Martin Walker: Fatal Pursuit

Martin Walker: Fatal Pursuit (USA 2017)

From the publisher:
A pair of murders, a romance and rivals in pursuit of a long-lost vintage car of unfathomable value -- Bruno, chief of police, is busy in another mystery set in the beautiful Dordogne

At the annual fête in St. Denis, Bruno's biggest worry is surviving as a last-minute replacement navigator in a car rally race. The contest and a classic-car parade are new to the festivities and draw a spate of outsiders with deep pockets, big-city egos and, in the case of a young Englishman, an intriguing story. It's the tale of a Bugatti Type 57C, lost somewhere in France during World War II. Among the most beautiful cars ever made, one of only four of its kind -- Ralph Lauren owns one -- it is worth millions and drives its pursuers mad with greed. In the midst of the festivities, a local scholar turns up dead and Bruno suspects unnatural causes. After a second death, there is mounting evidence that the events in St. Denis are linked to international crime.

To make matters even more complicated, a family squabble over land brings to St. Denis a comely Parisienne who turns Bruno's head. As usual, Bruno's life offers its challenges -- but there is always time for a good bottle and a home-cooked meal.

Martin Walker: Fatal Pursuit. A Mystery of the French Countryside. Vintage Books, ISBN: 9781101970751 (May, 2017), 320 p., $16.00.

Martin Walker: Fatal Pursuit (UK 2017)

From the publisher:
Bruno, Chief of Police, star of the internationally bestselling series of Dordogne Mysteries, investigates the real-life disappearance of 'the most beautiful car ever made' in this compelling case for France's favourite cop

The Bugatti Type 57 Atlantic was called the most beautiful car of all time. Only four of them were ever built. A California museum paid $37 million for one; Ralph Lauren bought another; a third was smashed by a train at a level crossing. The fourth disappeared in France during World War 2. It was the car used by British racing ace, William Grover Williams, twice winner of the French and Monaco Grand Prix, who became an undercover agent in Occupied France.

The latest adventure in the Bruno series of mystery novels starts from this true story. Two young men, both racing drivers with a passion for antique cars, compete to find new clues as to the car's hiding place in the Perigord region of France where Bruno is the local chief of police.

When a local researcher turns up dead on Bruno's patch, and French intelligence starts investigating the use of classic car sales to launder money for funding Islamic terrorism, Bruno finds himself once more caught up in a case that reaches far beyond his small town and its people.

With the bucolic charm and gourmet cooking that are the hallmarks of this series, Bruno's latest adventure finds him falling in love again as he races to find the murderer and to track down the fate of the most beautiful car ever made.

Martin Walker: Fatal Pursuit. Bruno, chief of police of the Dordogne town of St. Denis, discovers there are some cars people would kill for... A Bruno, Chief of Police Novel. Quercus, ISBN: 9781784294625 (March, 2017), 325 p., £8.99.

Martin Walker: Fatal Pursuit (USA 2016)

Martin Walker: Fatal Pursuit. A Bruno, Chief of Police Novel. Alfred A. Knopf, ISBN: 9781101946787 (June, 2016), 320 p., $25.95.

Martin Walker: Fatal Pursuit (UK 2016)

From the publisher:
The Bugatti Type 57 Atlantic was called the most beautiful car of all time. Only four of them were ever built. A California museum paid $37 million for one; Ralph Lauren bought another; a third was smashed by a train at a level crossing. The fourth disappeared in France during World War 2. It was the car used by British racing ace, William Grover Williams, twice winner of the French and Monaco Grand Prix, who became an undercover agent in Occupied France.