This title is one of six in a mystery series set in Brittany. The detective, Inspector Dupin, has been sent there from Paris. He is not thrilled. In this case, someone close to Dupin is murdered. Lilou was investigating something to do with the salt marshes that provide the well known fleur de sel. What did she discover? Why did she die? How will Dupin and his team manage to work with Inspector Rose on this case? (I wonder if she will be a recurring character.) Read this title to find out and along the way, get to know Dupin. Readers may well want to follow all of his adventures.

A note: This book series has been made into a TV one called Inspector Dupin. It is available on the MHZ streaming service.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

The third in the series about Commissar Dupin, who is away from his precinct looking into something for a journalist friend. Interesting, but not my favorite book in the series. Learned a lot about salt and the competitive market. Would recommend if you are following the series.

Good read, Likable main character. The artisan salt industry was an interesting context. The mystery itself was a little weak.

Mystery
Adult
This is the third translated book in the Brittany mystery series featuring our cranky Commissaire Georges Dupin, exiled to Brittany from Paris some five years ago now. This time Dupin is looking forward to a relaxing weekend when he swings by a salt marsh to look for some mysterious blue barrels, acting on a tip from a reporter named Lilou Breval. Technically he is outside his jurisdiction, but it’s a good chance to get out of the office. As he is walking through the marsh, someone starts shooting at him. The shooter gets away, and the reporter Breval is missing. Before long, of course, a body turns up. Dupin gets permission to work the case, but only with local Commissaire Sylvaine Rose, a woman whose investigative methods both match and rival Dupin’s. As with all the books in the series, the setting is vital to the story. We learn all about the sea salt industry in this gorgeous landscape as Dupin and Rose navigate a fragile trust as they try to identify the killer. Suspects, secrets, and lies abound and alibis are shaky indeed! Translated once again by Sorcha McDonagh, this mystery puts a greater focus on Dupin and Rose than the other characters we’ve grown to know – Dupin’s supremely competent assistant Nolwenn, his detectives Riwal and Kadeg, the hated Prefect, and girlfriend Claire all appear but only briefly. Dupin seems less cranky than usual, despite losing out on several chances to enjoy a lamb and fig terrine; I rather miss the grouchiness! I expect we’ll see the highly capable Rose again; she provides a perfect foil for Dupin’s solitary approach to investigation as he finds her more intriguing than irritating. As always, this is a travel book as much as it is a mystery, with Bannalec’s writing creating images and scents that bring the Breton landscape to life. The mystery itself is not as riveting as the first two, so I’d recommend starting the series in order rather than picking this as the first. My thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the advance reading copy provided through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
More discussion and reviews of this novel: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36543032

Thank Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.
I found this book very descriptive and I learned a lot about different kind of salts and Brittany. Lovely French mystery, good plot, good characters.

I am always open to reading quirky books. Don’t get me wrong, I love traditional story telling with traditional themes and relatable stories but I also tend to gravitate toward strange or unusual books that are off the beaten path.

Sometimes that works out and other times it doesn’t. It’s 50/50 for me….either weird works or it doesn’t. This mystery series sounded quirky. I debated about reviewing it but ultimately decided on picking it up.

How does one make the ‘sea salt industry’ look glamorous and intriguing to the average reader? Even with a mystery? I was up for the challenge and dug right in.

The old salt farmers have always said that the violet scent of the Fleur de Sel at harvest time on the salt marshes of the Guérande Peninsula has been known to cause hallucinations. Commissaire Dupin also starts to believe this when he’s attacked out of the blue in the salt works.

He had actually been looking forward to escaping his endless paperwork and taking a trip to the “white country” between the raging Atlantic Ocean and idyllic rivers. But when he starts snooping around mysterious barrels on behalf of Lilou Breval, a journalist friend, he finds himself unexpectedly under attack. The offender remains a mystery, and a short time later, Breval disappears without a trace. It is thanks to his secretary Nolwenn and the ambition of the prefect that Dupin is assigned to the case. But he won’t be working alone because Sylvaine Rose is the investigator responsible for the department—and she lives up to her name…

What’s going on in the salt works? Dupin and Rose search feverishly for clues and stumble upon false alibis, massive conflicts of interest, personal feuds—and ancient Breton legends (summary from Goodreads).

This book is the third in the series (there are 6 books so far) and while it is part of a series, I thought it read perfectly well as a standalone. I didn’t feel terribly lost or confused as the focus was on the mystery rather than the larger storyline. I liked that this book was set in a completely random place. So many mysteries are set in familiar areas like London or Paris with the occasional book set in quaint country towns. This location made the story for me. I loved that it was set in the salt region of France, someplace that I know nothing about but now thanks to this story I have gotten a proper education. I really loved that aspect of the story and for me that’s what made it quirky—the location and topic.

