Mysterious France
Mysteries Set in France
I’m finishing off my series of reviews of mysteries set in France with some authors who are not French by birth but certainly display a love of the country. I’ve listed each author’s most recent publication, but you may prefer to start at the beginning of each series.
Martin Walker
Martin Walker is one of my favorite mystery authors and his books are full of French markets and feasts of cheese, wine, and freshly-picked fruit and vegetables. He also includes interesting historical background – Resistance fighters and the Lascaux cave paintings, for example. The characters return from one book to the next with on-again, off-again romances.
Try: The Shooting at Château Rock
Jean-Luc Bannalec
I hope to spend a couple of weeks in Brittany this winter, and I hold Jean-Luc Bannalec responsible. His descriptions of the rocky coast and offshore islands are irresistible. The Granite Coast Murders is the perfect beach read as Commissaire Dupin is on holidays on the pink granite coast with its scattering of rose-coloured boulders in all shapes and sizes. Bannalec, a German living part-time in Brittany, makes a point of including Breton folklore and culture in his books as well as an array of colourful characters.
Try: The Granite Coast Murders
Cay Rademacher
Cay Rademacher, another German living part-time in France, writes about Provence: the bulls and rice paddies of the Camargue, the heat of the pervasive mistral. The main character is a Parisian police officer who was banished to the provinces for getting too close to exposing a corrupt superior officer. He’s not too happy about the move but slowly adjusting.
Try: Deadly Camargue
Peter May
Peter May’s Enzo MacLeod mysteries are set in France. I find his writing style rather plodding, but the murders involve interesting situations, such as food and wine critics and wineries.
Try: The Night Gate (the finale to the series)
Peter Mayle
In addition to his humourous accounts of life in France, Peter Mayle has written several light-hearted mysteries that include lots of French scenery and good food.
Try: The Diamond Caper
Serena Kent
If you can’t get enough of books about France, especially Provence, you’ll want to read Serena Kent’s series of books about Penelope Kite, a retiree who moved to France when she got tired of babysitting her grandchildren. The books are light, easy reads with plenty of attractive scenery and a touch of romance.
Try: Death in Avignon
Jean-Pierre Alaux/Noël Balen
If you’re planning a trip to Bordeaux, I recommend reading the winemaker detective series by Jean-Pierre Alaux and Noël Balen. I shouldn’t really include this series as the authors are both French, but every rule is meant to be broken. The books are an easy read with lots of talk about wine and food. They’re not all set in Bordeaux, but there’s always a connection to wine.
Try: Requiem at Yquem
See Also
Commissioner Adamsberg: Unorthodox and Unforgettable