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    The Crowded Grave
    The Crowded Grave
    The Crowded Grave
    Audiobook10 hours

    The Crowded Grave

    Written by Martin Walker

    Narrated by Robert Ian Mackenzie

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Another delectable serving of mystery and the pleasures of the Dordogne from the newest master of suspense, Martin Walker. It' s spring in the idyllic village of St. Denis, and for Chief of Police Bruno CourrEges that means lamb stews, bottles of his beloved Pomerol, morning walks with his hound, Gigi-- and a new string of regional crimes and international capers. When a local archaeological team looking for Cro-Magnon and Neanderthal remains turns up a corpse with a watch on its wrist and a bullet in its head, it' s up to Bruno to solve the case. But the task will not be easy, not with a meddlesome new magistrate eager to make a strong impression, an ongoing series of attacks by animal rights activists on local foie gras producers, and a nearby summit between France and Spain approaching-- not to mention two beautiful, brilliant women vying for Bruno' s affections. Complicating events even further, the professor in charge of the dig is soon reported missing, leading Bruno to suspect that the past and the present are bound up in dangerous ways. As summer approaches, the wine growing cooler and the fruit sweeter, Bruno's investigations take him indelibly deeper into contemporary Europe' s dark history of terrorist and counterterrorist tactics-- and toward a dramatic finale. As savory as foie gras, as piquant as vin de noix, and as richly complex as the region' s truffles, The Crowded Grave is a feast for mystery lovers and Francophiles alike.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateJul 3, 2012
    ISBN9781464048494
    The Crowded Grave
    Author

    Martin Walker

    Martin Walker is a former foreign correspondent in USSR, USA, Europe, and Africa for The Guardian (UK), author of histories of the Cold War and 20th century USA, and of studies of Gorbachev, Clinton, the extreme right, and more.

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    Reviews for The Crowded Grave

    4/5

    204 ratings20 reviews

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    • 4/5
      When archaeologists digging near St. Denis find a body, it should be no surprise. But the body is decades, not centuries, old, and with a bullet in his head. Our hero, Police Chief Bruno Courreges, already has his hands full with some eco-activists who are protesting the goose farms that produce foie gras – and helping secure the area for a Franco-Spanish summit to be held nearby. As in all the Bruno mysteries, nothing is as simple as it seems and everything is related. I love these stories, and love the character of Bruno. He’s both a man’s man and a man ladies are attracted to. He’s tough but can be gentle. He’s kind to everyone and tries to solve problems for his people whether or not the problem is law-enforcement related. And he can cook. Oh, can he cook!Of course, his love life continues to be complicated. He’s madly in love with a woman who doesn’t share his love for the French countryside. And he’s seeing another woman who lives in St. Denis but is soured on long-term relationships because of a bad first marriage. Neither of the ladies wants marriage and children, as Bruno does.The Crowded Grave is just what readers expect from a mystery – a complex plot, a wonderful hero with a circle of great secondary characters, smooth writing and food.
    • 4/5
      An archaeologist's discovery of Cro-Magnon and Neanderthal era burials combined with a modern era skeleton made for a very interesting mystery. Character development is very strong in Walker's novels. The evocative descriptions of French cooking and the countryside created a wonderful story in which to lose one's self. The plot twists were good reveals with subtle 'tells' to tease the reader.
    • 4/5
      Near St. Denis, archaeologists digging in remains from thousands of years ago unearth a body just decades old. It's just as well that murder is outside the scope of Bruno Courrèges's duties as St. Denis's municipal policeman. Once again, Bruno has been seconded by a ministry agency, this time to help with security preparations for a summit between French and Spanish ministers regarding a Basque terrorist group. Bruno does need to find time to investigate vandalism targeted at some of St. Denis's small geese farms that produce the regional specialty, foie gras. He'll be hindered in this by the town's new magistrate, who is known to sympathize with environmental causes. Bruno's work with the ministry will once again bring his ex-lover, Isabelle, back into his life, just at the time that his current lover, Pamela, is called home to Scotland.Bruno's colleagues and neighbors seem like old friends now, and I think I would recognize many of them if I ran into them in the streets of St. Denis. Although I enjoyed spending time in St. Denis, I was annoyed by some of the weaknesses in this book. Most of us have to juggle several responsibilities in real life, so Bruno's multiple cases aren't unusual in that respect. However, it strains credulity that all of them would turn out to be related. Also, I'm beginning to tire of Bruno's love life. Bruno and Isabelle parted because her career took her to Paris, while Bruno loves his rural life. But since Isabelle's job sends her back to St. Denis and Bruno every few weeks, it seems like maybe they could make their relationship work.
    • 4/5
      PETA activists target a couple of local farms participating in the foie gras business. Bruno decides the activists may be among students participating in an archaeological dig. They make an important discovery but they also uncover some newer remains. Bruno knows the remains must be before his time because he knows of no one missing. The new magistrate agrees with the activists, and there are some comic elements as the locals teach her the ins and outs of working with them. Pamela's mom suffers serious illness resulting in her being in Scotland. Isabelle, recovering from her injury and adjusting to her prosthetics, finds herself in St. Denis to assist with a political summit. All these threads work together to yield a mostly satisfying installment. Why did the dog have to die? I look forward to the next in series to catch up with everyone in St. Denis. I listened to the audiobook.
    • 3/5
      A well known archaeologist brings a group of students to St. Denis to search for Neanderthal remains. Incredibly they find a family of three buried together, but they also find the skeleton of a man murdered just 10 years previously rather than 30,000. At the same time a political summit is being held near St. Denis between French and Spanish ministers. This all seemed convoluted to me though it may not seem so to those who are knowledgeable in the history of Basques and France.The ending disappointed me with a fight between the two factions (France and ETA) that could have been dreamed up by an 8 year old boy playing with plastic swords.
    • 4/5
      This is the 4th book in the Bruno Chief of Police series and the 4th one I have read. I'd say this is on par with the others. All the elements I've enjoyed in the prior books are here again with new things going on, and we get a little history lesson on the French in the process, as usual. Walker gives us a familiar cast of characters with some new ones. I'll be spoilery and say that an old favorite dies at the end of the book which did not make me happy.I DO want to keep reading this series! I'm eager to see how things develop in the next entry in the series. There were a number of overlapping plots in this story with an important archaeology discovery involving Neanderthals and early man, attacks by greens on local fois gras farms and facilities, a new magistrate who is quite at odds with Bruno and the town and a big meeting between French and Spanish ministers about to take place. As always events of the past echo forward in time. Oh, one can learn new things to cook as well. This novel is about 100 pages longer than the other Bruno books.
    • 3/5
      3.5*

