Left Bank Books Event – Martin Walker

As ardent fans of Martin’s beloved mystery series set in a small village in southwestern France, we can’t wait to meet the man who has created the charming, smart, empathetic, gourmet-and-dog-loving Bruno, Chief of Police. The latest installment (#18) in the international bestselling series is A Grave in the Woods, which debuts the week before Martin visits us.

The character of Bruno was inspired by a real-life friend of Martin’s. He writes, “Our local policeman, Pierrot. . .is the kind of wise country copper who never wears a gun, hates to arrest anybody, knows everybody and most of the secrets. He was the inspiration for Bruno.” The millions of Bruno’s fans around the world—Martin’s books have been translated into more than fifteen languages—are forever grateful to Pierrot for his inspiration.

In addition to being smart mysteries, the “Bruno” books often involve international overtones—Martin was a career foreign correspondent for The Guardian and for UPI—and also always feature local history, good food, wine, friendship, and Balzac, Bruno’s beloved basset hound.