Reviews

This book really went places: Bruno is called to help investigate potential crimes in a truffle market of a nearby town, and the plot unravels to include gang violence, murder, arson, and human trafficking (see content warning for more info). This book seems like it really raises the stakes for the Bruno, Chief of Police series in a way that I personally enjoy but may not appeal to readers drawn to the charm of watching a small-town policy chief maintain the safety and reputation of the community he serves. Black Diamond introduces new characters and their roles in St. Denis and surrounding areas while bringing back past characters like JJ and Isabelle. While I overall really liked the book, the ending was a bit abrupt to me. It ends on a pretty disturbing note, especially with Bruno questioning how the big crimes and their perpetrators had slipped through his notice. Given the heaviness of the themes in this book, I would've liked a bit more resolution/explanation of how some aspects were solved and the fallout from them.

Content Warnings

writer595's review against another edition

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informative medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

sailingbookdragon's review against another edition

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4.0

Een lekker spannend raadsel met een interessante onverwachte oplossing aangevuld met heerlijke beschrijvingen van het Franse voedsel waardoor op sommige momenten het water je in de mond loopt.

shirlee2024's review against another edition

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4.0

I really like this character, and I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

balthazarlawson's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I'm always slightly confused while reading this series of books when trying to work out Bruno's role as a police officer in the small French town, or is it a village, of St. Denis. But I just try put that to one side and enjoy the read.

Bruno is asked to look into complaints about the truffle market in a nearby town, as an outsider, and he is also shocked by the brutal murder of a local hero and a hero of France. There is also an mayoral election approaching which is causing some unrest in the town. Finally, there are attacks on the Vietnamese community which is just the tip of the iceberg of a much larger problem with huge ramifications for St Denis.

There is much going on the this county town and Bruno has to deal with them all while still coping with is up and down social life.

I really enjoyed this.

beastreader's review against another edition

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2.0

I have never read the first two books in this series. However I thought this one sounded like a good one. One because it is a mystery and two because it featured food. Which I have gotten into in regards to mixing a mystery story that features food in some way. I had not problems with the story. It was fine. Pretty straight forward like a classic mystery. It is just that none of the characters really had a personality. Thus I was just going through the motions reading the book with no real rhyme or reason. Honestly if you asked me how the truffles were smuggled and how Bruno solved the case, I could not truly tell you.

jleo's review against another edition

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mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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