I received an advance digital copy of this book from the author, publisher and NetGalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review this book.. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Death Set to Music, originally published in the 1970's, introduces the reader to Inspector Pol. A slightly crankier Poriot. An excellently written mystery that will keep you guessing until the end and looking for more books in the series.

5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended reading.

This book was something that caught my eye solely because of the time and place where the story took place. It is based in France in the 1970s. The copy I read is a reprint, and I am glad I got a chance to read it. Inspector Pel is an intriguing character, short and brusque with his subordinates. He nonetheless has his lighter moments. He is almost scared of offending his landlady and is happy for some people on his team when things go well making him a study of contradictions.

The story is quite straightforward. A woman is found dead with music playing in the background. Even the mildest digging brings out the dirty laundries of all the key players, and nothing (by the end) will end up surprising us. This is a proper police procedural with a painstaking investigation into every avenue available. We are kept updated about all the findings, the guesses and all the interactions between the suspects (which includes almost everyone). The second in command is also an interesting caricature, a man who has a way with women, immune to the harshness of his superior as well as being someone who takes different roles in the team hierarchies based on the mood of the exact situation. Pel is not a very complex character or stand out in any extraordinary way except for his inner reflections which are quite heavy and even mildly melodramatic. Despite this (or maybe because of it), he was someone I found very realistic and therefore enjoyed reading this. It is a quick read, and I might pick the next one up given a choice.

I completely forgot to review this book which was a mistake because unfortunately I have forgotten any of my more nuanced feedback besides "I enjoyed it and honestly I think you will too!!!"

This story, originally published in 1979, is the first in the series featuring Inspector Pel, a policeman working in Burgundy in France. It's a cleverly plotted novel that is rich with humour and has stood the test of the past 40 years well.

In this book, Inspector Pel is called in to investigate the murder of a woman found covered in blood in her home. The people surrounding her - husband, daughter, brother, housekeeper, neighbours, gardener, etc - all seem to have watertight alibis and secrets of their own that Pel needs to uncover to get to the truth.

I thought this book was an entertaining and light read. I loved the fact that Inspector Pel is a misanthropic chain smoker waging a constant battle to quit the Gauloises and bullied by his TV-obsessed housekeeper; he's a terror to those who have to work with him, but there is a warmth and wit in the way he is portrayed. Similarly, Pel's team are likeable and add to the charm of the novel - the lovelorn and long-suffering Nosjean and attractive ladies' man Darcy are two of the more memorable ones who I hope accompany Pel in future investigations.

Overall, this is an engaging read and wholly recommended to those who like their mysteries with plenty of character and not so much graphic gore.

This first Inspector Pel mystery was originally published in 1979 and has now been republished by Farrago, an imprint of Duckworth Books, UK, who gave me the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy through NetGalley. Once again, I thank Farrago for introducing me to some great detective fiction of the past.

In this intriguing police procedural set in France, Inspector Pel is called in to investigate the bludgeoning death of a woman in her country home. There are a slew of possibilities for 'whodunit' but the most obvious suspects seem to all have alibis. Step by step, Inspector Pel and Sergeant Darcy dig through the lies and secrets to get to the truth.

This crew of police investigators are interesting characters and their interactions are often quite humorous. This is a fun, quick read.

Having been written forty years ago, the reader may notice some gender stereotyping and misogyny that wouldn't be accepted today but, taken for what it is and the time in which the story is set, this doesn't detract much from the total enjoyment of the mystery.

Overall an enjoyable read. At times the novel seemed to drag but still kept my interest as I wanted to know who committed the crime and how! Thank you to NetGalley and Duckworth Books for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Pel #1

"Death Set to Music" is the first of the Inspector Pel novels written by John Harris using the pseudonym "Mark Hebden". He went on to write 14 more.

Pel is not an attractive hero. He is neurotic and alternately a bully and a wimp. He is terrified for his health. Nevertheless, he has a sharp mind and his assistant, Darcy, is used to him. They work together well.

As this is the first in the series, we are introduced to several other characters we expect will recur, including the pathologist, Pel's administrative supervisor, and a new young detective who proves not to be as stupid as he seems.

The mystery is a bit of a closed door murder. Instead of a body locked in a room, Pel is presented with a bludgeoned body in a lake of blood. Yet none of the suspects' clothes have more than a trace of blood; blood that is easily explained. The murderer is not obvious to the reader which makes this a particularly good read.

This is a new edition of the first Inspector Pel mystery, first published in 1979. The series is set in Burgandy, France, and features the chain smoking, grumpy Inspector Evariste Clovis Désiré Pel. This feels very much like a first book; introducing the characters and setting. So you have Pel himself, with his loyal assistant, Sergeant Darcy, and his bullying housekeeper, who seems to spend most of her time, loudly, watching television. As I am no lover of television myself, and find it really intrusive, I sympathised with him very much over this!

Pel is called to investigate the murder of Madame Chenandier, who made much of the fact she once sang in the chorus and was beautiful. She lived with her husband, a wine exporter, who was away on business at the time, her housekeeper, and her lonely daughter, Odile, who lacked her mother’s confidence and self esteem.