The other part that was surprisingly interesting was the Bretons culture and history. The author did go into a lot of detail about the Bretons and the salt farming industry. While I enjoyed it, I don’t know that other readers will. There was a lot of detail and while interesting, I don’t know that it was really all that necessary. I mean the author writes with authority and authenticity but for the average reader just wanting to read a mystery novel and focus on that—those parts might be a little tedious.

I really liked the two main characters—Commissaire Dupin and Commissaire Rose. They were each individually enjoyable but also worked well together. I loved how they interacted and worked together to solve the mystery. The mystery itself had a lot of action to keep it moving forward. Once you get past all the Breton and salt farming sections, things pick up rather nicely.

I started reading this book and got distracted by another read….while I might have gotten distracted from this one, that’s not to say it was boring. As soon as I was done with the other book, I went right back to this one and finished it very quickly! I spent a day aggressively reading it and finished by the end of the day.

The cover art needs a facelift. For a book that has such a unique topic, I think the cover art isn’t doing enough to sell it. It’s a great read with a unique setting that I think should be capitalized on with the cover. The boat and house on the over were confusing and the font took over the cover. I think it needs some tweaking to capture the eye of new readers.

Challenge/Book Summary:

Book: The Fleur de Sel Murders: A Brittany Mystery (Kommissar Dupin #3) by Jean-Luc Bannalec

Kindle Edition, 304 pages
Published April 24th 2018 by Minotaur Books (first published 2014)
ASINB0763SG7QG
Review copy provided by: Publisher/author in exchange for an honest review
This book counts toward: NA

Hosted by: NA
Books for Challenge Completed: NA
Recommendation: 3.5 out of 5

Genre: mystery, crime

Memorable lines/quotes:

Thanks St. Martin's Press and netgalley for this ARC.

If I could read in French then I would to get to this books faster than they can be translated. This series is the epitome of what a great mystery series should be.

When Commissaire Georges Dupin followed up on a tip to look for blue plastic barrels in the salt marshes, he was really just using it as an excuse to get out of the office. He'd just spent five weeks buried in paperwork, and even though the marshes weren't in his jurisdiction, they were close to a restaurant he remembered fondly. Very fondly. And he didn't really expect to find anything. 

But then he got shot at. 

After hours of lying quietly on the floor of a small hut and desperately trying to get service on his cell phone, Dupin finally gets through to someone to call the local police for him. And then the real investigation begins. 

The salt farms are in the White Land, the part of Brittany where fleur de sel comes from, and when Dupin and the local Commissaire, Sylvaine Rose, realize what the blue barrels could mean, the investigation intensifies. They're food-grade plastic, so they could be used to smuggle things. They could be used to hide evidence of a crime. Or they could hold every day, ordinary drinking water, water that when added to the salt marshes could potentially sabotage the salt enough for a farmer to lose an entire harvest.

Dupin's tipster friend, a journalist, didn't give him any information about what the barrels were being used for, and his efforts to get in touch with her fail. It doesn't take long for him to find out why--she'd been killed. Commissaires Dupin and Rose try to figure out what is really going on in the in the salt marshes, to solve the crime, to catch the killer, and to protect the fleur de sel industry. 

The Fleur de Sel Murders is the third in Jean-Luc Bannalec's Brittany Mystery series, and I don't feel like I can recommend this book until you understand a couple of things about it. First, the way Bannalec uses descriptive language makes you want to catch the next international flight and find out for yourself if the harvested salt really does smell like violets or if the colors really do get brighter as you get closer to those sea breezes from the Atlantic Ocean. The way he talks about the food, the way he talks about the Brittany coast, the flowers, the seafood, the people--you will find yourself longing to (if you're like me and have not yet been to France) go home to a place you've never been before. 

The second thing you need to realize is that you will learn more about salt than you ever realized was possible. You might start giving your boring old table salt sideways glances, wondering about the magic of the genuine fleur de sels from Brittany. You might bore your friends with your information. You might find yourself spending more money on salt than you ever expected to. And you might find out that food really does taste better with the right seasoning. 

And if you decide to take this journey to Brittany, you'll have read a magnificent police procedural set in a truly magical place, written by a man who can paint a stunning landscape with his words. It's the perfect vacation for anyone who can't afford that French vacation. Yet. 



Galleys for The Fleur de Sel Murders were provided by St. Martin's Press through NetGalley, with many thanks.

