To Kill a Troubadour: A Bruno, Chief of Police Novel (Bruno, Chief of Police Series) Paperback – June 6, 2023

When you read a Martin Walker Bruno Chief of Police book, you get so much more than a mystery. And this book, the 15th in the series, is no exception. The series is set in the Périgord region of France. If you are familiar with that area, you will feel as if you have taken a return visit. If you have never been there, you feel as if you have, because of the strong sense of place that runs throughout the book. If you looked at a bare list of some of the elements of the series (a charming village, wonderful food and wines, adorable basset hound, horses, and good friends) you might expect a sappy sort of cozy mystery. But that would be wrong. The village may be charming, but it is part of today’s real world and so is Bruno. The plot lines come from current headlines and real issues facing all of us. Because of the author’s great skill, it all works to make a complex, engrossing, and entertaining read. You will always learn something from a Bruno book. I won’t spoil the story for you by summarizing the plot, but it involves terrorist plots, international diplomacy, folk music, Russian bots and plots to create instability in democracies, and domestic violence. The pacing is brisk, the tension level is often high, and the pages turn very quickly. Warning: I read late into the night, so be prepared. The history of the Moors and Catalan independence is fascinating and deftly woven into the story telling. (My husband has raved for years about Ornament of the World by Maria Rosa Menocal which is descriptively subtitled “a History of How Muslims, Jews, and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain.”) Martin Walker is a master within an elite group of authors writing literary mysteries, most of which also have strong sense of place. They include Ann Cleeves (the Shetland Islands with Jimmy Perez, Northumberland with Vera Stanhope, and North Devon with Mathew Venn), Elly Griffiths (Norfolk with Ruth Galloway and Brighton with Harbinder Kaur), Jean-Luc Bannalec (Brittany), Jane Harper (set in Australia), Paul Doiron (Maine with Mike Bowditch), and Louise Penny (Canada with Chief Inspector Gamache). If you just particularly enjoy mysteries in France then in addition to this book and Jean-Luc Bannalec, you might enjoy the very good mysteries by Mark Pryor (the Hugo Marston series set in Paris), Cay Rademacher (the Roger Blanc books set in Provence), Cara Black (the Aimee Leduc series set in Paris), M.L. Longworth (the Verlaque and Bonnet series set in Provence), and Adrian Magson (the Inspector Lucas Rocco books set in the 1950s mainly near Amien). This Bruno book would stand alone, but it is much better if you have read the earlier books and know the continuing characters and the region.

Are there any crimes in St. Denis that don't have an origin in events from years ago? Why can't modern day crimes in Paris and other large French cities trickle down to St. Denis? One of the things that I like most about the Bruno books are the people of the village and I would like to read more about them and more about the meals that Bruno prepares. What I dislike most are too much Isabelle, sports and dogs. It's time for Bruno to settle down with a wife who values marriage and children. Bruno can still keep solving mysteries, tending to his chickens and vegetable gardens and cooking for his friends.

Highly entertaining series of books about a French policeman, who is also a gourmet cook. The books have the essential ingredients for good reading - lovable characters, fascinating plot and excellent writing.

This and all other of the Bruno adventures are impossible to put down. Not only are the characters very believable, the amount of research that must have been done to pull it all together is impressive and appreciated. I look forward to the next exciting book every time I finish one!

I've enjoyed this series for the most part with its snippets of French rural life, cooking, etc., but this one goes overboard, just too much about the various French social events, dogs, etc. and haven't even gotten to the crimes yet.

Martin Walker has achieved another fascinating book full of accurate medieval cultural history describing the transmission of Greek knowledge through the Moors in Spain into the rest of Europe. Plus, we have his interesting characters whose lives are interesting in a way that makes us care about them, and, finally, we have a culinary tour of menus and wines that leave the reader hungry and thirsty. How wonderful to be a guest at Bruno’s table. A great read! I look forward to the next Bruno book.

When I first started to read Martin Walker I skimmed over the recipes and menus and just got on with the story. Now I just jot down the menus I like.....and that I think I might be able to put together some day if I'm brave enough. The stories have been different, from one book to another, with just enough history thrown in to make it interesting. Good characters are carried throughout the books, and always a good read if you can skip over the food parts.

Martin Walker has outdone himself with a real page turner. It is difficult to put the 15th Bruno Chief of Police down. Multiple plot lines run through this Bruno novel.....a threat to one of the main characters in Bruno's St. Denis in the shape of a violent ex-husband as well as a threat to the safety of the Perigord due to a terrorist act being sponsored by Russian intelligence. With many elements from recent history in Europe and the United States the storyline is very current and Bruno has some narrow escapes. And since it is the Perigord and St. Denis, Bruno and his circle of friends enjoy some mouthwatering meals. This book is the perfect recipe for a late summer read. Highly recommended.

Anyone familiar with the Bruno Chief of Police series will appreciate this edition. The smart and charming country policeman thwarts the bad guys (in this case Russian operatives) again. And of course he also educates us with French cooking and wine selection.If you haven’t read them before I recommend going back to the beginning of Martin Walker’s series. But #15 is among the best.

If you like Martin Walker books, this one will not disappoint. Within the first few pages the story starts to unravel and the book is interspersed with recipes. I really enjoyed the book.

Autor de misterios en Francia con un sabor especiales

Nach Lektüre zahlreicher Bände in deutscher Übersetzung bereitete der erste Band im englischen Original sprachlich und inhaltlich ein besonderes Lesevergnügen.

I have loved the Bruno series from the first book. This one was just as exciting and up to date! I liked the detail and of course the food and the scenery. I live not far from where all this takes place so it holds something very for me.Highly recommended!