Pierre Audemars (1909–1989)

This early installment in the long-running series finds M. Pinaud working at a jewelry store trying to protect a fabulous set of diamonds that several Russians and would-be heirs have their eyes on. And there's also a murder at the store that just happens to occur on the first day of his assignment. As usual, plotting is not Audemars strength. It is the sketches of the large cast of characters, especially the pitiful ones, that are the most memorable. On top of that, Audemars is writing about his own profession--selling watches and jewelry--and the vignettes of various customers who arrive at the store seem drawn from real life. This is a typical tale in the series, a bit of humor, a lot of darkness, an excess of eating and drinking, and some great observations of people and places. M. Le Chef is missing this time--he's on vacation, and M. Pinaud must take orders from a high ranking Government Minister. But of course, he is Pinaud--and in the end, he will figure it all out.… (mais)

Another brooding, dark entry in the adventures on M. Pinaud, He shows a little more insight than he did in the last book of the series I read (I'm reading out of order) as he tries to save M. le Chef from a murder charge when a housemaid is found dead in his bed. One learns a lot about M. le Chef in this book, and, as always, it is the characterization that drives so much of the plot. M. Pinaud also escapes cleverly from a couple of close calls--which considering how much he eats and drinks is possibly an advertisement for gluttony and excess alcohol consumption!… (mais)

Audemars writes well and sometimes poetically, but there is a darkness at the heart of the M. Pinaud books that grows on you as you read more of the series. In this case, through a series of coincidences that could only happen to M. Pinaud, he falls in love with a young girl on his morning bus route, only to see her disappear. The horrors begin at that point and just get worse and worse, and naturally everything dovetails right into the case M. Pinaud has been investigating of a villainous British ex-soldier. The story gets bizarre and far-fetched, but is redeemed by those special moments Audemars seems so adept at--a quick character study of a kindness done by an innkeeper's daughter--or M. Pinaud's thoughts as he has to endure another of M. le Chef's tirades. This is probably not a good entry point to the series--which I'm not reading in order. Having now read a few of these works scattered throughout the long period of time Audemars wrote them, however, I can't say that a particular period is better. It all depends on the individual book. One thing I can say is that spending a little time with M. Pinaud is a unique experience.… (mais)

M. Pinaud isn't quite clicking on all cylinders in this one. The book starts very well, with Pinaud being sent to a small French town to investigate the death of the presumed accomplice of a woman who has murdered multiple husbands for their insurance, then changed her identity and disappeared. If the accomplice was in the small town, maybe the black widow is as well. The book's big problem is that the reader (even a reader such as I, who doesn't really spend much time trying to solve a mystery) will figure out whodunit long before M. Pinaud. I kept hoping that Pinaud would have the same revelation I did and that the rest of the book would involve figuring out if it were correct--but, alas not. Still, this has more than its share of compensations. M. Pinaud's observations on everything, some interesting characters, nice scenery, good drinking and eating scenes (as always), and the odd sort of bittersweetness Audemars always seems to throw in. What makes Pinaud interesting isn't his supposed brilliance, but all of his little faults and insecurities.

BTW, I have read several of these now. Not sure it makes any difference what order you read them in. A couple of the much later ones are definitely better. This one dates from 1962.… (mais)