Bruno's day has not started well. The Saint Denis Chief of Police is busy. A French/Spanish summit to be held in a local chateau is threatened by Basque separatists, and animal rights campaigners are causing havoc attacking local foie gras farms. Up to his ears with ETA and PETA, he's not even had time for lunch. And it's about to get worse.
A local archaeological team, digging for evidence of prehistoric man, unearths a well-preserved skeleton. Yet it's a lot more recent than they'd hoped – boasting a Swatch on its wrist and a bullet-hole in its skull. Bruno senses a link between the two activist groups and the mystery corpse.
With an influx of visitors making Saint Denis almost as crowded as the excavation's grave, the key appears to lie with one of these outsiders. Dealing with this unknown aspect, Bruno must think fast and keep his wits about him. Especially as the answer may lie a little closer to home.
The Crowded Grave marks the welcome return of the delightful Bruno, Chief of Police. Martin Walker serves up a sense-stirring portrait of the culture, camaraderie and culinary customs of French country life, accompanying this with a wonderfully satisfying and intoxicating mystery.
