A GRAVE IN THE WOODS by Martin Walker is the latest Bruno, Chief of Police mystery story set in the Dordogne, in the southwest of France. And this novel contains familiar elements from the series: close-knit characters, emphasis on good food and the French countryside. In addition, it focuses on historical WWII events because the bodies involved in this mystery are an Italian naval officer and two young female soldiers, all apparently killed by the Resistance. A theme is certainly the horrors and inhumanity of war, especially as the women of Saint-Denis react to the deaths. Bruno calls upon a variety of contacts to smooth relations for a diplomatic ceremony and to help with a hacking campaign against the police network. A GRAVE IN THE WOODS received a starred review from Booklist, saying, "Bruno's expansive character (he's an archeology, cooking, and sports enthusiast) adds spice to this series."

My family has been reading the Bruno books for a few years after my Dad and Aunt retired. This summer I was able to catch up on multiple Bruno stories and the shorts. I love reading about Bruno’s life in St. Denis and enjoy the many characters from Bruno’s adventurous life. This most recent story is an interesting exploration into cryptocurrency and includes many of the French cultural themes Martin Walker has touched upon in other stories. For Bruno, Chief of Police fans this is a great addition and a fast read. I believe the ending was a bit rushed compared to some of the others in the series.

3.5 stars
A Grave in the Woods is the 17th installment in the internationally acclaimed Bruno Chief of Police series set in the idyllic village of St. Denis in the Périgord/Dordogne region of southwestern France. Bruno, a former soldier turned police officer, has arrived back in the village but has yet to resume his duties as he recovers from a gunshot wound to his shoulder sustained earlier in the year. Upon his return, Bruno meets several newcomers to the village - the administrator who has taken over his office at City Hall, a recently-divorced American archaeologist who hopes to set up as a specialist tour guide in the region and a British couple who are purchasing a local property to set up a business. Shortly thereafter, a World War II grave site discovered in a wooded area is found to contain three bodies and a tin holding identification papers for an Italian submariner and two young German women. Bruno takes the lead on the investigation of the grave while also socializing with his many friends and helping the community prepare for potential flooding.

This is part of a long series but can be read as a stand alone. I read and enjoyed the first in the series years ago but none of the others - no reason other than too many books and not enough time! It's a delightful read but I imagine it's even better for those invested in the series as it advances the overall story arc and introduces new characters to the village. Bruno is charming (as is his dog, Balzac) and much of the enjoyment of the story relates to his interactions with his friends in the village and descriptions of their socializing over food and wine. The plot also touches on the serious impact that climate change is having in this region causing extreme heat during the summer months and heavy rains and flooding during the winter resulting in devastating damage to local crops. I picked this up expecting a murder mystery and that's not really what it is but it is an entertaining read nonetheless.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for sending a digital and physical ARC of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Bruno is on medical leave recovering from a gunshot wound that shattered his shoulder in the previous book in the series. He's anxious to be back to work and becomes drawn into events that follow the discovery of a grave from WW2. The skeletons of two young German women and an Italian man are found in the grave along with a tin box containing their identity. The town decides to have an official remembrance of all who died in the war and Bruno helps organize the event.
Another plot point involves an American woman who has come to the area to lead tours for Americans. Bruno is concerned when he discovers her ex-husband is stalkng her. Cryptocurrency and Russian tech criminals are involved.
In addition to these issues, autumn floods are threatening St. Denis and Bruno reinjures his shoulder rescuing a mother and child from a car swept into the water.
Once again, Bruno proves to have super human powers.
This is #17 in the series and I enjoyed parts of it. Other parts proved a bit tedious due to the detailed WW2 history and the convoluted cryptocurrency details that seemed to be included to provide a motive for the American woman being stalked.
The citizens of St. Denis and in particular, Bruno's circle of friends are not so much a part of this book but they do appear and offer opportunities for descriptions of marvelous meals. New characters are introduced and the finale will keep me awaiting #18 with interest.

Always nice to spend time with Bruno & co., though the mystery itself was a little disjointed and maybe did not all mesh together like some of the previous volumes.

I read 10 chapters of this book but sadly did not finish it. I was really drawn to the concept... taking place in a small village in France, the archaeology, solving a mystery. However, the dialogue was mainly about WW2. I'm just not the target audience for that. I also came into this series cold, and I think that did me a disservice in regards to warming to the main character. I think people who've read and loved this series already, or those very interested in WW2 history, will enjoy this book.

