This novel is the latest installment of Martin Walker's Bruno, Chief of Police series. It is written with the same skill, the same great characters, the strongly depicted setting of southern France. But, I am finding the plot lines are thinning. The cooking, descriptions of wine, and food are still entertaining, but the crime solving just seems to be losing its force for me.

Perhaps it is time to put down Bruno, and pick him back up when the familiarity has worn off.

It is always a pleasure to spend time with Bruno whose story began with Bruno, Chief of Police. To Kill a Troubadour is the fifteenth in the series with the sixteenth title coming out in August 2023.

This plot has some political underpinnings. A new piece, Song for Catalonia, raises many feelings. The writer has sympathy for the Catalans who want independence from Spain and the Nationalists do not like this. Musician, Joel, is threatened. Will he perform in St. Denis? How far will protesters go? France and Spain plan to work together on this situation so Bruno is involved.

At the same time as Bruno is drawn in, he also wants to help a friend whose husband is being released from prison. Furthermore, he wants to enjoy the pleasures of where he lives including the food. Will he have time for everything? Readers can trust that he will. They will enjoy spending time with Bruno as everything is sorted out.

Publishers Weekly says: “Good food, fascinating history, and a crackerjack mystery: who could ask for more?” Indeed.

Many thanks to Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for this title and also to NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A Bruno, Chief of Police novel. This is a great series, but this book can be read and enjoyed without reading the entire series. Bruno as a small, French, village policeman is a wonderful character. He knows everyone in the village and cares about them. And he is smart and not a bumbling oaf. This story was full of Spanish and French history and politics that is well woven into the story line. I highly recommend this book if you like mysteries, European settings, tasty sounding meals, and well-drawn characters.

I have read all the Bruno books and this one did not disappoint. Bruno cooked up some delicious food while helping a friend with a domestic issue and being key in bringing down an international terrorist. The books have become a bit formulaic over the years, but that doesn't distract from how enjoyable they always are. After 15 books, the characters feel like family and I never grow tired of reading about country life in France!

I don’t think it’s the series-I think the series just isn’t for me. I couldn’t get into the characters and struggled to finish it.

A friend of mine introduced me to Chief of Police Bruno Courrèges a few years ago. I still have several to read, but I could not resist when I saw Martin Walker’s newest novel on NetGalley. Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus for the free Advanced Reader’s Copy. One reason why I enjoy this series immensely is because it is set in France. Many of the novels deal with European Union themes.
This one in particular deals with a problem that started in Spain, but has connections to France too. A local singing group called The Troubadours has recorded a song, which supports Catalan independence. Since it has been prohibited by the Spanish government, it has become a huge hit on the internet, or has it really?
This novel focuses on the race against time to find a sniper whose intention is to disrupt the Troubadours concert that Bruno has organized in his village. There are tons of threads here with references made to the time that Bruno served in Bosnia as part of the peacekeeping mission for NATO, the Russians working behind the scenes in the US and French elections, Brexit, and more. Plus there is a secondary plot focusing on a local chemistry teacher who finds out that her ex-husband has been released from prison. I think this novel was excellent. I am giving this five stars.
Bruno is also an excellent cook. Dishes I am still thinking about two weeks later are an apricot fool,a couple of cold tomato soups, and roast boar. In the afterword, the author indicates that a collection of Bruno’s recipes will be released. What fun!

Martin Walker once more gets Bruno, Chief of Police for St. Denis involved in politics, spies, and local mayhem, this time over a French trio who are singing a Catalan song banned by the Spanish government. Who is bringing in the violence: the Spanish far right, the Russian disinformation types or locals? In the meantime, a local mother of two who is a domestic violence survivor may have to cope with her ex spouse who has early release from a prison sentence. Bruno is defending all the locals from these outside influences with the aid of his sniffer dog and other local friends. Along with support from Paris and its forces. Great read. Enjoy.

I’m impressed that Walker has managed to maintain both quality and a sense of newness 15 books into this series. That’s no easy feat, as most mystery series become derivative long before this point.

That said, I prefer the Bruno books that are more focused on a countryside murder mystery plot than the more political offerings, and this is far more political mystery/thriller than location-based procedural. It’s also largely focused on Spanish politics, which is, of course, not why one buys books set in the France.

Walker does a good job with weaving a political hot potato into life in St Denis, so this is a preference issue rather than one of quality and one that thus didn’t impact my rating of the book.

