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Bruno, Chief of Police #8
Dying Season EXPORT
A beloved village, a renowned family, a suspicious death - it's the latest adventure in the Dordogne for police chief Bruno. When Bruno is invited to the lavish birthday celebration of World War II flying ace and national icon Marco "the Patriarch" Desaix, it's the fulfillment of a boyhood dream. But when the party ends in the death of Gilbert, Marco's longtime friend, it's another day on the job for the chef de police. All signs point to a tragic accident, but Bruno isn't so sure. There is more to the Desaix family's lives and loyalties than meets the eye.
There is Victor, the patriarch's son, Gilbert's old comrade-in-arms and sometime rival; Victor's seductive wife, Madeleine, whose roving eye intrigues Bruno even more than her fierce political ambitions; Yevgeny, another son, an artist whose paintings seem to hold keys to the past; and the patriarch himself, whose postwar Soviet ties may have intersected all too closely with Gilbert's career in Cold War intelligence. Bruno is diverted by a dangerous conflict between a local animal rights activist and outraged hunters - as well as meals to cook, wine to share, and an ever more complicated romantic situation. But as his entanglement with the Desaix family grows and his suspicions heighten, Bruno's inquiries into Gilbert's life become a deadly threat to his own.
There is Victor, the patriarch's son, Gilbert's old comrade-in-arms and sometime rival; Victor's seductive wife, Madeleine, whose roving eye intrigues Bruno even more than her fierce political ambitions; Yevgeny, another son, an artist whose paintings seem to hold keys to the past; and the patriarch himself, whose postwar Soviet ties may have intersected all too closely with Gilbert's career in Cold War intelligence. Bruno is diverted by a dangerous conflict between a local animal rights activist and outraged hunters - as well as meals to cook, wine to share, and an ever more complicated romantic situation. But as his entanglement with the Desaix family grows and his suspicions heighten, Bruno's inquiries into Gilbert's life become a deadly threat to his own.
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First published July 2, 2015
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About the author
Martin Walker
66 books1,540 followersMartin Walker is the U.S. bureau chief for The Guardian (London), a regular commentator for CNN, and a columnist for newspapers in the United States, Europe, and Moscow. A published novelist and poet, he lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife, the novelist Julia Watson, and their two daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 532 reviews
August 3, 2023
The eighth book in the Bruno, Chief of Police series - also titled The Dying Season.
More wonderful Bruno and the delightful small French town of St Denis. In one book we experience animal rights activism, animal deaths, the claiming of hunter's rights, lots of superb culinary experiences, romance for Bruno, a suspicious death, and intrigue at the highest levels. Balzac the Basset Hound continues to delight and Bruno nearly dies at least twice.
What more to ask for? I am enjoying this series immensely.
More wonderful Bruno and the delightful small French town of St Denis. In one book we experience animal rights activism, animal deaths, the claiming of hunter's rights, lots of superb culinary experiences, romance for Bruno, a suspicious death, and intrigue at the highest levels. Balzac the Basset Hound continues to delight and Bruno nearly dies at least twice.
What more to ask for? I am enjoying this series immensely.
November 5, 2024
3.5 stars
In this 8th book in the 'Bruno, Chief of Police' series, Bruno investigates the death of a troubled man. The book can be read as a standalone.
*****
Dordogne region of France
Police Chief Bruno Corrèges of St. Denis, in the Dordogne region of France, is happy to be going to the 90th birthday party of 'The Patriarch' - Marco Desaix - whom Bruno has idolized since childhood. The Patriarch was a heralded aviator in WWII, awarded medals by both France and Russia.
The party guests include local aristocrats as well as DeSaix's extended family, including his sons (from different mothers) Yevgeny and Victor. Also present are Victor's gorgeous politically active wife Madeleine, their college age children Chantal and Marc, and Victor's best friend since their army days, Gilbert Clamartin - a troubled alcoholic.
During the party Gilbert is found dead, apparently having drunk too much and choked. Though a local doctor (and friend of the DeSaix family) declares Gilbert's death accidental, Bruno has an uneasy feeling and decides to investigate. He learns about a tangled web of 'cooperation' between France and Russia during and after WWII, activities that involved The Patriarch, Victor, and Gilbert. Bruno suspects that - at the party - Gilbert might have threatened to reveal a secret that resulted in his murder.
Perhaps to distract Bruno from his investigation the DeSaix family 'courts' the police chief, inviting him to luncheons, wine and paté tastings, etc. And beautiful Madeleine pulls out all the stops, staging an all out seduction.
Other elements of the tale include an obsessive environmentalist whose 'protection' of wild deer endangers their lives and creates a serious road hazard; a prize-winning garden that's destroyed by wild boars; Gilbert's surprising will; a political rivalry; and an attempt on Bruno's life.
In addition to his investigative work Bruno goes about his everyday activities, which include horseback riding, eating breakfast at the local café, taking care of his garden, walking his lovable basset hound, resolving a romantic relationship, shopping, cooking for his hunt club celebration, and so on.
In fact, Bruno demonstrates some serious chef skills. He frequently invites guests to his home, where he prepares gourmet French meals accompanied by fresh baguettes and fine wines, all of which sounds delicious. The reader is also treated to vivid descriptions of the lovely St. Denis/Dordogne region of France, which sounds like a wonderful place to live (if it wasn't for all the pesky murders Bruno solves).
