INTERNATIONAL MYSTERY
Henning Mankell, although he did not invent “world noir,” demolished the walls between English-language mystery/detective fiction and the rest of the world using the same structure to investigate just about anything dealing with the home society, truth, justice, betrayal — all the great fictional territory. Here we offer a canvas of what we carry from international writers who write mysteries, noir, cozies, historical detectives, and other gems that fit in the wide and glorious category of Mystery. Travel the world!
[Note: Georges Simenon’s works, including all the Maigret mysteries, have moved to a separate page dedicated to their author. Follow the trail!]
An Enemy in the Village: A Bruno, Chief of Police Novel
An Enemy in the Village: A Bruno, Chief of Police Novel
A real estate agent’s death sends shockwaves through the idyllic town of St. Denis, leading Bruno, Chief of Police, to suspect that there’s more to this tragedy than meets the eye.
When Bruno stumbles upon a motionless figure in a car parked at a scenic overpass on the ridge of the Vézère valley, he’s ready to investigate. Inside, he finds a suicide note and the dead body of Monique, a successful businesswoman who rented châteaus to wealthy expats. It seems like an open-and-shut case.
But Bruno can’t shake the suspicion that something sinister lurks underneath this tidy narrative. After he delivers Monique’s final messages to those most important to her, malicious gossip about Bruno begins to spread through the village. One thing leads to another, and soon Bruno faces pressure to resign from the job. Despite this disturbing turn of events, Bruno remains Bruno, never one to turn down a fine meal with good company in the French countryside. In the course of inquiry, he meets Laura—and her dog, which happens to be the same breed as his beloved basset hound. As sparks fly and Bruno realizes just how much he has at stake, he races to find out what really happened to Monique, before he loses his badge, his new love—or something even worse.