14th in the Bruno series set in France as he investigates a thirty year old murder case of an unknown person. Using modern techniques he hopes that the mystery can be solved.
This is the first of these that I have read but as an ardent Francophile I plan to go back and read the series.
I love the way Martin Walker writes about the protagonists, supplementary characters and French life.
Highly recommended.
4 stars ⭐️
Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for a fair review

Bit too slow for my tastes. All the padding about dog breeding and horse riding is probably interesting for followers of Detective Bruno who are keen to know much more about his background story and his way of life in the Dordogne. A big cast of characters who may have been present in previous books, may add to the story. Reads like a holiday guide. I won't be trolling older books to find out who all these people are. English is good, it just drags a bit.

An excellent well-written book, believable storyline, full of twists and turns, good ending. It's an intricate plot with a really good ending.

This is the first book I have read of Martin Walker and I really enjoyed it. I looked it up on the internet and did not realise this is a series of books which was not obvious when reading it as I do not like reading books out of order particularly. The book is about a 30 year old murder which his friend, JJ, wants help with to close. Also in the mix is Bruno’s dog, Blazac, is the father of new puppies. Bruno likes to ride his horse Hector. He is Chief of Police in his area of France, the Dordogne. As well as everything else he grows his own food, is a great cook and has some very close friends. When does he have time to sleep. The story line runs from the skull which was found of the murder victim and finding someone who could reconstruct this to be able to have a face to work with. While dealing with this, things come to light to push them towards a suspect who has a vineyard locally. As they investigate Henri Bazaine the story moves to rumours in the past of espionage. It is found that Henri and his friend Max who they believe is the murdered victim were brought up in an orphanage with links to East Germany. Paris gets involved in this as they are pursuing release of Stasi papers. Eventually it is all resolved even through a forest fire. Bruno is certainly a resourceful man. A enjoyed the characters and the food references were fun. Good book, thank you as always Netgalley for the opportunity to read this

There is something about Bruno, the main character in the Martin Walker detective series that keeps the reader coming back for more. I had a break from them as I read too many in quick succession but was really pleased to return to the Dordogne and catch up on life in 2020. I still enjoy the evocative descriptions of landscape, food, wine and people which are always there. The plot, although concerning a cold case murder, is sharply dealt with in a contemporary social, cultural and political backdrop whish is engaging to the end as always. An enjoyable read.

And moving on with the latest from Martin Walker in his Bruno, Chief of Police series set in rural France. This 14th book follows the same style and content as the previous books in the series. It can be read as a stand-alone as there is just enough back story sprinkled throughout this book to make new readers feel at home.

I have read the first three novels in this series and jumping forward to the 14th was not a problem. Many of the characters from previous books are involved in this story with the exception of Gigi, the faithful basset hound belonging to Bruno. However, Bruno has a newer dog, another basset hound called Balzac.

In The Coldest Case, Bruno helps solve the mystery of a skull found 30 years ago. In Martin's familiar writing style, this is another soft mystery. There are the joys of rural life, Bruno's elderly but trusty Land Rover, lots of food and wine, plenty of gardening tips plus a small measure of romance.

I enjoyed reading The Coldest Case which I consider to be a GOOD 4 star read. I was really impressed with Martin's acknowledgements at the end which gave full explanations and closure for the reader.

This was my first Bruno book and I loved it! An intriguing cold case to solve, with a mix of technology and old-fashioned detective work. The setting in the Perigord countryside the descriptions of food and wine, the local characters working together and sharing meals, made me want to live there and become part of Bruno's social circle! I will definitely read more in this series. Highly recommended!

The chief of detectives(JJ) in a rural area of France is haunted by his failure to solve a murder case from his early days as a detective. He keeps the victims skull in his office as a reminder . A young artist has recently been involved in rebuilding the faces on to the skulls of early man found nearby. She is invited to do the same with the skull from JJ's office and the case is reopened and investigation continues led by a detective called Bruno . The timeline for the murder is narrowed down and it seems to be around the time of a festival being held then.
Photographs are found of the event and the victim and possibly the killer are seen on these pictures.
At the same time forest fires are spreading around the area and the locals including Bruno are doing their best to prevent them spreading to the town.. A well written story that brings to life the foods and customs of the area

This is the first book I have read about Bruno, the Chief of Police. The main strand of the book involves the skull of a man killed many years ago and the first case that Bruno's boss, JJ, was involved in. He has never let it go and still has the skull!

