the cases while Claire enjoys the beach and the superb meals. With help from local villagers and local police Dupin starts to unravel the case. The couple also enjoys the beach and the local sites and restaurants. Excellent cosy for a summer read. Enjoy.

Inspector Dupin is on a forced two-week vacation to the Brittany coast with Claire. But while Claire can happily spend hours on the beach, Dupin is restless and soon becomes drawn in to various mysterious occurrences in the village. When a woman disappears and another woman's body is discovered, Dupin finds himself deep in the case, while trying to prevent Claire from noticing his involvement. But discovering she is secretly fielding calls from her medical practice makes him feel justified in his duplicity.

This is the sixth book in the series, but the first I've read, so I was a little mystified not knowing the back story. I gather Dupin and Claire are not married. It's quite possible to follow along without having read the previous books, but I recommend reading the previous books in the series first. I enjoyed being transported to a different world where consuming large quantities of alcohol and food seem to be the norm.

An excellent mystery with interesting characters. #TheGraniteCoastMurders #NetGalley

This is the 6th book in this series, but the first one I’ve read. I am now wanting to go to the beach in Brittany, France! Dupin and Claire are on a forced two week vacation at he beach, but he is bad at sitting still and finds every excuse to wander about. He hears of several small crimes which he can ignore. But then a woman goes missing and another turns up dead. His detective instincts cannot be ignored, so he quietly begins to investigate but Claire and his supervisor must not find out. He’s a clever chap.

Happy to include this title in the spring Thrills and Chills roundup for Zoomer magazine’s Club Zed book section—my column of the most notable new crime and mystery titles of the season.

I received a digital review copy of "The Granite Coast Murders" by Jean-Luc Bannalec from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley.com and a paperback review copy through Gumshoereview.com. This review first appeared on the Gumshoe website in the June issue and can be read there. In July it will be posted more widely.

Poor Commissaire Dupin , he has promised his wife a vacation, and the bodies keep piling up in the coastal idyll they have chosen. Claire has his solemn promise to relax and enjoy the seaside. I admit Dupin gives it his best , but the locals and the intrigue keep pulling at his resolve. In a way it’s comical and the writing is light considering the number of bodies on the rise. In the end Claire is not match for situation they find at the seaside resort. It’s a part of a series that this reader has put in their todo list.

The Granite Coast Murders combines many felicitous elements, like stunning surroundings, a fish-out-of-water commissaire, and a chère amie determined that Commissaire Dupin fully embrace a fortnight’s vacation at the beach in Brittany. Claire is thwarted by the Trégastel-Plage villagers who are eager to enlist Dupin into solving the myriad mysteries on their doorstep. Dupin seems willing to unwind: is it the phenomenal food, the humor found in the local newspaper, the relaxed hours on the sand, or Doctor Claire Lannoy’s delightful company? But not even his bucolic surroundings can withstand the allure of unsolved crimes.

The air was crystal clear, thanks to the light breeze from the Atlantic. The dominant colors contrasted exquisitely: the shining blue of the sky, the greeny-blue turquoise of the sea, and the pink of the sand and rocks.



It was breathtakingly beautiful. Surreal even.



“La douceur de vivre.” That was the way one felt on carefree, balmy summer days like these, the “gentle sweetness of life.” Or as the locals said, La vie en roz—La vie en rose.



For Georges Dupin it was hell.



They were on vacation. A beach vacation. Nothing could be worse.



“Just lying on the beach” was how Claire had envisioned it. No obligations, no meetings, no work. She had insisted on one stipulation, that they would both promise one thing: that for these few days, they would “under no condition” have anything to do with the commissariat in Concarneau or the clinic in Quimper. No matter what.

Readers will surely put the Pink Granite Coast of Brittany at the top of their post-quarantine bucket list, but Georges had his fingers crossed when he promised Claire he’d take two weeks off. Nolwenn, Dupin’s assistant, won’t take Georges’s calls when he makes the simplest, most innocuous inquiries about the odd goings-on in Trégastel-Plage. First, an historic statue is missing—Monsieur Bellet, the innkeeper, tells Dupin a “statue of Saint Anne was stolen from the Chapelle Sainte-Anne the day before yesterday.” In addition, Bellet reports that the Gustave Effeil House was broken into. Can Georges ignore these occurences in favor of focusing on the superb local cuisine? Consider the tomatoes that make up a first course. Natalie, their waitress, is justifiably proud and boasts to Georges and Claire.

