Dark Vineyard

In this riveting sequel to Martin Walker's internationally acclaimed novel Bruno, Chief of Police, some of France's great pleasures'wine, passion and intrigue'converge in a dark chain of events that threaten the peaceful village of Saint-Denis. BenoIt (Bruno) Courreges'devoted friend, cuisinier extraordinaire and the town's only municipal policeman'rushes to the scene when a research station for genetically modified crops is burned down outside Saint-Denis. Bruno immediately suspects a group of fervent environmentalists who live nearby, but the fire is only the first in a string of mysteries centering on the region's fertile soil. Then a bevy of winemakers descends on Saint-Denis, competing for its land and spurring resentment among the villagers. Romances blossom. Hearts are broken. Some of the sensual pleasures of the town'a dinner of a truffle omelette and grilled becasses, a community grape-crushing'provide an opportunity for both warm friendship and bitter hostilities to form. The town's rivals'Max, an environmentalist who hopes to make organic wine; Jacqueline, a flirtatious, newly arrived Quebecoise; and Fernando, the heir to an American wine fortune'act increasingly erratic