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and life along the winding road

Friday, November 23, 2012

Bruno, Chief of Police by Martin Walker

I'm always on the lookout for books (and new authors) and came across Bruno, Chief of Police at a local YMCA resale shop. Martin Walker has also written many nonfiction books including The Iraq War, The Cold War and Martin Walker's Russia. His research skills are evident in Bruno, Chief of Police and in addition to giving us a glimpse into present day rural France, he also delves into the immigration problems and the struggles of France during the WWII Occupation. Mr. Walker is a master weaver of this murder mystery and Bruno is a likable character who cares deeply for the residents in his small French village.

From the Cover:
Meet Benoit Courreges, aka Bruno, a policeman in a small village in the South of France. He's a former soldier who has embraced the pleasures and slow rhythms of country life. He lives in a restored shepherd's cottage, shops at the local market, and distills his own vin de noix. He has a gun, but never wears it; he has the power to arrest but never uses it. Most of his police work involves helping local farmers - his friends and neighbors. But then the murder of an elderly North African who fought in the French army changes all that. Now Bruno must balance his beloved routines with an investigation that opens wounds from the dark years of Nazi occupation and he soon discovers that even his seemingly perfect corner of la belle France is not exempt from his country's past.