      This 4th book in the Bruno Courrèges series highlights the archeological treasures of the Perigord region as well as the foie gras industry. The main action however involves the possibility of Basque terrorists in the area targeting a meeting between French & Spanish government ministers. Of course, with ministerial involvement comes the Brigidier and Isabelle... To make things even more hectic for Bruno, there is a new and young magistrate to contend with.

      One aspect of the case seemed fairly obvious to me. Bruno, though having some suspicions, didn't manage to act on them in time to prevent tragedy, though he did manage to prevent an international incident. On the personal side, it seems like Bruno's lover may be about to exit the series, which would be a shame as I liked having her Engish perspective (and her character made a good excuse for the author to explain certain French customs or dishes etc.).
    • 1/5
      Done with the series. Bruno is Mary Sue perfect and Walker has killed dogs in three out of the first four books in the series.
    • 4/5
      A new challenge for Bruno when Paris decides to hold a joint ministerial conference with the Spanish on Bruno's patch, meanwhile archaeologists have dug up a twenty year old body, Peta activists are threatening the local foie gras industry and a new, young magistrate threatens to inflame local sensitivities. All in a day's work for Bruno of course who is distracted by the reappearance of his former lover, Isobel. As always an insightful and amusing glimpse into rural French life, leavened with a serious terrorist thread.
    • 5/5
      This is another excellent entry in the Bruno Chief of Police series, and this series is fast becoming one of my very favourites. I am now waiting for someone to get the marvelous idea to make a television series from Martin Walker's wonderful books. I somehow missed this particular book in my reading through the list, so I read it just now, after I had already read the next one in the series. I therefore knew some of the stuff that was going to happen, but that did not spoil the book at all for me. This book had a real international flavour to it with the prospect of a summit session in sleepy little St. Denis. Bruno is called upon to help the secret service protect the safety of some high-level French and Spanish ministers. As in previous books, Walker exposes us to some key historical events. In this case, the so-called Dirty War between the sitting Spanish government and some left-wing Basque anachists in the late 1970's and early 1980's. Bruno, with his knowledge of his fellow St. Denis' citizens finds himself drawn in and in some grave personal danger trying to maintain the peace between two warring factions. Just because the fighting has mostly stopped in this civil war, it doesn't mean that hatchets are buried and grievances are settled. This is one of the best books I've read so far in this excellent series. Hightly recommended.
    • 4/5
      The Bruno books are definitely getting more complex as the series develops!
    • 4/5
      Bruno is on special detail heading up the local factor of security when a peace summit is scheduled to take place in St. Denis. This story touches on terrorism, PETA, foie gras, the Basque resistance and much more.Excuse me for the short review, but Bruno is in a bad spot, I can't give spoilers, and I really must get back to him by starting the next book so he won't be alone.
    • 4/5
      This series continues to provide a great character, the charismatic Bruno, a lovely setting complete with luscious portrayals of good french food and wine, and some credible mysteries -often based on the World War II history of the citizens of the area. Can't wait to read more.
    • 3/5
      Okay, but a rushed, improbable ending.
    • 5/5
      A shock ending that left me almost in tears - but each book in this series keeps getting better than the last. Eagerly awaiting the next one!
    • 3/5
      The latest Bruno. Very good as usual. I want to visit and of course dine with Bruno!
    • 5/5
      Martin Walker's "Crowded Grave" is very enjoyable. It is the 4th book in a five book series featuring Bruno, Chief of Police for St. Denis, France. Bruno leads the good life - women, good food, a good dog, and early on in the book he is dealing with a new magistrate and her speeding ticket, and a protest by PETA supporters concerning foei gras. Most everyone in St. Denis knows Bruno, and if they don't love him, at least they respect him. Life is good......then the PETA case gets a bit more complicated, then the Boss advises that there is to be a mini-summit in St D between ministers representing France and Spain.. And then one of Bruno's old flames returns to St. Denis just as the current flame is leave to visit an ill relative. Stress, but nothing Bruno can't handle. And often his solutions are most practical but perhaps not in total conformity with the letter of the law. But Bruno is an expert at paperwork, a skill treasured by most of the characters in this book, and he gets the paperwork to work for him. There is a certain lightness throughout the story, but at moments the tension is notched up a bit as a terrorist threat to disrupt the Summit is uncovered. There are ties back to the Basques and to Franco since St. Denis is close to the Spanish border..and before long bodies, dead ones, pop up here and there. Lots and lots of interesting characters here - you might want to keep a tally sheet. And this is a nice change from the police procedurals I often read. Be sure to check out the Bruno website. Now I will cycle back and read other books in the series.
