A delightful and atmospheric mystery that, while the latest in a series, I enjoyed as.a standalone. Commaissaire Georges Dupain thought it would be a quiet time and given that the police station is undergoing renovations, that it would be fine for his team to take leave, And, he's got his prospective in-laws coming to town. Except that a physician ends up dead and then there's more bad things. The doctor's death was not accidental and neither is the death of his business partner. What's going on? Well, turns out there are parallels to The Yellow Dog by Georges Simeon (don't worry- you needn't have read it although I now plan to). Dupin is a thoughtful detective but he also enjoys the delights of Brittany. The mystery is just twisty enough to engage but not too trope-y. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read and now I'm looking forward to the next one.

Commissaire Dupin is lying on his back on a high summit above the sea when his phone rings. He gets three calls in a row, but the last one is from Mme Chaboseau, the wife of the Doctor neighbor, who just found her husband dead in their courtyard. They are in the same building as Dupin's favorite restaurant, the Amiral. Dupin must go to his car and drive back to Concarneau. Riwal and Nolwen are both away, so two relatively new employees, Iris Nevou and Rosa Le Menn are at the police station to help him. There is no way Chaboseau could have fallen out of the large picture window on the upper level, so he must have been pushed. Chaboseau was a very rich man, not only a doctor, but with investments in the shipbuilding company and brewery industries in Concarneau.

After an attack on a new ship being built injures several workmen, Dupin is sure that is related to the murder. Dupin needs to find out if the three wealthy investors in Concarneau are having a problem among themselves, or whether someone else has something against them. At the end of the day, Dupin is very happy when Nolwen pulls up in a police car with sirens. Meanwhile, Dupin's wife's parents are visiting for the weekend, but he is working most of the time. There is soon a mention of Georges Simenon's book "The Yellow Dog" which was about other wealthy men in Concarneau in 1931 who were murdered, and Dupin finds he needs to read it again. As he is rereading, he suddenly realizes what is happening and who the culprit is.

The book becomes very exciting, and I loved the way Bannelac weaves together the Simenon book with the current book. I think this is the best book of the series!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review “The Body by the Sea.” All opinions and comments are my own.

Goodness -- Commissaire Georges Dupin of the Concarneau police is in an uproar. The police building is being renovated, which seemed like a good time for his assistant Nolwenn and his inspectors Riwal and Kadeg to be out of the office for various reasons. Which would be all well and good if one of the town’s prominent citizens hadn’t taken a nose dive out of the loft of his medical office/living quarters. It’s enough to put a policeman off his feed. Not for long, since already in the first few pages of “The Body by the Sea,” the latest “A Brittany Mystery,” we’ve had a cornucopia of culinary delights described to us.

A home town crime; this is going to be different, a murder in Concarneau. But maybe not so different, because pretty soon similarities to a fictional crime scene from the past begin popping up, thanks to Georges Simenon and his Inspector Maigret. Author Jean-Luc Bannalec will tell you the plot, but now’s your chance to pop out and get a copy of Simenon’s “The Yellow Dog” and follow along as Dupin figures out how this old make-believe case figures in this new murder -- especially when a second murder is committed. At least he gets help, as his colleagues find their way back to work, always a good thing.

Business ties seem to be an issue. But then, what’s the connection to the medical partner, the town’s mayor, and a host of others, actually. And of course, how does the past figure in it all? Because there’s that book… and what it’s “trying” to tell Dupin. And while he (and readers) try to work everything out, we’ll get the usual menu description, and history lessons, an ecological update, and linguistic brush-up to enjoy.

Then Dupin gets his brainstorm, and things click into place. Trust our commissaire to start putting it all together, with a twist to our tale. Clever, complicated and oh, so very skillfully explained. “The Body by the Sea” finishes on a grand note, with Dupin’s beloved Claire setting up a beautiful dinner for him in his favorite restaurant, the Amiral. Bon appétit!

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 is the eighth book in the marvelous Brittainy Mystery Series by Jean-Luc Bannalec who consistently writes with wit, cunning, evocative atmosphere and quirky characters, many of whom would be fun to enjoy coffee with. But the atmosphere, oh, the atmosphere! That's my favourite bit. I felt, heard and smelled the sea waves crash and tasted the delicious baked goods at cafes. Concarneau is usually a peaceful fishing village punctuated by slivers of gossip. When a body is discovered...likely pushed over a cliff...people grow suspicious of each other, some overtly, others covertly. Murder casts a thick blanket of deception over the village and skeletons creak in closets.

