Pierre AudemarsResenhas

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.½

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!½

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.½

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 1962.½

M. Pinaud, on his way back to Paris after solving the case of "the perverted landlady of Lucarne and the incredibly revolting things she kept in her refrigerator" suffers a car breakdown near a remote small village and becomes involved in the investigation of the suspicious death of a man hated by everyone else in the village. The story, though late in the series, is a flashback to M. Pinaud's early days as a detective, when he thought everything was black and white. In this story, he finds out that it isn't. Though it only has the single murder, it is still a darker story than the first two Pinaud mysteries I have read. It benefits from a memorable cast of characters, nearly all of whom become suspects. As usual, the book extolls good food and drink--and M. Pinaud drinks before lunch, with lunch, after lunch, with dinner, after dinner, and any other occasion I forgot to mention. An interview with a suspect seems to take at least two bottles of wine and his initial meeting with the head of the local police requires three bottles of brandy. There are amusing moments and great surprises as usual, but unlike the other books I've read, M. Pinaud doesn't become violent himself. Instead, he does his best to try to get to the bottom of an apparent murder despite no one in the village caring and everyone declaring it an accident. The result is that he is exasperated much of the time. M. Pinaud continues to be a superb character. In this book we get to see him from a slightly different angle. Definitely recommended!

This is my second Monsieur Pinaud mystery and I have liked them both so much that I just went on abebooks.com and ordered every one I could find for $9 or less (including shipping). Pinaud is just a marvelous character who surprises at every turn. In this case, he's investigating the murder and dumping in the Seine of an employee that occurred near a warehouse owned by his company. The plot, while good enough, isn't the central interest here. It is the character of Pinaud and the others he meets. Pinaud's appreciation of food, drink, and a factory tour are captivating, as is his relationship with his inscrutable boss, who nevertheless shows an uncustomary kindness when Pinaud's wife is kidnaped by the bad guys. But it is Pinaud's purposeful way of dealing with any adversary that sets him apart. This is not a man to be threatened, as those who stand in his way find out. Not only does he have superhuman endurance, incredible wiles, great strength, and superb marksmanship, he may also be carrying a hand grenade. In other words, don't mess with M. Pinaud. I can't wait to read more of this series. The two I have read so far are not light entertainment; they have more than their fill of death and pain, but they are written in such an engaging manner--a close third person narrative from Pinaud's point of view--that they are an absolute joy to read. Luckily, I have a third one on my shelf I can start immediately while I wait for my used book orders from the corners of America to arrive.

If you're a mystery fan, do yourself a favor, find some of these books and read them!½

Audemars wrote 27 books in this series about French detective Monsieur Pinaud. This is the 7th in the series, but the first I have read. I picked it off my shelf of used books almost by random, attracted by its slimness for one thing. It is 128 pages, but the type is pretty small. In any case, I was engrossed from the first page. The author writes with a sly wit and with a skill that puts most others to shame. Pinaud is a great character. Totally convinced of his coming fame as the world's greatest detective, but not always sure exactly how he is going to get there. The book also impresses with its profusion of quirky characters. There is a scene between Pinaud and the proprietor of his hotel that achieves the heights of absurdity and will stick with me for a long time. The mystery at the center of the book, the disappearance of three young women from a bus over a three month period, is done well enough, but it is the characters and writing style that drive the book more than the plot. Not that the author doesn't have a trick or two up his sleeve.

What a pleasure to stumble across a book this good and an author this promising. I can't wait for my next trip to the used book store to see if they have any Audemars in stock. Luckily, if they don't, his works are plentiful and fairly cheap online. It will be interesting to see if the quality of the books holds up or if the company of Monsieur Pinaud gets old after reading a few volumes, which I plan to do as soon as possible.

By all means, check out this author and this series. (Despite the French pen name, the author was actually an English watch and jewelry salesman!)½