0 of 2 copies available
When Abby, an American archaeologist, arrives in St. Denis on the heels of her divorce, she hopes to make a new life for herself as a specialist guide for visiting tourists. So when a local British couple discover a grave from World War II on their property, Abby is able to put her training to good use. As it turns out, in the grave are the remains of two German women and an Italian submarine office who had a big secret to hide: the women are suspected of having had links to the German garrison in Bordeaux during the war. It's up to Bruno, just recovered from a gunshot wound earlier in the year, to unravel the mystery—and its contemporary relevance. His task is made more difficult by the horrible heat-dome summer, which is raising both temperatures and tempers, while unprecedented amounts of rain drench the Massif Central and threaten increasingly dramatic floods.
As Bruno drills to the heart of the case, matters get even more complicated when both Abby's financially distressed ex-husband and a mysterious, dashing Italian naval office arrive, with very different ideas in mind. Once again, Bruno is left to serve the guilty their just rewards, and his friends some sumptuous Perigordian cuisine.
-
Creators
-
Series
-
Publisher
-
Release date
September 24, 2024 -
Formats
-
OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9798892740180
- File size: 278440 KB
- Duration: 09:40:04
-
-
Languages
- English
-
Reviews
-
July 22, 2024
Benoît “Bruno” Courrèges returns to cook for his friends and keep the French town of St. Denis safe in Walker’s leisurely latest outing for the food-loving police chief (after A Château Under Siege). Back at home after convalescing from a gunshot wound sustained on his previous case, Bruno learns that human remains—two German women and an Italian man—have just been unearthed on the grounds of an abandoned hotel. Forensic analysis dates the bodies to WWII, and Bruno enlists the help of Abby Howard, a recently divorced American archaeologist visiting St. Denis, to find out more. Complicating matters is Abby’s ex-husband, computer whiz Gary Barone, who’s harassing her for her settlement money and attempting to hack the police department’s computer system, potentially as part of an international blockchain conspiracy. Meanwhile, climate change–induced floods threaten St. Denis’s infrastructure, pulling Bruno’s focus away from his and Abby’s inquiry. As usual, Walker peppers the action with long, chatty dinner scenes and detailed digressions about European history. Series fans will get just what they came for. Agent: Stephanie Cabot, Susanna Lea Assoc. -
Fans of Police Chief Bruno Courrges will be delighted to hear that he is on the mend from his gunshot wound and is doggedly investigating a discovery in his village in southwest France. Re-creating his characteristic sonorous portrayal of Bruno, Robert Ian Mackenzie skillfully delivers the chief's ruminations as he investigates the unearthing of an unmarked WWII grave on a historic property. Mackenzie provides mostly unembellished dialogue but adds a few imaginative accents. A young American woman who is visiting the Dordogne with hopes of starting a tour business is delivered with a flattened accent. Mackenzie's narrative skills shine in the passages describing rural life, especially the splendid food and the countryside. The pace picks up when the summer's horrible heat is replaced with devastating flooding. N.M.C. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
-