Commissaire Georges Dupin and his colleagues take some necessary time away from the office. At first two colleagues dutifully check in with him but that quickly changes after their requisite show of loyalty burns off. Alas...when they are needed most, Doctor Chaboseau's body is discovered in Dupin's Brittany town...er, the sea... and it isn't pretty. But the crimes don't end there...this is just the beginning. There is an explosion and espionage and death isn't finished yet. So much for George enjoying a weekend alone with Claire. His future in-laws showing up are the least of his problems.

Jean-Luc Bannalac's unique writing style really stands out and when I see those striped book covers I don't even need to read the blurb as I know a treat lies ahead. This is one of my favourite mystery series as the stories are original, gorgeously written, evocative and contain smatterings of intelligent wit. They're not fluffy but they are perfect for escaping in.

Mystery readers who yearn for oft elusive je ne sais quois, get your hands on this series. You won't regret it!

My sincere thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this enchanting book. Book nine, please! Quickly!

Anyone cares about a body by the sea? What is the hidden story. What brings that body to the sea. Does the death can talk? That soul rest in piece or not, all depends on the detective.

Commissary Dupin is enjoying an afternoon alone relaxing by the sea. He's thankful that there are no crimes to be solved - his top assistants on on vacation and the Pentecost holiday is coming up.
Dupin's tranquil afternoon ends abruptly when he's called to the home of the local doctor whose has been pushed to his death from the upper story of the building.
During the ensuing investigation another violent death occurs when the wine merchant is murdered. Both the doctor and the wine merchant were part of a powerful business triumvirate with deep roots in Corcarneau.
All three have ruffled the feathers of other business owners and the new mayor.
Dupin has a multitude of suspects and motives to sift through. When the case 's similarities to George Simenon's mystery, The Yellow Dog are pointed out to him, the investigation escalates.
Dupin, fueled by numerous petit cafe`s and the return of his valued assistants may still be able to enjoy the holiday weekend.
This is the eighth title in the Brittany Mystery Series. The author's description of the scenery and atmosphere of Brittany along with sparks of humor make this one of the best!
Thanks to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to be part of Dupin's continuing adventures.

What a fun read! The Body by the Sea: A Brittany Mystery is a police procedural that follows Commissaire Dupin as he investigates the murder of a doctor who falls from an apartment above Dupin's favorite restaurant. The writer does a terrific job of describing the beautiful fishing villages and people of the Bretagne region of France and crafted a mystery worth reading.

Thank you St. Martin's Press/Minotaur and NetGalley for the eARC.

The Body by the Sea is the 8th in the Commissaire Dupin series, but it’s the first time a murder is committed on his home turf. And it would have to happen while his whole crew, Nolwenn, Riwal and Kadeg are away.
The murdered man was a wealthy physician, one of three men that were business partners in multiple ventures. Quickly, there’s an explosion at a shipyard they all own.
As is Bannalec’s standard practice, there are multiple crimes that might or might not be connected. Past books have had ties to Breton folktales and legends. Here, it turns out there are parallels to an Inspector Maigret story called The Yellow Dog by Georges Simonon, written in 1931.
The book is perfect for those that like the addition of good food and wine and beautiful scenery to a convoluted mystery. A visit from Claire’s parents provides small bits of humor scattered throughout the story.
The book can easily be read as a stand-alone.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur for an advance copy of this book.

Brittany, law-enforcement, multiple-murder, murder-investigation, rivalry, riveting, relationships, resentment, retribution, revenge, situational-humor, witty, teamwork, coffee-addict, mysteries, procedural, sabotage, red-herrings, revenge-killings, relatives, Maigret, historical-places-events, historical-research, secrets, working-partners, workaholic, series.*****

Commissaire Dupin winds up looking at a murder in his own town and without the people on his team. The first body fell from a height. Things start to look messy, and the members of the team are finding that their vacations are a little boring, so one by one they return and join him. Not a minute too soon as there is another death and also an explosion at the quay. It gets pointed out that the incidents are more than a little similar to the events in the Georges Simenon novel The Yellow Dog with Maigret! The due diligence is exceptional and uncovers a web of deceit and more. Another win for the author and the Commissaire! I absolutely loved it and had more than a few good snickers (we workaholic coffee addicts do, indeed, understand each other).
Great series! But it can stand alone.
Translation to English by Sorcha McDonagh.
I requested and received a free e-Book copy from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Many thanks!

