With the jungle fighting of Indochina behind him, Inspector Lucas Rocco thinks his transfer to rural France will give him a quieter life than his beat in Paris. That is until his first day there when, despite the war with Germany being ended for nearly 20 years, a woman's body in a Gestapo uniform is found. Rocco is not known to be deterred by political interference but when he discovers that the woman was the daughter of a rich industrialist with links to the resistance he knows he must tread carefully. He must also be careful where he puts his feet in the woods near his new home. The place is littered with WW2 ordnance and there's a crazy man out there setting explosive booby-traps. Rocco himself is convincing with a good solid back story. His suspicion of the motives of most of his superiors stem from his army days and make him very much the loose cannon. The novel is rich in eccentric village characters and because of numerous clues and red herrings has a mystery complex enough to puzzle experts. It is an atmospheric tale, unusual in place and time. The romantic element is left hanging and I look forward to the next in the series later this year.