3.5stars, rounded up
The Bruno Courreges series is one of my favorite series. I always feel that I learn something about the history of the area, which is definitely a plus for me. Three skeletons are found buried under a slab in the woods. The skeletons date back to 1944 and are two German women and an Italian officer. And it becomes apparent that a war crime has been committed, one that occurs against women all too often during war. I was surprised that the population of St. Denis mostly took such a magnanimous approach, given these three were “the enemy”, yet the town was able to see past that to the present day alliance of the countries.
Two new characters are introduced - Abby, an American looking to set herself up as a tour guide focusing on American tourists and Collette, a new hire who has commandeered Bruno’s office while he’s out convalescing. Both are interesting and I hope they become part of the regular cast of characters. Flip side, many of the regulars take a backseat in this book and we barely see Pamela or Florence.
There are several subplots - an attempt to hack Bruno’s phone and the police computer system, Abby’s ex-husband, against whom she has a restraining order, may be stalking her and excessive rain which may lead to flooding in the area. And, of course, there are lots of opportunities to eat, drink and ride horses. The story seemed a little more bland than past plots, mainly because despite the possibility of a major flood, it never developed a sense of tension. And the ending was less dramatic then I would have expected or preferred.
My thanks to Netgalley and Knopf for an advance copy of this book.

Make sure to note that the Dedication is to Walker’s friend, Pierre Simonet, who was the inspiration for Bruno.

American Archeologist Abby comes to St. Denis to see Bruno's archeologist friends Clothilde and Horst. Bruno is still supposed to be on leave from injury, but he is a lot better. Bruno helps her to find a place to live and introduces her to several of his friends. She gets a job as a tour guide for American tourests. She is recently divorced from her husband, who now wants to get money of her. The husband appears to be in France and has been trying to break into Bruno's phone and computer. He later attacks Bruno's new administrator as well as trying to get Abby.

Meanwhile, someone is about to by an old home with lots of land, and the land has an old grave on it. Bruno must inspect the grave before the land can be bought. When opening the grave, they first find a small dog. Then beneath the dog is a much larger container with the naked bones of two woman of German descent and a clothed body of an Italian man. There are also credentials with names in a box. They appear to be from about the time the German's were pulling out of France. They plan a repatriation ceremony at a later date for the bodies to go home and memorial garder near the site.

Things get pretty exciting near the end, as the memorial is just past, the floods are approaching, and they are close to capturing Abby's ex. I hope the Bruno books keep coming!

I thank Netgalley and Knopf for the ARC so I could read this great book before publication.

Another charming title in this series. It’s definitely easier knowing the cast of characters to follow along in this series. I appreciate the currency of the crime, the character development and the oh so many open ended questions that leave the reader wanting more. Maybe a little too heavy on the political implications but that’s ok too. Great descriptions of the meal and the countryside.

4.0

I really enjoyed reading this latest installment of Bruno, though now that it’s over and I think about it, I’m not exactly sure why. It’s a little different than other books in the series, but then also very much the same. Two characters, ones you may have been waiting to hear from, for better or worse, are notably absent and the ending, well…

<spoiler>The ending was a little abrupt and I don’t feel that they really resolved things. It was a little convenient and I don’t know that I fully understand the events. The only other complaint, I believe, is all of the descriptions of the locations and their access routes and water levels. I can never get a full sense of the layout of this region and it was exponentially confusing to try to follow along, like the rivers themselves. </spoiler> There’s some good Balzac time, though more show the front and middle of the book. I didn’t want this one to end.

Good stuff happens in the epilogue, but I feel like I am back in the same place waiting another year for the story to continue. It’s like this book didn’t even happen…except he does something stupid right at the beginning.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

The newest Bruno Chief of Police novel opens with a British couple wanted to turn an abandoned property into vacation rental cabins, B and B, cooking school and event venue. The couple will also film a TV show based on the renovation. Bruno still has a few weeks left of his recovery from being shot in the last novel, so he is only able to do light duties. The mayor asks Bruno to check into the location of a grave that could be on the abandoned property. Along the way he meets a visitor to the area, Abby. Abby is an archaeologist and is very interested in a grave from WWII.
When the grave is opened it doesn’t hold what the town expected. While dealing with the repercussions of actions taken during the war, Bruno and his office are victims of a cyber attack possibly by Abby’s ex-husband. Trying to break into the French police computers is a big offense so a search is on for Barone. Bruno has to leave that case to the higher ups because a damn release is planned to combat the rising water levels and Bruno must protect his town and people.
Bruno is very busy for a man on convalescence leave. As always he rises to the occasion to save the day.

Bruno is still technically on convalescent leave due to his being shot, but of course there is plenty to do. A British couple wants to purchase a property to transform it into a wedding venue, but a grave is found on the site. In it are 2 young German women and an Italian man, presumably buried sometime during World War II. There is a commemoration ceremony, attended by most of the familiar villagers. (Fortunately, Isabelle is only mentioned in passing since I find her on again off again romance with Bruno somewhat annoying.) A flood of biblical proportions and someone tampering with the department's phones and computers complicate Bruno's time off, but it's always a pleasure to read about the amazing food, the friendships, and the history of this area in the south of France. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.