I have been a fan of this series since book one. I even sought out the French TV show Dupin to watch the Commissionaire on the small screen. How wonderful to read the latest book in the series and find the plot intersecting with another favorite, Maigret! Georges and his team are scattered around Brittany because their station is being remodeled. Instead of a nice weekend with Claire and her parents, a case literally drops in his lap. The doctor who lives above Georges favorite restaurant, the Amiral, has fallen to his death. Can George solve the case without Nolwenn, Kadeg, and Riwal? Thankfully he has two newcomers to the Concarneau station to help him out. Fans and newcomers will love The Body by the Sea.

The Body by the Sea: A Brittany Mystery is an exciting and captivating crime novel set in the scenic Bretagne region of France. The book follows Commissaire Dupin, who is tasked with solving a mysterious murder that takes place near a small fishing village. As he digs deeper into this case, he uncovers secrets linking two seemingly unrelated deaths together and discovers how far people are willing to go for their beliefs or loved ones. With its vivid descriptions and excellent character development, readers will be hooked until the very last page. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

In this excellent addition to Bannalec's series, murder comes home with a string od baffling crimes in Dupin's hometown. Although less infused with the atmosphere of Brittany than other novels in the series, this book mixes past and present in an enjoyable way.

Welcome back to Brittany! Commissaire Dupin and Claire are back in “The Body by the Sea”, the eighth book in the series from Jean-Luc Bannalec.

This time we find Dupin being called to a murder in his home town, Concarneau, a harbor town, during a long holiday weekend. The victim was Doctor Chaboseau, who fell to his death through a window in his apartment. Coming to the conclusion quickly that this wasn’t an accident, and missing his close confidants (who are away on vacation (at first)), Dupin struggles to understand what’s happening.

It soon becomes clear that the doctor was part of a trio of wealthy friends whose business interests ranged far and wide, who had tentacles into every aspect of Concarneau, including the mayor, the local fish canneries, luxury yacht building, and so much more. Deadly sabotage at a shipyard and a second murder tell Dupin that this wasn’t a one-off incident, that the roots of this revenge go deeper than it would seem. And what is the connection to Simenon’s Maigret novel “The Yellow Dog” which was set in Concarneau and based on a true story? Can Dupin figure it all out before the killer strikes again?

The last two books in this series were done with some humor, here Mr. Bannalec gets back to a serious tone, with just a bit of laughs coming from him constantly running into Claire’s parents (who believe he’s avoiding them) every time he tries to sit down and have a think. As with the other books in the series, this one starts slow but really picks up the pace in the last third of the novel. A compressed timeframe (three days) also adds some tension to the story. As an aside, one should definitely read the classic “The Yellow Dog” as well!

I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

Wonderful descriptions of Brittany and the coastal towns. I read the first in the series and was not disappointed with this one.. However, I wish I have read the mystery featuring Jules Maigret first.

This book had s two subjects: the descriptions of the seaside town of Concarneau in Brittany and a murder mystery.
The author gave vivid descriptions of this town and the whole Brittany area in almost every chapter. The main character, Commissaire Georges Dupis, spent much of his time outside enjoying nature while trying to solve the mysteries.
A local doctor, a member of a wealthy family of doctors, was found on the ground outside his home. He had been pushed through a fragile window and died immediately. Dupis, the lead detective, was called in to find out who was responsible. Dupis started questioning the doctor’s wife and found out that the doctor had two wealthy business partners and had large investments in several local businesses.
Then that night there was an accident at a large local boatyard owned by one of the doctor’s partners. Several workers were injured and it appeared to be sabotage.
Dupis and his assistants tried to make a connection between the two occurrences. They did not seem to be coincidental.
Both the owner of the destroyed shipyard and the third partner, a wealthy pharmacist, were interviewed but did not have any idea who had killed the doctor or why the shipyard was targeted.
Dupis got his hands on a novel that had been written about the town back in the 1930s. Once he began reading the book, which was based on a true crime in Carcaneau, he had a better idea of what was happening and why. He was able to solve the crime with this information.
This book should appeal to armchair or actual travelers with the descriptions of the seaside village. The main character, Dupis, is a thoughtful man who solves crimes with the help of knowledgeable assistants. He reminds the reader of the Detective Gamache in the Louise Penny mysteries. This is one of a series of mystery books about Brittany and I hope to read others in the series.
I received this ARC from the publisher and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review

