crime-fiction, terrorists, relics, hypnosis, false-information, falsely-accused, historical-places-events, historical-research, historical-setting, history-and-culture, coercion, espionage, France, foodie, folklore, unputdownable, witty, secrets, military, ex-military, cooperation, relationships, murder, torture, audiobook, local-gossip, local-law-enforcement, local-news, local-politics, international-crimes, international-espionage, suspense, thriller, Europol, Europe, archeological-dig, archaeologist, archaeology*****

Iffy claims against clergy and local citizens who disagree. A woman found dead at the bottom of a famous cliff. A political observer assigned to shadow Bruno. A suspect Arab manuscript. Possible relics from the Knights Templar. Terrorists. Personal problems and a wedding between two noted archaeologists of the area. Lots of things going on and a dramatic conclusion to another Bruno story!
Another unputdownable tale centered around a highly intelligent man who is not interested in fame nor climbing the ladder of police hierarchy.
Voice actor Robert Ian MacKenzie is excellent with interpretation and character definition, and superior in the rolling tones of French pronunciations.

This is another worthy addition to Martin Walker’s series of books featuring the wonderful Bruno, Chief of police in the Dordogne town of St. Denis. As with its predecessors, Walker manages a deft combination of substantial and plausible plot with descriptions of the glorious Périgord countryside, insights into the region’s extensive history, and a selection of mouth-watering dishes.

Martin Walker always manages to find a new twist for his narrative approach, which this time revolves around the presence of Amélie, an ambitious young magistrate on secondment from Paris, who has been assigned to shadow Bruno for a couple of weeks. Initially opposed to what he considers an unwarranted imposition, Bruno quickly appreciates that he can learn a lot from Amélie’s more sophisticated approach to investigation, and in particular her deft deployment of social media and nigh tech gadgetry. Amélie is, however, also quick to acknowledge that the exchange of idea is reciprocal, and she is impressed by the pragmatic approach that Bruno adopts, recognising the value of police intervention as a preventive measure to defray future offending, rather than solely in reaction to crimes that have occurred.

They are almost immediately called out to one of the many local sites of historic interest with links to the Knights Templar, where a body has been found at the foot of a cliff and beneath what appears to a freshly graffitied slogan. There are no papers on the body to identify the dead woman, although Amélie uses her skills with social media to secure an initial identification. However, the mystery surrounding the dead woman is merely the start, and Bruno and Amélie find themselves pitched into a case that rapidly expands into several complex and sensitive areas.

Despite this, however, Bruno still manages to prepare some of his magical meals, and we see further glimpses of the joy of life in the Périgord area. ( )

3.5* ( )

Another bright attractive woman enters Bruno's life. This time to shadow his activities and learn about his philosophy of policing. A mysterious death at a former Templar's site evolves quickly into another web of international intrigue. This provides an interesting background for Bruno's main activity; planning and participating in the nuptials of two senior and longtime friends.
We learn much about the Templars and more about the history and caves of the Dordogne. All with a soupcon of French regional cooking and recipes with local wines rampant and flowing. Lots of Bruno-flavored detecting and a grand finale with helos, machine guns, grenades, and Islamic terrorists.

This series continues to provide excellent stories with an interesting cast and locus. ( )

The apparently accidental death of a woman spraying graffiti on a cliff below a medieval castle becomes more complicated when the authorities learn that the dead woman was an activist and an archaeologist with a far-fetched theory that suddenly becomes more plausible after her death. Once again, St. Denis municipal policeman and army veteran Bruno is seconded to the Brigadier since the case has international implications. Bruno is also being shadowed by a Haitian lawyer and aspiring politician who is writing a report on municipal policing. Even though she is there only to observe, Amélie’s social media and internet searching skills prove helpful in the investigation. Meanwhile, Bruno is preparing for the wedding of his archaeologist friends, Horst and Clothilde.

This series has settled into a predictable but entertaining formula, where criminals and/or terrorists descend on the Dordogne and divert Bruno’s attention from St. Denis’s minor police matters to international affairs. It walks a fine line between thriller and cozy village mystery, with just enough from each genre to tempt readers out of their comfort zones. It’s nice to see familiar faces from earlier books in the series make an appearance in this book. However, readers, should beware that these appearances generally come with spoilery references to their first appearance in the series. ( )