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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
Enjoyable, but I wasn't as awestruck as the reviewers quoted on the first two pages and back cover. I don't read a lot of detective stories. Sherlock Holmes spoiled me, and Agatha Christie's books started to bore me after I'd read a few back in high school. What's nice about this is the setting — a rural village in the south of France — and Bruno himself, a modest bachelor who enjoys all the best his region can offer (food, wine, peace and quiet, and neighbors who know one another all too well).
The murder story is not overly contrived, and there's a really interesting dose of World War II history woven in that gave it some originality. The female characters were all quite pleasing to read about, and there's more of a mix of people in the village than I would have expected. The small-town vibe is like a character in its own right.
I might read another of these Bruno books sometime, if I find a used copy at a good price.
The murder story is not overly contrived, and there's a really interesting dose of World War II history woven in that gave it some originality. The female characters were all quite pleasing to read about, and there's more of a mix of people in the village than I would have expected. The small-town vibe is like a character in its own right.
I might read another of these Bruno books sometime, if I find a used copy at a good price.
A very pleasant little mystery! I originally picked this one up because I heard that the detective, Bruno, has a basset hound and as a basset hound owner, that was enough for me. Usually, mysteries disappoint me with their endings, but this one had quite a satisfying, well-conceived motive and conclusion. The book was less action-packed and more atmospheric, transporting you to a charming French village. It was a quick and enjoyable read and while I'm not usually a mystery reader, I would continue the series for some light reading.
Bruno, Chief of Police- a great read
I am so glad I picked this up after a couple false starts- loved immersing myself in Bruno's St Denis.
I am so glad I picked this up after a couple false starts- loved immersing myself in Bruno's St Denis.
A decent read. The main character was likeable and the mystery was engaging. It was a short read so I’d probably read the subsequent books about this French detective if I came across them.
A fun easy read, introducing us to a small town in Perigord, who's Village cop uncovers a dark side of french history, when an old Algerian ex solder is murdered.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
I wanted to love this a lot more than I did - but I think that may be in part because I kept picking it up and putting it back down, and there were just too many characters to keep straight when I wasn't reading straight through?
In other words, it's not you, it's me - I think. There are a lot of books in this series, and it reviews well - so I haven't given up on the series, and the book WAS good, but just.. ok.
In other words, it's not you, it's me - I think. There are a lot of books in this series, and it reviews well - so I haven't given up on the series, and the book WAS good, but just.. ok.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
A good French detective story w a side a good French food. Enjoyable but certainly not life changing.
If you're not a fan of cosy style mysteries, you could be forgiven for missing BRUNO CHIEF OF POLICE. Don't be fooled by the cover photos, or the blurb which uses a comparison with a rather well known cosy writer though. BRUNO CHIEF OF POLICE is much more of a police procedural. Well it's a rural French procedural, so whilst there's a violent murder to be solved, there's also a very engaging central police character, a great sense of place, and meals to die for. Perhaps a comparison with Montalbano might have been more successful? Although it's still not quite accurate as Bruno is considerably more content and able to deal with life, his colleagues and the various challenges along the way (like matchmaking local women) with a lot more joie de vivre than you could ever imagine Montalbano contemplating.
Mind you, the story does it's bit to mislead the reader at the beginning, as Bruno seems to be mostly occupied with stopping the locals from wreaking havoc on the EU Hygiene Inspection officer's as they clamp down on the local farmers market. Luckily that's not exactly a full time occupation for a local Chief of Police, so he's got plenty of time in which to attend to his own vegetables and poultry, make his own liqueur and potter around building his house. The story behind how Bruno ended up Chief of Police of St Denis is a tale in its own right, but Bruno's background, the story of the village and the occupants and its extremely important history and culture are built into the investigation of a shocking murder in a way that is seamless, charming and involving. When the idyllic village lifestyle is shattered by the discovery of the body of an old man, head of a local immigrant North African family, dead, eviscerated, his body mutilated with the image of a swastika, the multi-levelled police system in France means that outsiders take responsibility for the investigation. They are more than happy to suspect two local rich kids, on the fringe of a drug trafficking neo-Nazi group. Local knowledge leads Bruno to something from the past that has surfaced at last.
Bruno is simply a wonderful character. Astute, yet relaxed, alone but self-sufficient, he's a believable village copper with a lifestyle that is highly desirable. The village is nicely populated with its own brand of eccentrics, the old residents and the new arrivals. Whilst the tensions in that little town in the middle of a big rural area reflect the sorts of tensions that you get in any society, there's the added complications of a country, and people, who remember the Second World War all too clearly.
The only worrying thing is that for this series to continue, and continue it hopefully will, St Denis could run the risk of becoming as dangerous a place as St Mary Mead, Midsomer or Denton. Let's hope there's enough vin de noix to keep Bruno's spirits up.
Mind you, the story does it's bit to mislead the reader at the beginning, as Bruno seems to be mostly occupied with stopping the locals from wreaking havoc on the EU Hygiene Inspection officer's as they clamp down on the local farmers market. Luckily that's not exactly a full time occupation for a local Chief of Police, so he's got plenty of time in which to attend to his own vegetables and poultry, make his own liqueur and potter around building his house. The story behind how Bruno ended up Chief of Police of St Denis is a tale in its own right, but Bruno's background, the story of the village and the occupants and its extremely important history and culture are built into the investigation of a shocking murder in a way that is seamless, charming and involving. When the idyllic village lifestyle is shattered by the discovery of the body of an old man, head of a local immigrant North African family, dead, eviscerated, his body mutilated with the image of a swastika, the multi-levelled police system in France means that outsiders take responsibility for the investigation. They are more than happy to suspect two local rich kids, on the fringe of a drug trafficking neo-Nazi group. Local knowledge leads Bruno to something from the past that has surfaced at last.
Bruno is simply a wonderful character. Astute, yet relaxed, alone but self-sufficient, he's a believable village copper with a lifestyle that is highly desirable. The village is nicely populated with its own brand of eccentrics, the old residents and the new arrivals. Whilst the tensions in that little town in the middle of a big rural area reflect the sorts of tensions that you get in any society, there's the added complications of a country, and people, who remember the Second World War all too clearly.
The only worrying thing is that for this series to continue, and continue it hopefully will, St Denis could run the risk of becoming as dangerous a place as St Mary Mead, Midsomer or Denton. Let's hope there's enough vin de noix to keep Bruno's spirits up.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No