This is the third of a mystery series I have read that feature the successful crime solutions by Commissaire George Dupin. In this one the action takes place in France’s northwesternmost region, a hilly peninsula extending out toward the Atlantic Ocean. In Death of a Master Chef, the commissaire must interrupt a police seminar in San Malo when he is called to investigate a murder that has taken place in broad daylight in a local market. The murder culminates a long-standing rivalry between two sisters, both of whom are published chefs.
Police know the murdered victim, Blanche Trouin, and the perpetrator, her sister Lucille. It is likely that a long hidden trove of family recipes — which is soon to be a published — is also involved.
A familiarity with the geography of the area is useful for understanding the story’s action, although the author makes great strides in making it all understandable. A love of French cuisine is also helpful in guiding the reader’s understanding and enjoyment of the tale.
Flaneuse 