The King Arthur Case
A Brittany Mystery
-
- ¥1,400
Publisher Description
The King Arthur Case is the seventh installment of Jean-Luc Bannalec's bestselling mystery series.
The forest of Broceliande, with its picturesque lakes and castles, is the last remnant of the fairy kingdom, if Breton lore is to be believed. Innumerable legends spanning thousands of years are set here, inclding the tale of King Arthur and the Round Table.
It seems to be an appropriate destination for Commissaire Dupin and his team to take a late summer field trip. But when the body of a historian turns up, Dupin is called upon to investigate in the brutal murder case. Before too long, there are more victims. What knowledge do the assembled scientists have about the most recent archaeological digs in the area? Where do they stand on the controversial decision to turn parts of the forest into an amusement park? And why is no one willing to talk? Even Nolwenn, Dupin's unshakeable assistant, is concerned. And that means trouble.
Mysterious, ingenious, and suspenseful: Dupin's seventh case takes him and his team into the very heart of Brittany.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
At the start of Bannalec's sluggish seventh Brittany mystery featuring Commissaire Georges Dupin (after 2021's The Granite Coast Murders), Dupin's indefatigable assistant, Nolwenn, aims to immerse her irascible, coffee-swilling boss in the lure and lore of a local forest famed for its connection to King Arthur. But the departmental outing tumbles off course before it can begin, as Dupin, responding to a Parisian colleague's request for some off-the-books help on a case, attempts to interview Fabien Cadiou, a professor attending an Arthurian conference in the area, and instead discovers his corpse. Immediately afterward, another Arthurian expert is stabbed to death, and Dupin begins grilling a circle of academics with intertwined volatile personal and professional histories. The subsequent investigation plods, even as the bodies pile up. At the end, Dupin is offered a chance to return to Paris, a goal he's always wanted since being exiled to Brittany after riling his big-city superiors. This prospect offers more excitement than the mystery that preceded it. Bannalec has done better.
