3.5*

This 4th book in the Bruno Courrèges series highlights the archeological treasures of the Perigord region as well as the foie gras industry. The main action however involves the possibility of Basque terrorists in the area targeting a meeting between French & Spanish government ministers. Of course, with ministerial involvement comes the Brigidier and Isabelle... To make things even more hectic for Bruno, there is a new and young magistrate to contend with.

One aspect of the case seemed fairly obvious to me. Bruno, though having some suspicions, didn't manage to act on them in time to prevent tragedy, though he did manage to prevent an international incident. On the personal side, it seems like Bruno's lover may be about to exit the series, which would be a shame as I liked having her Engish perspective (and her character made a good excuse for the author to explain certain French customs or dishes etc.). ( )

Martin Walker’s series of novels about Bruno Courrêges, head of the police in the small Dordogne town of St Denis, is proving to be one of my greatest recent discoveries, and this latest (fourth) instalment does not disappoint.

Bruno is greatly loved in the community. In addition to his role as policeman, he also runs rugby and tennis training sessions for the neighbourhood’s youngsters, makes his own wine, and joins expeditions hunting for wild boar. However, I think the key to his popularity is his pragmatic approach. While he is eager to uphold law and order, he is also keen to try to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes avoiding the deployment of the machinery of law when perpetrators of small offences are identified.

In this novel, archaeologists looking for evidence of early hominids of the Cro-Magnon period find the remains of what appears to be a family from the Cro-Magnon period. They arrange for press conferences to share the news of their discovery which they believe will set the archaeological and anthropological communities alight. In a nearby grave they also uncover another skeleton. Unfortunately for them, this separate body is clearly of much more recent vintage as it is still wearing a Swatch. Further investigation reveals that the person had died with a gunshot wound to the head. Meanwhile, a couple of local farms are subject to what appear to be ecoterrorist attacks.

Bruno sets the formal investigation in motion, although he has a lot on his plate. A summit between the French Minister for the Interior and his Spanish counterpart has been arranged, and St Denis had been chosen as the venue. This requires close liaison between the French and Spanish security forces, and Bruno is sequestered to help with arrangements, sharing his local knowledge. These arrangements are particularly fraught as there has recently been a resurgence of activity involving the Basque separatist group ETA, which is perceived as a significant threat to the summit.

This certainly gives the novel enough potential for a gripping storyline, although Walker also adds Bruno’s personal life into the mix. As the novel opens, he is loosely involved with Pamela, a British expat who runs a local stable, but he is still desolate over his previous relationship with Isabel, who has returned to Paris where she works for the security forces. These factors will also paly their part as the story unfolds.

As always, Walker manages the plot very dextrously. There are several different strands here, all of which are plausibly developed, and intertwined. His characters are well observed and eminently believable.

Four novels in, I am enjoying this series immensely, and looking forward to working my way through the remaining instalments. ( )

An archaeologist's discovery of Cro-Magnon and Neanderthal era burials combined with a modern era skeleton made for a very interesting mystery. Character development is very strong in Walker's novels. The evocative descriptions of French cooking and the countryside created a wonderful story in which to lose one's self. The plot twists were good reveals with subtle 'tells' to tease the reader. ( )

Near St. Denis, archaeologists digging in remains from thousands of years ago unearth a body just decades old. It's just as well that murder is outside the scope of Bruno Courrèges's duties as St. Denis's municipal policeman. Once again, Bruno has been seconded by a ministry agency, this time to help with security preparations for a summit between French and Spanish ministers regarding a Basque terrorist group. Bruno does need to find time to investigate vandalism targeted at some of St. Denis's small geese farms that produce the regional specialty, foie gras. He'll be hindered in this by the town's new magistrate, who is known to sympathize with environmental causes. Bruno's work with the ministry will once again bring his ex-lover, Isabelle, back into his life, just at the time that his current lover, Pamela, is called home to Scotland.

Bruno's colleagues and neighbors seem like old friends now, and I think I would recognize many of them if I ran into them in the streets of St. Denis. Although I enjoyed spending time in St. Denis, I was annoyed by some of the weaknesses in this book. Most of us have to juggle several responsibilities in real life, so Bruno's multiple cases aren't unusual in that respect. However, it strains credulity that all of them would turn out to be related. Also, I'm beginning to tire of Bruno's love life. Bruno and Isabelle parted because her career took her to Paris, while Bruno loves his rural life. But since Isabelle's job sends her back to St. Denis and Bruno every few weeks, it seems like maybe they could make their relationship work. ( )

PETA activists target a couple of local farms participating in the foie gras business. Bruno decides the activists may be among students participating in an archaeological dig. They make an important discovery but they also uncover some newer remains. Bruno knows the remains must be before his time because he knows of no one missing. The new magistrate agrees with the activists, and there are some comic elements as the locals teach her the ins and outs of working with them. Pamela's mom suffers serious illness resulting in her being in Scotland. Isabelle, recovering from her injury and adjusting to her prosthetics, finds herself in St. Denis to assist with a political summit. All these threads work together to yield a mostly satisfying installment. Why did the dog have to die? I look forward to the next in series to catch up with everyone in St. Denis. I listened to the audiobook. ( )