The Dordogne Mysteries by Martin Walker are an international sensation. Bruno, Chief of Police in St Denis, south west France, doesn't have the peaceful life you might imagine. Murder, arson, human trafficking... don't miss out on the intrigue.
Titles in this set:
- Death in the Dordogne
- The Dark Vineyard
- Black Diamond
- The Crowded Grave
Death in the Dordogne
Market day in the ancient town of St Denis in south-west France. EU hygiene inspectors have been swooping on France's markets, while the locals hide contraband cheese in their houses and call the Brussels bureaucrats 'Gestapo'. Local police chief Bruno supports their resistance. Although, here in what was once Vichy France, words like 'Gestapo' and 'resistance' still carry a profound resonance.
The Dark Vineyard
Just before dawn one summer morning Bruno is summoned by the wail of the siren in the little town of St Denis in the Perigord. A fire is raging in a local barn and spreading to the surrounding fields. When Bruno arrives at the scene, the smell of petrol leaves no doubt - it was arson. Meanwhile, a Californian producer wants to set up a wine-making business in the valley.
Black Diamond
In St Denis market, a Vietnamese family has been selling their dishes for years, until their stall is wrecked by attackers who look Chinese. Again it appears that organised crime is behind the outrage, firing the opening shots of a Viet-Chinese triad war. When vicious murder, illegal immigration and the importation of underage girls for prostitution are added to the mix, Bruno has his work cut out.
The Crowded Grave
Life in the Dordogne isn't full of the charming peace that you might imagine. In St Denis a summit in a local château is threatened by Basque separatists, animal rights campaigners are causing havoc and it's about to get worse.A local archaeological team unearths a well-preserved skeleton. Yet it's a lot more recent than they'd hoped - boasting a Swatch on its wrist and a bullet-hole in its skull.