Martin Walker’s Bruno Chief of Police Series

Love a good mystery? Look no further than Martin Walker’s Bruno Chief of Police series of novels. I’ve worked my way through the entire series this spring while waiting for my elbow to heal. Each book stands alone, although I recommend reading them in order as much as possible as Bruno has a life outside of his police work that unfolds as the series progresses.

We meet Benoît (Bruno) Courrèges in the first novel of the series. He’s the Chief of Police in the fictional village of St Denis in France’s Périgord region. Bruno is an orphan, and a veteran of the Balkan Wars. He has totally embraced the country life. He hunts with his dog, Gigi. He fishes and he mediates the disputes (some petty, some more serious) of the citizens of the town. Despite his military training, he rarely carries his weapon (although he’s prepared to use it) and he tries to find a solution that doesn’t involve arresting anyone. In between his duties to the town and his many activities within the community, Bruno finds time to manage a garden and has gained a reputation as a very good cook. Bruno is ready to settle down and start a family with the right woman. He meets several women over the course of the novels who are perfect for him in every other way except the desire for a family. As a woman, it has been interesting to read about romance from a man’s point of view.

It wouldn’t be a mystery without a crime and similar to Cabot Cove from Murder She Wrote, stuff seems to happen in and around St Denis. In the opening novel an old Algerian man is murdered in a brutal fashion. Over the course of solving the crime we learn quite a bit about French politics and the lingering resentments held by those old enough to remember Vichy France and the wars in Algeria and Vietnam. Other novels deal with Basque terrorists, spies, environmental politics and human trafficking. There’s also a great discussion of how well meaning laws from the European Union are threatening the way of life in Bruno’s valley.

Food, wine and the traditions surrounding their production also feature heavily in the books and are so well described that fans of the series clamored for a cookbook. Many of the recipes and a travel guide of the region can be found on Bruno’s website (maintained by the author’s daughter.)

Martin Walker’s writing style is engaging and the historical and political elements are explained in a way that enhances the story and gives depth to the actions of the characters. Those looking for a read in which to submerge themselves will find the Bruno series to be just the ticket.

Currently there are 10 full length novels with the eleventh due to publish in June 2018. There are also a few novellas and short stories. I’ve linked to the first four full length novels in order below: