More Pate and Wine?

 Our favorite French policeman, Bruno, is back.  Fatal Pursuit is Martin Walker's  ninth in the series, and as usual, Bruno is in the middle of the action. The village is staging a classic car rally, and when a woman finds her husband dead, Bruno suspects it may be more than a heart attack. There is also all the aspects we read the story for, wonderful meals concocted by Bruno, his cast of friends, and oh yeah, the love interest. A lovely series with just enough edge. ML

The latest from Bruno

In Martin Walker's latest Bruno, Chief of Police novel, terrorism takes the stage. Although this series is ostensibly mysteries, it is also about life in France, in a small town. Bruno although a police chief, has to navigate political complexities and loves to cook. There are mouth watering descriptions of food and a deep appreciation of wine. There are several novels in the Bruno series, but they also can be read as a stand alone. In this latest of the series, The Children Return, Bruno Courrèges, the St. Denis a police chief, is sickened by the burnt, tortured corpse he discovers and later identifies as Rafiq, an undercover operative investigating extremist infiltration at a nearby mosque. Soon afterward, Bruno learns that local youth Sami Belloumi, an autistic savant, is being transported home from Afghanistan, where he has been forced by jihadists (whom he met through the mosque's school) to engineer lethal terrorist bombs. Sami's return puts St. Denis in the middle of a media firestorm; experts converge to determine his legal treatment even as Rafiq's killers try to silence Sami and Bruno. Exciting! ML

If you can't travel to Paris...

Is the thought of making French food too intimidating for you? Do you think it would be too fussy, to fancy, too...well, French! Dorie Greenspan is here to help you. She is the author of many cookbooks, and her blog, www.doriegreenspan.com , was named one of the top fifty food blogs in the world by the Times of London. Her newest lovely book, which is owned by OPL, is called Baking Chez Moi: Recipes from My Paris Home to Your Home Anywhere.
My own personal pet peeve is no photos in cookbooks, so this one is a treat, with many glossy close-ups. The range of baking is covered here, from cake and cookies to tarts, galettes, and so much more. The emphasis is on clear directions and while not ultra simple, the experienced home cook should have no trouble. Hmm, what shall I bake first? Should it be fancy like Gingerbread Buche de Noel, or a little simpler like Limoncello Cupcakes or Jam-Filled Sandwich Cookies? The book comes in at a hefty 460 pages, so there should be no problem finding something. mmmmm...ML

Do You Feel Lucky?

My Wish List, a slim novel written by Gregoire Delacourt asks the question "What would you do if you won the lottery?"  The main character, Jocelyne, lives in a small town in southern France, running a fabric store.  She wonders what happened to her youthful dreams as her life progressed through marriage and the raising of two children.  Then she wins the lottery but doesn't tell anyone, not even her husband.  Instead she makes a wish list.  Read this well written international best seller to see how Jocelyne changes her life.  SG

The good life, with murder.

The story of Bruno, policeman in a small French town, is explored in the series by Martin Walker. Of course, the delight in these stories is not really the mystery, although they are satisfying enough, but what is written about the life of Bruno, living in a small town in a beautiful country, cooking from the garden and eating the fresh cheeses and wine of the region. Bruno has a cadre of good friends and a couple of women he is more than friends with although in the latest mystery, Resistance Man, we get inklings of Bruno wanting to settle down . Altogether a good addition to the six-novel series. ML

A tragic and happy story...

A woman, Agnes Morel, appears twenty years ago in the cloisters of the ancient cathedral of Notre-Dame, in the medieval town of Chartres, France. To the townspeople, nothing is known about this young woman, past or present, and she works unobserved. Gradually, we learn more about the tragic events that brought her to Notre-Dame. When one woman she cleans for, Madame Beck, is provoked into an accusation that Agnes stole from her, events are put into motion that force Agnes to confront her past. The Cleaner of Chartres is a sometimes tragic, but lovely story with a happy ending! ML

France, Food, and Murder

Do you have a taste for France with mystery and interesting characters thrown in? Then you will love the series featuring Bruno, Chief of Police in the small French town of St.Denis. Bruno is a former soldier wounded in Sarajevo. He lives in a restored shepherd's cottage, has a garden, loves wine and food. This is not just a "cozy" though. Bruno deals with the political system, has to appease his superiors and navigate the politics of small town living. Oh, and solve murders! At the heart of this series is the character of Bruno, solid, moral and wise.This reader has devoured all six books in the series, and I would highly recommend them. While one could read them independently, they are more fun to read in order. The first book is Bruno, Chief of Police. ML

Spy Game!

Mark Mill's new novel, House of the Hunted,is all about the spy game. The novel takes place in France,1935. Tom Nash is happily out of the spy game,living on the French Rivera. He has a host of interesting and international friends who party,swim and converse. When someone tries to kill him in the middle of the night, his old survival skills come back and he doesn't know who to suspect. Is it old missions come back to haunt him or his new friends who might not be all that they seem? The writing is witty, the plot complex,exciting without being gratuitously violent. ML

France, Oui!

One pleasure of reading is that it can take you away, far away,without the hassle of plane travel! The mystery The Dark Vineyard by Martin Walker takes us to the peaceful village of St-Denis, France. Bruno Courreges is the town's only policeman,and must investigate when a research field of genetically modified crops is burned. Full of the pleasures of France, a dinner of truffle omelette and a community grape crushing, the novel provides the background for romance, rivalry and murder.

Deadly Slipper, written by Michelle Wan is the first of another mystery series set in France. This mystery about a woman's search for her long-missing sister takes readers to the ruggedly beautiful Dordogne region of France and into the exotic world of orchid hunting.

Peter Mayle has written many fiction and nonfiction books featuring the south of France. Chasing Cezanne is a lighthearted and fast paced mystery about the complications that ensue when a photographer who is taking pictures of houses happens to spot a Cezanne being loaded onto a plumbing truck! So Bon Appetit, and enjoy!