Life in the South of France isn't full of the charming peace that you might imagine. In St Denis a summit in a local château is threatened by Basque separatists, animal rights campaigners are causing havoc and it's about to get worse.

A local archaeological team unearths a well-preserved skeleton. Yet it's a lot more recent than they'd hoped - boasting a Swatch and a bullet-hole.

Meanwhile, an influx of visitors makes Saint Denis unusually crowded, and the key to the body appears to lie with one of these outsiders. Bruno must think fast and keep his wits about him in order to work out how these events are connected. Especially if the answer lies a little closer to home.

Martin Walker is a prize-winning journalist and the author of several acclaimed works of non-fiction, including The Cold War: A History. He lives in the Dordogne and Washington, DC.