A Grave in the Woods
A Bruno, Chief of Police Novel
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
Another entertaining and enlightening entry in the Bruno, Chief of Police series, featuring an archaeological dig in the French countryside that unearths World War II–era mysteries—all while Bruno dishes up more culinary magic
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 officer 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 the temperature for miles around, as unprecedented amounts of rain drench the Massif Central and threaten increasingly dramatic floods
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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 officer 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.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
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.