| Publisher | Quercus |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 14 March 2024 |
| ISBN-10 | 1529413729 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1529413724 |
| Format | paperback |
| Pages | 336 |
| Price | £ 9.99 |
A Chateau Under Seige
by
After a serious stabbing during a historical re-enactment in the medieval market town of Sarlat, Bruno, Chief of Police for the Vézère valley, is co-opted to deal with security concerns over the victim and some of his visiting friends and former colleagues.
Review
The historic market town of Sarlat is widely regarded as one of the jewels in the crown of the Perigord region of the Dordogne. In the summer months, its narrow streets and picturesque market square are bustling with tourists from all over the world, soaking up the atmosphere of one of the finest medieval towns in Europe.
A re-enactment of the historic battle in the summer of 1370 during the 100 Years War when English troops were expelled from the town is bound to attract a lot of interest both from locals and visitors, so Bruno Courrèges, Chief of Police for the Vézère valley, is on alert even during a visit with friends to watch the fun.
For those not familiar with the region and its history, Martin Walker kicks off with a few helpful info dumps, providing a whistle-stop introduction to what’s going on. There’s even a recipe for pink devilled eggs thrown in for good measure, just to whet the reader’s appetite!
When one of the main players is stabbed in what at first seems to be nothing more than an unfortunate accident in an unscripted melee on the steps of the cathedral, Bruno isn’t initially too concerned. Sarlat isn’t part of his jurisdiction and the situation, albeit serious, seems to be under control as the man is quickly whisked off in an ambulance.
But when Bruno is informed by the deputy mayor that the victim, Brice Kerquelin, is believed to have security connections, he makes a call to General Lannes in Paris and is promptly put in charge of the investigation, deftly setting the scene for another hugely entertaining romp in the French countryside for Bruno and his colleagues.
Walker’s deep association with Perigord, its people, culture, history, gastronomy and politics never ceases to surprise me. This time the eye-opener was the existence of a top-secret intelligence signals operation nicknamed Frenchelon, based near the equally picturesque hilltop town of Domme, just south of the Dordogne river. I had to resort to looking this up to see if there was any embellishment going on here. I should have had more faith.
Bruno quickly starts to smell a rather pungent rat when his doctor friend Fabiola flags up her concerns that the injured man seems to have been whisked away to a military hospital in Bordeaux, rather than being treated at the intensive care unit in Périgueux.
When Bruno is then put in charge of security for a group of mega-rich Silicon Valley entrepreneurs staying at the beautiful chateau of Roufillac for a meeting with Kerquelin, he starts to do his own digging in the circumstances surrounding Kerquelin’s stabbing and by the time he’s finished, it would take bucketful of Chanel No 5 to cover up the resulting stink.
The plot is almost fiendishly complicated in places, and I was in danger of losing track of the more technical parts, but that did nothing to diminish my enjoyment of being transported back to the town that plays host to my usual Saturday café stops both in and out of market season. If you’re intending to pay Bruno’s patch a visit any time, tuck this book into your luggage and go location spotting. I certainly intend to nose around Domme on my next visit to check out the buildings intriguingly pixelated out on the satellite maps.
A Chateau Under Siege feels far less like a recipe book in search of a plot and more like the earlier, darker police thrillers in the series. There are even special forces soldiers lurking in the woods with high-powered rifles and enough tech to keep an army of gamer geeks happy.
On the lighter side, we get to see Bruno dealing with a somewhat stereotypical raptor in lipstick and some unsubtle seduction attempts, and there’s also the usual amount of angst over Bruno’s on-off relationship with the lovely Isabelle. On the plus side there’s less of the irritating Pamela. But Bruno’s eligible bachelor status is coming under increasing threat as his friends are now determined to get him married off to the wholesome Florence.
I hope Walker isn’t considering wrapping up the series to the sound of wedding bells any time soon. I’m sure there are still plenty of rich seams of history, politics and crime just waiting to be mined in the stunning scenery of one of France’s best known holiday destinations.
A re-enactment of the historic battle in the summer of 1370 during the 100 Years War when English troops were expelled from the town is bound to attract a lot of interest both from locals and visitors, so Bruno Courrèges, Chief of Police for the Vézère valley, is on alert even during a visit with friends to watch the fun.
For those not familiar with the region and its history, Martin Walker kicks off with a few helpful info dumps, providing a whistle-stop introduction to what’s going on. There’s even a recipe for pink devilled eggs thrown in for good measure, just to whet the reader’s appetite!
When one of the main players is stabbed in what at first seems to be nothing more than an unfortunate accident in an unscripted melee on the steps of the cathedral, Bruno isn’t initially too concerned. Sarlat isn’t part of his jurisdiction and the situation, albeit serious, seems to be under control as the man is quickly whisked off in an ambulance.
But when Bruno is informed by the deputy mayor that the victim, Brice Kerquelin, is believed to have security connections, he makes a call to General Lannes in Paris and is promptly put in charge of the investigation, deftly setting the scene for another hugely entertaining romp in the French countryside for Bruno and his colleagues.
Walker’s deep association with Perigord, its people, culture, history, gastronomy and politics never ceases to surprise me. This time the eye-opener was the existence of a top-secret intelligence signals operation nicknamed Frenchelon, based near the equally picturesque hilltop town of Domme, just south of the Dordogne river. I had to resort to looking this up to see if there was any embellishment going on here. I should have had more faith.
Bruno quickly starts to smell a rather pungent rat when his doctor friend Fabiola flags up her concerns that the injured man seems to have been whisked away to a military hospital in Bordeaux, rather than being treated at the intensive care unit in Périgueux.
When Bruno is then put in charge of security for a group of mega-rich Silicon Valley entrepreneurs staying at the beautiful chateau of Roufillac for a meeting with Kerquelin, he starts to do his own digging in the circumstances surrounding Kerquelin’s stabbing and by the time he’s finished, it would take bucketful of Chanel No 5 to cover up the resulting stink.
The plot is almost fiendishly complicated in places, and I was in danger of losing track of the more technical parts, but that did nothing to diminish my enjoyment of being transported back to the town that plays host to my usual Saturday café stops both in and out of market season. If you’re intending to pay Bruno’s patch a visit any time, tuck this book into your luggage and go location spotting. I certainly intend to nose around Domme on my next visit to check out the buildings intriguingly pixelated out on the satellite maps.
A Chateau Under Siege feels far less like a recipe book in search of a plot and more like the earlier, darker police thrillers in the series. There are even special forces soldiers lurking in the woods with high-powered rifles and enough tech to keep an army of gamer geeks happy.
On the lighter side, we get to see Bruno dealing with a somewhat stereotypical raptor in lipstick and some unsubtle seduction attempts, and there’s also the usual amount of angst over Bruno’s on-off relationship with the lovely Isabelle. On the plus side there’s less of the irritating Pamela. But Bruno’s eligible bachelor status is coming under increasing threat as his friends are now determined to get him married off to the wholesome Florence.
I hope Walker isn’t considering wrapping up the series to the sound of wedding bells any time soon. I’m sure there are still plenty of rich seams of history, politics and crime just waiting to be mined in the stunning scenery of one of France’s best known holiday destinations.
Reviewed 26 February 2024 by Linda Wilson
