To Kill a Troubadour: A Bruno, Chief of Police Novel (The Dordogne Mysteries)

by Martin Walker

When a musician’s new song hits a political nerve, he finds himself in the crosshairs of Spanish nationalists’ ire, and it’s up to Bruno to track down the extremists who seem ready to take deadly measures, in another delightful installment of the internationally acclaimed series featuring Bruno, Chief of Police.

“As usual, Walker concocts a satisfying dish featuring an intriguing lead character who moves through enviable settings and enjoys wonderful meals while tracking down criminals.”—Booklist

Les Troubadours, a folk music group that Bruno has long supported, go viral with their new number, “Song for Catalonia,” when the Spanish government suddenly bans the song. The songwriter, Joel Martin, is a local enthusiast for the old Occitan language of Périgord and the medieval troubadours, and he sympathizes with the Catalan bid for independence. The success of his song provokes outrage among extreme Spanish nationalists. Then, in a stolen car found on a Périgord back road, police discover a distinctive bullet for a state-of-the-art sniper's rifle that can kill at three kilometers, and they fear that Joel might be the intended target. 

The French and Spanish governments agree to mount a joint operation to stop the assailants, and Bruno is the local man on the spot who mobilizes his resources to track them down. While Bruno tries to keep the peace, his friend Florence reaches out for help. Her abusive ex-husband is about to be paroled from prison and she fears he will return to reclaim their children. Will Bruno and Florence be able to prevent this unwanted visit? Despite the pressures, there is always time for Bruno to savor les plaisirs of the Dordogne around the table with friends.

• ISBN10: 0593319796
• ISBN13: 9780593319796
• Publish Date: 9 August 2022 (first published 9 June 2022)
• Publish Status: Remaindered
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Alfred A. Knopf
• Format: Hardcover (Deckle Edge)
• Pages: 320
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780593319796

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

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.