Former international journalist Martin Walker (The Coldest Case; The Crowded Grave) returns to France's Périgord district for To Kill a Troubadour, the 15th entry in the Bruno, Chief of Police detective series. Whether longtime fans or new to the series, readers will be immediately immersed in this absorbing story. Bruno Courrѐges, chief of police of the small town of St. Denis, has a summer schedule filled with tennis tournaments, walks with his basset hound and patrolling the community's charming streets. His routine is interrupted when a superior officer contacts him for his opinion regarding a sniper bullet found in a wrecked car. Bruno's instincts tell him there's more to the discovery than meets the eye.
He soon finds himself deeply involved in solving a mystery with significant diplomatic implications involving Spain and France. A song by his friends, the folk music group Les Troubadours, has gone viral and stirred a heated political controversy between the two countries. The group is scheduled to play an outdoor concert in St. Denis. Can Bruno guarantee their safety if the concert goes on as planned--or do terrorists have a different agenda? Added to Bruno's worries is concern for a friend whose abusive ex-husband has been released from prison and is demanding visitations with his children.
This outstanding novel blends fascinating historical details, mouthwatering food descriptions and delightful secondary characters with intriguing, seemingly unconnected clues, culminating in a shocking finale. The complex plot doesn't miss a beat while revisiting the series' familiar characters and the vivid setting of summertime in the French countryside. --Lois Dyer, writer and reviewer