The Patriarch by Martin Walker

The Patriarch is the latest in the excellent Bruno Chief of Police series set in charming (and I fear fictional) St. Denis, France. Bruno, through his friendship with The Countess, gets invited to a reception for his boyhood hero, a World War II flying ace known as The Patriarch. During the party, Gilbert, the best friend of the Patriarch's son,  is found dead. Since he had had a serious drinking problem for years, everyone assumes that is the cause, but Bruno (the town's only policeman) is not so sure. As Bruno begins a quiet investigation of his own into the death, he's drawn more and more into the lives of the Patriarch's family, including that of his beautiful and seductive daughter-in-law, Madeleine, an up-and-coming politician.

On the personal front, Bruno's romance with Pamela seems to be winding down and he's wondering if he'll ever find true love and the family he so wants. But as always, there's plenty of camaraderie and croissants. And I can't wait to see what happens next.