THE FLEUR DE SEL MURDERS by Jean-Luc Bannalec
The Third Brittany Mystery

On a vague tip from trusted journalist Lilou Breval, Commissaire Georges Dupin decides to break a few rules and take a peek at the salt marshes, not believing he'll find anything. Enjoying the beautiful place he sees nothing amiss, until someone starts shooting at him! Wounded and unable to make contact with Lilou, Commissaire Dupin is determined to work the case, even though it's out of his jurisdiction. Now he, along with Commissaire Sylvaine Rose and her local team will sift through the salt marshes to discover the truth behind the blue barrels.

Jean-Luc Bannalec captures the essence of Brittany with his vivid descriptions, from the succulent food (My mouth is watering for a tartine with brie, walnuts, and grape mustard!), the myths and fables, the gorgeous landscape, even the scents. I want to visit the salt marshes to smell the violet fragrance of the salt!

THE FLEUR DE SEL MURDERS has a slow, steady, and methodical pace. It's not a light, easy read. The narrative needs to be savored and readers need to pay attention to appreciate the complex story and exquisite details given. I liked the characters, and wish I had my own Nolwenn! I enjoyed the different approaches of both Commissaire Dupin and Commissaire Rose as they begrudgingly work as a team, each with an honest respect for the other, but each used to doing things his/her own way! But it's the charming details that really heighten the appeal of the mystery, the gifts that Georges chooses for Claire, Riwal's stories, and the kangaroo!

THE FLEUR DE SEL MURDERS is a police procedural that traditional mystery fans will embrace.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of The Fleurs de Sel Murders by Jean-Luc Bannalec in exchange for an honest review. I had no idea what was involved in having sea salt in my kitchen. The book was worth it just for the information gained about the process of harvesting sea salt and fleur de sel ( the superior grade of sea salt). Hard work and Mother Nature make this a tenuous crop. This novel is situated in Brittany, on the Atlantic side of France, also known as the white land because of the salt harvest. Commissaire Dupin is outside of his jurisdiction when he in investigates suspicious barrels in the salt marshes. His help has been requested by his journalist friend, Lilou Reval.. While verifying her information, he is shot and locked in one of the salt sheds. He is rescued by Commissaire Rose, whose jurisdiction he is in. The two join forces to investigate the goings-on in the salt marshes and are lead to murder, mayhem and the politics of sea salt. It was an enjoyable read and readers will feel like they are in Brittany. The lyrical prose gives us a sense of being there and isn't that the reason we read.

4 solid stars
If you have ever eaten anything labeled "with sea salt" and wanted to know how it is harvested, then this murder mystery is for you. Georges Dupin, Commissaire from the Commissariat de Police Concarneau, Brittany, France, has gone to the salt marshes on Brittany's Atlantic coast to check out a rumor about mysterious blue barrels. Lilou Breval, a reporter friend who has done him some favors in the past, believes "something very fishy" is going on. He is walking on a very narrow path between salt ponds when someone starts shooting at him. He manages to get inside a wooden hut used by the paludiers(salt gatherers). He has been shot once and the shooter traps him inside the hut by wedging the door shut. He is rescued by the local police, who are very annoyed by his investigating out of his jurisdiction, without telling them.. This location is part of the Departement Loire-Atlantique and Commissaire Sylvaine Rose demands to know what he is doing there.
This is the beginning of a joint investigation by the 2 Commissaires, who work well together, despite some initial mistrust from both sides. A Police Commissaire in France appears to be the US equivalent of a detective lieutenant, with several detectives under his/her supervision. They do solve the case, but not before 2 people die. I liked the plot and the characters. The killer was not revealed until the end along with the motive.
I learned a great deal about harvesting salt. "Fleur de Sel" flower of salt, is a protected designation in France and only a handful of salt marshes can claim this name, said to be among the finest in the world.
According to the Goodreads author bio, the author was born in Brest, Brittany, of a Breton father and a Rhineland,Germany mother. This book was translated from German and the translation was excellent.
Some quotes: Dupin, describing Rose "In these kinds of conclusions, Rose's mind was razor sharp, always moving forward, pushing for specific scenarios."
Dupin on coffee "It had been researched and proven countless times: coffee stimulated the metabolism in the brain, the brain's concentration, attention span and memory capacity were significantly improved, the signs of fatigue eliminated. The scientific truth was this: caffeine was simply a miracle substance."
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sending me this e ARC.

