Pel and the Promised Land

The French atmosphere is as thick as Brie as land speculators threaten the previously untouched province of Burgundy in Hebden's 16th mystery to feature the long-suffering Chief Inspector Pel ( Pel and the Party Spirit , et al.). A rash of arsons, primarily on restricted waterfront property that can then be reclassified for development, sparks Pel's usual blotter of sheep poisonings and smugglings. A Scotland Yard colleague warns him of Welsh bully boys who left behind shifty English land deals for sunny France, and of Carmen Vlaxi, an expatriate Spanish gangster. The murder of the Welsh wife of an impoverished baron draws Pel to the heart of the historic area being torched and into the middle of a wonderfully addled family. Dashing officer Brochard's investigation of another case and his romance with a smuggler's daughter provide vital clues in Pel's paper chase of bureaucratic fiddling that finally leads to the surprise killer. This tale of dour Pel and his merry men, somewhat lacking Hebden's usual seamless flow, was among his last works; he died in 1991. (Dec.)