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. Commisaire 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.
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