4+ stars
This is the third story featuring French Commissaire Georges Dupin in the Brittany Mystery Series. What I enjoy so much about this series is that Brittany is a character and has a presence in this series, not just a location. I picked this story up as I enjoyed the first 2 mysteries in this series.
I found this one just as enjoyable. The story centers around the sea salt gardens that are used to harvest natural salt. I never imagined there was so much background around this industry and the complexities of producing.
The story starts out with Dupin responding to an urgent request of a reporter friend to check out the salt marshes in Brittany for suspicious blue barrels. While taking a look around the marshes, Dupin is shot at and trapped in a hut by unknown persons. He gets rescued by the local police who are not pleased with his encroaching on their territory. The shooting precipitates an investigation and the local Department Loire-Atlantique ends up partnering with George Dupin’s Commissaires. This introduces Commissaire Sylvaine Rose who represents the local police.
The story is a slow and steady. Enjoyed the development of the relationship between Sylvaine and Dupine. He grows to respect her traits as a Commissaire and her razor focus on finding the truth. The mystery is a pleasant surprise. Enough twists and turns interwoven into the history of salt production and the background of Brittany’s various landscapes.
Thank you NetGalley and publisher, St Martin’s Press, for the opportunity to read this ARC.

The Fleur de Sel Murders: A Brittany Mystery by Jean-Luc Bannalec is not the first book in the series but can easily be read as a stand alone novel.

I really enjoyed the Fleur de Sel Murders. While it is a slower pace than many mystery novels, the writing is well done and the story is really interesting. I have never been to Brittany and I love the descriptions of it. I feel like I am right there.

I basically knew nothing about salt (sel) before this book. The reader learns all about the fleur de sel which is only harvested in the Brittany region of France. And all about salt ponds. They remind me of the cranberry fields here at home in BC.

Fascinating and clever mystery story! You will enjoy The Fleur del Sel Murders!

Different, but delightful! That's my reaction after reading this, the third book in a series featuring French Commissaire Georges Dupin (Brittany Mystery Series). Although I have not read the other two, this one sounded so intriguing that I requested, and was approved for, an advance review copy from the publisher via NetGalley. And it turned out to be an excellent choice - a wonderful change of pace, in many ways, from my usual fare of police/detective/murder mysteries.

Make no mistake, though - it's in the same genre - but somehow the setting in the salt gardens near the Medieval town of Guerande gave it a more mondain (a.k.a., worldly) air. As the story begins, Dupin has come to the salt ponds at the request of his friend, journalist Lilou Breval. He is, she told him, to look for blue plastic barrels amid the ponds and small farmers' huts that dot the surroundings. As he pokes around in the surroundings that are totally unfamiliar to him, mon dieu! Bullets begins to fly in his direction, one of which hits its mark.

Not seriously wounded, Dupin begins his getaway, but suddenly the local police show up - most notably in the person of investigator Sylvaine Rose, who isn't happy to find an officer from another department trespassing on her territory. But then, with the unexplained disappearance of Dupin's friend Lilou, comes an uneasy truce; the two investigators and their teams are ordered to work together to find out who shot at Dupin and why and what has happened to Lilou.

When the latter investigation doesn't end well, sacre bleu! The situation goes from bad to worse - leading to all sorts of questions about interactions among the owners of the various salt ponds and what's really going on. In between it's fun to watch the often reluctant interactions between Dupin and Rose and learn more about salt than I ever imagined possible. All told, a very enjoyable experience.

I had no idea there was so much to learn about sea salt or any kind of salt for that matter. Commissaire Dupin is about to find out just how confusing it makes his current murder investigation. It starts out innocent enough when he is asked by a journalist friend if he would go to the salt farms and investigate some blue plastic barrels. He knows it will be more than a favor to a friend when he finds himself diving for cover when the bullets start flying ...aimed entirely at him. Escaping with a flesh wound to his left shoulder, he is now focused on why somebody would be shooting at him. He is the kind of lone wolf detective with a past, as they say, having been sent from his posting in Paris to a strange new world which is why he is in Brittany. He is all set to solve one mystery on his own only to find himself paired up with an intriguing the female Commissaire Rose. She has her way and he has his and they have to work together, especially when the journalist turns up drowned in the Atlantic. Will there be more?
The pace of this mystery is slow, as it should be. Dupin isn't in Paris anymore, this is a region that moves at a slower pace and Dupin has much to learn. As an example, there are no chapters - the story is set up as first day, second day, third day. Dupin likes regular meals, lots of coffee, that sort of thing and not having it lends some humor to the mix. Add to that a setting that is a character in and of itself, much like Venice is for the Donna Leon series and I was ready to pack my bags and hop a plane to Brittany. A very satisfying mystery, I know I will be reading the rest of the series.