The Body by the Sea is an English translation of a French popular mystery series by Bannalec. Although Bannalec has written 8 detective novels with Inspectror Dupin, The Body by the Sea can serve as a stand alone novel. It is not necessary to have read the earlier novels to understand the characters and their relationship to Dupin. The only flaw with The Body by the Sea is the slow pace. This is not a page-turner.

Jean-Luc Bannalec is the author of 8 Brittany murder mysteries. The Body by the Sea is the first Bannalec novel that I have read. The mystery and the hunt for the killer gets off to a slow start, but in the last 30% of the novel, the pace picks up slightly with another murder. Throughout the novel, there are many references to an earlier and more famous French detective, Jules Maigret, whose lives might be providing a model for these more recent murder. This reliance on an earlier fictional detective seems to fill space, as do numerous stops for coffee and the many descriptions of the countryside. As an intellectual exercise, Bannalec's novel is not especially compelling. Perhaps a better division of action and thought and descriptions would have made The Body by the Sea more interesting.

I wish to thank the publisher for providing this ARC for me to read and review. This review is my honest opinion. Thank you also to NetGalley for listing this novel.

What a wonderful setting for a murder or three! Concarneau is a beautiful town on the water in Brittany and Comissaire Dupuy has never had a murder here until Doctor Chaboseau is pushed to his death from his apartment. His death is followed by one of his business partners. Are they connected or not and do they have anything to do with a past injustice?

The murder of a prominent doctor (who is also an investor and town leader) in Concarneau starts off the latest in this series. Commissaire Georges Dupin begins to investigate with his team of experienced and brand-new investigators.

This book began very slowly for me. It is divided into three long sections - the first day, second days, and third day - and the first two days dragged on. The third day speeds along to an exciting conclusion. The descriptions of Brittany are wonderful, as well as the quirks of each character, both repeat and new. Some of the descriptions, such as a long discourse on how brewing works, bring the story to a halt, but they are easy enough to skip over.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for honest feedback.
The Body by the Sea is an English translation of a French popular mystery series by Jean-Luc Bannalec. There may even be a German translation thrown in there, it's confusing to me. The setting for all the books is Brittany which is a huge peninsula to the far west of France. The sea plays a huge role in anything concerniing Brittany. Bretons consider themselves different than the French and often say there is Brittany and there is France. Bannalec often refers to this status although not so often in this book. Each mystery takes place in a different part of Brittany and this book is set in the hometown of Commissaire Dupin: Concarneau, a beautiful harbor town on the south coast of Brittany. Also, since the last book, his little police force has expanded by two more policewomen.

The story starts out with the death of a well-known doctor who has been discovered by the wife. The wife is not forth-coming at all, most unhelpful. The first half of the book is about Dupin and his team trying to sort out who is who, what happened, and who else might be involved with the doctor. It is slow reading and one wonders how much of this is the translation. There is much reference to the book Yellow Dog by Georges Simenon who wrote his mystery while staying in Concarneau. The acknowledgments thank Simenon's son for help with the book.

The last third of the book picks up the pace dramatically as Dupin has many lightbulb moments and races from end to end of Concarneau. The ending is actually quite satisfying.

I live part-time in France and my French friends say to read Bannalec only for the sightseeing of Brittany. There are so many really good, well-written mysteries coming out of France these days. It is probably better to read these books in the original language. Having said that, if you want a fun romp through Brittany and can put up with mediocre writing (my opinion, of course), these books may be for you. I will certainly read the next one as I love Brittany and appreciate reading about it.