By the end of the book Gilbert's death is satisfactorily resolved. This is an enjoyable book in a wonderful setting. Recommended to mystery fans.
You can follow my reviews at http://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com/
February 11, 2017
To enjoy this crime series, and probably understand the motive behind it, a deeper look at the author and the character might bring some answers to the reader.
In this eight book in the Bruno, Chief Of Police series, the fictional town of St. Denis is once again the boiling pot for murder, family intrigue, and international politics. And in the lead, of the flaw, mayhem and botched operations of diplomats and spies, is the village police officer who refuses to give up his horse, geese, chickens, and life style for a higher position in Paris, which he rightfully deserve. For Benoît “Bruno” Courrèges, originally an orphaned child, who unintentionally became a hero since a young age in everything he did, there's more to life than good money and more pretentious friends. Bruno is the real deal. And he is loved for it by both his town and his readers.
The Patriarch was also published under the title The Dying Season.
The Patriarch deals with deception, loyalty, old friendships, wily but strong women and international spy rings. To complicate matters even further, the wife of a prominent politician is killed in a collusion with a deer, and the different interest groups, such as environmentalists and hunters, are at odds to what should happen afterwards, with anger bursting out in the streets. Weapons are pulled out at each other. A smorgasbord of deceit and deception within one family is served when a hero pilot from WWII is found dead in The Patriarch's mansions on the latter's ninetieth birthday. Bruno has once again his hands full, with dull moments as foreign and unacceptable as the decisions of the EU forced upon the community.
Martin Walker must be quietly one of the most successful crime authors in the world. His books have been translated into 15 languages including Turkish, Japanese, Brazilian and Polish. He spent 25 years as a foreign correspondent for The Guardian in Moscow, Washington and Europe and uses these experiences to tell his tales, sharing both historical as well as current affairs in world history.
His main character is based on the real police chief of Pèrigord who often has to sign books for tourists. Reality and fiction merge. For instance, Pamela prepares a Scottish dish for Bruno in one of the books, which has now become a favorite in Pèrigord, and is simply called a Fish Pie in Bruno's cookbook. The tourists not only have read the Bruno series, but also visits the town in their hundreds from all over the world and want to eat the food. The series have become great ambassadors for the real town.
Meeting many people on a daily basis, conversing over dinners where candle light and good wines encourages good conversations, including book discussions, Martin Walker is constantly a firm favorite crime writer. Which can lead to the conclusion that his ratings on GR might not reflect his true popularity. He is a bestselling author with a firm following. When Louise Penny, being sold as an internationally bestselling author, is mentioned in these conversations, nobody has heard of her. That means that Martin Walker sells a lot more books worldwide and is quietly a lot more successful, since everyone lights up when his name is mentioned. He might not be so well-known in America or Canada or GR for instance, and that is so surprising. He has won numerous awards in Europe and China. He is also widely read in Britain, South Africa and elsewhere.
Like Louise Penny, who present the fictional Three Pines in Canada to the world, with the inhabitants and their food culture as the main selling point amidst the crime stories, Martin Walker does that very same thing for St. Denis (Pèrigord) in France. His cookbook, Tales, Food and Wines of the Périgord won an international award as the best one on French Cuisine at an international Food Festival in China. Bruno belongs to the grand tradition of fictional detectives-cum-gastronomes, like Nero Wolfe and Salvo Montalbano. But there’s one big difference between Bruno and those others: Bruno cooks. Chief Inspector Gamache in the Louise Penny books is just a visiting detective in Three Pines. The fictional St. Denis on the other hand, is based on Pèrigord in France, with the resulting influx of tourism to the real town.
Martin Walker is fluent in English (being from Scottish descent), French, and German, and probably can help himself in Russia where he worked for several years.
The website brunochiefofpolice.com introduces Bruno, the chief of police in St. Denis as "a peaceful, gentle fellow who likes to cook for his friends and is aching to settle down in St. Denis. And he aches to settle down with and be faithful to a woman who wants to bear his children and help share his vegetable garden, his horse and ducks and hens, and his reluctance to have a TV set in his house.
Bruno cooks, he hunts, he builds his own house and grows his own food. He organizes the parades and festivities and fireworks displays and keeps order in his fictional home town of St Denis. A pillar of the local tennis and rugby clubs, he teaches sports to the local schoolchildren.
Bruno finds lost dogs, fights fires, registers births and deaths, and enforces the parking regulations. But he maintains a sophisticated intelligence network to outwit the interfering bureaucrats of the European Union in far-off Brussels. The country folk of the Perigord have been making their foie gras and their cheeses and sausages for centuries before the EU was ever heard of, and see no reason to bow to its rules and regulations now.
But Bruno applies his own sense of justice in doing so, which sometimes put him at odds with the local Gendarmes, with the professional detectives of the Police Nationale, and with the politicians in distant Paris.
And much to the frustration of those matrons of St Denis with unmarried daughters, for whom he is the town’s most eligible and charming bachelor, Bruno remains stubbornly and contentedly single. He is, however, a great romantic with a profound if somewhat wary appreciation of the fair sex."
In an interview with the weeklylizard.com, the future of Bruno is made clear. "Bruno will go on defending the town and people and the traditions of St. Denis against all the threats of modernization and globalization that menace the town’s traditional way of life—with its two-hour lunches, its plentiful wine and foie gras, its weekly market, its hunting seasons and rugby games."
