Martin Walker’s latest title in the “Bruno, Chief of Police” series is very compelling. Bruno Courreges’ post is in the Vezere Valley, in the Perigord region of France, and he is assigned to supervise a medieval fair in the town of Sarlat. During a staged battle scene, one of the soldiers appears to be gravely injured, but Bruno discovers that this incident is just the “tip of the iceberg”. Later, Bruno is tasked with protecting the brightest economic and technological scientists, who are meeting in a local chateau, from assassination by the Russians. Russia and China are determined to stop the scientists from building a computer chip industry in Europe. The novel is a very gripping mystery, perfect for francophiles.