The Devil's Cave

I'm working my way through this series mainly because I enjoy the description of life in rural France, especially the food. There are serious issues explored in the books though and this one is no exception.

When a woman's naked body is spied in a rowboat drifting down the river, Bruno, the village police officer, is one of the first on the spot. Bruno notices that there is a pentangle drawn on her body and there are other occult symbols in the boat. A few days later, further occult drawings are found in one of the major caves in the area. Is there a satanic cult on the loose? While looking for the spot where the boat was launched, Bruno is drawn to the chateau owned by descendants of Louis the XIVth's mistress, Madame de Montespan. Her show more descendants still live in the chateau and may be involved in a land development deal that threatens the scenic beauty of St. Denis. There is also a connection to an upscale hotel that caters to government officials with more than nice rooms and good food. Bruno is assisted in his enquiries by the usual colleagues; even Pamela, away in Scotland for the whole book, is requested to contact someone because she speaks English. The book climaxes with a terrifying chase into the cave.

I'll keep going with this series. show less

First Line: Bruno Courrèges seldom felt happier about the community he served as Chief of Police than when standing at the rear of the ancient stone church of St. Denis, listening to rehearsals of the town choir.

When a dead woman is found in a boat floating down the river, it disrupts Easter preparations in St. Denis, a small village in southwestern France. With strange markings on the body and black candles in the boat with her, Chief of Police Bruno Courrèges knows he's just been put in charge of an investigation which has some very sinister overtones. With whispers about the occult beginning to circulate in the village, Bruno soon finds out that there's more going on than that. There's a questionable real estate deal in the works, show more a second violent death that someone took great care to make look accidental, and the presence of an elderly countess considered to be a hero of the Resistance. As his list grows, Bruno will find out that many of them lead directly to the Gouffre de Colombac-- the place locals call the Devil's Cave.

When I read one of the blurbs on the back of my UK edition of this book, I had to laugh. A reviewer referred to Walker's Bruno, Chief of Police series as "gastroporn"-- and it is. Food plays a very important role in each and every book, and it is described in such loving detail that just reading about it is a feast for the senses. These books are also feasts for anyone who wants to learn about life in a French village. Bruno is my type of police officer. He's experienced war, he's experienced life in big cities, and life in tiny St. Denis suits him right down to the ground. He's where he wants to be, and most of his excellent policing is carried out swiftly and well simply because he's made the effort to be a part of the community and to know all its people. The only thing Bruno is missing is a wife and family, and his love life is just as complicated in The Devil's Cave as it has been in the other books in the series.

This investigation had me learning a bit more about the occult; however, once again it is the area's strong ties to World War II and local Resistance activities that provide the mystery its backbone. Some secrets take many, many years to uncover, as they do here in The Devil's Cave with some very nerve-wracking events occurring underground.

Although I greatly enjoyed this book, it just didn't have the richness of the others in the series. A few too many secrets were easily deduced, and there wasn't as much of the humor and charm that I've grown to love. Do I recommend the book? Yes, I do-- in fact, I recommend the entire series. Of all the mystery series I read that are set in France, this one by far is my favorite. show less

Martin Walker's 'Bruno Courrèges, Chief of Police' books should come with a warning label saying: "May provoke cravings for foie gras, fresh croissants and good wine."

This is the 5th of the Bruno series of books and was just released in the UK as of early August 2012. I've become such a Bruno fan in the space of the past 2 months that I ordered this one online since it will likely be a year before the North American edition is released.

The main plot involves the finding of a dead body found floating down the river in a punt showing indications of the aftermath of a satanic ritual. Meanwhile Bruno is anonymously alerted to a case of domestic abuse and his patron, the Mayor of St. Denis, is involved with a development scheme to build a show more high-end holiday village in the outskirts of the community. Many others of the St. Denis and Perigord cast are back including a new romantic temptation for Bruno and even a possible love interest for the Baron.

I enjoyed this one quite as much as the others although the ending was quite shocking and distressing in some ways (no, not as distressing as the end to No. 4, if you know what I mean). show less

This 5th book in the Bruno Courrèges series was not as well-focused as the previous stories, although certainly engaging. The backstory of The Red Countess was an intriguing historical piece which added to the contemporary mystery, having two threads that would eventually tie in together. There were episodes in this story which resonated rather strongly with themes in two earlier books, which might influence a reader unduly in anticipating the plot-line. Similar scenarios could become tedious; however, Walker takes a few jogs in the tale which avoided some of this repetition, but the story lost its allure in a few places.
Towards the end of the book, there were a couple of unexpected blunders by the various groups co-ordinating the show more investigation. These contributed to the suspense but seemed rather unlikely from the police procedural aspect. The final actions by one of the characters involved in the illegal financial activities was unnecessay and took away from a story that was winding down very suitably. show less

The Devil’s Cave -Walker
Audio performance by Robert Ian MacKenzie
4 stars

Despite being set just before Easter, the Satanic features of the crimes in this book made me feel it was more appropriate for Halloween. It begins with a corpse, a naked woman floating down the river in a water logged skiff.

It was a good mystery with lots of complicating details, a suspenseful cave rescue. I love Bruno’s new puppy, but his lovelife is still going nowhere.

I started out really enjoying this series and like Bruno Courreges, Police Chief in St Denis, France. I loved the mysteries. I loved the people. i loved the food! After this book, I absolutely love this series! This was a great story and exciting right until the end. It's springtime in St. Denis, and the whole town is getting ready to celebrate Easter. Bruno gets a phone call telling him to to come to the river. There is a naked woman laid out in an old punt that is floating down the river and she isn't moving. When Bruno gets help to bring the boat into the shore he discovers more than he bargained for. The woman is naked but she has a pentagram painted on her chest and there are two huge black candles in the punt. Bruno wonders if show more this is a black mass type of thing. Bruno discovers more shady dealings as he investigates the death. There is a brand new hotel in the region that appears not to have many guests. There is a proposal in front of the town about a big vacation real estate project that appears too good to be true. The more Bruno investigates, the more questions he has. It all explodes in a heart-stopping showdown in a beautiful corridor of caves called the Devil's Cave. Bruno Correges is a wonderful character. He's folksy and smart and his past experience as a soldier, make him a formidable foe to those on the wrong side of the law. show less

When a woman's body floats to St. Denis, her body's signs showing performance of a Satanic ritual prompt further investigation. We become acquainted with the Red Countess, her sister, her nurse, and others as it appears the punt was launched from her property. Many residents oppose a proposed housing development they feel will cause more harm than good. Pamela remains in England caring for her mother. While Isabelle is present during the initial cave exploration, she plays a minor role in this installment. While retaining the charm of the Périgord region, this becomes almost like a thriller near the end, involving multiple law enforcement branches. I enjoyed this installment and fell in love with Bruno's new pup! I listened to the show more audiobook read by Robert Mackenzie which was great as usual. show less