Bruno’s day has not started well: an international summit to be held in a local chateau is being threatened by Basque separatists, and animal-rights campaigners have declared a war on the beloved local delicacy, foie gras, in the form of an attack on a local duck farm. Horst Vogelstern, a famed researcher working in the archaeological treasure house that is the Vézère Valley, has made a find that promises to change our understanding of humankind’s evolution, but complications ensue when another body is unearthed at the siteone that sports a gunshot wound to the head and is definitely not ancient. Bruno senses a link between the activist groups and the unidentified body, but his investigation is hindered by further attacks on local farms and the interference of local bureaucrats. When Horst disappears under mysterious circumstances, the scope of the case widens, and tension in the town of St-Denis reaches an all-time high.

The Crowded Grave is a sense-stirring portrait of the culture, camaraderie and culinary customs of French country life, accompanied by a satisfying and intoxicating mystery.