This is what the reader will find in The Patriarch and all the other books in this series.
Policeman Bruno's tales are quiet, gentle reads with a deeper, exciting, vibrant twists thrown into every plot. They are as much murder mysteries as they are historical fiction.
Trying to live like the town folks might render the reader a pickled version of the old self, since wine is served everywhere in unlimited quantities but breakfast on a daily basis and it will continue in ad infinitum. It is the culture. It is St. Denis. The stories are just as pickled, with intrigue and mystery, and just as enjoyable. For teetotalers it can be overwhelming and smothering.
An enjoyable read once again. It is a Pèrigord experience to its fullest with a murder mystery thrown in.
In this eight book in the Bruno, Chief Of Police series, the fictional town of St. Denis is once again the boiling pot for murder, family intrigue, and international politics. And in the lead, of the flaw, mayhem and botched operations of diplomats and spies, is the village police officer who refuses to give up his horse, geese, chickens, and life style for a higher position in Paris, which he rightfully deserve. For Benoît “Bruno” Courrèges, originally an orphaned child, who unintentionally became a hero since a young age in everything he did, there's more to life than good money and more pretentious friends. Bruno is the real deal. And he is loved for it by both his town and his readers.
The Patriarch was also published under the title The Dying Season.
The Patriarch deals with deception, loyalty, old friendships, wily but strong women and international spy rings. To complicate matters even further, the wife of a prominent politician is killed in a collusion with a deer, and the different interest groups, such as environmentalists and hunters, are at odds to what should happen afterwards, with anger bursting out in the streets. Weapons are pulled out at each other. A smorgasbord of deceit and deception within one family is served when a hero pilot from WWII is found dead in The Patriarch's mansions on the latter's ninetieth birthday. Bruno has once again his hands full, with dull moments as foreign and unacceptable as the decisions of the EU forced upon the community.
Martin Walker must be quietly one of the most successful crime authors in the world. His books have been translated into 15 languages including Turkish, Japanese, Brazilian and Polish. He spent 25 years as a foreign correspondent for The Guardian in Moscow, Washington and Europe and uses these experiences to tell his tales, sharing both historical as well as current affairs in world history.
His main character is based on the real police chief of Pèrigord who often has to sign books for tourists. Reality and fiction merge. For instance, Pamela prepares a Scottish dish for Bruno in one of the books, which has now become a favorite in Pèrigord, and is simply called a Fish Pie in Bruno's cookbook. The tourists not only have read the Bruno series, but also visits the town in their hundreds from all over the world and want to eat the food. The series have become great ambassadors for the real town.
Meeting many people on a daily basis, conversing over dinners where candle light and good wines encourages good conversations, including book discussions, Martin Walker is constantly a firm favorite crime writer. Which can lead to the conclusion that his ratings on GR might not reflect his true popularity. He is a bestselling author with a firm following. When Louise Penny, being sold as an internationally bestselling author, is mentioned in these conversations, nobody has heard of her. That means that Martin Walker sells a lot more books worldwide and is quietly a lot more successful, since everyone lights up when his name is mentioned. He might not be so well-known in America or Canada or GR for instance, and that is so surprising. He has won numerous awards in Europe and China. He is also widely read in Britain, South Africa and elsewhere.
Like Louise Penny, who present the fictional Three Pines in Canada to the world, with the inhabitants and their food culture as the main selling point amidst the crime stories, Martin Walker does that very same thing for St. Denis (Pèrigord) in France. His cookbook, Tales, Food and Wines of the Périgord won an international award as the best one on French Cuisine at an international Food Festival in China. Bruno belongs to the grand tradition of fictional detectives-cum-gastronomes, like Nero Wolfe and Salvo Montalbano. But there’s one big difference between Bruno and those others: Bruno cooks. Chief Inspector Gamache in the Louise Penny books is just a visiting detective in Three Pines. The fictional St. Denis on the other hand, is based on Pèrigord in France, with the resulting influx of tourism to the real town.
Martin Walker is fluent in English (being from Scottish descent), French, and German, and probably can help himself in Russia where he worked for several years.
The website brunochiefofpolice.com introduces Bruno, the chief of police in St. Denis as "a peaceful, gentle fellow who likes to cook for his friends and is aching to settle down in St. Denis. And he aches to settle down with and be faithful to a woman who wants to bear his children and help share his vegetable garden, his horse and ducks and hens, and his reluctance to have a TV set in his house.
Bruno cooks, he hunts, he builds his own house and grows his own food. He organizes the parades and festivities and fireworks displays and keeps order in his fictional home town of St Denis. A pillar of the local tennis and rugby clubs, he teaches sports to the local schoolchildren.
Bruno finds lost dogs, fights fires, registers births and deaths, and enforces the parking regulations. But he maintains a sophisticated intelligence network to outwit the interfering bureaucrats of the European Union in far-off Brussels. The country folk of the Perigord have been making their foie gras and their cheeses and sausages for centuries before the EU was ever heard of, and see no reason to bow to its rules and regulations now.
But Bruno applies his own sense of justice in doing so, which sometimes put him at odds with the local Gendarmes, with the professional detectives of the Police Nationale, and with the politicians in distant Paris.