The mystery is a fairly gentle one. Pel uncovers the clues and interviews the witnesses; including the ne’er do well brother, neighbours and relatives, to discover who is guilty. The joy is in the characters and setting. You realise that Pel is not quite as fearsome as he pretends – especially once he befriends the housekeepers nephew. Despite his temper, he obviously is not the master of his own house and enjoys the small victories he gains in life. I look forward to reading more of Pel’s adventures. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

The first in a new series set in France follows Inspector Pel a chain smoking lifestyle worrying policeman who does not suffer fools gladly set in the style of Maigret. Living with a housekeeper who drives him mad he only has his job.He is hard on his Sergeants to push them to make the grade.
He follows the clues meticulously of his new murder Madame Chenandier killed in a very bloodthirsty way yet all the suspects are clean.
It is good old fashioned police work that is going to solve our crime and you have very believable characters to follow.
This is a book that keeps you engaged till the end and you will look forward to further books in the series.
I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Death set to music is an enjoyable and most entertaining way to spend your time getting lost in a story reminiscent of Poirot and I wouldn’t mind biding my time reading the rest of this series. Highly recommended if you feel like reading something off-beat.

The full review is available here: https://wanderingwestswords.wordpress.com/2019/11/12/death-set-to-music-mark-hebden/

Death Set to Music is an enjoyabe police procedural set in Burgundy. The lead character is Inspector Pel, an irascible hypochondriac with a weakness for alcohol. A local woman had been bludgeoned to death. It appears 3000 francs and some jewelry were stolen. She was a former opera singer and died while an opera album was playing which made her death “set to music” and probably covered up the sounds of her brutal murder for the housekeeper and her daughter who were both home at the time.

There are plenty of suspects with opportunity, her brother, the neighbors, the gardener, the housekeeper, daughter. There are also plenty with motive, including her husband. She was killed with the fireplace poker so anyone had the means. Figuring it out will take true discernment as there are plenty of red herrings.

I like curmudgeons, particularly when you can see their surface misanthropy hides tenderness and compassion. That’s Inspector Pel. There is a lot of humor, some of it a bit broad when mocking Pel’s hypochondriam his weakness in the face of offers of beer and wine, and the way he treats his subordinates. Death Set to Music is my introduction to this series and I look forward to enjoying his futher adventures.

I received an e-galley of Death Set to Music from the publisher through NetGalley.

In diesem Buch findet sich ein ungleiches Paar, das seinesgleichen sucht. Atmosphärisch dicht und sehr lebendig. Gute Unterhaltung und ein gelungener Serienauftakt.

Inspector Pel is very French and much given to contemplating his own mortality, as well he might given the amount he drinks and smokes, not to mention his appalling diet! This was an enjoyable book and I look forward to sharing more adventures in the French countryside.

A book and an author that makes so many reference in his first novel about Maigret is going to be finally judged by that standard and come up short.

Chief Inspector Pel is no Maigret and Mark Hebden is no Georges Simenon. Apples and Pears.
Hopefully, as the series progresses this preoccupation will fade and more focus can be brought to his own creation. Pel is observant and methodical; slow to form opinions and quick to delegate. His junior detectives are interesting and enough has been revealed to indicate these books will appeal to followers of police procedurals.
The plot is clever and well balanced with the reader being able to assemble the clues and become involved in the crime drama / murder mystery.

Unfortunately, my review loses another star due to the treatment of women in the book and the view of the male protagonists towards the female characters. There seems to be a sexual context to most encounters and some repressed sexual tension. To the point where you wonder if the author himself had a low opinion of women bordering on misogamy.

I love that these are books written in a less contemporary time, this first one originally published in 1979. It is good to have another detective series based in France and Burgundy is an interesting location.

Pel is an interesting detective. A bachelor, struggling with a dominating housekeeper. A borderline hypochondriac who beats himself up when he smiles or drinks too much alcohol. Sufficient to want to spend time in his company providing we loose Maigret as a benchmark and more seriously write less openly about women as sex objects.

A really well written mystery, packed with real like people and intelligent police. I found it very entertaining and very much a book I wanted to keep reading.
i will certainly read more of this series and from this author.

A thoroughly enjoyable French mystery about the murder of a beautiful woman who is not extremely faithful and also not the most loving mother which of course leaves Inspector Pel with quite a few suspects.
Inspector Pel is a chain smoking detective who is not the best loved superior in the French police; however, he is blessed with his sergeant Darcy who is a very positive individual always looking for the best in people especially women.
The story is very well told and it’s nice for a change to read about countries other than the US and UK. I will definitely recommend this book and read more from this author.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I look forward to reading other books in this series as I really liked this one and found the grumpy and quirky Inspector Pel quite amusing.
It's an entertaining and engrossing read, full of humour and with a well developed cast of characters.
The mystery is solid and kept me guessing.
A good read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

The first Inspector Pel mystery. Mme Chenandier has been found in her luxurious, elegant lounge, at her home in the Burgundy countryside, horribly bludgeoned to death - Rigoletto playing in the background. With a house filled with suspects Pel has his work cut out. A thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable read - laced with humour, sparky dialogue and Pel an attractive protagonist with plenty of foibles. I found it a wonderful read and am looking forward to more from Inspector Pel.

I enjoyed Death Set To Music. Written in 1979, this is the first of the Inspector Pel series (and the first that I have read); it is a decent police procedural with some amusing aspects which is very well written.

Pel is an Inspector in the French Police, based in Burgundy. He is a grumpy, rather misanthropic hypochondriac, but a very good detective. Here he and his team investigate the gruesome murder of a fairly wealthy woman and the story unfolds slowly (rather too slowly at times) as Pel’s well-drawn officers diligently pursue leads. It can drag a bit, but it isn’t too long, it was well written and had enough humour to keep me interested. The denouement was a little contrived but it didn’t spoil the book and I found the whole thing an enjoyable read.

I can’t say that this is a classic, but it’s certainly good enough for me to read more of Inspector Pel and I can recommend it.

(My thanks to Farrago for an ARC via NetGalley.)