I didn’t love the creepy abusive husband sideline either, but the deft storytelling and the lovely culinary and cultural content is always a delight to read.

Martin Walker has done it again! Another Brilliant Bruno book.
Every year reading the new Bruno book is always a literary highlight, and this one is no different.

My only request is to include the recipes at the back of the book. However, I will just need to wait for the cookbook to be released.

Martin Walker has done it again! Another Brilliant Bruno book.
Every year reading the new Bruno book is always a literary highlight, and this one is no different.

My only request is to include the recipes at the back of the book. However, I will just need to wait for the cookbook to be released.

To Kill a Troubadour is the 15th Bruno pastoral mystery by Martin Walker. Released 9th June 2022 by Knopf, it's 320 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately; it makes it so easy to find information with the search function.

These books are such enjoyable reads. They're full of quirky characters who are intelligent and cultured and lots of good food perfectly described. I always learn lots about food and French cuisine and the region when I read one of these books..

This author is on my auto-read list and this particular book was lovely. I love that the book is redolent with Gallic sensibilities regarding work, food, culture, life, and love. There's always a fair bit of background info and I -always- learn something about paleontology, or food, or wine, or (in this case) cultural politics and language.

The denouement and resolution are satisfying and Bruno once again ties up the loose threads (except possibly of his love life), and he and Balzac and Hector can once again concentrate on the important non-violent aspects of life, love, and wine.

This was such a fun read and I loved it to bits. Long live Bruno!

Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

To Kill a Troubadour by Martin Walker.
This was an action packed addition to the series addressing present day issues rather than the past as several books in the series have done.
I love Bruno, his friends, the dogs, St. Denis, the food and wine. Oh yes, and the horses.
My only complaint is that I wish Bruno would get over Isabelle and maybe take on Florence and her twins. That ought to be enough of a complication for him.
As always, looking forward to the next book and a return to the Perigord..

TO KILL A TROUBADOUR by Martin Walker is the latest in the series involving Bruno Courrèges, Chief of Police in the French Périgord (or Dordogne) region. These mysteries involve police investigations combined with local lore and cuisine. In addition to being a wily detective, Bruno is quite the chef and Walker portrays his knowledge of cooking and wines throughout the story. In this selection he also provides important historical information about Occitan, the original local language, and about Eleanor of Aquitaine's role in spreading Islamic scholarship and music. Readers learn much of this from the character Joel Martin; he is a scholar and songwriter whose life is threatened because he has authored a song supporting Catalan independence from Spain. Bruno and his local and national colleagues suspect a sniper threat that evolves into an international plot with possible Russian backing. It's complicated and necessitates quite a bit of background information which slows the pace. Still, TO KILL A TROUBADOUR is suspenseful and a welcome summer escape to the South of France.

Martin Walker's delightful series about French Chief of police Bruno Courreges is one of the newer series I follow. It is hard to believe that this is already book #15! As always, Bruno is surrounded by the denizens of St Denis, many of whom we have come to know, we see some great meals cooked and eaten,and Bruno solves a dastardly crime which would have shattered the peace of St Denis.

If this is your first Bruno book I don't think that should hold you back, I think everything is sufficiently explained. This is a book to savor and enjoy, but you will find yourself unable to put it down. If you are missing La Belle France, or hoping to visit, and love a good mystery, this is the book for you. Now my question is, how to wait for number 16?

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Can’t take a trip to France? Martin Walker’s Bruno Chief of Police series will immerse you in the foods and culture of the Perigord. Bruno returns with all of his friends and his dog Balzac in To Kill a Troubadour. Joel Martin has written a song reflecting his feelings for Catalonia, which had been seeking independence from Spain. The song was banned by Madrid, but there is an annual concert planned in St. Denis where Joel and his group will perform. The discovery that a Spanish sniper may have come to assassinate Joel brings heightened security to the area. Bruno must work with both French and Spanish authorities to prevent a disaster.

In the town of St. Denis Florence is a teacher and runs a computer club for the students. She received a letter from her former husband informing her of his early release from prison and a request to see his children. He had been incarcerated for killing a man, injuring the man’s wife while driving drunk. He had also fought police and abused Florence during their marriage, almost causing a miscarriage. In this close community she has the support of her friends. Bruno is also doing all that he can to keep Florence and her children safe.

