When a local archaeological dig looking for Neanderthal remains turns up a distinctly contemporary corpse, Bruno has a new case to solve. His investigations take him deeper and deeper into Europe's recent dark history of terrorist and counterterrorist tactics and toward a dramatic conclusion.

"After attending an exhibit on the facial reconstruction of ancient skulls, Bruno wonders if this technology might provide an invaluable clue to a 30-year-old cold case. But learning the identity of the murder victim is only the beginning. The investigation quickly turns thorny and leads Bruno to a reclusive vintner, Henri Bazaine, whose education at a vocational school in a formerly communist region has raised a red flag. An inquiry into the defunct...

Benoît (Bruno) Courrèges--devoted friend, cuisinier extraordinaire and the town's only municipal policeman--rushes to the scene when a research station for genetically modified crops is burned down outside Saint-Denis. Bruno immediately suspects a group of fervent environmentalists who live nearby, but the fire is only the first in a string of mysteries centering on the region's fertile soil.

"When an actor in a local play is attacked during the performance, Bruno must learn whether it was an accident, a crime of passion--or an assassination attempt with implications far beyond the small French village"-- Provided by publisher.