Unsung Heroes of Crime Fiction By Lynne Patrick

An occasional series which looks at the work of authors whose books qualify as bestsellers,
but who still aren’t quite as famous as they deserve to be.

Martin Walker

Eminent journalist, foreign correspondent, political commentator, author of meaty non-fiction on major world issues – and for the past sixteen years the creator of Bruno Courrèges, the genial and highly effective village policeman in one of France’s most beautiful and history-laden regions. Martin Walker is a man of many parts.

His distinguished career is reflected in a number of non-fiction books, and though largely retired from full-time journalism, he still contributes to several highly regarded publications and media, and holds prestigious posts including director of the Global Panel Foundation and senior scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington DC.

After a globetrotting career which encompassed Moscow and the USA, Martin and his family took up residence in the Perigord, where they had already spent many wonderful holidays. These days he devotes much of his time and energy to spreading the word about his adopted home, and with considerable success. In 2021 he was the first Brit to receive the Prix Charbonnier, an honour awarded to people who play a positive role in promoting French culture to international audiences. He is in good company; earlier recipients include the celebrated chef Julia Childs and fashion guru Pierre Cardin.

The Bruno series has played a large part in that promotion. Translated into a dozen languages and a best-seller
in several, the series runs to sixteen full-length novels, each one a rattling good mystery set against a background of rural life in which Bruno himself plays an active part. Book seventeen, A Grave in the Woods, is scheduled for publication later this year. There’s also a generous handful of short stories, gathered together in the collection Bruno’s Challenge, some with an element of mystery, others simply tales about Bruno and his large circle of friends.

Bruno has as many sides to him as his creator. His approach to crime prevention among the young folk of the area is to recruit them into the rugby and tennis teams, which he trains enthusiastically. He’s also adept at helping the market traders to find ways round restrictive legislation in order to maintain the Perigord’s reputation for excellent locally produced food. And his natural warmth ensures he is generally liked and trusted by the people he protects. Best of all, he never lets his amiable side get in the way of good old-fashioned crime-solving – of which he finds a surprising amount to do in such a peaceable rural community.

Walker’s warm and enthusiastic depiction of the Perigord region has resulted in his appointment as its honorary ambassador. The pre-historic cave paintings of Lascaux, Roman remains at Perigueux and the many chateaux and churches all play a part in the novels and offer a taste of the area’s history and culture guaranteed to attract
visitors.

And then there’s that food. Among other comestible delights, the Perigord is rightly famous for truffles and foie gras, and Martin Walker’s own vineyard is helping to spread the word about the region’s excellent wine. His
accounts of the mouth-watering meals Bruno cooks for his large and expanding circle of friends are the inspiration for Bruno’s Cookbook, written in collaboration with his wife, the distinguished food writer Julia Watson, whom he credits with Bruno’s own considerable culinary expertise. 

So why do our bestseller charts miss out on this charming and enthralling series of books? Why is Martin Walker – and Bruno, of course – more famous in Germany than here in the UK? That’s a mystery which even Bruno would be hard pressed to solve.

Lynne Patrick has been a writer ever since she could pick up a pen, and has enjoyed success with short stories, reviews and feature journalism, but never, alas, with a novel. She crossed to the dark side to become a publisher for a few years and is proud to have launched several careers which are now burgeoning. She lives in Oxfordshire in a house groaning with books, about half of them crime fiction.