The Murder of Anton Livius

This is the third English translation to appear in the series featuring Peter Hunkeler, an Inspector with the Basel police. The Chief Public Prosecutor finds Hunkeler’s disregard for procedure so distasteful he has restricted him to ‘special tasks’ only, but all local staff are called in when a man is found shot and impaled on a hook in his own allotment cabin.

Although most of the allotment holders are Swiss, the land is actually on the French side of the border, in Alsace. This puts the French in charge of the investigation, and a national dispute immediately arises about the gathering and flow of information. Hunkeler keeps out of this, but begins his own low-key inquiries, totally unauthorised.

Hunkeler prefers to spend his time in the rural tranquillity of his old farmhouse in Alsace, but has a flat in Basel where he is close to a range of bars and eateries, of which he makes considerable use. This enables him to find out something about the victim, as well as the various petty but vicious disputes between the allotment holders.

The identity of the dead man proves to be a puzzle. The name by which he is known was acquired some years after the war in Ruegsbach, a district of Alsace not so far away; his original name takes some time to discover. Hunkeler drives to Ruegsbach and finds the locals reluctant to discuss the details of wartime events which appear relevant to the case, in which several young men unwillingly recruited into the German army were shot after being caught attempting to flee to Switzerland.

As usual, we find Hunkeler short of patience with his colleagues, who are ever ready to ascribe criminal activity to Gypsies and immigrants, and over-sensitive about jurisdiction when they should be cooperating. Luckily, he gets on well with Bardet, his counterpart on the French side, who recognises Hunkeler’s qualities, and they share a meal or two.

There is plenty of detail about Hunkeler’s food and drink, much of it foods of the region, and very tasty it sounds too. The inspector also enjoys the sounds, smells and sights of his part of the world, notwithstanding the December snow and rain. He is comfortable in his surroundings, in much the same way as Maigret, and his appreciation of what he experiences is easy to share.

As a detective Hunkeler exhibits a quiet efficiency, prepared to make bold incursions into unfamiliar and even hostile territory but preferring to listen rather than aggressively pushing for answers. All this makes him a sympathetic character; his interactions are often humorous and his conversations with girlfriend Hedwig a delight. There is something of the Wallender about him, without so much misery.