I love the cover of Jean-Luc Bannalec’s The King Arthur Case. I’m going to admit that’s my favorite part of this seventh book in the Brittany Mystery Series. I read the first in the series years ago, and liked it, but didn’t love it. I never know with a translation (translated by Peter Millar) if I find the book itself too flowery, or the translation too flowery. The book will appeal to readers who are fascinated by obscure lore about King Arthur, or enjoy minute descriptions of Brittany landscapes.

It was only supposed to be an office trip with one interview. Commissaire Georges Dupin and his small team, two inspectors and his indispensable assistant, Nolwenn, were visiting Foret de Broceliande, a forest filled with myths about King Arthur, along with the Valley of No Return. But, Dupin has one errand on the overnight trip, an interview with a leading Arthurian expert, Fabian Cadiou, as a favor to a Parisian police officer working on a case. Dupin’s short errand turns the next twenty-four hours upside down when he finds Cadiou dead, shot to death.

On order of the minister of the interior, Dupin is in charge of the case, given the authority of a special investigator. But, before Dupin can even get his team organized, another body is found. In the span of twenty-four hours, three people are murdered, maybe four. There’s also an attempted murder. And, Dupin’s two inspectors disappear that night. The victims are all Arthurian experts attending a conference. While their lack of assistance and answers drives Dupin mad, he’s determined to discover if it’s a quest for fame or ego or competition that is driving the murderer.

The story just wandered too much for me. It was too descriptive of the Brittany forest, and way too involved when it came to the stories behind King Arthur. Frankly, Dupin and his small team, along with Dupin’s partner, were the only characters I found likable. I didn’t trust or like any of the scholars involved in the investigation. The story may have taken place over twenty-four hours. I felt as if I was dragged through scholarly discussions for twenty-four months.

That’s just my opinion of The King Arthur Case. If you enjoy mysteries that delve into myths, or academic mysteries that dwell on politics, or mysteries that describe nature in depth, this one might be for you.

The King Arthur Case by Jean-Luc Bannalec. Minotaur, 2022. ISBN 9781250753083 (hardcover), 384p.

FTC Full Disclosure – I read a .pdf to review for a journal.