And much to the frustration of those matrons of St Denis with unmarried daughters, for whom he is the town’s most eligible and charming bachelor, Bruno remains stubbornly and contentedly single. He is, however, a great romantic with a profound if somewhat wary appreciation of the fair sex."
In an interview with the weeklylizard.com, the future of Bruno is made clear. "Bruno will go on defending the town and people and the traditions of St. Denis against all the threats of modernization and globalization that menace the town’s traditional way of life—with its two-hour lunches, its plentiful wine and foie gras, its weekly market, its hunting seasons and rugby games."
This is what the reader will find in The Patriarch and all the other books in this series.
Policeman Bruno's tales are quiet, gentle reads with a deeper, exciting, vibrant twists thrown into every plot. They are as much murder mysteries as they are historical fiction.
Trying to live like the town folks might render the reader a pickled version of the old self, since wine is served everywhere in unlimited quantities but breakfast on a daily basis and it will continue in ad infinitum. It is the culture. It is St. Denis. The stories are just as pickled, with intrigue and mystery, and just as enjoyable. For teetotalers it can be overwhelming and smothering.
An enjoyable read once again. It is a Pèrigord experience to its fullest with a murder mystery thrown in.
April 30, 2017
3 1/2 stars
I continue to love reading the Bruno, Chief of Police mystery series. One thing I particularly like is what the reader learns in each book about the history of France and French culture, politics, policing (a complicated affair!), law, tourism, activism, food and wine. All of these are present in spades in entry #8. (I feel that the way these things are portrayed in the series are particularly credible because of Walker's journalism experience, his research, his role as senior fellow of the Global business Policy Council and that he lives in the Dordogne regions of France part time.)
It was particularly interesting to learn about the French air fighter squadron, Normandie-Nieman that fought on the eastern front for ally Russia during WWII and French-Russian relations during The Cold War. Also, we get more of the Green party activism, friction between Greens and hunters and upcoming fraught political elections. The role of the wealthy in the local culture comes to the fore again, revisiting some of the characters from book #5, The Devil's Cave, one of my favorite in the series. Of course there's all the food and wine we've come to expect in a Bruno novel. As in the past, the descriptions of cooking dishes is so enticing and detailed that I feel I could successfully prepare the dishes myself.
A friend of mine and I have remarked that in recent books, Bruno comes off as "Super Bruno", doing things that no mere mortal could possibly do, dinging the credibility of the character a little. I was surprised that Bruno came off as "Bumbling Bruno" in The Patriarch! While he has hunches, they don't evolve into his usual laser focus on the criminal and he makes some very poor personal choices. This book makes him seem more realistic, but maybe there's a middle ground between bumbling and super-hero!
I enjoyed reading The Patriarch, but am deducting half a star from my consistent 4-star ratings throughout this series because of the rushed, ridiculous ending. Still a series I highly recommend. I see that the next in the series is available at my library, so I will roll into Fatal Pursuit sooner rather than later!
I continue to love reading the Bruno, Chief of Police mystery series. One thing I particularly like is what the reader learns in each book about the history of France and French culture, politics, policing (a complicated affair!), law, tourism, activism, food and wine. All of these are present in spades in entry #8. (I feel that the way these things are portrayed in the series are particularly credible because of Walker's journalism experience, his research, his role as senior fellow of the Global business Policy Council and that he lives in the Dordogne regions of France part time.)
It was particularly interesting to learn about the French air fighter squadron, Normandie-Nieman that fought on the eastern front for ally Russia during WWII and French-Russian relations during The Cold War. Also, we get more of the Green party activism, friction between Greens and hunters and upcoming fraught political elections. The role of the wealthy in the local culture comes to the fore again, revisiting some of the characters from book #5, The Devil's Cave, one of my favorite in the series. Of course there's all the food and wine we've come to expect in a Bruno novel. As in the past, the descriptions of cooking dishes is so enticing and detailed that I feel I could successfully prepare the dishes myself.
A friend of mine and I have remarked that in recent books, Bruno comes off as "Super Bruno", doing things that no mere mortal could possibly do, dinging the credibility of the character a little. I was surprised that Bruno came off as "Bumbling Bruno" in The Patriarch! While he has hunches, they don't evolve into his usual laser focus on the criminal and he makes some very poor personal choices. This book makes him seem more realistic, but maybe there's a middle ground between bumbling and super-hero!
I enjoyed reading The Patriarch, but am deducting half a star from my consistent 4-star ratings throughout this series because of the rushed, ridiculous ending. Still a series I highly recommend. I see that the next in the series is available at my library, so I will roll into Fatal Pursuit sooner rather than later!
August 8, 2021
I've read only the debut novel in this series and this one, but if I may interpolate, the series appears consistent. In Bruno's small town, the residents are closely-knit, wary of the national government, and committed to a lifestyle of home raised, cured, canned, and prepared meats, cheeses, vegetables, and wine. It's a wonderful, beautiful world where nobody seems to have a job beyond making lunch fabulous. Intruding on this utopia is a suspicious death, and Bruno is on the job. The mystery, such as it is, develops in the last quarter of the book, the rest devoted to character development, food, and wine. It's like Agatha Christie, if she started out to write a novel glorifying food and wine, and then slipped into the mystery, almost as a after-thought.
