Inspiration from Brittany

By the time you read this I’ll be in the tiny fishing village of Port Manec’h in the south of Finistère, near France’s equivalent of Lands’ End, Pointe du Raz.

We are here at the invitation of my French friend Dominique who with her husband Philippe owns a lovely holiday cottage in Port Manec’h.

What a wonderful opportunity this is! – not only to try and resurrect my rusty French, but also to enjoy the glorious coastal and riverside scenery and the other treasures of Brittany with its turbulent history.

I’m hoping, too, that this time spent in the region of Névez will be a great inspiration to me as a writer. The novelist Jean-Luc Banalec sets his Inspector Dupin murder mystery novels in Névez, and says, I am constantly inspired  when I’m here…. I write my books here and they are a declaration of love to Brittany.

And it certainly seems Brittany itself is a major character in his scenarios:

Steeped in the enchanting atmosphere of Brittany and peppered with wry humor, Murder on Brittany Shores: A Mystery is a superbly plotted mystery that marks the return of Jean-Luc Bannalec’s international bestselling series starring the cantankerous, coffee-swigging Commissaire Dupin.

Ten miles off the coast of Brittany lie the fabled Glénan Islands. Boasting sparkling white sands and crystal-clear waters, they seem perfectly idyllic, until one day in May, three bodies wash up on shore. At first glance the deaths appear accidental, but as the identities of the victims come to light, Commissaire Dupin is pulled back into action for a case of what seems to be cold-blooded murder.

Ever viewed as an outsider in a region full of myths and traditions, Dupin finds himself drawn deep into the history of the land. To get to the bottom of the case, he must tangle with treasure hunters, militant marine biologists, and dangerous divers. The investigation leads him further into the perilous, beautiful world of Glénan, as he discovers that there’s more to the picturesque islands than meets the eye.

I hope that when I walk on those white sands in the Glénan archipelago, I’ll be as inspired as Jean-Luc Bannalec, perhaps, for the setting of one of my future novels!