Martin Walker, Bruno: Chief of Police

Bruno Chief of Police

Martin Walker

Knopf, Mar 24 2009, $24.95

ISBN: 9780307270177

In rustic Perigord, France, Police Officer Benoit "Bruno" Courreges is very popular amidst the villagers mostly for his lifestyle; he lives like they do in a shepherd's cottage and shopping at the local market. As a cop he has arresting authority, but never uses it as his presence leads to guilt and everyone behaving. He assumes his most significant job is to protect the local merchants and farms from the European Union pests.

However, a homicide of an elderly French WWII veteran from Algeria upsets the former soldier turned village cop. The murder is bad enough, but the swastika carved on the victim's chest angers Bruno. As he investigates a horde of homicide detectives and crime experts from Paris try to take over the case from him, but he refuses to allow them to lead. Initially members of the violent anti-immigrant National Front are the prime suspects, but soon with a help of a scholar, Bruno begins to look back to WWII for the culprit.

The second Porigord thriller (see THE CAVES OF PORIGORD) is a super investigative cozy that brings to life a small rustic village. The villagers including Bruno are priceless as their eccentricity and their outlook towards the EU as unwelcome intruders forcing the local heroes to be "smugglers" enhance the clever whodunit. Martin Walker cleverly links five decade old transgressions to a modern day homicide as fans will say oui oui to BRUNO CHIEF OF POLICE.

Harriet Klausner