August 25, 2015
Please don't read The Patriarch as your introduction to Martin Walker's Bruno, Chief of Police, mysteries. This eighth book in the series lacks much of the charm of the first seven.
The Patriarch is a WWII hero with an extended family. When one of his fellow Cold War liaisons with the USSR dies, apparently accidentally, Bruno becomes suspicious when the deceased is quickly cremated and when he is discovered to have left a substantial fortune.
As usual, Walker combines his expertise about post-WWII European politics with his understanding of current French issues. In this novel, the local conflict concerns protecting versus culling deer.
The French-Soviet plot becomes convoluted, as befits a spy v. spy, whom-can-you-trust situation. The deer population plot seems superficial. In both plots, the characters are flat and unsympathetic.
Oh, well. I will forgive Martin Walker this one weaker entry in an excellent series.
The Patriarch is a WWII hero with an extended family. When one of his fellow Cold War liaisons with the USSR dies, apparently accidentally, Bruno becomes suspicious when the deceased is quickly cremated and when he is discovered to have left a substantial fortune.
As usual, Walker combines his expertise about post-WWII European politics with his understanding of current French issues. In this novel, the local conflict concerns protecting versus culling deer.
The French-Soviet plot becomes convoluted, as befits a spy v. spy, whom-can-you-trust situation. The deer population plot seems superficial. In both plots, the characters are flat and unsympathetic.
Oh, well. I will forgive Martin Walker this one weaker entry in an excellent series.
August 24, 2015
A disappointment
I love the novels in the Bruno series. I love their local charm and coziness. I admire the rich descriptions, delightful characters, and fully developed relationships. This latest installment lacks all of these things. It is cluttered with names of characters who are poorly developed. It is didactic in its attention to Franco-Soviet politics. It is lazy in its allusions to previous novels. I hope future novels in the series return to the roots of what made the early books such a delight to read.
I love the novels in the Bruno series. I love their local charm and coziness. I admire the rich descriptions, delightful characters, and fully developed relationships. This latest installment lacks all of these things. It is cluttered with names of characters who are poorly developed. It is didactic in its attention to Franco-Soviet politics. It is lazy in its allusions to previous novels. I hope future novels in the series return to the roots of what made the early books such a delight to read.
August 18, 2024
This was ably done and played to our love of gossip, even as we protest we care nothing for the lives of celebrities. In this, Bruno came dangerously close to having his lifetime hero unveiled, but fortunately, he was spare that indignity.
A breathtakingly beautiful woman made ALL the men fall in love with her, even the usually resistant Bruno, and we enjoyed his pleasure in a night he would never forget. But then the central mystery of the death of a friend of 'The Patriarch' comes into focus and we let go of any illusions.
I think I may have an objection to Pamela, Bruno's one-time lover, who seems to have "set him free," for an uncertain future.
A breathtakingly beautiful woman made ALL the men fall in love with her, even the usually resistant Bruno, and we enjoyed his pleasure in a night he would never forget. But then the central mystery of the death of a friend of 'The Patriarch' comes into focus and we let go of any illusions.
I think I may have an objection to Pamela, Bruno's one-time lover, who seems to have "set him free," for an uncertain future.
September 22, 2015
As someone else here has said, this 8th book in the Bruno Courrège series lacks some of the charm of the previous novels. Although I enjoyed reading it, and recognize Martin Walkers expertise in Franco-Russian history and politics, I felt some of the situations were a little too contrived, and I couldn't bask in the beauty and cosy conviviality of rural Perigord life, as in the earlier stories. Bruno has become a bit like Agatha Raisin in his personal life, eternally and irritatingly wishful! Please let him find a nice girl in the next instalment, and settle down to have the family he dreams of!! Then we can concentrate on the plot!
September 2, 2017
Another enjoyable visit to the Cabot Cove of France, but this book has some annoying loose ends, or else I seriously blanked out. A three month old question on Goodreads suggests that there really is a hole in the plot regarding the boars in the garden, but if I missed something, will someone please answer the question?
September 6, 2024
When I first read the first book of this series about Benoit Courreges, chief of police of the small French town of St Denis and known to everyone as Bruno, I though I would be enjoying another cozy read about life in Dordogne. Having read quite a few books into the series I am now aware of how much of French history has been put into these books and how that is different from the Anglo Saxon view or version.
Once again we visit Bruno and his friends in their domain and it becomes clear that the average life of a French person is so much different outsiders of bustling cities and how important the local society and life is.
Bruno has chosen to remain in St Denis because of the quality of life hé has, not for his carreer. Once again a man dies his death May be murder or simply an accident, Bruno is curious. Than there is the trouble with the huntfree zone for wildlife by some nature loving lady in which overpopulation leads to traffic accidents and when a woman dies the local people take that as an insult.
Bruno must do his average policemans' job and is also searching to make sense of a drunkards' death who in his prime walked in Russians capital among diploma's and army people.
And lets not forget the food and wine porn which accompanies each novel, while finishing reading the book I enjoyed a few glasses of red wine and a few snacks, because the Bruno books cannot get read without getting hungry or thirsty.
Once again a great installment of a series that keepster growing strong in book 8. Do yourself a favour and read the series you will find yourself entertained and hooked.
Once again we visit Bruno and his friends in their domain and it becomes clear that the average life of a French person is so much different outsiders of bustling cities and how important the local society and life is.
