The Resistance Man

Whenever I learn that Martin Walker has written a new Bruno novel, I can't wait to get my hands on it. Each one is rich in character, rich in culture and customs, and permeated with the most delightful sense of place. The mysteries are intriguing and often tie into the history of the Perigord region of southwestern France.

Although the inhabitants of St. Denis aren't angels, the village can seem too idyllic at times, but I don't mind a bit. As a former journalist, Walker has an eye for the telling detail, and once you've read a Bruno novel, you have a good grasp of the land, its people, its customs, and-- mouthwateringly so-- its food and wine. St. Denis is a French village as it should be, and I enjoy reading about it.

It's easy to show more become hooked on Bruno's life in general: how he knows everyone who lives there, how firmly entrenched he is in the life of the village through his job and his participation in sports, celebrations, and good fellowship. Bruno is the perfect candidate for marriage, but Miss Right continually eludes him. In fact, he has some upsetting news on that front in The Resistance Man, and it's interesting to see how he comes to terms with it. If you're a crime fiction fan who yearns for plenty of forensics, you'll have to find that elsewhere; these books are all about how Bruno can solve crime through observing and knowing people. Yes, he has a gun, but he seldom ever carries it, let alone uses it.

Each one of the subplots-- from the train robbery to the burgled houses to the murdered antiques dealer to the nuclear weapons program-- is interesting in its own right, but I loved seeing how Walker has Bruno tie them together.

Martin Walker's Bruno Chief of Police series is an armchair traveling sleuth's delight. The Resistance Man can easily be read as a standalone, but why deny yourself? Curl up with Bruno and a nice glass of wine and prepare to be transported to a wonderful village in France. show less

Bruno is called in to assist at the death of an elderly resident who had been in the Resistance during World War II. A bank note in the dead man’s hand turns out to be tied to the Neuvic train robbery. Bruno is also juggling investigations into a break-in at the home of a retired British spy and the murder of a gay antiques dealer, who is also a British expat. As usual, all of these dissimilar cases converge into a thrilling climax. On the personal front, Bruno’s friend with benefits, Pamela, returns from Scotland and his ex-lover Isabelle is back in town as part of one of the investigations.

It’s always enjoyable to visit with Bruno and his St. Denis friends and neighbors. Life usually moves at a slower pace, with time to cook and show more enjoy a delicious meal with friends. Bruno didn’t seem to have as much time to enjoy the good things of life in this outing, and I missed that. This was also the first of the books that I’ve listened to in audio, and I found it hard to follow the multiple plot threads. I wish there had been more about the Neuvic train robbery. That thread seemed to fizzle out before the end of the book. show less

The Bruno Chief of Police series is one of my annual favourites, but this one fell a bit short of my usual 5 star rating for the books that feature the rural policeman in the Perigord region of France.
The usual touchstones of the series were in place, i.e. a meal cooked by Bruno for his friends with its preparation lovingly described, the interactions with his basset hound and his horse, the camaraderie with friends such as the Mayor and J.J., and, of course, the ongoing dynamic of the relationships with Pamela and Isabelle.
What missed the mark for me was a too-quick resolution in the space of the final few pages of the book with no reflection or discussion. It just ended too abruptly and something felt missing.
Partly this was because show more the title "The Resistance Man" and the entire setup of the book (a cover tagline reads "War casts the longest shadow. A case for Bruno, chef de police) leads one to expect that the book will centre around some modern day results or solutions of the July 26, 1944 Train Robbery in Neuvic by the French Resistance of the Banque de France reserves of which a large portion remains suspiciously unaccounted for. This however becomes a very minor subplot to the main crime and mystery story that Bruno is called upon to solve.
So, nothing wrong with the book, I just had slightly different expectations about the story and they weren't quite satisfied. It seems like the marketing led this one astray for me.
Regardless, I am a Bruno fan still, and eagerly await the next one. show less

I absolutely love this series and I love Bruno and his friends. This book is more of a manhunt than a mystery. Bruno is worlking with several local police agencies trying to find the man that violently mutilated and killed a gay man behind a bar. At the same time there has been a series of antiques burglaries in St. Denis and a former veteran of the Resistance passes away from natural causes. Among this old fellow's possessions are historical documents that hint at his involvement in an infamous train robbery during WWII that netted the Resistance a pile of money. The further Bruno digs, the more he realizes that all these events are connected. I enjoyed the book, but it fell a bit for me this time because there was really no mystery. show more As usual, I loved all the historical information about the French Resistance and French nuclear program, and I loved all the food and wine references. The beautiful Dordogne area is a foodie's mecca, The book does set up nicely at the end for the next one because Bruno finds out some devastating personal news that rocks his world just when the tension of the hunt is at it's highest. Can't wait for the next one. show less

The death of one of the few remaining members of the French Resistance creates a cascade of problems far beyond Bruno's arranging for an appropriate memorial service. A WW2 train robbery and a decade-old serious gay bashing episode, a rash of house robberies, and current national political issues create a stew that not even foie gras and truffles can make palatable. Much to do for Bruno, his friends, and his allies. This series continues to provide a very pleasant reading experience.

crime-thriller, unputdownable, local-gossip, local-law-enforcement, local-politics, audiobook, small-town, rural, France, relationship-issues, secrets, investigations, foodie, procedural, due-diligence, witty, suspense, historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-research, history-and-culture, WW2, contemporary, greed, train-robbery*****

An old man who was a member of the French Resistance died a natural death clutching a 1,000 franc bank note issued in 1940. It was part of the evidence from a well-known 1944 train robbery. Then comes a string of burglaries, perpetrators unknown, and a particularly brutal murder. Time for Bruno to put up with all sorts of federal law enforcement. Great police work stringing out the clues and show more suspects. As addictive as the others I am binge-reading in this series!
Voice actor Robert Ian MacKenzie is excellent with interpretation and character definition, and superior in the rolling tones of French pronunciations. show less

A man dies holding a bank note which might be attached to a legendary bank robbery. The death appears to be due to natural causes, but Bruno is curious about the note and how the man acquired it. Bruno discovers some connections that lead him to a solution for a string of home burglaries, but in the process a gay antiques dealer is brutally murdered. All the story lines converge in this cross between a cozy and a thriller. He uses friends to scope out one thing for which staffing won't permit an official search. A major development in the relationship with Isabelle occurs. I love the descriptions of the countryside and of the food. This was an enjoyable read but not the best in the series to date. I listened to the audio version.