The Crowded Grave, Walker-B

All of the books in this delightful series are subtitled "A Mystery of the French Countryside". The police procedurals are set in the mythical town of St. Denis and feature the town's Chief of Police Bruno Courreges.  The pleasure is not the plots, but rather where this series takes you and what it teaches. The Dordogne Valley has been inhabited for 30,000 years because of its mild climate and bountiful countryside. Thus, we learn all about the wine, the truffles, the pate, the cooking and eating habits of the inhabitants.  The back-stories of the locals lead to interesting diversions on the differences among the Resistance fighters, with particular emphasis on the Communists.  In this one, the story involves a Basque attempt to attack a Spanish-French conference set in St. Denis. As usual, the diversely talented Bruno shows off his many political, personal and police skills.