Martin Walker: The Dark Vineyard (USA 2010)

From the publisher:
In this riveting sequel to Martin Walker's internationally acclaimed novel Bruno, Chief of Police, some of France's great pleasures -- wine, passion and intrigue -- converge in a dark chain of events that threaten the peaceful village of Saint-Denis.

Benoît (Bruno) Courrèges -- devoted friend, cuisinier extraordinaire and the town's only municipal policeman -- rushes to the scene when a research station for genetically modified crops is burned down outside Saint-Denis. Bruno immediately suspects a group of fervent environmentalists who live nearby, but the fire is only the first in a string of mysteries centering on the region's fertile soil.

Then a bevy of winemakers descends on Saint-Denis, competing for its land and spurring resentment among the villagers. Romances blossom. Hearts are broken. Some of the sensual pleasures of the town -- a dinner of a truffle omelette and grilled bécasses, a community grape-crushing -- provide an opportunity for both warm friendship and bitter hostilities to form. The town's rivals -- Max, an environmentalist who hopes to make organic wine; Jacqueline, a flirtatious, newly arrived Québécoise; and Fernando, the heir to an American wine fortune -- act increasingly erratically. Events grow ever darker, culminating in two suspicious deaths, and Bruno finds that the problems of the present are never far from those of the past.

A splendid mystery -- and a delectable serving of the pleasures of France.

Martin Walker: The Dark Vineyard. A Mystery of the French Countryside. Vintage Books, ISBN: 9780307454713 (June, 2010), 303 p., $14.95.

Martin Walker: The Dark Vineyard (UK 2010)

From the publisher:
Just before dawn one summer morning Bruno is summoned by the wail of the siren in the little town of St Denis in the Périgord. A fire is raging in a local barn and spreading to the surrounding fields. When Bruno arrives at the scene, the smell of petrol leaves no doubt: it was arson. The barn belongs to an agricultural research company experimenting with genetically modified crops - an unpopular move in deeply traditional St Denis.

Meanwhile, a Californian producer wants to set up a wine-making business in the valley. Despite the money and jobs this would bring, many fear it would destroy their town. When a violent death follows the crop burning, it looks as though someone is prepared to do anything to stop the scheme. Bruno will have to draw on all his local knowledge to reach the truth.

Martin Walker: The Dark Vineyard. Quercus, ISBN: 9781849161855 (April, 2010), 309 p., £7.99.

Martin Walker: The Dark Vineyard (USA 2009)

From the publisher:
In this riveting sequel to Martin Walker's internationally acclaimed novel Bruno, Chief of Police, some of France's great pleasures -- wine, passion and intrigue -- converge in a dark chain of events that threaten the peaceful village of Saint-Denis.

Benoît (Bruno) Courrèges -- devoted friend, cuisinier extraordinaire and the town's only municipal policeman -- rushes to the scene when a research station for genetically modified crops is burned down outside Saint-Denis. Bruno immediately suspects a group of fervent environmentalists who live nearby, but the fire is only the first in a string of mysteries centering on the region's fertile soil.

Then a bevy of winemakers descends on Saint-Denis, competing for its land and spurring resentment among the villagers. Romances blossom. Hearts are broken. Some of the sensual pleasures of the town -- a dinner of a truffle omelette and grilled bécasses, a community grape-crushing -- provide an opportunity for both warm friendship and bitter hostilities to form. The town's rivals -- Max, an environmentalist who hopes to make organic wine; Jacqueline, a flirtatious, newly arrived Québécoise; and Fernando, the heir to an American wine fortune -- act increasingly erratically. Events grow ever darker, culminating in two suspicious deaths, and Bruno finds that the problems of the present are never far from those of the past.

A splendid mystery -- and a delectable serving of the pleasures of France.

Martin Walker: The Dark Vineyard. A Novel of the French Countryside. Alfred A. Knopf, ISBN: 9780307270184 (July, 2009), 303 p., $23.95.

Martin Walker: The Dark Vineyard (UK 2009)

From the publisher:
Just before dawn one late-summer morning, Bruno is pulled from sleep by the wail of the town siren atop the Mairie, summoning the volunteer firemen of St Denis. A large barn and the fields surrounding it are ablaze. When Bruno arrives at the scene, the smell of petrol leaves no doubt - it was arson. Soon after, a wine mogul from California visits the town, with plans to buy up half the valley to create an industrial-scale wine-producing operation. Such a business would bring a healthy injection of dollars to St Denis, plus the creation of at least fifty jobs. Bruno's boss, the Mayor, supports the scheme but Bruno is less convinced. He's not against progress, but he fears his little town will never be the same once the Californians have a foothold. Then a second, similar outrage follows the crop burning. It appears that someone is determined to stop the scheme and is prepared to go to any lengths - including murder - to do so. Bruno must use all his skills, tact and local knowledge to negotiate a minefield in order to reach the truth.

Martin Walker: The Dark Vineyard. A Case for Bruno, Chief of Police. Quercus, ISBN: 9781847249159 (July, 2009), 309 p., £12.99.