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Jean-Luc Bannalec books in order

Jean-Luc Bannalec is the pseudonym of German literary scholar, editor, publisher, publicist and photographer, Jörg Bong.

He uses the pen name when writing mystery and crime fiction novels.

Born in Bad Godesberg, Germany, he studied German, philosophy, history and psychoanalysis at the University of Bonn and the University of Frankfurt am Main.

For more than two decades, Jean-Luc worked for S. Fischer Verlag, rising from the assistant to the owner and publisher Monika Schoeller, to the editor for German-language literature, and ultimately the program manager.

Death in Brittany (2012), his debut novel and first in his Brittany Mystery Series, was well acclaimed; with the series receiving film adaptations for tv series in Germany, France, and Spain.

A recipient of the award Mécène de Bretagne, and an honorary member of the Académie Littéraire de Bretagne, Jean-Luc splits his time between Germany and the southern part of the French department of Finistère.

More about Jean-Luc Bannalec

Genres: Crime Suspense, Mystery

Born: 1966

Germany

Pseudonym: Jean-Luc Bannalec

Brittany Mystery

  1. Death in Brittany (2012)
  2. Murder on Brittany Shores (2013)
  3. The Fleur de Sel Murders (2014)
  4. The Missing Corpse (2015)
  5. The Killing Tide (2020)
  6. The Granite Coast Murders (2021)
  7. The King Arthur Case (2022)
  8. The Body by the Sea (2023)

Detailed book overview

Brittany Mystery

Death in Brittany

Commissaire Georges Dupin, a cantankerous, Parisian-born caffeine junkie recently relocated from the glamour of Paris to the remote (if picturesque) Breton coast, is dragged from his morning croissant and coffee to the scene of a curious murder. The local village of Pont-Aven―a sleepy community by the sea where everyone knows one other and nothing much seems to happen―is in shock. The legendary ninety-one-year-old hotelier Pierre-Louis Pennec, owner of the Central Hotel, has been found dead.

A picture-perfect seaside village that played host to Gaugin in the nineteenth century, Pont-Aven is at the height of its tourist season and is immediately thrown into uproar. As Dupin delves into the lives of the victim and the suspects, he uncovers a web of secrecy and silence that belies the village's quaint image.

NB: This book is also known as Death in Pont-Aven.

Author: Jean-Luc Bannalec
First Release: 2012
ISBN: 978-1250088437
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Murder on Brittany Shores

Ten miles off the coast of Brittany lie the fabled Glénan Islands. Boasting sparkling white sands and crystal-clear waters, they seem perfectly idyllic, until one day in May, three bodies wash up on shore. At first glance the deaths appear accidental, but as the identities of the victims come to light, Commissaire Dupin is pulled back into action for a case of what seems to be cold-blooded murder.

Ever viewed as an outsider in a region full of myths and traditions, Dupin finds himself drawn deep into the history of the land. To get to the bottom of the case, he must tangle with treasure hunters, militant marine biologists, and dangerous divers. The investigation leads him further into the perilous, beautiful world of Glénan, as he discovers that there's more to the picturesque islands than meets the eye.

Author: Jean-Luc Bannalec
First Release: 2013
ISBN: 978-1250112439
Publisher: Minotaur Books
The Fleur de Sel Murders

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.

Author: Jean-Luc Bannalec
First Release: 2014
ISBN: 978-1250308375
Publisher: Minotaur Books
The Missing Corpse

Along the picturesque Belon River, home of the world famous oyster beds, between steep cliffs, ominous forests and the Atlantic Ocean, a stubborn elderly film actress discovers a corpse. By the time Commissaire Dupin arrives at the scene, the body has disappeared.

A little while later, he receives a phone call from the mystical hills of Monts d'Arree, where legends of fairies and the devil abound: another unidentified body has turned up. Dupin quickly realizes this may be his most difficult and confounding case yet, with links to celtic myths, a sand theft operation, and mysterious ancient druid cults.

Author: Jean-Luc Bannalec
First Release: 2015
ISBN: 978-1250252951
Publisher: Minotaur Books
The Killing Tide

Deep sea fishers, dolphin researchers, smugglers, and an island shrouded in myth in the middle of the rough Atlantic ocean: Commissaire Dupin had sworn he would never again investigate on the ocean, but his fifth case takes him offshore, off the west coast of Brittany on a beautifully sunny day in June. He lands on the unique Île de Sein, populated by more rabbits than people, where the hairdresser arrives by boat and which was formerly inhabited by powerful witches and even the devil himself. In front of this impressive backdrop―between the islands of Molène, Ouessant, and the bay of Douarnenez―Dupin and his team follow a puzzling case that pushes them to their very limits.

Author: Jean-Luc Bannalec
First Release: 2020
ISBN: 978-1250781659
Publisher: Minotaur Books
The Granite Coast Murders

Inspector Dupin and Claire are on a two-week vacation, but while Claire seems to enjoy the quiet of the beach, Commissaire Dupin takes every opportunity to leave the beach towel. The fabulous dinners on the hotel patio and the rumors about a stolen statue of a saint are the few interesting moments of his days on vacation.

But then a tourist vanishes without trace and there’s an attack on a deputy to the local assembly, who is involved in confrontations with local farmers. Shortly after that, the Britanny beach resort is shocked by the discovery of a corpse.

Dupin clandestinely begins to investigate with the help of the local villagers, something he must keep a secret from Claire and his colleagues in Concarneau. Between bewitched valleys and beautiful beaches, an unfathomable case develops.

Author: Jean-Luc Bannalec
First Release: 2021
ISBN: 978-1250830180
Publisher: Minotaur Books
The King Arthur Case

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, including 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.

Author: Jean-Luc Bannalec
First Release: 2022
ISBN: 978-1250874764
Publisher: Minotaur Books
The Body by the Sea

In all of Commissaire Georges Dupin’s time living in Brittany, there has never been a murder on his home turf, until Jean-Luc Bannalec's The Body by the Sea…

Author: Jean-Luc Bannalec
First Release: 2023
Ebook: B09Y463ZBL
Publisher: Minotaur Books