May I introduce you to my favorite Frenchman? Ouí?

Bruno, Chief of Police in St. Denis can cook you a scrumptious simple dinner, teach you tennis, apprehend the bad guys after tending his garden, and also secure the mademoiselle’s couer.

This is a fantastic series set in a small commune in the Périgod region. For a small place it has quite a lot of interesting murders, but that’s no reason not to move in and enjoy the French countryside with wine paired to every occasion.

In each book, Bruno solves a local murder and organizes community events and saves single mothers from being homeless and tries to find his life mate and runs the town parades and soothes egos and end-runs French bureaucracy. All whilst battling his war-veteran demons.

Bruno also enlightens us to the thumb-screwing of the EU regulations, France’s various wars, racial tensions, and factions within French politics.

And I can’t wait to read the next book to see which lady he woos.

I was introduced to Bruno by my avid-mystery-reading physical therapist. (And I’m forever grateful for his literary and restorative knowledge.) Where I have passed along the series there has only been delight. You may stop after the first and leave it at that. Some of us can’t quit: my son-in-law, Peter, is on book 11 or 12; I just finished book 7; hubby is winding down on book 5.

Charming, informative, escapist, full of culinary adventures without the calories. If you’ve read, tell me who should play Bruno in a mini series …. 5/5 stars.