The Body in the Castle Well

By: Martin Walker

Narrated by: Robert Ian Mackenzie

Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

An aging art scholar and a visiting student, haunting echoes of France's colonialist past, and a delicious navarin of lamb - Bruno is back, and his latest case leads him from the Renaissance to the French Resistance and beyond by way of a corpse at the bottom of a well. 

When Claudia, a young American, turns up dead in the courtyard of an ancient castle in Bruno's jurisdiction, her death is assumed to be an accident related to opioid use. But her doctor persuades Bruno that things may not be so simple. Thus begins an investigation that leads Bruno to Monsieur de Bourdeille, the scholar with whom the girl had been studying, and then through that man's past. He is a renowned art historian who became extraordinarily wealthy through the sale of paintings that may have been falsely attributed - or so Claudia suggested shortly before her death. 

In his younger days, Bourdeille had aided the Resistance and been arrested by a Vichy policeman whose own life story also becomes inexorably entangled with the case. Also in the mix is a young falconer who works at the Chateau des Milandes, the former home of fabled jazz singer Josephine Baker. In the end, of course, Bruno will tie all the loose threads together and see that justice is served - along with a generous helping of his signature Perigordian cuisine.

©2019 Walker and Watson Ltd (P)2019 Recorded Books

Another winner!

Once again, Mr Walker presents an outstanding Bruno story . We are introduced to some very complex and interesting new characters, and enjoy our old friends as well. The tension of the murder investigation is perfectly balanced with dinners, conversations, and wonderful side bars into the French life we've grown to love in these amazing stories.

Reading vs. Listening

I enjoy each new Bruno mystery and this was my first Audible vs. text book. The narrator made many pronoun agreement errors that interrupted my enjoyment of the story as I was continually correcting the narrator (he didn't listen!). The American accents sounded Irish causing some additional confusion. I felt the story lines with Pamela and Isabelle are now tired. Time for Bruno to find a different woman. Always enjoy the food preparations and descriptions of small town French life. I will probably look forward to the next book in the series but hope the character's life evolves more.

Another excellent Bruno book!

I highly recommend the book and the series. Reading the books in order is the way to go. I had minor two issues with this book. The Pamela/Isabelle storyline is old. Bruno needs a new woman in his life. Also, Pamela always sounds like an old lady to me, not like a young woman who would be involved with Bruno.

Better and better!

The Bruno series continues to get better and better!

All of the ingredients we expect, plus an emotional punch.

So so

Did not care for the narrator- a little flat for my taste. Was looking for another good series like Maisie Dobbs. This doesn’t rise to that level.

Disappointed

I have enjoyed this series, but the contents and storylines have become too repetitive and lacking in character development. This will be the last one for me.

I have to be done with this series.

it is a shame. The story plots are not bad, but the romantic dialogue is pathetic and many of the female characters terrible. In trying to portray Bruno as a modern man and supporter of feminism he is wimpy and needs to buck up and have some pride. This is now book 12!!!!!

The author has become sanctimonious and condescending and worst of all has made the books boring with. extraneous political opinions that do nothing for the story. I do not mind historical context, but hut keep the hyperbole out of it. He is distracting from the stories

Finally a personal observation on the French system. The French went to great lengths and much bloodshed to rid their country of a monarchy that ruled the country by the accident of birth to become more democratic. Why then do they force people to leave their fortunes to individuals. related strictly through the accident of birth......very strange.

Light on mystery, heavy on daily life in France

Every meal, step taken, romantic intrigue, and sneeze is accounted for. The mystery takes a backseat to cinema verite. I prefer it the other way around. But for Francophiles, this would be a five star story. The narrator is excellent except that his narrow range makes the female voices hard to separate from the men.

Great story, great food, weird accents

This is my first ‘Bruno’ in any form, and I’m hooked. I know that region and love the food in the story. But the narrator, while fine on many of the voices, gets very weird sometimes. The elderly art expert sounds like Winston Churchill, and Pamela sounds like one of Graham Chapman’s old ladies from Monty Python (especially jarring, or hilarious, in the seduction scene). So I’d love more audiobooks n this series, but probably not from this reader.

We always enjoy Bruno and the leisurely pace of his mysteries leaving plenty of time for enjoying

Always interesting to learn about the old evils and grudges from the political history of another county. We re familiar with ours, not with theirs.
Always enjoyable to see Bruno acting with discretion and honor.