Bruno has chosen to remain in St Denis because of the quality of life hé has, not for his carreer. Once again a man dies his death May be murder or simply an accident, Bruno is curious. Than there is the trouble with the huntfree zone for wildlife by some nature loving lady in which overpopulation leads to traffic accidents and when a woman dies the local people take that as an insult.
Bruno must do his average policemans' job and is also searching to make sense of a drunkards' death who in his prime walked in Russians capital among diploma's and army people.
And lets not forget the food and wine porn which accompanies each novel, while finishing reading the book I enjoyed a few glasses of red wine and a few snacks, because the Bruno books cannot get read without getting hungry or thirsty.
Once again a great installment of a series that keepster growing strong in book 8. Do yourself a favour and read the series you will find yourself entertained and hooked.
Read
July 5, 2022So-so. I didn't find much of it believable. But the food. Oh, the food.
October 10, 2021
Das positivste, was ich sagen kann, ist: es las sich flott. Aber auch nur, weil es über weite Teile völlig handlungs- und inhaltslos war. Und das Ende ist eines der grottigsten, die ich je in einem Krimi lesen musste. Für mich ist nach acht Bänden, die oft eine Qual waren, definitiv Schluss mit der Serie.
December 12, 2025
Another excellent entry in the Bruno, Chief of Police series. This time out, Bruno is thrilled to be invited to a big celebration in honour of a childhood hero, a WWII flying ace. You know what they sa about meeting your heroes? It doesn’t end well. Someone ends up dead, and it looks as if his hero’s son might be involved. Bruno goes from being anparty guest to a policeman on the job ina flash.
June 23, 2021
The Patriarch is Bruno's childhood hero, and Bruno finally gets to meet him and his extended family--his 3 children, each with a different mother, and their children. Was the Patriarch just a war hero, or was he a spy for the Soviet Union? When there is a death, Bruno feels that it was a murder, but no one seems to agree. I was disappointed that Bruno, who seemed to be such a man of integrity in all of the books I've read in the series, is not so admirable in this book. Robert Mackenzie is a great narrator, as usual.
May 31, 2018
This entry in the Bruno series didn't grab me overall--it involves possible espionage, a topic I don't love--but the French countryside, its people, and its food and wine continue to charm. I wouldn't recommend it as a first entry into this series, but for those who have read earlier books, it is worth the read.
August 2, 2015
First off, yes, "The Dying Season" (Uk Edition) is the same book as "The Patriarch" (U.S. Edition) which is to be published August 11, 2015. I'm such a Bruno nut that I had to get the U.K. edition which came out July 2, 2015. The UK and US publishers are now getting much closer in terms of publishing times as it used to be a year's wait for the next Bruno, but now it is only a month and a bit.
In this case, the U.S. edition actually has the edge as the title and the cover art are much more appropriate to the theme of the book rather than the generic title and cover art of the U.K. edition, but hopefully Bruno fans do not get confused.
"The Patriarch/The Dying Season" has the feel of a transitional book as Bruno seems to be a bit off his game in this one and actually makes a questionable decision along the way. He can be forgiven some of that as he is forced to move on in his romantic life and is understandably off balance somewhat. This time the main case involves the extended family (you might want to do a crib sheet of all the relations at the front end to help you along) of a World War II French air force hero who also flew for the Soviet Union on the Eastern European Front vs. the Nazis. The 2nd more domestic case involves a local wildlife preservationist who runs into conflicts with the local community. As usual, Bruno prepares several meals along the way and much wine is served!
It all seems to wrap up too quickly, but that is always the way with those things you enjoy the most. I'm already looking forward to the next one. Bon appétit et à votre santé! (A hearty appetite and to your health!)
In this case, the U.S. edition actually has the edge as the title and the cover art are much more appropriate to the theme of the book rather than the generic title and cover art of the U.K. edition, but hopefully Bruno fans do not get confused.
"The Patriarch/The Dying Season" has the feel of a transitional book as Bruno seems to be a bit off his game in this one and actually makes a questionable decision along the way. He can be forgiven some of that as he is forced to move on in his romantic life and is understandably off balance somewhat. This time the main case involves the extended family (you might want to do a crib sheet of all the relations at the front end to help you along) of a World War II French air force hero who also flew for the Soviet Union on the Eastern European Front vs. the Nazis. The 2nd more domestic case involves a local wildlife preservationist who runs into conflicts with the local community. As usual, Bruno prepares several meals along the way and much wine is served!
It all seems to wrap up too quickly, but that is always the way with those things you enjoy the most. I'm already looking forward to the next one. Bon appétit et à votre santé! (A hearty appetite and to your health!)
March 13, 2021
Definitely the low point of the series so far. The opening pages made me double check to see if somehow I had jumped some pages (I was reading an ebook). It just seemed to launch into a lot of exposition with no purpose. And at the other end, the finale was simply ludicrous.
That being said, I have generally found these books to be an enjoyable read, so I'm willing to give the next one a chance.
That being said, I have generally found these books to be an enjoyable read, so I'm willing to give the next one a chance.
September 16, 2019
An ok crime story, with some interesting twists. I just did not think there was enough in the story to draw me in, or the story was not to my personal liking so it doesn’t mean it was bad. I probably say as well that I needed to read the books in order, as this one is part of a series. Overall, an ok book to read with good strong characters.
