Inspector Evariste Clovis Desire Pel is the French police detective in Mark Hebden’s Burgundy mysteries. He is an irritable, health-conscious investigator whose complaints and impatience sit alongside persistent police work.
The series begins with Pel and the Parked Car, also published as Death Set to Music, and runs for 25 novels. Its cases draw on the routines, officials, villages, and local disputes of a fictional Burgundy city based on Dijon. Read in publication order for Pel’s continuing work and home life from the first case onward.
Reading Order#
See the complete Inspector Pel reading order for all books in the series.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of detective is Inspector Pel?
Pel is a cantankerous, chain-smoking French police inspector based in Burgundy. He worries constantly about his health, complains about everything, and has little patience for his subordinates. But beneath his gruff exterior, he is a brilliant detective who refuses to let any case go unsolved.
What is Inspector Pel's full name?
His full name is Evariste Clovis Desire Pel. He is a Chief Inspector in the French police, based in a city modeled on Dijon in the Burgundy region of France.
Who created the character of Inspector Pel?
Mark Hebden, a pen name of British writer John Harris, created Pel. The series begins with Pel and the Parked Car, also published as Death Set to Music, in 1979.