The Frozen Dead by Bernard Minier

St. Martin's Press

Minotaur Books; Reprint edition (Aug. 12 2014)

482 pages - 29.41 $

Frozen is the first novel by a former worker in the French customs administration. His book was widely praised by the press when released in France in 2011 and he released a second book Le Cercle in 2012 in which me meet back with the same character, Servaz a literate and sensitive cop.

The blurb

A suspenseful and chilling murder mystery set in a high-security asylum for the criminally insane and the snowy mountains of the French Pyrenees

The first victim is a horse: its headless, flayed body hangs suspended from the edge of a frozen cliff. On the same day as the gruesome discovery takes place, Diane Berg, a young psychiatrist starts her first job at a high security asylum for the criminally insane, just a few miles away. She is baffled by the slightly unorthodox methods the asylums's director uses, and then greatly alarmed when she realizes that drugs are disappearing from within the fortified institution while someone seems to be slipping out at night. 

Commandant Martin Servaz, a charismatic, Toulouse city cop fond of quoting Latin, can’t believe he has been called out over the death of an animal. But there is something disturbing about this crime that he cannot ignore. Then DNA from one of the most notorious inmates of the asylum, a highly intelligent former prosecutor who is accused of killing and raping several women, is found on the corpse... and a few days later the first human murder takes place. 

Servaz and his colleague, the mysterious Irene Ziegler, must use all their skill to solve the terrifying mystery, in The Frozen Dead by Bernard Minier.

What's good about it ?

The atmosphere is really oppressive. Everything is cold, white (because of the snow) or gray or ugly. The suspects include prisoners locked up in an asylum for the most horrific killers. There are a lot of strange people. This creates a rather morbid and creepy feel it must be said. In my case, it was too much. Each time a character takes the road to the asylum or the place of the first crime we're entitled to the overwhelming feelings of that character - sinister course - about the surrounding nature, the road and his feeling of discomfort or fear. So, admittedly, it helps to feel the sensation of discomfort. Yet to live in Quebec (which is not a country but a winter!), I mostly meet people who love their country and think that winter are beautiful with its snowy landscapes. I think it would have been more realistic to include some positive people, right? 

The story is well put together. There's even a twist towards the end that blew me away. The investigation is realistically resolved, the explanations stand and even the escape of a character suggests a possible sequel without a frustrating cliffhanger. The only concern is that the book is a bit long. That's a lot of pages for a thriller and it's very difficult to keep a steady pace as long. So to fill the pages, it is easier to write description (of feelings, landscapes, mundane acts...) This is where - in my case - the author loses me and I start skipping parts to find the dialogue or the action. Now I know that some readers enjoy taking their time in a story, they like to take the full measure of the atmosphere and decor. So, dear reader, if that's your case, this is the book for you. 

And what about the characters? Servaz the literate and sensitive cop is a little too sensitive for my liking, he is afraid of so many things that it's a miracle he's a cop! As for his way of reciting Latin sentences at all costs, I must say it's déjà vu and a little too cliche for my taste. It must be said that there are still several cliche in the characters but that doesn't spoil the story. Still, Servaz is a smart cop who leads good deductions and his team of geek cop is quite endearing. So it's a character that we'll like to follow.

In a nutshell

A well-crafted first novel, a story and an atmosphere murky at will but a story a tad longish, it's a 3/5 for me.

Disclaimer: An e-galley of this title was provided to me by the publisher. No review was promised and the above is an unbiased review of the novel.

The Second Deadly Sin by Åsa Larsson - out 12th of August 2014

Quercus Books (US) - MacLehose Press

352 pages - 26.99 $

Another Scandinavian author (Swedish to be precise). This is definitely trendy, but I did not want to stay on an aftertaste of disappointment with my reading of The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler. So here I am, trying agin a new Swedish author whose name appears regularly on networks.

