Media Center: ‘Fatal Pursuit’ by Martin Walker

Media Center: ‘Fatal Pursuit’ by Martin Walker

WHO: Martin Walker

WHAT: FATAL PURSUIT,
a Bruno, Chief of Police novel

WHEN: Published by Knopf June 21, 2016

WHERE: The story is set in the Dordogne.

WHY: “A feast — from scenery to food to Bugattis.
“The chief subject of Walker’s mysteries, the glories of the Dordogne region of southwestern France, never varies, and it never grows old, not even over the span of the long-running series. That’s because Walker so vividly describes the variegated pastoral landscape, with its cliffs, woods, ancient villages, twisty roads, and prehistoric caves (the most famous being Lascaux).
“Yes, but Walker saves his poetry for describing food. His hero, Bruno Courrèges, chief of police in the town of St. Denis, is always scouting out local markets, meeting friends for sumptuously evoked lunches and dinners; of course, he cooks, too, and the preparation of his own locally sourced dinners for friends or lovers is detailed in the lovingly precise manner of Robert B. Parker’s Spenser.
“Walker mixes in murder and intrigue as well, but crime operates more as a side dish. In this, the ninth Bruno, Chief of Police, novel, a vintage-car rally (filled with sensuous details of the cars and the experience of driving them) leads to Bruno’s learning about how one of the most famous cars of all time, a Bugatti Type 57 Atlantic, went missing during WWII somewhere in France. He also contends with the murder of a local scholar, whose work may offer clues to the vanished Bugatti. The mystery uncovers traces of an international crime ring in St. Denis, and offers rich views of the Resistance.”
—Connie Fletcher, in a starred review for BOOKLIST

“History buffs, racing fans, and automobile aficionados
will find plenty to love.”
—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

Jacket photoOther titles in the series:
Bruno, Chief of Police (2009)
Dark Vineyard (2010)
Black Diamond (2011)
The Crowded Grave (2012)
The Devil’s Cave (2013)
The Resistance Man (2014)
The Children Return (2015)
The Patriarch (2015)


Media Resources:
About the book and author | Read an excerpt | Author tour | Download the jacket | Download the author photo

Knopf. 302 pages. $25.95 ISBN 978-1-101-94678-7


Publicist for this title:
Katie Schoder | 212-572-2103 | kschoder@penguinrandomhouse.com