Martin Walker

Summer in the beautiful Périgord region of southern France, the Dordogne Mysteries are the perfect combination of mystery and escapism. In the little down of St Denis, Bruno is busy organising the annual summer concert. He's hired a local Périgord folk group, Les Troubadours, to perform their latest hit 'A Song for Catalonia'. But when the song goes viral, the Spanish government, clamping down on the Catalonian bid for independence, bans Les Troubadours from performing it. The timing couldn't be worse, and Bruno finds himself under yet more pressure when a specialist sniper's bullet is found in a wrecked car near Bergerac. The car was reportedly stolen on the Spanish frontier and the Spanish government sends warning that a group of nationalist extremists may be planning an assassination in France. Bruno immediately suspects that Les Troubadours and their audience might be in danger. Bruno must organise security and ensure that his beloved town and its people are safe - the stakes are high for France's favourite policeman.'I LOVE BRUNO!' 5* Reader Review'A REAL PAGE-TURNER AND LOTS OF LOCAL COLOUR' 5* Reader Review'ONE OF THE BEST' 5* Reader Review'WELL UP THERE WITH THE BEST OF THE BRUNO NOVELS' 5* Reader Review

Martin Walker's first collection of stories featuring all the familiar characters from his Bruno novels and the glories of the P rigord region of France, with ample helpings of food and wine. "Whether preparing nettle soup, liaising with the Police Nationale or reading boar scat, Bruno remains focused and efficient.... Turn immediately to Martin Walker's new platter of delicious morsels."--The Washington Post After a prisoner breaks parole to see his son on Christmas, Bruno must track him down before he throws away his chance at eventual freedom. When a Senegalese man's coffee sells superbly at the market, some caf owners become incensed by the new competition and take matters into their own hands. As a Swiss tourist and a St. Denis native fall in love over the fruit-and-veggie stall, one of their family members takes drastic steps to break them up. A fledgling tour bus business is sabotaged, leading Bruno to take a closer look at a town love triangle. Called in to investigate a case of stolen oysters, our beloved policeman reunites with an old flame to catch the shellfish thieves. In story after story, Bruno settles town disputes, mediates family quarrels, and tracks down lawbreakers in his adored village of St. Denis and its environs. Featured meals in the collection include a fatty Christmas goose, a savory nettle soup with cr me fra che, and a fluffy quiche Lorraine.

When a musician's new song hits a political nerve, he finds himself in the crosshairs of Spanish nationalists' ire, and it's up to Bruno to track down the extremists who seem ready to take deadly measures, in another delightful installment of the internationally acclaimed series featuring Bruno, Chief of Police. "As usual, Walker concocts a satisfying dish featuring an intriguing lead character who moves through enviable settings and enjoys wonderful meals while tracking down criminals."--BooklistLes Troubadours, a folk music group that Bruno has long supported, go viral with their new number, "Song for Catalonia," when the Spanish government suddenly bans the song. The songwriter, Joel Martin, is a local enthusiast for the old Occitan language of P rigord and the medieval troubadours, and he sympathizes with the Catalan bid for independence. The success of his song provokes outrage among extreme Spanish nationalists. Then, in a stolen car found on a P rigord back road, police discover a distinctive bullet for a state-of-the-art sniper's rifle that can kill at three kilometers, and they fear that Joel might be the intended target. The French and Spanish governments agree to mount a joint operation to stop the assailants, and Bruno is the local man on the spot who mobilizes his resources to track them down. While Bruno tries to keep the peace, his friend Florence reaches out for help. Her abusive ex-husband is about to be paroled from prison and she fears he will return to reclaim their children. Will Bruno and Florence be able to prevent this unwanted visit? Despite the pressures, there is always time for Bruno to savor les plaisirs of the Dordogne around the table with friends.

A bumper collection of delightful stories featuring Bruno, Chief of Police and France's favourite cop, all set in the beautiful Dordogne valley and the ravishing Perigord region of the south west. Here is a landscape of meandering rivers with medieval castles overlooking their banks, of lush hillsides and spreading vineyards, of delicious local wines and world renowned cuisine. With titles like 'The Chocolate War'; 'The Birthday Lunch'; 'Oystercatcher'; 'A Market Tale' and 'Fifty Million Bubbles', you may be sure that champagne and gastronomy will feature as well as cosy crime in 'Dangerous Vacation'. Bruno strides through these tales, staying calm. settling local disputes and keeping safe his beloved town of St Denis. Only on one occasion does he panic: in 'Bruno's Challenge', his friend Ivan, proprietor and chef of the town's popular eatery, suddenly collapses on the eve of a large anniversary dinner, and he asks Bruno to take over the restaurant. After a few protests followed by some deep breaths, the inimitable Bruno meets his challenge and saves the day.

