Bruno, Chief Of Police books in order

The Bruno, Chief of Police series by Martin Walker follows a small-town French police chief solving crimes in the Dordogne, with 25 books blending mystery, gastronomy, and local history.

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 Bruno, Chief of Police / Death in the Dordogne 2008 Martin Walker Buy
2 The Dark Vineyard 2009 Martin Walker Buy
3 Black Diamond 2010 Martin Walker Buy
4 The Crowded Grave 2011 Martin Walker Buy
5 The Devil’s Cave 2012 Martin Walker Buy
6 Bruno and the Carol Singers / Bruno and le Pere Noel 2012 Martin Walker Buy
7 The Resistance Man 2013 Martin Walker Buy
8 The Children Return / Children of War / Death Undercover 2014 Martin Walker Buy
9 A Market Tale 2014 Martin Walker Buy
10 The Dying Season / The Patriarch 2015 Martin Walker Buy
11 Fatal Pursuit 2016 Martin Walker Buy
12 The Templars’ Last Secret 2017 Martin Walker Buy
13 A Taste for Vengeance 2018 Martin Walker Buy
14 The Chocolate War 2018 Martin Walker Buy
15 The Body in the Castle Well 2019 Martin Walker Buy
16 A Birthday Lunch 2019 Martin Walker Buy
17 Oystercatcher 2020 Martin Walker Buy
18 The Shooting at Chateau Rock 2020 Martin Walker Buy
19 The Coldest Case 2021 Martin Walker Buy
20 Bruno’s Challenge and Other Stories of the French Countryside 2022 Martin Walker Buy
21 To Kill a Troubadour 2022 Martin Walker Buy
22 A Chateau Under Siege 2023 Martin Walker Buy
23 A Grave in the Woods 2024 Martin Walker Buy
24 An Enemy in the Village 2025 Martin Walker Buy
25 A Murder in Springtime 2026 Martin Walker Buy

The Bruno, Chief of Police series by Martin Walker follows Benoit Courreges, known as Bruno, the chief of police in the fictional town of St. Denis in the Perigord region of France. Starting with Bruno, Chief of Police (2008), the series has grown to 25 books, with A Murder in Springtime expected in 2026.

Bruno’s cases draw on the history and politics of the Dordogne and often connect to larger European events. The Dark Vineyard (2009) involves vineyard sabotage, The Templars’ Last Secret (2017) touches on medieval history, and To Kill a Troubadour (2022) mixes Occitan culture with modern extremism. Between the investigations, Walker fills the books with detailed accounts of French cooking, market days, and village life. The series also includes several shorter works like the novellas A Market Tale (2014) and The Chocolate War (2018), plus the story collection Bruno’s Challenge (2022).

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Bruno, Chief Of Police series?

There are 25 books in the Bruno, Chief Of Police series, published between 2008 and 2026.

What is the first book in the Bruno, Chief Of Police series?

The first book in the Bruno, Chief Of Police series is Bruno, Chief of Police / Death in the Dordogne, published in 2008.

Are the Bruno novels cozy mysteries or police procedurals?

They fall somewhere in between. Bruno is a real police officer who investigates serious crimes, but the books spend as much time on French cooking, wine, local traditions, and community life as they do on murder. The tone is warmer and more leisurely than a typical procedural, with detailed descriptions of meals and countryside that give the series its distinctive character.

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