The Shooting at Chateau Rock

Written by Martin Walker

Narrated by Robert Ian Mackenzie

When a local’s death is linked to a Russian oligarch and his multinational conglomerate, Bruno faces one
of his toughest cases yet, one that brings together a conniving French businessman and a rock star—and, of
course, Bergerac red and white.

It’s summer in the Dordogne. The heirs of a modest Périgordian sheep farmer learn upon his death that they
have been disinherited, and their father’s estate sold to an insurance company in return for a policy that would have
placed him in a five-star retirement home for the rest of his life. His children are immediately suspicious of the
uncharacteristically lavish arrangement. Their inquest raises other unsavory questions about his passing: Was it a
natural death? Was there foul play?

Bruno begins an investigation that leads him to several shadowy companies owned by a Russian billionaire. The
companies are based in Cyprus, Malta, and Luxembourg, but Bruno finds a way into the organization in France: a
recently relocated notaire and an insurance agent. As Bruno pursues this ominious lead, the Russian’s daughter turns
up in the Périgord, further complicating the case. All leads to a deadly denouement at the château of the rock star.
It takes all of Bruno’s resolve and quick thinking to untangle the truth. But, as ever—Bruno makes time for lunch.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jun 17, 2020
• ISBN: 9781980081265

Martin Walker

MARTIN WALKER is the author of 20 books of fiction and non-fiction, including seven novels featuring police chief Captain Bruno Courreges. He lives with his family in the southwest of France and Washington, DC. He is also senior director of the Global Business Policy Council as well as editor emeritus and international affairs columnist of United Press International, the global news agency. Visit Bruno online at www.brunochiefofpolice.com.

Reviews for The Shooting at Chateau Rock

[jamespurcell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Martin Walker continues to produce enjoyable, almost credible stories about foreign intrigue, in the bucolic Dordogne area of France. His cast of excellent characters led by the Maestro Bruno and his beloved Basset, Balzac continues to grow and evolve. Music, sometimes and food, always provide appropriate interludes to Bruno's astute sleuthing.

[diana.hauser · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

THE SHOOTING AT CHATEAU ROCK by Martin Walker is #13 in Mr. Walker’s Bruno, Chief of Police series.There are many interwoven themes and characters here:Balzac’s trip to the breeding kennel; the owners of the Chateau Rock, Rod & Meghan Macrea;Russian oligarchs; an interrupted inheritance; very shady retirement homes; espionage; hostages; suspicious (and deadly) car crashes; wonderful food and wine; and the brilliant array of local residents and locations of the small town of St. Denis in France’s Perigord region.I love this series and these characters and locations. *****

[alanteder · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Balzac, the Basset Hound is 2 Years Old!Review of the Knopf USA hardcover edition (2020)There are several things that are off with the new Bruno, Chief of Police novel such as the misleading title, some out-of-character investigative techniques, still falling for Isabelle, etc. which may distract and disappoint fans along the way. However, for me the big takeaway was that Bruno's beloved dog Balzac is described as being only 2 years old! This is in a 2020 book when Balzac was introduced back at the time of The Devil's Cave (2012) in Bruno No. 5. That means that although the Bruno books since then have supposedly taken place over 8 years, in fact they have been only 2 years of Bruno / Balzac time.That is cause for rejoicing in that Walker is not letting Bruno and Balzac age in real time and that therefore we can still look forward to many more years of enjoying the people, culture, food and wine of St. Denis.

[cathyskye · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Martin Walker skillfully weaves so much information about France and Europe in general into The Shooting at Château Rock that, after I'd finished reading the book, it took a while for my mind to leave the Périgord. This book is about so much more than the fleecing of the elderly. Readers learn that although Europe knows that Russian criminals and oligarchs are moving into their countries, getting passports from places like Malta and Cyprus in an effort to hide their true Russian citizenship, they still have to tread carefully since half of Europe is dependent on Russian gas. I also learned that drones are being used to video opulent properties when they're being placed on the real estate market for sale. (How the other half lives, eh?)No matter how hard Bruno works to track down the bad guys, there's still plenty of interaction with his friends, and-- let's face it-- that's what most Bruno fans eagerly await in each new book. There are several delicious meals lovingly described in The Shooting at Château Rock, and I loved the addition of music to the storyline. Bruno's young Basset hound, Balzac, also gets his turn in the spotlight.You can't have a new book in the series without dealing with Bruno's love life. Fans know that his penchant for strong, independent women means that he hasn't found the right one who wants to settle down and raise a family with him. Here he seems to be nudged in a direction that I'd wondered about myself. Only time will tell what's in store for our favorite French policeman.During the course of this series, Walker has shown us how the various law enforcement agencies work in France, and it's a fascinating glimpse into how another country protects its citizens. But Bruno does wonder-- as I sometimes do-- if there's still room for the human factor amidst all the technology and the massive amounts of data it can uncover. After all, most of Bruno's success is based on the fact that he knows most of the citizens in his area-- and they know and trust him.Fans of this series should love The Shooting at Château Rock. If you're new to the series, I'm going to admit that you could read this book and not feel lost... but don't be surprised if you find yourself going back to read the rest of the books. They are quite the delectable feast.

