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Praise for Martin Walker’s

Bruno Series

“The small towns where Martin Walker sets his enchanting country mysteries embody the sublime physical beauty and intractable political problems of the Dordogne region of France.”

—Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review

“In an era when most Americans are ignorant of France in its true richness, generosity of spirit, and quality of life, Mr. Walker and his Bruno offer an enchanting introduction into this very real world. The American reading public should flock to join them.”

—Martin Sieff, The Washington Times

“Captivating….Sure to appeal to readers with a palate for mysteries with social nuance and understated charm.”

—Tom Nolan, The Wall Street Journal

“Lyrical….Walker evokes his French community’s celebrations of wine, food, love, and friendship with obvious affection but without sentimentality. His villagers are no more immune from modern times than the rest of us—they just drink better wine.”

—Publishers Weekly

Martin Walker

Oystercatcher

Martin Walker is a senior fellow of the Global Business Policy Council, a private think tank based in Washington, D.C. He is also editor in chief emeritus and international affairs columnist at United Press International. His previous novels in the Bruno series are Bruno, Chief of Police; The Dark Vineyard; Black Diamond; The Crowded Grave; The Devil’s Cave; The Resistance Man; The Children Return; The Patriarch; Fatal Pursuit; and The Templars’ Last Secret, all international bestsellers. He lives in Washington, D.C., and the Dordogne.

ALSO BY MARTIN WALKER

Fiction

The Shooting at Château Rock

The Body in the Castle Well

A Taste for Vengeance

The Templars’ Last Secret

Fatal Pursuit

A Market Tale (ebook)

The Patriarch

The Children Return

The Resistance Man

The Devil’s Cave

Bruno and the Carol Singers (ebook)

The Crowded Grave

Black Diamond

The Dark Vineyard

Bruno, Chief of Police

The Caves of Périgord

Nonfiction

The Iraq War (editor)

Europe in the Twenty-First Century (coauthor)

America Reborn

The President They Deserve

The Cold War: A History

Martin Walker’s Russia

The Waking Giant: Gorbachev’s Russia

Powers of the Press

The National Front

Oystercatcher

It was one of those quiet days between Christmas and New Year’s. The great bay of Arcachon stretched out endlessly, merging into what might have been the surly waves of the Bay of Biscay or merely the gray sky in the faded light of midwinter. On the huge sand dune of Pilat, nearly three kilometers long and more than a hundred meters high, a couple stood entwined, braced against the freshening wind. The woman nestled her back closer to the man, her eyes closed, relishing the comfort of his arms wrapped tightly around her body. His face was buried in the short hair at the back of her neck, and they were content together in their silence.