Having gone to an exhibition of facial reconstruction, Bruno enquires whether it is possible to recreate the person behind the skull.

The book is set in the Dordogne and it is lovely to read all the descriptive pieces of the surrounding area, the food and cooking and Bruno's horses and dog.

A good all round read.

The latest book in the Bruno Chief of Police series and as good as ever. This book concentrates o the first case that JJ, Bruno’s boss, undertook as a rookie policeman and was never solved.

Having met an artist who specialises in facial reconstruction Bruno sets about seeing whether he can find out who a dug up skull may belong to. As usual it involves all his friends in the Dordogne along with his friends higher up the force and his beloved dog. There is also plenty of food consumed and socialising.

I love reading about the places I know well and can imagine the places he visits. Long may Bruno continue his cases in the Dordogne.

Sorry I could not get into the book. A pity as Martin Walker seems a very popular author with an avid followering..

The story of the life and times of the Chief of police Bruno of St Denis in the Dordogne district of France providess a most interesting time with him and his friends, with his horse, ,dog, cooking and growing his own food. All of which provides a travel guide of the area, its politics, culture, and its wine making industry. With his work in engaging with modern technology to obtain a facial image on the skull of a murder victim found decades age coupled with detective work it also provides an interesting murder story imposed on the emergency of having to fight forest fires.

I am sorry but I felt unable to finish this novel. I found it terribly confusing. Very longwinded descriptions about breeding pedigree dogs and cooking which added nothing to the story.

It's a lovely concept - the gourmand police officer, embedded deep into the heart of his community - solving crime through careful, one step at a time, hard work (no magical flashes of inspiration to make it too unlikely) but it does have rather more very, very lengthy descriptions of food and cookery and taking the horses out than I could enjoy. The murder mystery seems simply a handle on which to hang the rest, and that's a little bit dull after a while. I would read another, but not because they're exciting or clever or real page-turners, but because they are... okay.

I thoroughly enjoyed this cosy mystery set in the beautiful Perigord region of France. It was a pleasure to spend time (and delicious-sounding dinners) with chief of police Bruno, his Basset hound Balzac and an assortment of friends and neighbours. Reading this novel was like relaxing in a warm bubble bath with a glass of wine.

Now I need to go back to the start of the series and get to know Bruno from the beginning.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing a review copy in exchange for honest feedback.

To be honest, most reviewers focus on the setting and the cooking. I have been close to the Perigourd but never had the pleasure. It sounds idyllic. I’m also very pleased to learn that next year will see a release of Bruno’s cookbook in an English translation – till now only available in German.

Personally, however, whilst I love a nice description of a prehistoric cave or of Bruno whistled rendition of the Marseillaise being the perfect length of time to boil an egg, my love of the series is because of the characters and the fact that these are tightly plotted, espionage-tinged stories with enough in them to satisfy any true genre fan.

Walker is clearly interested in the Cold War, it’s ripple-like effects on the present day and the intricacies of the complex working of the French security services and the way they intersect with someone on the lowest of shop floors – even if they are a Croix de Guerre holder constantly being seconded to the Interior Ministry like Bruno.

All in all, these are possibly the most underrated series of novels in the crime/espionage genre currently available today and – considering there is a top notch set of audiobook narrated by Peter Noble available – there is really no excuse for not entering the world of Bruno and St Denis.

I’m taking part in the book tour and reviewing on its publication day The Coldest Case by Martin Walker.

I first came across Martin Walker and the Dordogne Mysteries when I received a copy of the Shooting At Château Rock, via NetGalley, which was superb.