Walker makes his story relevant to today’s news as Joel’s song is followed by a record number of fans. These numbers were inflated by Russian interference with an aim to cause discord in Europe. While there is a tension that builds as the concert approaches, it is offset by the support of friendships within the community. This is a story to savor as you witness the roasting of a boar, wine with friends, a tennis tournament and the local market with its’ crafts and fresh foods. It will have you looking forward to your next visit to St. Denis. I would like to thank NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday for providing this book for my review.

In his fifteenth full-length Bruno mystery, coming out tomorrow, Martin Walker has created a wonderful mix of crime investigation, scrumptious food, Périgordian history, Bruno’s friends and colleagues, and of course, Bruno himself. And readers also get a healthy dose of Bruno’s basset hound, Balzac, and Balzac’s adorable new pup, “the Bruce”.

Together, these familiar elements provide a comfortable, almost cozy, background to a not-very-cozy tale, centered on a car accident that may or may not have been an accident, and the shell of a sniper’s bullet in the car that may or may not have been meant to be found. If the accident is real, it could provide clues to a possible terrorist attack on the local French folk group, Les Troubadours, who have gotten a bit of notoriety on the Internet over their latest tune, Song for Catalonia. If, on the other hand, the accident was staged, it might be an intentional distraction from the real attack. Bruno and his crew have to figure out what’s really going on so they can keep Les Troubadours and the local population safe, while simultaneously navigating some very tricky European politics.

All of which would be enough for a normal mystery. But in a move which turns out to be sadly prescient, given that author Martin Walker must have finished the book well before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, another key storyline in To Kill a Troubadour revolves around the concerted attempts of the Russian government to divide and weaken the West. So when Bruno muses, near the beginning of the book, that the idealism of the younger generation, who believe in the “bright and peaceful new world that had followed the Cold War”, might be running up against both the “new challenges of terrorism [and] the old and traditional forces of national ambition”, it feels all too real.

Still, many of the recent Bruno books have had hefty doses of realism intruding into their almost idyllic Périgord background, and have remained enjoyable. And To Kill a Troubadour also pulls this dichotomy off well. On a personal level, if I do have a complaint to make, it’s not about that. Rather, I wish that the Bruno/Isabelle story arc would conclude one way or another, since to me, the extended angst of that relationship just doesn’t feel in character for Bruno. I’ve been hoping for a resolution for a while though, so now I just sort of deliberately overlook the dissonance it causes and enjoy (very much) the rest of the book.

Finally, please keep in mind that I try to limit star-flation a bit, and don’t give many five-star reviews. So for me, four-stars is a solid “read this book” recommendation. And my thanks go to the publisher, Knopf and to NetGalley for the review copy.

Of course the celebration in St Denis isn't going to go smoothly. Bruno, who is putting together the concert as well as keeping the town safe, finds that he's got a real problem when a song by the Troubadors sets off a firestorm of controversy with the Spanish government and others. Add to it the fact that Florence's rotten ex is about to be released from prison, There's bad guys and fake news. But, and this is the reason I like this series. there's a gentle approach to the whole thing and there are terrific descriptions of food. Don't worry if you haven't read the earlier books because while that will help a bit (because you'll be more committed to the characters), Walker gives enough backstory to get you going. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Always enjoy the trip to the Perigord!

I really enjoy the setting and characters for the Bruno series, and this is no different. It was a bit too heavy on the soft stuff, such as the food, and usually that is better integrated into the action. It seemed to slow things down more than usual. Still enjoyed the story!

The town of St.Denis is gearing up for the Spring concert. Les Troubadours, one of Bruno's favorite folk groups is scheduled to appear. Excitement is dashed when Spain bans one of the group's songs that supports Catalonian independence. While the song goes viral in France, Bruno fears for the group's safety when he puts together the seemingly unrelated pieces of a puzzle. A wrecked and abandoned car raises concerns following shots heard from a sniper's gun. Time is short and Bruno along with multiple law enforcement and national intelligence agencies must find the sniper quickly.
At the same time a teacher at the local school has been contacted by her abusive husband after he was released from prison. Bruno is enlisted to find a way to protect the teacher and her children.
As he always does, Bruno multitasks while still managing to regularly exercise his horse, spend time with friends and cook mouthwatering meals at the drop of a hat.
Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for the opportunity to read the 15th entry in an enjoyable, fast-paced series.

What a treat each Bruno novel is! And TO KILL A TROUBADOUR is no exception. Richly atmospheric, with just the right soupcon of suspense, and--of course--the best food, this is a novel in a series to savor.

Highly recommended.