A Telegram from Le Touquet

Nigel Derry visits his aunt Gwenny for an Easter holiday, but is soon embroiled in a murder mystery when his aunt is invited to join her in the south of France. Inspector Blampignon of the Surete Nationale is on the case, but the crime may have occurred hundreds of miles away from where the victim was discovered.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 10 March 2024
Publisher: British Library Publishing

As he walked away from the phone, Blampignon's massive countenance was etched with a puzzled expression. His thoughts were swirling with a mix of confusion and intrigue. "Le Touquet again!" he muttered under his breath. Nigel Derry approached the country house of his enigmatic and unpredictable aunt, Gwenny, with a sense of trepidation. After a tense few days filled with awkward dinners and a knife fight, Gwenny abruptly departed for Europe, leaving her guests in a state of bewilderment. However, a telegram from Le Touquet arrived, inviting Nigel to join Gwenny in the south of France. Despite his initial reservations, Nigel found himself on a vacation that was cut short by a murderous incident. A cold shadow of suspicion cast its dark presence over the sunny beauty of the Cote d'Azur.

Enter Inspector Blampignon of the Surete Nationale, whose plate was already full with a plethora of problems. The case presented itself as a rare and spirited mystery, with the victim being discovered hundreds of miles away from where the crime had supposedly taken place. Undeterred by the challenges, Blampignon embarked on a thrilling race to uncover the truth in this captivating novel, which was first published in 1956.

As he delved deeper into the investigation, Blampignon encountered a series of unexpected twists and turns. The clues seemed to lead him in all directions, but he remained steadfast in his pursuit of the truth. With his keen intellect and unwavering determination, Blampignon pieced together the fragments of the puzzle, gradually unraveling the mystery that had haunted the Cote d'Azur for so long.

In the end, Blampignon emerged victorious, revealing the shocking truth behind the murder. The case had been a complex web of lies and deceit, with the culprit hiding in plain sight. The revelation sent shockwaves through the community, and Blampignon was hailed as a hero for his unwavering dedication to justice.

As Nigel bid farewell to the picturesque town of Le Touquet, he couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude for the unforgettable adventure that had unfolded before him. The case of the murdered woman in the Cote d'Azur had become a personal journey for him, one that had tested his limits and pushed him to his intellectual and emotional boundaries. He knew that he would never forget the lessons he had learned during his time in France, and the memory of Inspector Blampignon would always be etched in his mind as a symbol of bravery and perseverance.

Weight: 240g
Dimension: 131 x 190 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780712355353