September 13, 2023
Love these charming Gallic, "Cozy Mysteries" of the Police Chief Bruno series...I'm moderately familiar with the rural Dordogne Region of France, that lies just east of Bordeaux...Lovely, green region made up of smaller family agribusiness interests, including some wonderful vineyards...Even though the town of St. Denis is fiction, the small town and the region makes me think, that this is the Wisconsin of France...Each of the two novels I've read in this series provides the reader lessons about French politics, policing, culture, food and wine, like a John Grisham novel...Like Grisham, Martin Walker had me drooling describing meals just as he did in "Playing for Pizza"...Bruno attends a celebration for a war hero known as the Patriarch and a close friend of this hero dies during the party...Was it due to the man's alcoholism?...The rapid cremation of the man's leaves Bruno feeling there might be more to the story and while, we the reader are charmed by this French version of Wisconsin, Bruno is busy collecting the evidence needed and build a case for murder...Four Gallic Shrugs!!!
April 19, 2022
Bruno attends a celebration for a war hero known as the Patriarch. A man dies during the party. Most people attribute the death to the man's alcoholism, but the rapidity of disposing of the man's body leaves Bruno feeling there might be more to the story. He manages to collect evidence needed and build a case for murder. We also see the end of Bruno and Pamela's dating relationship in this one but see Bruno showing interest in another woman. The series' setting and the luscious food descriptions make these a joy to read. I listened to the audiobook read by Robert Ian Mackenzie. (3.5 stars)
July 18, 2015
I've been passionate about Martin Walker's Bruno Chief of Police series since its inception. Each new book has been eagerly awaited and lovingly read. Walker is a master of portraying the history, culture, and food of the Dordogne in France. When I finish reading each book, it's a miracle that I don't speak with a French accent. I. Love. This. Series.
If you felt that the above paragraph was leading toward a "but," you would be correct. I've been noticing a trend in the last two or three books. A waning of authorial interest perhaps? For me The Patriarch felt rather lackluster.
Walker usually enlightens readers about a little known segment of French World War II history that I normally find fascinating, but this time the plot thread involving a French flying ace in Russia and another character's Cold War spy shenanigans seemed hurriedly resolved and just didn't drum up much interest in me. The subplot with the animal rights activist and the hunters wasn't really resolved at all, although Walker did illuminate the entire situation and its repercussions well.
Bruno has to face disillusionment on more than one front in this book. Once again he's at a romantic crossroads, but this time he didn't seem very interested in his own love life. Even the scenes filled with wine and food seemed perfunctory.
Don't get me wrong. I haven't gone off this series by any means. What I perceive to be Walker's "lackluster" novel is still much better than many other writers' "very good" ones. If anything, it's a reminder of how difficult it must be for writers to maintain not only interest but quality in a long-running series. But when I pick up the next Bruno book, there will be a hesitation and a bit of skepticism that wasn't there before.
If you felt that the above paragraph was leading toward a "but," you would be correct. I've been noticing a trend in the last two or three books. A waning of authorial interest perhaps? For me The Patriarch felt rather lackluster.
Walker usually enlightens readers about a little known segment of French World War II history that I normally find fascinating, but this time the plot thread involving a French flying ace in Russia and another character's Cold War spy shenanigans seemed hurriedly resolved and just didn't drum up much interest in me. The subplot with the animal rights activist and the hunters wasn't really resolved at all, although Walker did illuminate the entire situation and its repercussions well.
Bruno has to face disillusionment on more than one front in this book. Once again he's at a romantic crossroads, but this time he didn't seem very interested in his own love life. Even the scenes filled with wine and food seemed perfunctory.
Don't get me wrong. I haven't gone off this series by any means. What I perceive to be Walker's "lackluster" novel is still much better than many other writers' "very good" ones. If anything, it's a reminder of how difficult it must be for writers to maintain not only interest but quality in a long-running series. But when I pick up the next Bruno book, there will be a hesitation and a bit of skepticism that wasn't there before.
August 27, 2015
For most of this book, I really liked it, much more than the last Bruno novel. (I still liked that one overall, but not as much as most previous ones and had some definite mixed feelings about it.) The Patriarch is a great mystery, a wonderful vicarious experience of living and eating in France (as are the others), a nice return to the lives of some earlier characters to continue their stories and development, and interesting background with French/Russian history. BUT there was one key part of the plot that just drove me nuts. I hope it's not a spoiler to say it involved Bruno and his attitude toward/relationship with one of the female characters. That aspect developed into such a key part of the ending that I finished the book feeling annoyed and disappointed.
One of the subplots involving hunting and environmental balance also was a weak spot for me. The development and portrayal of those characters and events ended up seeming more like advocacy for hunting (which I am not against) than a genuine, interesting storyline.
Overall, it's still a good read and maybe the things that bothered me wont bother you. But the earlier Bruno novels are still by far my favorites.
One of the subplots involving hunting and environmental balance also was a weak spot for me. The development and portrayal of those characters and events ended up seeming more like advocacy for hunting (which I am not against) than a genuine, interesting storyline.
Overall, it's still a good read and maybe the things that bothered me wont bother you. But the earlier Bruno novels are still by far my favorites.
