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Grand Cru (2009)

by Martin Walker(Favorite Author)

3.81 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

325706750X (ISBN13: 9783257067507)

languge

English

genre

Mystery & Thriller

publisher

Diogenes

series

Bruno, Chief of Police

review 1: First time I've read a Martin Walker book. The book seems more about rural French life than the mystery investigation (not that there isn't one). I imagine a Francophile would like this book very much. I must not be a Francophile. Not that I have anything against France ... but I couldn't help thinking, while reading this, that although the foreigners living in or visiting this village (St Denis) are accepted by the locals, in a non-story-book world that would be unlikely (certainly so in my case, since I lack the social grace that all these characters seem to have) - and so I found myself silently snickering at all the social interchanges that saturate this book. I also found myself, perhaps unfairly, snickering at the attempts to make the reader feel him/herself to be in... more France by often using French words, seemingly arbitrarily - to describe an edifice, or personality trait, or whatever - where there are doubtless perfectly adequate English words to describe the same. Not that I have anything against the French language ... it just struck me as gimmicky. Perhaps because the author over-used it. The plot was too slow-going for my taste, and the resolution too 'out of left field' for my liking.
review 2: Not as good as the first book, but still enjoyable. There was a bit of disturbing relationship violence - disturbing because Bruno believes and reacts as if a female character caused herself to be assaulted by a spurned lover, as if it were her fault rather than his crime, even though the character who assaults her is admitted to be prone to violence. Bruno does not bring charges against the man, and questions the woman about whether she 'encouraged him.' That was not okay. Other than the misogynist victim blaming, the book was a quick and easy read. less

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