When the town of Sarlat stages a reenactment of its liberation from the British in the Hundred Years War, the play's French hero, Brice Kerquelin, is stabbed and feared fatally wounded. Was the stabbing the result of a prop malfunction or something more sinister? The wounded man is in line for the top job in the French intelligence service after all.
Bruno Courrèges is given the task of protecting the victim's two daughters as well as his old Silicon Valley buddies who are in town for a reunion. One of those friends soon goes missing, and Bruno thinks there may be a link to the French government's attempts to build a chip industry in Europe.
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One of the reasons why I enjoy Martin Walker's Bruno, Chief of Police series so much is that I get a non-US view of the world and how a country like France fits into that world. (In A Château Under Siege, I also learned a surprising fact about South Dakota.)
While learning how to stage a historical reenactment, I watched Bruno as he worked to learn who would want to kill Brice Kerquelin. Bruno has his fingers on the pulse of his hometown of St. Denis. He is a vital part of life there; he knows everyone and everyone knows him. That's one of the things that makes him such a good policeman. He's also an excellent coordinator of various French law enforcement and government agencies, which is why he's been given much more responsibility.
But A Château Under Siege isn't merely about working with official departments and solving the mystery. There are also the things that long-time fans of this series have come to love and expect. We meet an adorable six-year-old named Patsy who has a secret friend. We have virtual ringside seats to one of Bruno's homecooked feasts (would they were real!), and we even get to watch Bruno's friends attempt a romantic intervention for their friend.
If you enjoy strong mysteries with a beguiling sense of place and wonderful characters, you need to immerse yourself in the world of Bruno Courrèges, Chief of Police of the village of St. Denis in southwestern France. Bon appétit!
A Château Under Siege by Martin Walker
eISBN: 9780593319819
Knopf © 2023
eBook, 304 pages
Police Procedural, #16 Bruno Chief of Police mystery
Rating: B+
Source: Purchased from Amazon.
This series has so much that I like, Cathy. The setting, the food, the characters... and did I mention the food? I like the fact that these are really intelligent mysteries, too. I like the way Walker weaves in different, larger, questions and issues, but doesn't take away from the story itself.
ReplyDeleteYes, he is a master at doing that, probably as a result of his career as a journalist in different parts of the world. He's a wonderful person to talk with. (Walker sat down and talked with us one evening at The Poisoned Pen-- a good reason to show up early for events!)
DeleteSounds such a great mix
ReplyDeleteIt really is, Mystica.
DeleteIt's been quite a while since I read a Bruno mystery. One of my reading goals for this year should be to catch up on the series.
ReplyDeleteOr at least to read one more. :-)
DeleteI haven't read anything from this series, but your description of Bruno and those side characters make me want to sample something from the series. Are they, do you think, best read in order, or is this a series where the books were well as standalones?
ReplyDeleteYou could probably start anywhere, but I would suggest to begin at the beginning for the character development.
DeleteAh, Bruno! It won't surprise you that I've already read this 😁
ReplyDeleteNot in the least! LOL
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