Black Diamond by Martin Walker

(38. - 1221.) Black Diamond by Martin Walker (2010) - It is late November and truffle season has begun. Police Chief Bruno Courrèges has noticed the small black fly that signals truffles about the “alley of white oaks” he had planted 10 years ago when he bought his property. He has a few brumales, second grade truffles, for sale. He has hopes in December of finding one or more of “the real black diamond, the melanosporum” which “could go for more than a thousand euros a kilo”. The sales “would never come to the attention of the tax man”.

In neighbouring St. Alvère there is a weekly market in truffles that now includes an  online market. Bruno’s friend, Hercule Vendrot, advises him that he fears inferior Chinese truffles are being passed off as French truffles. If true, the truffle market would be devastated just when its business is growing with new plantations of white oaks.

At the same time there is tension in St. Denis. A court has ordered, for enviornmental reasons, the closure of the local sawmill which is the main employer in town. While a new mill is being built not far away the ècolos are resented.

The issue is also very personal. Guillaume, who wants to be called Bill, Pons is the estranged son of the owner of the mill, Boniface Pons. Guillaume is leading the local ècolos and financed the lawsuit against the mill.

There is a physical confrontation between father and son that is swiftly escalating when Bruno, the mayor and fire chief get between the combatants and a brawl is prevented.

Bruno keeps in touch with the pulse of the community through personal contact. At the weekly market he visits each stall holder. He aids the mayor in collecting money for a party for the children of the unemployed or on minimum wage. It is the best of community policing.

Dressed as Father Christmas, to aid in collecting for the party, he is embroiled in an attack upon the stall of a Viet couple. A pair of young Chinese men vandalize the stall. Bruno is knocked out by a stun grenade. A young Chinese man who is one of the attackers is captured. He is in France on a student visa.

Chinese restaurants in the region are firebombed.

The baron and Bruno find Hercule near their hunting hide (shack). He has been tortured and hung by his wrists. As a barbouze (literally translated as a person with a false beard), he had been a part of French security forces dealing with issues involving Indochina and Algeria and the OAS. When Bruno calls a brigadier he knows in French Intelligence he is instructed to take his gun and guard Hercule’s home and deny entrance to everyone until security officers arrive. Why would an old intelligence officer, retired for almost 40 years, be tortured and killed?

Bruno’s former lover, Isabelle, is sent from Paris to look into Hercule’s records. Current lover, Pamela, is enjoying life at St. Denis, and is running for town council as a member of the Greens / Socialists coalition.

Fellow hunters and friends of Hercule gather to eat and honour his life. Bruno prepares a feast for the wake. There is a soup of turnips, leeks and potatoes made in stock from wild boar bones. Bruno shaves a black diamond truffle he found that day into the soup.

Bruno makes a rich venison casserole.  

In the fireplace over a bed of red ashes, at the baron’s chartreuse, a dozen pigeons for the dozen men are roasted.

There is pâté which Hercule had helped to make with his friends.

Salad with Sergeant Jules special vinaigrette and pommes sarladaises complete the meal.

Bruno creates a truffle creme brûlée for dessert using one of his own truffles.

Guests bring fine wine and champagne. Some bottles cost over 100 euros each.

There has never been a male gathering I have experienced in Canada with such a menu. I do not know a group of Canadian men who are no chefs who could prepare such a meal.

Once again a current case draws Bruno into the complexities of French history. Wars continue long after there are public resolutions of the conflicts. As always, the food is amazing.

****

Walker, Martin - (2019) - Bruno, Chief of Police and The Magic of St. Denis and Three Pines; (2023) - The Dark Vineyard