THE DARK VINEYARD

By Martin Walker

Synopsis

In the little town of St Denis in the Perigord a fire is raging in a local barn. When police chief Bruno arrives on the scene there is a strong smell of petrol, indicating an arson attempt. A violent death follows and Bruno is drawn into an investigation centring on plans by a Californian wine producer to set up a wine-making business.

Sample Player

Narrator	Bill Wallis
Length	10hrs 15mins
Catalogue No.	8652
Publisher	BBC Audio

Other audiobooks by Martin Walker

BLACK DIAMOND

At the heart of French gastronomy lies the famed black truffle of the Périgord. But France's truffles are being adulterated with cheaper ones from China, and it seems that Chinese organised crime is behind the fraud. When a vicious murder and illegal immigration are added to the mix, Bruno, Chief of Police, has his work cut out to keep St Denis from tearing itself apart.

THE BODY IN THE CASTLE WELL

A rich American art student is found dead at the bottom of a well in an ancient hilltop castle. The young woman, Claudia, had been working with an eminent French art historian at his art-filled chateau. As Claudia's White House connections get the FBI involved, Bruno traces the people and events that led to her fatal accident ? or was it murder? Bruno learns that Claudia had been trying to buy the chateau and art collection of her tutor, even while her research led her to suspect that some of his attributions may have been forged. The long arm of French history has reached out to find a new victim, but can Bruno identify the killer?

BRUNO, CHIEF OF POLICE

Captain Bruno Courreges, Chief of Police (in fact the only policeman) in St Denis in rural south west France, investigates the death of an elderly North African man which seems to have its roots in the Second World War.

CHILDREN OF WAR

Bruno, Chief of Police in the French town of St Denis, is already busy when the body of an undercover French Muslim cop is found, a man who called Bruno for help only hours before. Meanwhile, a Muslim youth named Sami turns up at an army base in Afghanistan hoping to get home to St Denis. Bruno must unravel these mysteries, and find a way to protect his town and its people.

THE CROWDED GRAVE

In St Denis, a local archaeological team unearths a well-preserved skeleton. Yet it's a lot more recent than they'd hoped - boasting a Swatch on its wrist and a bullet-hole in its skull. Meanwhile, an influx of visitors makes Saint Denis unusually crowded, and the key to the body appears to lie with one of these outsiders. Bruno, Chief of Police, must think fast and keep his wits about him in order to work out how these events are connected. Especially if the answer lies a little closer to home.

THE DEVIL'S CAVE

In the the small town of St Denis, a female body has been found on a boat bearing the ghastly signs of a black magic ritual. Bruno, chief of police, must track down a murderer while quelling his town's superstitious fears. He and his colleagues are drawn ever closer to a climactic showdown in the Gouffre de Colombac - the place locals call the Devil's Cave...

THE DYING SEASON

When Bruno is invited to the 90th birthday of a powerful local patriarch he encounters a family with more secrets than even he had imagined. When one of the other guests is found dead the next morning and the family try to cover it up, Bruno knows it's his duty to prevent the victim from becoming just another skeleton in their closet. Meanwhile, very modern battles are being fought in St Denis between hunters defending their traditions and environmentalists protecting local wildlife. Neither side, it seems, is above the use of violent tactics. At the centre of it all, Bruno must use all his cunning and character to protect his community's future from its present - and its past.

FATAL PURSUIT

When a local researcher turns up dead on Bruno's patch, and French intelligence starts investigating the use of classic car sales to launder money for funding Islamic terrorism, Bruno finds himself once more caught up in a case that reaches far beyond his small town and its people. With the bucolic charm and gourmet cooking that are the hallmarks of this series, Bruno's latest adventure finds him falling in love again as he races to find the murderer and to track down the fate of the most beautiful car ever made. Book nine in the series.

THE RESISTANCE MAN

Bruno, Chief of Police, is dealing with a wave of burglaries. The victims include the recently retired head of Britain's Joint Intelligence Committee, which brings old flame Isabelle back to St Denis. The next burglary ends in murder: the victim's bludgeoned body found by his lover - the prime suspect…He must now trace the links between past and present to restore peace in St Denis.