January 14, 2022
In seinem achten Fall Eskapaden muss Bruno, Chef de Police, einige private Turbulenzen durchstehen - auch insgesamt ist es eher ein persönlicher Fall für ihn. Er beginnt mt einer Geburtstagsfeier eines nationalen Kriegshelden, den Bruno als Kind sehr verehrt hat. Marco Desaix wird "der Patriarch" genannt und ist der unangefochtene Kopf einer großen Familie mit Kindern aus mehreren Ehen und alten Kameraden. Als einer dieser Kameraden nach der Feier tot aufgefunden wird, glaubt Bruno nicht an einen Unfall und sichert Spuren. Gleichzeitig wird er in das Netz der Familie gezogen und muss sich anstrengen, einen klaren Kopf zu behalten. Parallel spielt sich in St Denis ein anderes Drama ab, die ausgeuferten Rotwildbestände einer selbsternannten Umweltschützerin führen zu großen Problemen, auch hier befindet sich Bruno als Polizist und Jäger zwischen den Fronten. Mit Hilfe der üblichen Verbündeten gelingt es ihm schließlich alles in die richtigen Bahnen zu lenken. Allein der Showdown am Ende ist wieder einmal ein bisschen zu dick aufgetragen. Atmosphärisch (und kulinarisch) bietet Eskapaden die gewohnt gute Krimiunterhaltund mit Lokalkolorit, wunderbar gelesen von Johannes Steck.
June 29, 2024
Not one of my favorites, but still IT IS BRUNO! And I adore him, his small town life with all the politics and characters from different walks of life.
Bruno accompanies the Red Countess to a 90th birthday celebration that honors his childhood hero. The following morning a dead body turns up at the party sight and Bruno is off to uncover what he feels is suspicious. New characters are introduced along the way, a few I hope will return in future episodes. And of course, Bruno's love life takes a side stage and the relationship with Pamela is fizzling, Good riddance Pamela-Bruno is too good for you. Poor Bruno really needs one of his lady friends to guide him to his next romantic encounter, he has the terrible habit of choosing the wrong partner. There are women out there, Bruno, who are both intelligent, career minded and yet still can enjoy a family life and make good bedmates! For gosh sakes, let one of the ladies you know help you out!
Another reviewer said this, and I had to share, because I love it:
It's a wonderful, beautiful world where nobody seems to have a job beyond making lunch fabulous
Bruno accompanies the Red Countess to a 90th birthday celebration that honors his childhood hero. The following morning a dead body turns up at the party sight and Bruno is off to uncover what he feels is suspicious. New characters are introduced along the way, a few I hope will return in future episodes. And of course, Bruno's love life takes a side stage and the relationship with Pamela is fizzling, Good riddance Pamela-Bruno is too good for you. Poor Bruno really needs one of his lady friends to guide him to his next romantic encounter, he has the terrible habit of choosing the wrong partner. There are women out there, Bruno, who are both intelligent, career minded and yet still can enjoy a family life and make good bedmates! For gosh sakes, let one of the ladies you know help you out!
Another reviewer said this, and I had to share, because I love it:
It's a wonderful, beautiful world where nobody seems to have a job beyond making lunch fabulous
March 19, 2017
Der vorangegangene Band der "Bruno" Serie war nicht ganz mein Fall. Dieser ist aber wieder ein Meisterstück. Wie auch in den vorangegangenen Büchern gelingt es Martin Walker verschiedene Handlungsstränge kunstvoll im Städtchen St. Denis zu verweben: ein historischer (Tragödie der französischen Juden während der deutschen Besatzung), ein aktueller (islamischer Terrorismus) und ein sozialer in Form Brunos "Frauengeschichten". Natürlich dürfen auch der Bürgermeister und der Brigardier nicht fehlen. Lese- bzw. Hörgenuss (für Audiobook Fans) vom Feinsten.
July 26, 2017
I have mixed feelings about this book. I have read all previous Bruno books. This one is much more sedate, which I liked. I also liked the frequent cooking and food/wine references.
I had trouble understanding the Russian Intelligence passages, which ended up being quite integral to the plot. My biggest complaint would be about the ending. It happened too abrutly with unsettling results. I felt like the story wasn't finished.
As always, I enjoy spending time with Bruno. I hope my library receives the 9th installment soon!
I had trouble understanding the Russian Intelligence passages, which ended up being quite integral to the plot. My biggest complaint would be about the ending. It happened too abrutly with unsettling results. I felt like the story wasn't finished.
As always, I enjoy spending time with Bruno. I hope my library receives the 9th installment soon!
June 6, 2022
Bruno, Bruno, Bruno—when will you stop being seduced by every pretty face that ambles in to one of your cases? Major hint for you: it’s a [fill in crime: murder, burglary, international espionage, etc. etc.]— don’t get involved with ANY ONE you have to question or research! There is plenty of time for that stuff later. Seriously.
For others, this Bruno book features more historical info on France, its post WWII politics, and the ongoing legacy of the inhabitants who landed in Bruno’s little rural community. >^..^<
For others, this Bruno book features more historical info on France, its post WWII politics, and the ongoing legacy of the inhabitants who landed in Bruno’s little rural community. >^..^<
July 29, 2023
It’s going to get 4 stars because I love this series so much and want to move to the Perigord. But. What’s the deal with the boar in the garden? A robot auroch? Really? Just rather clunky and goofy. Ice cubes?
April 17, 2017
Fantastic book full of twists and turns
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