Bruno Courreges is the chief of police in St. Denis, a small village in the Dordogne region of France. When an elderly Arab gentleman is viciously murdered in his cottage, Bruno immediately suspects a hate crime and begins to investigate the National Front, a right-wing organization known for their abhorrence of immigrants. Soon, Bruno is pushed aside by bigwigs from Paris who want to take charge of this high-profile crime. Bruno, however, knows the locals and the village so well that he proceeds to solve the case single-handedly. This novel seems at first to be mystery-lite. The main draw of the book is its descriptions of the local area and its “Frenchiness”. Bruno is a wonderful character who I’ve included on my short-list of literary dream men (which also includes Dawsey Adams from the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society). I quite loved reading about his bravery, his intelligence, and his skill with a spatula. I also enjoyed reading about the quirkiness of the proudly French characters. Though there are definite aspects of the cozy mystery about this book, Walker does illuminate the problems facing modern France and doesn't spare the reader a look at the dark side of French society. The crime itself is tied to a particularly heinous event in French history. If you like mysteries that are not violent or dark, but aren't too sweet either, or if you like mysteries with a lot of local color, try Bruno, Chief of Police. -Anbolyn (Downtown)
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