
His investigation draws him into one of the darkest chapters of French history - World War II, a time of terror and betrayal that set brother against brother. The two immediately suspect militants from the anti-immigrant National Front, but when a visiting scholar helps to untangle the dead man's past, Bruno's suspicions turn toward a more complex motive. But then the murder of an elderly North African who fought in the French army changes everything and galvanizes Bruno's attention: the man was found with a swastika carved into his chest.īecause of the case's potential political ramifications, a young policewoman is sent from Paris to aid Bruno with his investigation. He has a gun but never wears it he has the power to arrest but never uses it. Bruno - as he is affectionately nicknamed - may be the town's only municipal policeman, but in the hearts and minds of its denizens, he is chief of police.īruno is a former soldier who has embraced the pleasures and slow rhythms of country life - living in his restored shepherd's cottage patronizing the weekly market sparring with, and basically ignoring, the European Union bureaucrats from Brussels. The first installment in a wonderful new series that follows the exploits of Benoît Courrèges, a policeman in a small French village where the rituals of the café still rule.
