The Dordogne village of St Denis is tearing itself apart. Can Chief of Police Bruno keep it together in this gripping new crime novel?

The Dordogne town of St Denis may be picturesque and sleepy, but it has more than its fair share of mysteries, as Bruno knows all too well.

But when Bruno is invited to the 90th birthday of a powerful local patriarch - a war hero with high-level political connections in France, Russia and Israel - he encounters a family with more secrets than even he had imagined. When one of the other guests is found dead the next morning and the family try to cover it up, Bruno knows it's his duty to prevent the victim from becoming just another skeleton in their closet. Even if his digging reveals things Bruno himself would rather keep buried.

Meanwhile, very modern battles are being fought in St Denis between hunters defending their traditions and environmentalists protecting local wildlife. Neither side, it seems, is above the use of violent tactics.

At the centre of it all, Bruno must use all his cunning and character to protect his community's future from its present - and its past.

"Brings all the beauty of la France profonde vibrantly alive" - Irish Independent on Sunday

"The perfect holiday read" - Shiny New Books

"Intricate and clever" - Sydney Morning Herald

"Walker is brilliant at capturing the murderous charms of rural France . . . the setting is undeniably delicious" - Mirror

"The Bruno series . . . is highly assured, full of quirky touches and characterised with real exuberance" - Good Book Guide

About the Author
Martin Walker is a prize-winning journalist and the author of several acclaimed works of non-fiction, including The Cold War: A History. He lives in the Dordogne and Washington, DC.