Bruno, Chief of Police Book

Bruno (real name Benoît Courrèges), chief of police, is a complex man, with an agreeable personality, has a sense of humor, a fierce loyalty to his village- St Denis, with 3000 inhabitants-and a keen nose for detail. He has empathy and guts, patience and understanding. Above all, he is a beloved, but also a seriously underestimated policeman.

The rugby team is much more than a sports team; Bruno's loyalty demands that the village market is protected against the E.U. hygiene inspectors; children needs to be trained in tennis and yes, rugby. It's quite elementary my dear Watson: if he gets to know them as five-year-olds, he will know how to handle them as teenagers. More importantly, they will get to know their police chief and reconsider their wicket activities later in their lives. Then there is the village parades to be organized and the enjoyment of the obligatory leisurely lunches afterwards. That is, when he doesn't cook, can, or bake his own food.

When an old, respected war hero, Hamid al-Bakr, is brutally murdered, and his exsanguinated body is found by his grandson, the quirky inhabitants all become suspects. Revolt is threatening. The tourism industry is in danger. The politicians are nervous.

The swastika carved onto the victims torso takes the high profile investigation team to a dark place in French history where old sins breed fresh heartbreak

This is the first Martin Walker that I have read and it was an entertaining, adventurous, informative, dramatic, and excellent read. His writing style of bringing serious issues, really dark history and daily experiences to the table, without a neurotic, dark undercurrant, works in his favor, in my book at least.

The richness of the French countryside, the cultures, people, politics, geography and everything as French as it possibly can get, is splashed out over the sinister murder case. The ending simply celebrates Viva La France!

In this quiet village, all events are handled differently. "... there were some problems beyond human solution, but none beyond human kindness." If all his books is like this one, he will be the number one crime-series writer in my book, with my sincere apologize to Louise Penny, but that's just how it is.