    • 5/5
      Once again Martin Walker has delivered a very readable mystery.Bruno's quiet locale of St. Denis faces mayhem when archaeologists discover a twenty year old skeleton in the excavation pit of a Neanderthal grave. And then animal rights protesters attack farms involved in the production of foie gras. On top of it all, government ministers from both France and Spain have decided to have a summit locally and Bruno is in charge of making the area secure.So the pleasant domesticity of Bruno's usually peaceful life is disrupted. Former lover Isabelle comes back to deal with security arrangements and Bruno's English lady friend Pamela is conveniently needed in Scotland to take care of her mother who has had a stroke.In many ways this is a very complex plot - there are so many things going on. The various plot lines intertwine again and again and unexpected connexions surface. All is skilfully done. Bruno's character is developed a little more and we learn a few new things about him.If it wasn't for some of the violence towards the end of the book, you'd probably call THE CROWDED GRAVE a cozy. There's much of the English village mystery about it and then it just occasionally flips into thriller mode, action set against a background of Basque Separationism.
    • 5/5
      First Line: For once, the chef de police of the small French town of St. Denis was carrying a gun.It's spring in St. Denis, and although Chief of Police Bruno Courrèges would like to spend it taking morning walks with his Basset hound Gigi, spending even more time with his lady love Pamela, and eating and drinking with his many friends, it's not meant to be.An archaeological team is in the area looking for Cro-Magnon and Neanderthal remains. Instead the team finds a skeleton with a watch on its wrist and a bullet in its head. Naturally it's up to Bruno to solve the case, but he also becomes involved with a summit being planned between France and Spain. If those two things weren't enough to keep him occupied, animal rights activists are attacking local foie gras producers, and a brand-new (vegan) magistrate is eager to make a strong impression.When the professor in charge of the archaeological dig goes missing, Bruno begins to suspect that the past and the present are entwined in a very dangerous way... a way that will take him deep into Europe's dark history of terrorism and counterterrorism.As with all the other Bruno Chief of Police books, Walker brings the Perigord region of southwestern France to life. With these books, you are not only gifted with an intriguing mystery and wonderful characters, the food, the drink, and the history of the region is skillfully woven in to create a complete tapestry. Solving mysteries with Bruno is armchair travel detecting at its very best.In this fourth book, Walker uses the background of the Basque freedom fighters and the Spanish Civil War to add a heightened level of suspense and danger to the plot. For comic relief, we have the blundering new magistrate who learns just how talented the villagers of St. Denis are when it comes to letting an official know she's overstepped her bounds.Bruno's love life also continues to be a concern. He has no trouble finding strong vibrant women to fall in love with, it's finding the one who wants to marry and have children that's his problem-- and if there's one character in crime fiction who's perfect for marriage and children, it's Bruno.I will warn you that there is a scene in the last fifteen pages that could be very distressing, and I know that it had to be very difficult for Walker to write. However, the scene is not graphic, it's not gratuitous violence, and it's perfectly in keeping with the plot. If, as I am, you're a fan of these books, you'll be saying goodbye to a friend.But life goes on, and I wouldn't miss the next installment of Bruno's story for the world.
    • 5/5
      The Crowded Grave is the 4th Bruno Courrèges, Chief of Police novel by Martin Walker and ups the ante on this terrific series. The earlier books were solid 4's for me but this one earned an extra star for the added drama and pathos of its conclusion. The familiar friends and ambiance of the village of St. Denis in the heart of the Périgord region of France are all in place here but the added suspense of a plot related to Basque ETA terrorists takes this well out of the realms of cozy mystery fiction. As in each book an aspect of Périgord food, wine or life is used as a plot device and this time it involves an archeological find in the local area which in real-life is also famous as the site of many Prehistoric caves with wall drawings. You can also count on further new food recipes and wine recommendations during the course of the book.I am already looking forward to the next one of my new favourite mystery series.