Now I’ve had the opportunity to read The Coldest Case, number 14, in this outstanding series, for which I thank Quercus Books and NetGalley wholeheartedly for including me in this book tour.

As this was the 14th mystery in this well-loved series I was, again, a little concerned that I would be out of my depth with regard to what was going on and who was who, however I needn’t have worried.... it stands alone perfectly, just like number 13. I now need to read the previous 12 when I can get my hands on them.

I fell in love with Bruno, the Chief of Police again, what a gentleman. Charming. The way in which this book was written, the quality of the writing is excellent. I was transported to the Dordogne, I love France and now want to go to the Perigord region.

However, Walker takes you to the Dordogne with him. You can smell and taste the mouth watering food that Bruno cooks and find yourself imagining how easy it would be to immerse yourself into the community, to become a friend and join in the tradition of meeting to eat and drink fine red wine, with good friends.

Walker includes French history, it’s culture, architecture, international intrigue, espionage, the Cold War and more importantly, wine and food! The culinary descriptions are enticing, so much that I have cooked roast lamb, vichyssoise and omelettes as soon as I read about these delicious dishes.

Bruno gets involved in a 30 year old mystery, when a body was found and never identified. This was the Chief of Detectives, Jean-Jacques (J-J) Jalipeau’s first case, a murder that he never managed to solve, which Bruno knew still haunted him.

After visiting an exhibition with reconstructed heads, bringing people back to life, Bruno suggests using the same method to reconstruct the head of the deceased to see if at last someone could identify him. An expert is hired and the search begins, which opens up a huge can of worms. You need to buy the book and read it to find out what they discover and how this unfolds into a twist in the tale....

This is a light and very entertaining mystery thriller, a great page turner, and an enjoyable read.

I loved the characters, the warmth, sense of community, local activity, romance, the mystery and the international connection. And there’s a gorgeous dog, Balzac a Bassett Hound, Bruno’s companion, who is taken on an interesting journey of his own and becomes a father.

I learnt quite a lot from this story too. In particular, Walker touches the history of the Cold War, the Rosenholz Dossier, the master list of all Stasi Intelligence agents, espionage and politics.

“Every one of us here is a child of the Cold War Bruno. It’s shaped us, defined our politics and reshaped our economies and our systems of government. Not just the Russians and Americans but we Europeans in our own way also became national security states. The past always lives on in profound ways, particularly in our security agencies, arms industries and defence bureaucracies.”

Would most definitely recommend.

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me.

Thank you so very much Quercus Books, Martin Walker and NetGalley for this ARC provided in exchange for my unbiased review.

The Coldest Case is the fourteenth instalment in the much-loved Dordogne Mysteries series featuring Bruno Courreges, Chief of Police for the small town of Saint-Denis in the Dordogne region of south-west France. An anonymous skull, an unsolved murder, sinister rumours from the Cold War era of espionage–Bruno’s investigation into a long-standing cold case finds him caught between an enigmatic winegrower and a menacing Communist organization from the past. After attending an exhibit on the facial reconstruction of ancient skulls, Bruno wonders if this technology might provide an invaluable clue to a thirty-year-old cold case. But learning the identity of the murder victim is only the beginning. The investigation quickly turns thorny and leads Bruno to a reclusive vintner, Henri Bazaine, whose education at a vocational school in a formerly Communist region has raised some eyebrows. An inquiry into the defunct school turns up shadowy reports of possible connections and funding from the Stasi, the repressive police agency of the former East Germany. The scrutiny on Henri intensifies once Bruno discovers that he was declared dead thirty years ago and has been living under an assumed name ever since.

The strange case is further complicated as Parisian bureaucrats get involved, hinting that essential diplomatic relations might be at stake. And to make matters even worse, the Dordogne is suffering from an intense summer drought that is sparking fires across the region. But as always, Bruno will keep a cool head through it all—and, bien sûr, takes time to enjoy a sumptuous Périgordian meal! This is another compulsive, absorbing and superbly plotted police procedural in this brilliant series set against the backdrop of sunny but drought-ridden France. Packed with descriptions of the food Courrèges and his friends cook, of the gorgeous French countryside and of the local community, The Coldest Case is pure escapism and an absolute treat. It's immersive and we learn as much about Bruno’s personal life as we do about the investigation; particularly his penchant for cooking and the delicious-sounding recipes he attempts throughout the book have your mouth watering. A propulsive, richly atmospheric and intelligently woven piece of crime fiction. This is engrossing and entertaining comfort reading at it's finest. Roll on number fifteen. Highly recommended.