Millefeuille de tomates saveurs d’antan, yellow, green, and red tomatoes. Heritage varieties, a real sensation. “Fresh from our hotel garden. Right around now the coeur de boeuf are at peak flavor.”

They are disturbed when a loud quarrel erupts between a blonde woman and her older husband, although they ignore it while planning a few excursions away from the beach. A little later the unhappy wife storms off. It doesn’t take long for Georges and Claire to become Jovial but can a classic workaholic change his spots?

Vacation is when you hit the break and shift your mind away from work so you can recharge your internal batteries and rejuvenate. For some reason many of us can’t let go of work and give up control.

Guilty as charged would be Dupin’s response, but in his defense, new crimes are mounting up. A local politician is injured when her window is shattered, and she is cut by shards of glass. Was it a deliberate attack? The stormy blonde wife doesn’t return the morning after her tumultuous departure. A body is discovered. The innkeeper, his wife, and Madame Riou, the proprietor of the local newspaper store, persist in inveigling Dupin to get to the bottom of things. It’s not difficult for the villagers to pull him aside because Dupin frequently escapes the beach—to get soft drinks, wine, newspapers, food, and anything else he can think of to break up the monotony.

Readers familiar with Jean-Luc Bannalec’s Brittany mysteries will know when Georges Dupin throws caution to the wind and embraces the task at hand—a new notebook is the tell-tale sign.

Out of habit Dupin had almost bought himself a little red Clairefontaine notebook and a couple of Bic pens to go with it, his classic equipment for all his cases. He hadn’t just been using the notebooks since—like his father before him—he began working for the police in Paris, but since his childhood. What nobody knew was that it had been his father who had bought him his first Clairefontaine. Dupin had used it to imagine whole crime cases. Fantasies which for him took the shape of reality and captured his attention for weeks at a time. Right now it was only at the last minute that he put the red notebook back on the shelf and bough an inconspicuous blue one. Claire of course knew that red notebooks meant work.

Doubtless Claire is too smart to think that a new Clairefontaine notebook means anything but that Georges is on the hunt. It’s a bit of a chef’s kiss to learn that the good doctor is also having a difficult time ignoring questions from her hospital colleagues. What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander? For Georges and Claire, a mystery plus a vacation is like a Busman’s Honeymoon. And what would a romantic vacation, interwoven with some very mysterious goings-on, be without a touch of humor? Georges amuses himself daily with the local paper’s saucy “Are You a Breton?” quiz.

You know you’re a Breton if you turn up late and used one of the following excuses:



I came on the tractor



I was attacked by seagulls



I injured both hands on a sardine can



My favorite pig died.

This was my first encounter with the persistent and clever Commissaire Dupin: luckily, there’s a backlist to enjoy while I look forward to the seventh Brittany mystery.

Commissaire Georges Dupin and his partner, Claire head for the beach for a relaxing vacation. The only problem is, Dupin doesn’t really enjoy the beach (too much sand), or relaxing. He wants a job to do, and he finds one when a woman disappears, then murdered bodies start to show up. Hiding his involvement from Claire and his assistant, both of whom think a vacation is medically advised, Dupin explores the area of the Granite Coast, just not as a tourist, but as an investigator!

This was a fun read, and my first Dupin mystery. I look forward to catching up on the back catalog!

This book starts out great but there is very little forward action and lots and lots of talk with the plot going nowhere. The scenery and food is fantastic, but the rest is not.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Minotaur Books for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review “The Granite Coast Murders” by Jean-Luc Bannalec. All opinions are my own.

Commissaire Georges Dupin turns a vacation on the Cote de Granit Rose into a secret murder investigation in this, his sixth outing. He’s there with his girlfriend, Claire -- who’s forbid him to do anything except relax. He’s hating it. The enforced idleness isn’t for him. He’s been told about an unsolved murder, and some current burglaries. A policeman can never get away from these things. Then a fellow guest at the hotel goes missing, and we’re off, on a case that will task all of the Commissaire’s abilities, as he has to do his sleuthing while hiding everything from Claire.

Around all this we’re shown the local scenery, a fairy-tale valley, pink rocks on the beach and in the sea, of every shade imaginable. Brittany is an amazing place, and our author delights in describing it, as he has in every book in the series. And of course, there’s the food. We get menus.

Once again, it’s the characters that bring our tale to life: the hotel owners, the newspaper store proprietor, the hairdresser, the local police. Dupin mentions their individuality himself, but readers (touch finger to nose) already know, as our author has brought them to life.

