Resistance Man by Martin Walker

(23. - 1266.) The Resistance Man by Martin Walker - Father Sentout calls Bruno to come to the home of Loïc Murcoing, an old resistance fighter who has died at 86. Being a  resistance man provides special status for his funeral. Surprisingly, he also had several large denomination bills from the Vichy regime of WW II. The money came from a World War II robbery of the Neuvic train. A huge amount of money disappeared. It has never been clear where the money went.

Bruno is next called to the burglary of the summer home of a retired English civil servant, Mr. Crimson. Fine quality furnishings and even higher quality wine have been stolen. What appears to be a relatively routine burglary becomes more complicated when Bruno is advised that Mr Crimson was a senior intelligence administrator in England before he retired. Bruno’s sometime lover, Isabelle, is sent from the Ministry of the Interior to take charge of the investigation.

His third call is to a vacation rental where a Parisian actor and theatre director, Yves Valentoux, has found the brutally beaten body of his lover, English antique dealer Francis Fullerton.

Gay men have not always been treated well in rural France. The investigators from the gendarmes focus on Valentine as the killer, considering the killing a gay lovers quarrel. 

Mr. Crimson's intelligence connections - he may not fully be retired for he has a secure phone - draw more attention.

Isabelle’s arrival continues the awkwardness of Bruno's love life. Pamela has returned from Scotland. Neither relationship looks destined for permanency. 

Bruno's patient investigation, calling upon contacts and residents of the area, leads the investigation towards further gay connections. 

Rumours reach Bruno that there are political developments in Paris that could reach out as far as St. Denis. There is a pending federal election.

How far would the government go to prevent a scandal that could affect its electoral success? Jacqueline Morgan, a Franco-American historian, with a home near St. Denis, has unearthed information involving the French and American governments from decades ago that would be scandalous.

Bruno has a great phrase for describing political and government statements:

“Never believe anything until it’s been officially denied.”

Yet again, Walker credibly mixes into the plot issues of history, political intrigue and international affairs while continuing the focus on a local murder investigation. Few authors can realistically manage such a combination in a story that is set deep in the French countryside, over 6 hours by road from Paris. What more could a reader want in a work of crime fiction?

While Bruno is officially a simple country policeman he is as adept at intrigues as those within the palaces of power in Paris.

The webs of politics, sexual connections and money spread across nations.

As always, Walker involves the life of the community of St. Denis in the plot. In this book, it is the health of the mayor's wife.

Balzac, Bruno's basset hound puppy, is growing up. While charming all, he is demonstrating to Bruno that he will be a very intelligent dog.

Among the dining pleasures of this book is a simple dish made by Bruno for his guests. He heats sunflower oil and thinly slices zucchini. After lightly breading the zucchini he quickly fries the slices until they are “brown and crisp” and sprinkles salt upon them. He serves the beignets with two bowls - one of fresh cheese flavored with herbs and garlic and the other of salsa. Guests hold the hot beignets in paper napkins and smear upon them one of the two accompaniments. (Sigh.)

A remarkable find is a shrine in Fullerton's home that is unlike any I have read about in real life or fiction.

Walker does not shy away from life’s complexities.

Bruno is a modest man but he has a healthy Gallic ego. It occasionally leads him astray.

There is a revelation that deeply affects Bruno’s romantic relationships and left me very sad. 

The Resistance Man’s funeral draws out the full community in remembrance. It is a moving celebration of history and honouring Murcoing who fought for the liberty of France.

The ending had me racing through the pages. Martin Walker is one of the best writers of crime fiction in the world today.

****

Walker, Martin - (2019) - Bruno, Chief of Police and The Magic of St. Denis and Three Pines; (2023) - The Dark Vineyard; (2024) Black Diamond and The Crowded Grave; (2025) The Devil's Cave