
Pel and the Faceless Corpse
Nobody wants to talk about the murder victim found in the woods, but Inspector Pel insists on answers.
Deep in the Burgundy countryside, a murder case is perplexing Inspector Pel. The body was found in the salon, an elegant room with a grand piano and a Louis XIV escritoire. The shutters were still closed and the dead end of a record of Rigoletto was still turning.
There are some obvious suspects, yet the clothes of none of them show any signs of blood. And what were the tensions that must have torn at this family? It’s only when a second murder takes place that the method of the first becomes startlingly clear.
Moody, sharp-tongued and worrying constantly about his health, Inspector Evariste Clovis Désiré Pel ensures that no case goes unsolved, in these mordantly witty French mysteries.
‘Totally convincing.’ Financial Times
‘Mr Hebden has created a nice band of flics.’ Oxford Times
‘Pel and his procedurals are some of the best things since Maigret.’ Observer
‘Chief Inspector Evariste Clovis Désiré Pel, as well rounded a character as Maigret or Van der Valk.’ Punch
‘Impeccable French ambience, unexaggerated flics, and a well-constructed solution. Hebden proves again that few understand Gallic cops better than English writers!’ The Times
‘Some characters grow as their saga lengthens and Pel… is one of them. You might say he is ripening along with the grapes.’ Police Review
‘…written with downbeat humour and some delightful dialogue.’ Financial Times
‘…all is most cunningly contrived and dovetailed into a coherent plot.’ Irish Times
‘A thoroughly entertaining read.’ Evening Standard
‘The best Gallic sleuth since Maigret.’ London Mystery Selection
Nobody wants to talk about the murder victim found in the woods, but Inspector Pel insists on answers.
Two deaths lead to the discovery of a fledgling drug ring – can Inspector Pel bring the criminals to justice?
A series of thefts, a murder and the arrival of the Tour de France – it's a typical day in the office for Inspector Pel.
A wealthy businessman disappears – and his faithful staghound seems to be the only one upset about it...
A terrorist group plans to assassinate the President on his visit to Burgundy – it's down to Pel to stop them.
Pel discovers himself to be the target of a letter-bomb sent by an old enemy – can he stave off the predators?
Pel's honeymoon is rudely interrupted by the murder of a local taxi driver.
Pel investigates the murders of a series of young women, and finds himself in a deadly game of cat and mouse.
Pel faces interference from Paris colleagues, along with violent crime from out-of-town gangs.
A double shooting of two ageing crooks leads Chief Inspector Pel all the way to Mexico to discover why they were murdered.
When Chief Inspector Pel accepts a drinks invitation at the house of a big shot, Deputy Claude Barclay, he doesn’t realise how compromised he will become by his acceptance.
An extravagant, big time gangland criminal is ambushed and assassinated; the only witness a ten-year-old-boy.
Brigade Criminelle is mobilised when a fatal stabbing, an anticipated delivery of lethal drugs from Marseilles, and the discovery of a thirty-year-old corpse in an ancient turreted tower in the town of Puyceldome coincide with a frantic search for two murderous hitchhikers – all on Chief Inspector Pel’s patch.
Brigade Criminelle is mobilised when a fatal stabbing, an anticipated delivery of lethal drugs from Marseilles, and the discovery of a thirty-year-old corpse in an ancient turreted tower in the town of Puyceldome coincide with a frantic search for two murderous hitchhikers – all on Chief Inspector Pel’s patch.
Fires have been breaking out all over Chief Inspector Pel’s beloved province of Burgundy, from small houses to woodland. Then a local farmer’s flock of sheep is poisoned, a tray of valuable rings stolen from a local jewellers, and the body of a woman is found.
A dead man is found floating in a canal, his wallet revealing a strange symbolic drawing; and a hostage drama unfolds at the Banque Credit Rural, where not only millions in currency and jewellery are at stake but also lives. On the other side of town, a stunning art student switches masterpieces for copies.
Note that Farrago books are purchasable either as a one-time gift OR for reading by yourself. Ebooks from the Farrago website are watermarked and must not be shared or uploaded to websites or file-sharing networks (here are our full terms and conditions).
On a typical computer running Windows, you first need to install an ebook-reading program, such as Adobe Digital Editions. On a Mac, epub files can be downloaded and opened in iBooks.
On a computer, first click on the ‘epub format’ of your purchased ebook(s) to download it. Or press Download Ebook(s) to download a .zip file which you then need to unzip before proceeding.
Disconnect your device, and the book should be on your device’s home screen.
You need already to have an Amazon account.
The ebook(s) will then appear on your Kindle device (or Kindle app) after a few minutes, assuming the device is connected to wifi.
You need already to have an Amazon account.
On a computer, first click on your purchased ebook(s) to download it. Or press Download Ebook(s) to download a .zip file which you then need to unzip before proceeding.
Disconnect your device, and the book should be on your Kindle device’s home screen.
Drop us a line
Follow us on Twitter
Like us on Facebook