Other editions of book Bruno, Chief of Police: A Novel of the French Countryside

The first installment in the delightful, internationally acclaimed series featuring Chief of Police Bruno.Meet Benoît Courrèges, aka Bruno, a policeman in a small village in the South of France. He’s a former soldier who has embraced the pleasures and slow rhythms of country life. He has a gun but never wears it; he has the power to arrest but never uses it. But then the murder of an elderly North African who fought in the French army changes all that. Now Bruno must balance his beloved routines—living in his restored shepherd’s cottage, shopping at the local market, drinking wine, strolling the countryside—with a politically delicate investigation. He’s paired with a young policewoman from Paris and the two suspect anti-immigrant militants. As they learn more about the dead man’s past, Bruno’s suspicions turn toward a more complex motive."Enjoyable.... Martin Walker plots with the same finesse with which Bruno can whip up a truffle omelette, and both have a clear appreciation for a life tied to the land." —The Christian Science Monitor"A nice literary pairing with the slow-food movement.... [It is] lovely...to linger at the table." —Entertainment Weekly"A wonderfully crafted novel as satisfying as a French pastry but with none of the guilt or calories." —Tuscon Citizen's Journal

The first three cases for Bruno, Chief of Police of St Denis in the Dordogne. The perfect escapist read for a winter's night. 'The Maigret of the Dordogne' - Antony BeevorDEATH IN THE DORDOGNEBruno investigates the death of a local North African patriarch, in a case whose solution may lie in that most fraught part of recent French history: the Second World War. St Denis was part of Vichy France, with a strong Resistance movement. Will the people of St Denis allow Bruno to dig up their past in order to find the killer?THE DARK VINEYARDA Californian wine producer is planning to set up a wine-making business in the St Denis valley. The locals aren't happy, and when a violent death occurs at the vineyard, Bruno will have to draw on all his local knowledge to reach the truth.BLACK DIAMONDThe black truffles of the Dordogne are world-famous and extremely valuable. But their price is being driven down by cheaper, adulterated truffles from China, and it seems Chinese organised crime is behind the fraud. A vicious murder in St Denis points Bruno in the direction of the scam. Will he be able to sniff out the culprit, and find the killer?'A satisfyingly intriguing, wish-you-were-here read' Guardian

The first installment in a wonderful new series that follows the exploits of Benoît Courrèges, a policeman in a small French village where the rituals of the café still rule. Bruno—as he is affectionately nicknamed—may be the town’s only municipal policeman, but in the hearts and minds of its denizens, he is chief of police.Bruno is a former soldier who has embraced the pleasures and slow rhythms of country life—living in his restored shepherd’s cottage; patronizing the weekly market; sparring with, and basically ignoring, the European Union bureaucrats from Brussels. He has a gun but never wears it; he has the power to arrest but never uses it. But then the murder of an elderly North African who fought in the French army changes everything and galvanizes Bruno’s attention: the man was found with a swastika carved into his chest.Because of the case’s potential political ramifications, a young policewoman is sent from Paris to aid Bruno with his investigation. The two immediately suspect militants from the anti-immigrant National Front, but when a visiting scholar helps to untangle the dead man’s past, Bruno’s suspicions turn toward a more complex motive. His investigation draws him into one of the darkest chapters of French history—World War II, a time of terror and betrayal that set brother against brother. Bruno soon discovers that even his seemingly perfect corner of la belle France is not exempt from that period’s sinister legacy.Bruno, Chief of Police is deftly dark, mesmerizing, and totally engaging.

Bruno, Chief of Police:A Recipe for Success• Take a rural commune in the heart of the Dordogne and a one-man police department by the name of Bruno.• Add a brutal murder with the hallmarks of a racial crime against immigrant workers from North Africa.• Season with clues that point to unsettled feuds from the Nazi legacy of the Second World War.• Serve with Gallic charm in all good bookshops as the first book in a brilliant crime fiction series.Set in the street markets, cobbled squares, vineyards and farmland of the Dordogne area of France, Bruno, Chief of Police features Captain Bruno Courrèges, a man as charming and eccentric as he is wise. A formidable investigator, Bruno must rise to the challenge when the head of an Algerian family is murdered and the peace of Bruno’s beloved village of St. Denis is shattered. Racism is the obvious conclusion, and the son of a local doctor who is caught playing sex games surrounded by Nazi paraphernalia is the immediate suspect. But Bruno knows his people well and sees a more complex explanation lurking in the memories and unsettled feuds of the German occupation.This addictively readable novel, filled with the sights and sounds—and politics—of the French countryside, launches a stunning new crime fiction series.

The first installment in a wonderful new series that follows the exploits of Benoît Courrèges, a policeman in a small French village where the rituals of the café still rule. Bruno—as he is affectionately nicknamed—may be the town’s only municipal policeman, but in the hearts and minds of its denizens, he is chief of police.Bruno is a former soldier who has embraced the pleasures and slow rhythms of country life—living in his restored shepherd’s cottage; patronizing the weekly market; sparring with, and basically ignoring, the European Union bureaucrats from Brussels. He has a gun but never wears it; he has the power to arrest but never uses it. But then the murder of an elderly North African who fought in the French army changes everything and galvanizes Bruno’s attention: the man was found with a swastika carved into his chest.Because of the case’s potential political ramifications, a young policewoman is sent from Paris to aid Bruno with his investigation. The two immediately suspect militants from the anti-immigrant National Front, but when a visiting scholar helps to untangle the dead man’s past, Bruno’s suspicions turn toward a more complex motive. His investigation draws him into one of the darkest chapters of French history—World War II, a time of terror and betrayal that set brother against brother. Bruno soon discovers that even his seemingly perfect corner of la belle France is not exempt from that period’s sinister legacy.Bruno, Chief of Police is deftly dark, mesmerizing, and totally engaging.

A Recipe for Success• Take a rural commune in the heart of the Dordogne and a one-man police department by the name of Bruno.• Add a brutal murder with the hallmarks of a racial crime against immigrant workers from North Africa.• Season with clues that point to unsettled feuds from the Nazi legacy of World War II.• Serve with Gallic charm in all good bookshops as the first book in a brilliant crime fiction series.Set in the street markets, cobbled squares, vineyards and farmland of the Dordogne area of France, Bruno, Chief of Police features Captain Bruno Courrèges, a man as charming and eccentric as he is wise. A formidable investigator, Bruno must rise to the challenge when the head of an Algerian family is murdered and the peace of Bruno's beloved village of St. Denis is shattered. Racism is the obvious conclusion, and the son of a local doctor who is caught playing sex games surrounded by Nazi paraphernalia is the immediate suspect. But Bruno knows his people well and sees a more complex explanation lurking in the memories and unsettled feuds of the German occupation.This addictively readable novel, filled with the sights and sounds -- and politics -- of the French countryside, launches a stunning new crime fiction series.