Bruno, Chief Of Police by Martin Walker

 

Bruno is the Chief of Police in a small town in the South of France.  It is an undemanding job which suits Bruno fine after his time in the military and the fighting he did there.  He believes in talking through situations rather than jumping to arrests and his true joy comes in coaching the town's tennis and rugby teams, letting him know the children of the town before they grow up and cause mischief.  He also delights in cooking and wine and female companionship.

But Bruno's easy routine is about to be interrupted.  An elderly man, a North African immigrant who fought in the French Army, has been murdered, a swastika carved on his chest.  Who would have done such a thing?  Was it someone who was against the Muslim religion?  Someone against immigration?  A personal motive? With anti-immigrant feeling rising in France, the government determines this to be a highly sensitive case and sends a female inspector to work with Bruno to solve the case.  Can they do so before more murders occur?

This is the first in Martin Walker's series about Bruno, which currently sits at nineteen novels.  There is a lot of character development and background setting in this one, as Walker attempts to bring the reader into an environment they would normally not encounter.  Bruno believes in diplomacy rather than strict enforcement and looks out for the town and its inhabitants as a loving father would.  This book is recommended for mystery readers.