It’s been thirty years that Bruno’s boss J.-J. has been haunting the murderer of an unknown man found in the forest. This cold case seems unsolvable, nobody missed someone and no item which could help to identify him was ever found. Yet, as technology advances, so do the police’s possibilities. By the help of an expert in face reconstruction, they try to remodel his looks, at the same time, quite unexpectedly, another DNA search shows a hit. While J.-J. is happy that his longest case might come to a close, the lovely Périgord region is threatened by fires. While the inhabitants fear the worst, this comes on a very political level with J.-.J.’s cold case: the murderer he has been looking for might be linked to even more serious crimes and thus, national security is suddenly threatened.

With Martin Walker’s series about Bruno Courrèges, you always know what you will get: it is not simply a cosy crime novel located in a beautiful region which finds its deserved place in the book by providing a lot of good food and impressive nature, but also a case which starts out as a minor incident and suddenly develops into something totally unexpected. These by now well-known ingredients also make the 14th instalment an enjoyable holiday read.

What I found most fascinating in this novel were the technical explanations of how you can infer from a skull how the person has looked like. This technique might be useful not just for artistic and museological purposes but also as shown for investigative aims. It is also a clear signal that no deed is unsolvable and that with modern technology, the perfect crime might not be that perfect anymore.

As a German, I was aware of the Rosenholz papers which surprisingly come up in the novel. Surely a rather deplorable part of our history but still offering a lot of food for speculation even today. So again, nothing from the past is ever really over.

All in all, a pleasant cosy crime novel which makes you feel like on holiday and enjoy the atmosphere of France’s countryside.

I had heard favourable reports of this series, but this NetGalley ARC was the first opportunity to read one.
Unfortunately I found it literally unbelievable. It would need the equivalent of the Millau Viaduct (Google it) to support the suspension of disbelief necessary for this paragon of a "Chief of a Police". Is there nothing Bruno cannot do (and where does he find the time) ? Run every morning, horse ride, owner of a Royal pedigree dog, Monty Don level gardener, Michelin-star level cook, wine connoisseur, fighter who take out an enormous bully with 2 blows, able to rot knicker elastic in ladies of a certain age with a mere twitch of his Gallic eyebrows ?
I laughed out loud when he went into his garden and found a summer truffle in moments for breakfast... And when the emergency strikes he finds 2 (count them !) solutions that make a huge difference to the outcome as well as come up with a series of radical improvements to the disaster plan.
The writing itself isn't bad, but the story is a bit far-fetched too even though it's based on fact (I still own a bean bag - long story - given to me by a French spy from when I worked at TI France in the early 80's <https://apnews.com/article/8a21a76a5e5e4350bdbb5a75c900ff03>).
Another aspect of Bruno that is to good to be true is that he knows these high-level people and has access to all this top secret intelligence as a lowly village cop, which duties he performs assiduously not least as a morning school lollipop man. It would be preferable if he'd spend a bit of time arresting his friends and himself for drink-driving given the vast quantities of alcohol they consume at every meeting.
Having lived full time in a village in the Cote d'Azur for 5 years (see above) I do recognise the bucolic charms of rural France he describes, but there was very little mention of the downsides (in this book at least) of the bureaucracy, poor service, backwardness (people still using cheques at supermarkets when I was there last year) and rudeness of shop staff, not just to me as an Englishmen but to other French customers too. It's the sort of rose-tinted view of the country that many occasional visitors have even if they have houses there and visit regularly.
The story itself develops very quickly with no false leads and everything falling into place far too easily to be believable and far too many diversions into cooking and other things.

Not for me.