A murder mystery in Brittany? Oh yes, please! Gimme!!!!

One of the things I truly enjoyed with Fleur de Sel Murders are the descriptions. I felt I was truly in Brittany and I learned a huge amount of information about salt! Who knew?! If you don't like a very descriptive book, then you may want to pass on this but if you love heavy descriptions (along with MURDER!), pick this up without hesitation!

The murder mystery was well done and kept me guessing. The intrigue was done quite well!

The characters were fairly likable and well created.

**I received a review copy via NetGalley from the publisher**

Commisaire Dupin is a man of precise habits. He wants to eat at familiar places, have familiar foods and be able to take walks when he is trying to solve a particularly difficult puzzle. He is a police officer with great skill. His assignment to Brittany has been filled with ups and downs for him. He is a man of Paris so the learning curve has been filled with one step forward and one step back.

The Breton country is beautiful. The people are not always easy to understand. The local legends are absolutely unintelligible.

In this book, we learn a great deal about salt. There is an important industry based on extracting salt from the sea. The Breton coast line provides the perfect access to the water and the salt. The people are strong and willing to sacrifice for what they consider to be their calling.

This story is part of a series but it does work as a stand alone read. I have read the first book in this series but I believe any reader would be able to follow this story easily. Relationships and past events are explained fully.

The Commisaire is on a quick trip to investigate a tip from a reporter who is a friend. While he is walking through the salt marshes, someone shoots at him and wounds him. From this incident the hunt is on. The French police do not take lightly to an attack on an officer.

Jean-Luc Bannalec is a very talented author. I have been immersed in France and the thoughts and personalities of French police. It has been a wonderful journey.

Dupin and his staff are a group of varied talents and skills. Together they create a well developed investigation team. Dupin is the leader, but he is wise enough to recognize and use his staff to provide the information needed to move forward in this case and every case.

Dupin finds himself working along side Commisaire Rose who is a woman on a mission to prove that she is equal to any problem that may arise. She has her own staff of talented officers. The two staffs become absolutely paramount to solving the case.

The characters are wonderful. The plot is interesting. But, I was disappointed in too much detail, too many facts and too many descriptions.

I love the writing. It transports the reader to a certain time and place. But, there were parts of this story which felt as though I was being weighed down by too many words.

There is action, but it came in fits and starts for me.

Dupin is a wonderfully complicated character. He is charming when he chooses. But, generally he is so involved in the case, that it does not occur to him to be anything but abrupt. One could say he develops tunnel vision.

I enjoyed this book. I have enjoyed reading about Dupin's ability to solve puzzles. Yet, at times, I wanted to simply move along in the plot. And it is a really well developed plot.

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are my own.

The Fleur de Sel Murders opens with Commissaire George Dupin driving outside of his jurisdiction to the White Land of Brittany where salt is traditionally farmed to investigate a cryptic tip given by a journalist friend. Before he can investigate, however, Dupin is ambushed and injured by gunfire. Shortly thereafter, his journalist friend goes missing. To add complexity, Dupin must share jurisdiction with the local authority, including the Commissaire Sylvaine Rose, as they investigate who shot at Dupin, what happened to the journalist, and what is occurring in the unique environment of the salt marshes between the independent farmers, the co-operative, and big business.

What makes Fleur de Sel stand out beyond its beautiful descriptions of Brittany and the peak into the world of salt farming, is the characters. Dupin is almost quirky in the way he repeatedly responds to evidence in a subconscious way, writing vague notes in his notebook. Pairing him with the ultra-efficient, ambitious, and bluntly commanding Rose creates an interesting tension that holds the reader’s attention. Overall, Fleur proves an entertaining read.

This was a tough book to finish for me... I chose to read it because of the foreign setting, hoping it would take me back to one of my favorite French locations: Brittany.

The descriptions were lengthier than necessary, and the characters were difficult to relate to. The chapters were long, and felt unbalanced, plus it took a while for the mystery to get going and stay on track.

Maybe some of the story got lost in translation, but this book just felt out of sync to me. Perhaps the fault is mine...

**Netgalley copy provided for review**

I was unfamiliar with the Brittany Mysteries by Jean-Luc Bannalec until I read The Fleur de Sel Murders. I am glad I discovered the series and had a lot of fun reading this installment. Interesting descriptions of salt production in Brittany.. But I felt the minutiae of salt production, detracted from the story line. The character motivations seemed, at times, forced. Perhaps I to start with the earlier books to fully understand the characters and the setting. Very enjoyable story though!