Murder mystery starring Bruno, France's favourite policeman, plus food and wine, great characters and sunshine and everything that's wonderful about the Dordogne.'RICH ON LOCAL COLOUR' THE TIMESFor thirty years, Bruno's boss, Chief of Detectives Jalipeau, known as J-J, has been obsessed with his first case. It was never solved and Bruno knows that this failure continues to haunt J-J. A young male body was found in the woods near St Denis and never identified. For all these years, J-J has kept the skull as a reminder. He calls him 'Oscar'. Visiting the famous pre-history museum in nearby Les Eyzies, Bruno sees some amazingly life-like heads expertly reconstructed from ancient skulls. He suggests performing a similar reconstruction on Oscar as a first step towards at last identifying him. An expert is hired to start the reconstruction and the search for Oscar's killer begins again in earnest.'DOLLOPS OF THE GOOD LIFE IN RURAL FRANCE SPICED UP WITH INTERNATIONAL INTRIGUE' IRISH INDEPENDENT'UNRIVALED AT INTERWEAVING THE PROFESSIONAL AND PRIVATE PURSUITS OF A THOROUGH LIKABLE COP' DAILY MAIL

Teine raamat naudingut pakkuvast ja rahvusvahelist tunnustust kogunud sarjast, mille peategelane on politseiülem Bruno. Kui Saint-Denis's maandub seltskond veinimeistreid, kes võistlevad maatükkide pärast ja keerutavad kohalike seas pahameelt üles, satub idülliline linnake -, kus Benoit "Bruno" Courreges on ainuke politseinik - palavikulise draama keskmesse, samal ajal kui põllumajanduslikus uurimisjaamas, kus tegeletakse geneetiliselt muundatud kultuuridega, hakkavad kahtlastel asjaoludel tulekahjud puhkema. Kaks noormeest - keskkonnakaitseaktivist Max, kes loodab maheveini toota, ja Fernando, ühe Ameerika veinimoguli pärija - saavad rivaalideks, kui Quebecist saabub linnakesse koketeeriv veinimeistri õpilane Jacqueline. Sündmused kisuvad süngeks, kulmineerudes kahe kahtlase surmaga, ja Burno avastab, et praegusaja probleemid pole endisaegsetest kuigi erinevad.2020. aasta parima krimiautori järgmine raamat.

St Denis's on midagi ohtlikku teoksil. Muidu nii unist külakest tabavad mõnenädalase vahega rünnakud Vietnami kaubitsejate vastu, kohaliku Aasia restorani põleng ja ebakvaliteetsete Hiina trühvlite smugeldamine kohalikule turule. See kõik ähvardab Dordogne'i trühvliäri, mille käive on miljoneid dollareid aastas ning tõotab meisterkokale, pühendunud veinisõbrale - ja mis kõige tähtsam - armastatud politseiülemale Benoit "Bruno" Courreges'ile suuri jamasid. Kui mõrvatakse hinnatud trühvliekspert, üks Bruno jahikaaslastest, muutub oluliselt keerulisemaks ka St Denis' ümber lahtirulluvate hämarate sündmuste lahendamine. Bruno semu polnud üksnes Prantsuse delikatesside asjatundja, vaid ka endine kõrgema järgu luureagent, ning ilmselt soovis keegi ta surma. Kummaliste kuritegude jätkudes pillutab detektiivitöö Brunot päikeselistelt turgudelt hämaratesse kohvikutesse, luksuslikelt pidusöökidelt pingelistele läbirääkimistele - piirkonna kõikvõimalikest paradiislikest naudingutest hämarasse allilma - ja viib ta kokku ühe kaotatud armsamaga, kes on sama juhtumi peale määratud ambitsioonikas politseinik." Must teemant", kus leidub rikkalikult toitu ja veini (sealhulgas, bien sur, palju-palju trühvleid) ning ka kübeke romantikat, on hõrgult meelelahutuslik segu rohketest raskustest ja rõõmudest, mida Dordogne'is võib kohata. Politseiülem Bruno kolmas juhtum.

Capturing the magic of the Dordogne and its people, the Dordogne Mysteries are worldwide bestsellers. Featuring Bruno, France's favourite policeman, along with gourmet food and wine, local colour, sunshine and murder mystery, no wonder they are so popular.'RICH ON LOCAL COLOUR' THE TIMES'DOLLOPS OF THE GOOD LIFE IN RURAL FRANCE SPICED UP WITH INTERNATIONAL INTRIGUE' IRISH INDEPENDENT'UNRIVALED AT INTERWEAVING THE PROFESSIONAL AND PRIVATE PURSUITS OF A THOROUGH LIKABLE COP' DAILY MAILBruno Courreges is Chief of Police of the lovely town of St Denis in the Dordogne. His main wish is to keep the local people safe and his town free from crime. But crime has a way of finding its way to him. For thirty years, Bruno's boss, Chief of Detectives Jalipeau, known as J-J, has been obsessed with his first case. It was never solved and Bruno knows that this failure continues to haunt J-J. A young male body was found in the woods near St Denis and never identified. For all these years, J-J has kept the skull as a reminder. He calls him 'Oscar'. Visiting the famous pre-history museum in nearby Les Eyzies, Bruno sees some amazingly life-like heads expertly reconstructed from ancient skulls. He suggests performing a similar reconstruction on Oscar as a first step towards at last identifying him. An expert is hired to start the reconstruction and the search for Oscar's killer begins again in earnest.