Another element in every book – environmental issues. No lack of those either, as you will see.

And stories. Besides the food, and the scenery, and the characters, we get the stories of the region, beautifully presented. You can read these books for all that, never mind the mystery inside. Speaking of that investigation – it all comes together in a walk through a magical forest, beautifully described.

In a satisfactory fashion, Jean-Luc Bannalec ensures that Dupin can now enjoy the rest of his vacation. It’s all good, in “The Granite Coast Murders.”

French food, fabulous Brittany coastline, and fortuitous detecting!

Well a lucky happenstance had me wandering into the world of Commissaire Georges Dupin! Forced to take holidays, Dupin and his girlfriend, chief cardiologist Claire Lannoy, travel to the Côte de Granit Rose on the coast of northern Brittany. This is supposedly purely a holiday—no work. A sentence to madness and more for Dupin. Working is not to be entertained, so imagine workaholic Dupin’s glee when he finds himself smack bang in the middle of a murder, a disappearance, possible illegal mining and more.
It’s wonderful to watch Dupin investigating without letting Claire know—and the local law enforcement who jealousy guard their provenance.
The food descriptions are sensational. My mouth was watering.
I loved the concentrated focus of Dupin’s train of thought, with leaps of inutuition, complimented by seasoned understanding.
I especially was struck by the geographical description of this part of the world—rose granite formations that could become maze like, threatening at times. Sounds fabulous!
A super enjoyable mystery!

A St. Martin's Press ARC via NetGalley
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

On the orders of his doctor and his girlfriend Claire, Commissaire Georges Dupin is forced to take a vacation. Time in Brittany offers everything that he hates - the sand, the lotion, wearing sun hats and especially being idle. When Bellet, the hotel’s owner, comes to him with news of several incidents that have recently occurred and asks if he will investigate them he sees a way to make his vacation more interesting. The only problem is that he can not let Claire find out. A break-in at the abandoned Gustave Eiffel House, the theft of a religious statue and an official injured by a thrown rock may not seem like major crimes, but they present a challenge. When he and Claire witness a fight between a married couple at dinner, the wife walks out and promptly disappears. A woman’s body is later found in a nearby quarry. While it is not the missing wife, Dupin believes that it is tied to what has been happening but he is out of his jurisdiction and can not depend on his associates to help. He also has Commissaire Desespringalle warning him to stay away from his investigation.

The village of Tregastel is small and secrets are difficult to keep. Although Dupin protests that he is on vacation, his trips to the newspaper store offers him a chance to speak to Madame Riou, the owner, and trips to the hairdresser also offer a chance to confer with the barber, who is the uncle of one of the investigating officers. Then there is always Bellet, who is happy to pass on everything that he hears. Dupin notes everything in his ever present Clairefontaine notebook. He knows that somewhere in these notes is the answer. He is running out of excuses for his absence on the beach with Claire, putting him under pressure to discover a solution.

Jean-Luc Bannalec takes you on a tour of the Granite Coast with descriptions of the beautiful pink stone formations. Dupin’s daily paper includes an “Are You a. Breton” quiz that gives a brief look at the people and culture of the area. While travel has been severely restricted, this is an armchair trip to France that allows you to imagine the sights and foods while being entertained with a mystery and a wonderful cast of characters. I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin Press for providing this book for my review.

A solid well developed mystery set in Brittany, France. “The Granite Coast Murders” is the sixth in the Brittany Mystery Series featuring Commissaire Georges Dupin and his girlfriend, chief cardiologist Claire Lannoy. Both of them have been seriously overworked and Claire's answer to this situation is a beach vacation along the pink granite coast in Brittany. Absolutely no work allowed. Well, of course several murders take place and Commissaire Dupin gets pulled into the murder inquiry. This is a wonderful series if you love travel and food. The descriptions make you want to book a flight immediately, or at least add the granite coast to your travel wish lists. This book can be read as a stand alone but I highly recommend the entire series.

Dupin and Clare are on vacation in Brittany, She's happily enjoying the time off (she's a cardiologist) but he's bored stiff. So it's to be expected that he's intrigued by a series of petty crimes in the area but even better- an unsolved murder. And he really gets going when another guest at the hotel disappears and a body is found. Of course he's going to investigate, even if he had to find ways to hide it from Clare. And his bosses. And others. I'd not read the earlier books in this series but that didn't stop me from enjoying this greatly. It's charm lies in not only the characters but the atmospherics- the food. the sea, the village. There are also some frankly funny lines. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'll bet Bannalec's fans will be very happy with this one- I know I was.

