The Templars’ Last Secret: A Bruno, Chief of Police novel (Bruno, Chief of Police Series)

Bruno, Chief of Police of St. Denis in France, has been called to the scene of a death. It seems the victim, a young woman, fell to her death while climbing the cliff of a medieval fortress, leaving behind some unidentified graffiti. Bruno isn’t satisfied the death is accidental. He thinks her climbing ropes may have been sabotaged, and he wonders whether the graffiti signifies something political.

Before he can investigate, he learns that a new recruit to the Ministry of Justice, Amelie, will be following him to assess local police strategies. If that weren’t enough to keep him busy, he still has to find time for his friends Horst and Clothilde, two archaeologists soon to be married. Despite the increasingly complex investigation, which becomes more international with every step, Bruno still manages to find time for the things he loves most: village life, local food, and his dog, Balzac.

Martin Walker has written another multilayered, intelligent novel covering a vast array of interesting subjects, from prehistory to medieval history, right up to modern-day terrorism. I love the fact that there were characters I knew from previous stories and also some interesting new ones. I can’t wait to see what Bruno’s next case may be.