Bruno, Chief of Police Books

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Bruno, Chief of Police is a series of mystery suspense novels written by Martin Walker. The books tell the story of a complicated police officer in France who does what he can to keep his small town safe.

Bruno, whose real name is Benoit Courreges, was a soldier. But then he decided to seek out the quiet life and his journey led him to St. Denis, a small, peaceful village in France.

The people of St. Denis live simple lives, and as the town’s only municipal police officer, Bruno is determined to maintain that simplicity. Even though he has a gun, the officer has never seen fit to use it.

Bruno is even more reluctant to put his power to arrest to any good use. The people of St. Denis are a warm and caring bunch. Everyone knows everyone and they all look out for one another.

So Bruno is more likely to throw warnings around than actually putting people in jail.

When Bruno isn’t maintaining order in his small community, the police officer can be found indulging in his love for food and wine. Bruno also harbors a passion for the game of rugby and a dislike for European Union Bureaucrats.

The hero’s relaxed approach to the job is tested in Bruno, Chief of Police, the first novel in the series when an elderly North African Man with a military background is killed and a swastika is carved into his chest.

So heinous is the crime that the Paris immediately deploys a police officer to aid Bruno in his investigative efforts.

Unfortunately for Bruno, the policewoman in question is more interested in closing the case and avoiding the political ramifications of the crime than actually meting out justice.

Bruno must defend his people from invasion by seemingly friendly but largely hostile external forces whilst also rooting out the evil in his community.

Martin Walker, the author, is originally from the UK. But he eventually fell in love with and moved to the Perigord Region of France where the Bruno, Chief of Police series is set.

Walker was drawn to the landscape, the food, and the wine of the Perigord region fairly early on. He was also fascinated by its history, and once the author actually sat down to write fiction, there was never any question in his mind that the Bruno, Chief of Police series would be based in the Perigord region of France.

The character of Bruno was inspired by Pierrot Simonet, a police chief in the Perigord region that Martin Walker knows.

The protagonist drives the story. Bruno isn’t like most detectives. He hates carrying his gun and he would rather talk to criminals than arrest him.

Bruno teaches children rugby and tennis because he believes that the activities will transform the youngest members of St. Denis into respectable adults.

The gentle but intelligent fellow spends these novels coming to terms with the fact that he might not know the people of St. Denis quite as well as he thought he did.

Best Bruno, Chief of Police Books

People keep returning to these novels because they love Martin Walker’s rustic, tranquil town of St. Denis and the eccentric people that fill it, with some of the best books in the series including:

Children of War: Bruno, the Chief of Police in St. Denis has a number of mysteries that he must unravel. First, there’s the undercover French Muslim cop who is found dead in the woods mere hours after he called Bruno.

Then there’s the Muslim youth who shows up at the French Army base in Afghanistan and attempts to acquire safe passage to St. Denis. However, the FBI is right on his heels, determined to extradite him back to the US.

Bruno must make sense of both of these mysteries even as he fends off the assaults of his superiors.

A Taste of Vengeance: Monica Felder was supposed to come to St. Denis for a luxurious cooking vacation. She never showed up. When Bruno is called upon to find her, he learns that the British tourist was traveling with a mysterious Irishman.

Not long after, both Monica and the Irishman turn up dead. Bruno needs to find out how their murders are connected to Monica’s retired British Major of a husband and the Irishman’s intelligence background.

Other Book Series You May Like

You may also like the “Potting Shed Mystery” Series by Marty Wingate. Pru Parke is a Dallas Native who has always wanted to live in England. When she gets the chance to finally migrate to her dream destination, Parke quickly realizes that making a living in London is no easy task.

The heroine gets by as an expert gardener who takes any job in the city she can get. Every so often, Pru Parke will stumble upon murder and mystery.

Be sure to check out the “Scott Drayco Mystery” Series by B.V. Lawson. Scott Drayco is a talented former FBI agent with a background in music. Now a crime consultant, the haunted fellow spends his days digging into cases that other people actively avoid.

What Is The Next Book in The Bruno, Chief Of Police Series?

The next book in the The Bruno, Chief Of Police Series by Martin Walker is An Enemy in the Village and will be released on June, 10th 2025.

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