St. Denis is a small town in Southwest France that still has a morning market and one municipal policeman. He is Benoît Courrèges but is called Bruno, and he doesn’t carry a gun, since crime isn’t a big problem. It is a shock when a war hero from Algeria is found murdered with a swastika carved on him. It seems the case may have a racist motive, and the investigation begins with the National Front, an anti-immigrant group.

Bruno on the other hand is not convinced that the answer is in the here and now. Instead, he begins to investigate the past and the French Resistance during World War II. In Bruno, Chief of Police by Martin Walker, this charming community must face the ugly legacy of war and the politics of today. Walker is the author of numerous nonfiction works including The Cold War: A History. This mystery has a strong sense of place and the description of St. Denis is delightful, but it is not trivial as the dark motives behind the crime are investigated.