Bruno, Chief of Police by Martin Walker - 2008

London: Quercus, 2008. CD5 - A first British edition hardcover book SIGNED by author on the title page in very good condition in very good dust jacket that is mylar protected. Dust jacket has wrinkling, chpping and crease on the edges and corners, light discoloration and shelf wear. Book has some bumped corners and cover edgewear, lightly cocked, wrinkling on the spine edges, some stains on the page edges, light discoloration and shelf wear. Crime can happen anywhere, Even in a town in rural France. 8.75"x5.75", 262 pages. Satisfaction Guaranteed. The first installment in a wonderful new series that follows the exploits of Benoît Courrèges, a policeman in a small French village where the rituals of the café still rule. Bruno - as he is affectionately nicknamed - may be the town's only municipal policeman, but in the hearts and minds of its denizens, he is chief of police. Bruno is a former soldier who has embraced the pleasures and slow rhythms of country life - living in his restored shepherd's cottage; patronizing the weekly market; sparring with, and basically ignoring, the European Union bureaucrats from Brussels. He has a gun but never wears it; he has the power to arrest but never uses it. But then the murder of an elderly North African who fought in the French army changes everything and galvanizes Bruno's attention: the man was found with a swastika carved into his chest. Because of the case's potential political ramifications, a young policewoman is sent from Paris to aid Bruno with his investigation. The two immediately suspect militants from the anti-immigrant National Front, but when a visiting scholar helps to untangle the dead man's past, Bruno's suspicions turn toward a more complex motive. His investigation draws him into one of the darkest chapters of French history - World War II, a time of terror and betrayal that set brother against brother. Bruno soon discovers that even his seemingly perfect corner of la belle France is not exempt from that period's sinister legacy. Bruno, Chief of Police is deftly dark, mesmerizing, and totally engaging.. Signed by Author. First British Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good/Very Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.