In Jean-Luc Bannalec's "Brittany" mystery series starring Commissaire Georges Dupin, decisions on what to eat and drink from the local cuisine's mouthwatering delicacies have equal weight with the murder investigation. That is the case once more in "The Granite Coast Murders" which takes Dupin and his girlfriend, chief cardiologist Claire Lannoy, to the Rose Coast for a badly needed two week beach vacation.

To say that Dupin misses work would be an extreme understatement, but he soon has a series of puzzles to explore, including recent and cold case murders. The Commissaire solves them all (though he takes no credit for it) and ends up enjoying his vacation tremendously ... La vie en rose!

In this, the 6th of the series, George Dupin has been forced into a two week vacation by his girlfriend, Claire along with his doctor and his police partner. They all say it's for his own good - he hates to idle and they are certain it is bad for his health. So Claire sets up a two week vacation .....on the Granite Coast (can you say pink beaches?) and lying in the sun on a beach. Beach, sun, sand, gorgeous scenery and lots of good food - it's going to drive poor Dupin crazy. Well, he may be on vacation but he is, after all, a policeman and in his case, he's a crime magnet. As soon as they arrive at their idilic getaway, crime joins them. From small crimes to missing person and murder, it's now becoming Dupin's kind of vacation, one that will keep him occupied and away from a blanket on the pink sand beach baking in the sun. He may be investigating unofficially but he will find the answers.
If you have never read any of this series, this works very well as a stand alone. From page one I felt Dupin's frustration on that pink beach. Yes, it's pretty but I'm like Dupin, I want to be doing something more interesting with my spare time. Following him one day at a time as the crimes present themselves makes for a wonderful read. The puzzles are perfect and the visions of the local cuisine had me drooling. In these times of pandemic it's well crafted books like The Granite Coast Murders that bring a whole new meaning to armchair travel. Dupin makes for a great vacation companion.
My thanks to the publisher, Minotaur and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Claire and Dupin are on vacation on the beach for two weeks. Nolwenn has informed Dupin that he is not to do any police work! Nolwenn has also booked them in an Inn she stayed in with a friendly However, Dupin is not one to lie on the beach. They are staying in the Inn recommended by Nolwenn, with a friendly innkeeper, Bellet. However, Dupin is not one to lie on the beach and he soon finds much more interesting things to keep him busy. A statue is stolen from a nearby church. Then a rock is thrown through the window of a deputy, injuring her. A woman in the hotel has an argument with her husband, walks out, and isn't seen again. There is a murdered woman in found in the Quarry, and then a dead taxi driver is found near the Quarry. Just to keep things moving, the owner of the Quarry has been extending it without permission and somehow has a permit to build a house where no buildings are allowed.

Thus, Dupin has lots of crimes to keep busy with. He realizes that Claire is also taking calls from her clinic and even talks someone through an operation. Bellet keeps Dupin informed, and points him to the newspaper woman and the hairdresser to get more gossip. When he has finally solved things at the end, he tells the local Commissioner and lets him get the credit. All this takes place in beautiful scenery. I think this is the best book of the series.

Jean-Luc Bannalec first book A Death in Brittany, hooked me. As an avid mystery reader, I came for the great plot, the clues, feeling like part of the investigations, sorting through all the clues to figure out what is relevant to the case. You fall in love with Dupin and his team, them you fall for Brittany. Another character in the book, the setting and daily life of the Bretons, sweeps you away. You become part of the rhythm, the ocean calls to your heart, the food makes your stomache rumble and you begin planning a trip to visit.

The Granite Coast Murders is book six in the series. I recommend reading them in order if you can to follow the character development, but it is not necessary. In the latest mystery, Dupin and his girlfriend, Claire, are on a two week vacation in a sleepy village. The locals have read about Dupin's cases in the paper and admire him. Everywhere he goes they tell him of the small crimes happening in the area and of the cold case in which a woman was murdered at the granite quarry. Claire and Dupin's doctor have ordered strict rest for two weeks, but when a woman staying at the same inn goes missing and a local politician is attacked. Dupin and the towns folks can't help but talk over the clues. While investigating on the down low can Dupin solve the case before their is a miscarriage of justice.

The Granite Coast Murders by Jean-Luc Bannalec

Commissaries Dupin returns to investigate a murder at a gorgeous Brittany Beach resort while on vacation.

Although this book had much information in it and many murders to solve, I found the written words to be very dry. Not too much emotion was displayed either.

Thank you Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy for review.