[thornton37814 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Although ruled as a heart-related death, Bruno finds circumstances regarding a man's death as suspicious. He recently acted in manners seemingly uncharacteristic for him and which left his children without an inheritance. Bruno wonders if he's stumbled upon an insurance scheme taking advantage of the elderly. He soon once again finds himself attached to the Brigadier's operations and dealing with a multi-national situation. I love this series. The depictions of the region and the food are added bonuses. We get to visit with many of the characters we've grown to love over the course of the series. I'm not certain the title chosen was the best for this installment, and I'm surprised an editor didn't change it. I listened to the audio read by Robert Ian Mackenzie who did an excellent job as usual.

[cbl_tn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After talking to the son of a local farmer whose sudden death left his children disinherited, Bruno looks into the circumstances surrounding the death. The man was being treated for a heart condition, so his death was no surprise to his doctor. However, shortly before his death, the farmer had taken out an insurance policy and sold his farm to finance life in a luxury retirement home that seemed out of his league. Meanwhile, Bruno is spending time with the expat owners of Chateau Rock – an aging rock star and his much younger wife, who are planning to sell their property as part of an amicable divorce. Bruno has coached their two young adult children, one of whom is also a musician. The musician son, Jamie, arrives home for a last visit accompanied by other musicians, including his soon-to-be Ukrainian fiancée. Eventually Bruno discovers a connection between the insurance company and the Chateau guests.The sub-plot about Bruno’s dog, Balzac’s, first mating experience is superfluous. It mainly serves as an excuse to bring in Bruno’s on-again/off-again lover, Isabelle. I have an inverse liking for Isabelle. I like her less and less as Bruno becomes more and more attracted to her. The spoilery title signals exactly where this story is heading. After giving readers a break in the last book, Walker returns to the international crime angle. So far in the series, we’ve had Basque terrorists, Arab terrorists, Irish terrorists, and now Ukrainian/Russian terrorists. Bruno’s Dordogne sounds lovely, but perhaps not the safest place to visit!

[juliestielstra · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I've read all the Bruno books with some enjoyment, but I think this series may have run its course. The foodie in Walker is taking over - I skipped a lot of pages on gazpacho and lamb shanks, plus kiddie swimming lessons and tennis. Too much "they got out of the car, they unloaded their bags, they came inside..." Too much of what every person is wearing. By half-way through, there has been one (apparently) natural death, and the drama (such as it is) centers on legal disposition of the property, some dicey insurance arrangements, and a posh retirement home. After reading Bruno - for about the fifth time - saying how much he likes an old rock star's new music, I was bored - and done. 2 stars because it might be a reasonably successful "cozy" mystery - but I don't care for cozies. Disappointing.

[auntie0nanuuq · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I so enjoy Bruno & his community of friends.... I ♥ his cooking, still waiting for his recipe book. Perhaps the author might begin to include recipes in the back of his books.An aging rock star & wife are about to divorce & sell their chateau... Their children are visiting for one last summer, their son being engaged to a young woman whose father is closely tied to Putin.Meanwhile a local farmer has been found dead of a heart attack just after signing up for a shady insurance deal & changing his will, leaving everything to the new upscale senior retirement community he was scheduled to move into.I enjoyed reading Bruno's handling of both cases. The book was well written and definitely held my interest.

[miss.mesmerized · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The death of an old sheep farmer does not seem too suspicious, he was suffering from heart problems and scheduled for getting a pacemaker. Yet, when his son and daughter find out that they have been disinherited and that their father had planned to move into a luxurious retirement home, this raises questions. Even more so when neither the insurance nor the notaire responsible for the contract can be gotten hold of. While Bruno Courrèges, Chief of Police of St. Denis, investigates, he also enjoys the Dordogne summer and especially the time with his friends, amongst them former musician Rod Macrae who lives in an old nearby castle and is waiting for his children to spend some time there. Bruno is fond of the two now grown-ups and quite surprised when gets to know Jamie’s girl-friend: Galina Stichkin, daughter of a superrich oligarch and close friend of the Russian president.The 15th case for the amiable French policeman again offers the pleasant atmosphere of the southern French countryside with a lot of talk about the historical heritage of the region and even more about the local food and the best way to enjoy it. What starts with a suspicious case of foul play and thus seems to be quite in line with the former novels, quickly, however, turns into a highly political plot covering debatable recent affairs and bringing the big political picture to the small community. Therefore, “The Shooting at Château Rock” isn’t just a charming cosy crime novel but rather a complex political mystery.There are several reasons why one can adore the Bruno, Chief of Police series. On the one hand, you will be never disappointed when you like to delve into the French cuisine and learn something new about the Dordogne regions rich nature and food. On the other hand, this is surely not the place for fast-paced action with a lot of shootings and deaths. The plots centre around the people and some very basic motives for their deeds – as expected, all to be uncovered by Bruno. What I liked most this time was how Walker combined a petty crime – if one can call a cold-blooded murder a petty crime – with the global organised crime which operates in the financial sector just as in politics and is long beyond being controlled by official security agencies. He convincingly integrates real life events which shook the public and will ever remain notes in the history books of where mankind simply failed to protect civilians from underground forces with their very own agenda.Another perfect read for some summer escape to the French countryside.