An Enemy in the Village

Bruno, Chief of Police, Book 18

De: Martin Walker

Narrado por: Peter Noble

A real estate agent’s death sends shockwaves through the idyllic town of St. Denis, leading Bruno, Chief of Police, to suspect that there’s more to this tragedy than meets the eye.

When Bruno stumbles upon a motionless figure in a car parked at a scenic overpass on the ridge of the Vézère valley, he’s ready to investigate. Inside, he finds a suicide note and the dead body of Monique, a successful businesswoman who rented châteaus to wealthy expats.

It seems like an open-and-shut case. But Bruno can’t shake the feeling that something sinister lurks underneath this tidy narrative.

After he delivers Monique’s final messages to those most important to her, malicious gossip about Bruno begins to spread through the village. One thing leads to another, and soon Bruno faces pressure to resign from the job.

Despite this disturbing turn of events, Bruno remains Bruno, never one to turn down a fine meal with good company in the French countryside. In the course of inquiry, he meets Laura—and her dog, which happens to be the same breed as his beloved basset hound.

As sparks fly and Bruno realizes just how much he has at stake, he races to find out what really happened to Monique, before he loses his badge, his new love—or something even worse.

©2025 Martin Walker (P)2025 Recorded Books

The reader changed

Could not adapt to the new reader. Tone gave a consistently negative persona to characters

Not much...new recipes

I always look forward to the new book. The storyline was somewhat interesting but a bit weak. The new narrator did not help. It made it harder to enjoy as his tone appeared quite flat.

The usual food and wine talk with a new love interest

It took a while to get used to the new narrator. Not sure I like him.

Balzac

Loved the dogs story. Also Bruno is finally done with Isabelle. Their affair was tiring.

Which is better the food or the story??!

Thank you for another wonderful story of the Dordone. I can't say if I like the food or the story better but I do know I want someone to make me the truffle omelette. Also thanks for Bruno finally getting a girlfriend who is as interesting and erudite as he is.

Brilliant! Nothing disappoints! Everything is as usual, wonderful!

Others will complain about GG I stead of JJ, but it is more accurate french accent. The plot is ingenious and inventive. I understand the other readers disapointment in the fade out of Florence, but Bruno, despite his appreciation of Florence while teaching the twins to swim, has always maintained that he simply doesn't feel the attraction to Florence that she deserves. on the other hand, Monsieur Walker has made it clear that Laura has a very busy, very long day. perhaps to contrast the possibility that Florence is still the perfect match. What will happen in the next book? Will Florence at last make a move? Will the mayor make a move to make Collette the deputy mayor? Or will Bruno be forced into politics!

Martin, my friend, I have just spent a month rereading all 18 books. The last two I read three times. I buy both the Kindle and the Audible versions, so I pay you twice for each book. But, I don't begrudge a centime! You have enchanted, beguiled, and charmed me for part of July and most of August! I feel you are a friend, because you have so thoroughly educated, enlightened, and entertained me!

Thank you, Martin

ps here's the French alphabet. note that j is pronounced G.

https://youtu.be/5xuZxGirWQI?feature=shared

Not the best Bruno

Slow storyline, and the change in narrator is an unfortunate choice. I was disappointed overall with this version of Bruno and Co.

Good stuff, other stuff

Always learn something from Bruno novels, but found this one endlessly tedious with dog information.

Wonderful World Building

Walker continues to embellish the world of Chief of Police Bruno in the town of St. Denis in the Perigord. This edition offers a clever interlinking of two stories that eventually come together to solve several crimes. I always feel like I'm on a trip to the southwest of France when I lose myself in these richly drawn characters and locales. This 18th book in the series has a new narrator in Peter Noble (the first 17 were narrated by Robert Ian MacKenzie). Noble does a fine job, so I have no complaints on that score.

Sadly disappointed fan

I admire this author and am a big fan of the series, I went to France this summer to tour the places, like Sarlot, that have become so familiar to me from the books. It was incredible! Listening to this narration however, I wondered what had happened. The changes in the narration were extremely jarring, with familiar names now sounding complexity different (JJ is now GG for example which may be proper French but not what readers are used to). I couldn’t connect with Bruno at all while listening and he is nothing if not relatable. As others have mentioned, the book was missing something of the heart of Bruno, it felt like it had been written by a different person. I hope that for the next book the original narrator is back, and that Bruno is back in another great story.