"Black Diamond: A Mystery of the French Countryside" (Knopf), by Martin Walker: People kill for lots of reasons — love and money especially. For truffles, not so much.
In southwestern France, the bucolic domain of author Martin Walker's police chief and gourmand Bruno Courreges, truffles are so beloved and so valuable that crime might well attend their sale as it might a jewelry show. Still, after vandals attack a Vietnamese food market and Chinese restaurants in the region go up in flames, Bruno suspects that something more sinister is behind the violence.
The third Chief Bruno mystery, "Black Diamond" is as laid-back as its central figure. The military veteran turned constable enjoys a walk in the woods with his truffle-hunting basset hound, Gigi, as much as the effort that goes into creating a casserole. Discerning the motives behind crimes is only slightly more vexing for Bruno than contemplating a life with his British lover, Pamela, or perhaps with an old French flame, Isabelle.
The town of St. Denis has its own identity problems. The closing of a sawmill puts people out of work and raises political and social tensions among its 1,500 or so residents. An upcoming mayoral election pitting the so-called Greens against other political parties could cost Bruno his job, depending on who ends up running things. At times tradition itself seems under siege in St. Denis.
It's enough to make one want to crawl into bed with a bowl of Tourain, the classic soup of the region. Food is to Bruno as orchids are to fellow literary detective Nero Wolfe. (For readers who might want to try a dish, Walker helpfully posts recipes on his Bruno, Chief of Police website.)
In Walker's hands, "Black Diamond" becomes a savory mystery, a light concoction with tantalizing ingredients.
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Douglass K. Daniel is the author of "Tough as Nails: The Life and Films of Richard Brooks (University of Wisconsin Press).
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Online:
http://www.brunochiefofpolice.com/