Monsieur Pamplemousse Rests His Case

Monsieur Pamplemousse #7

by Michael Bond

Critics and fans alike will eat up the tastiest confection yet of Monsieur Pamplemousse, French food critic and sleuth extraordinaire. This time, the mystery revolves around the re-created banquet of legendary author Alexander Dumas. Pamplemousse must find the killer of one of the authors in attendance--while dressed as musketeer D'Artagnon!

Genres: Mystery, Humor, France, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Crime

274 pages, Paperback

First published October 23, 1991

About the author

Michael Bond, CBE was an English children's author. He was the creator of Paddington Bear and wrote about the adventures of a guinea pig named Olga da Polga, as well as the animated BBC TV series The Herbs. Bond also wrote culinary mystery stories for adults featuring Monsieur Pamplemousse and his faithful bloodhound, Pommes Frites.

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The gastronomic mysteries involving food critic Aristide Pamplemousse and his faithful canine companion Pommes Frites are highly addictive. This one is another delight. How did the former inspector for the Sûreté end up in bed, dressed as Dumas' d'Artagnan, with his hands cuffed behind his back, with a woman not his wife, Couscous? What secret underlay the preparation of Le Rôti de l'Impératrice -- an olive with its stone replaced by an anchovy, inside a lark, inside a quail, inside a partridge, inside a pheasant, inside a turkey, inside a suckling pig? This dish makes the American Turducken look like something cooked by children. The story is set in Vichy, where one goes to take the waters or to regret French collaboration with the Nazis in the Second World War. It gets complicated, but Michael Bond's mysteries always do.

[Becky Stout · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll give it four stars just because it made me laugh so unexpectedly. Some great imaginative lines like the havoc that Aristide created and the Director recounted reminded Aristide of new lyrics to The Twelve Days of Christmas.
The perp was not unexpected but that the perp escaped justice and the ending was handled well. I guessed who "dunnit" but not the way the story ended.
I have needed laughter after the last 16 months and this was a perfect little story.
The attributes that the dog, Pommes Frites, were given were such gems. If I ever get another dog, I'll seriously consider naming it Pommes Frites.
These little mysteries will be my go-tos for comic relief.

[Eugene · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fluff. An easy read, but there’s not a lot of “there” there…the sort of book one grabs at the airport newstand pre-flight and says, “This will get me through the horrors of air travel, and so it might!

[Dipra Lahiri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another amusing romp by the detective turned food reviewer and his faithful companion Pommes Frites. The twist in the end could be foreseen a mile ago.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

By the author of Paddington Bear! Light-weight read, but a welcome break from long, heavy novels of late. I have an aversion to the French language, simply because I cannot pronounce it and it usually ruins my flow of reading, but the author's light sprinkling of french words throughout the book was more like a "child's first dictionary." I quite enjoyed learning the odd word by sight. Believe it or not, it may just be the reason I choose another book in this series.

[Jay French · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first Pamplemousse book I've read. It is a lightweight, humorous mystery story, one of many in the series. I found it the equivalent of an hour long mystery TV series episode. As series fiction it is fine. Not my cup of tea, though.

[Lynn Palin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved Monsier Pamplemousse and his dog, Pommes Frites!

[VerJean · Rating 2 out of 5]

French food mystery.
Enjoyable mystery. Not my favorite series, so probably won't be chasing Monsieur Pamplemousse books, but glad I met him.
Read in 2007.

[bob foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

ENJOYABLE

Another great easy read from Michael Bonds pen.Really enjoyable book like the ones before.I am reading all these books in order