The blurb

Oprah.com raved that Åsa Larsson’s Rebecka Martinsson is a crime fighter who has all the needed gut insticts," and listed the series as "Mysteries Every Thinking Woman Should Read." In The Second Deadly Sin, dawn breaks in a forest in northern Sweden. Villagers gather to dispatch a rampaging bear. When the beast is brought to ground they are horrified to find the remains of a human hand inside its stomach. In nearby Kiruna, a woman is found murdered in her bed, her body a patchwork of vicious wounds, the word WHORE scrawled across the wall. Her grandson Marcus, already an orphan, is nowhere to be seen. Grasping for clues, Rebecka Martinsson begins to delve into the victim’s tragic family history. But with doubts over her mental health still lingering, she is ousted from the case by an arrogant and ambitious young prosecutor. Before long a chance lead draws Martinsson back into the thick of the action and her legendary courage is put to the test once more. 

What's about that book

Larsson knows how to make us feel what experience her characters... including the dog. And just for that, it blew me away. I think especially of a scene where the Brat, Martinsson's puppy runs around the house in all directions until he can go out, it's a scene you may find useless because it adds nothing to the plot, but it brings a lot to the atmosphere! There is also how Maja portrays von Post, a moment of pure happiness (well, in your teeth von Post!) Or, the day spent with Martisson in her house, drinking moonshine and doing trips to the sauna, while investigating, along with Pohjanen (and we learn a bit more about Swedish culture). It thus makes us feel good in the presence of Martisson, wanting to get to know her. That create a sense of familiarity with the characters and it's very nice. 

The plot follows two stories that, as so often, join in the end, one explaining the other. This has already been done, of course, but when it's well done, as is the case here, it's nice. A story unfolds in the early twentieth century, while the other is in the present. Ultimately, it is the story of a family that we can judge cursed as misfortune rained down on her, a family cursed by greed. 

Aside from the very human and endearing characters, the two-story plot, Larsson sprinkles her story of political shenanigans, low blows and cowardice. Martinsson's success doesn't please everyone and Von Post, the detestable prosecutor, will do anything to counter her. There are few references to the past, especially with regard to Martinsson's psychological past which uses von Post, but not having read the other books did not prevent to understand how this man is a shabby. 

In a nutshell

A clever writing, very endearing characters, a plot well done, a dark atmosphere, cold and sad, but hopeful at the same time. This is a 4.5 / 5 for me.

Disclaimer: An e-galley of this title was provided to me by the publisher. No review was promised and the above is an unbiased review of the novel.

Treachery in Bordeaux by Jean-Pierre Alaux and Noël Balen

Le French Book (May 29 2014)
The Winemaker Detective series - T01
144 pages - 13.95 $

The publisher Le French Book has a mission to publish in English French books they enjoyed. So once again I discovered French authors in English. As I am more and more fond of French novels, as their undeniable quality only confirms the rise of French crime fiction in the world, I decided to try my luck with this first volume in a series devoted to pleasures and wine. Knowing that I was born in Pessac (near Bordeaux), it was with pleasure that I discovered a region that I left before knowing it.

The blurb

In modern-day Bordeaux, there are few wine estates still within the city limits. The prestigious grand cru Moniales Haut-Brion is one of them. When some barrels turn, world-renowned winemaker turned gentleman detective Benjamin Cooker starts asking questions. Is it negligence or sabotage? Who would want to target this esteemed vintner? Cooker and his assistant Virgile Lanssien search the city and the vineyards for answers, giving readers and inside view of this famous wine region. The start of a 22-book wine-plus-crime mystery series that delves into the underworld of a global luxury industry. The world of wine is no more respectable than the world of finance. There’s money, deceit, death, crime, inheritance, jealousy—all the ingredients needed to distill a fine detective series. The series is a hit on TV in France.

What's good about it ?

You don't read that book, you enjoy and sip it while lounging in vineyards or admiring architecture and painting. This is clearly not a detective story like any other: it doesn't happen much... not even  a murder! This can be annoying for who thinks it's a classic novel detective. It's true that at one point I said to myself "but when will the action happens?" 

Maybe because this is the first volume, the authors spend time describing Cooker's living environment, people around him, the decor, his tastes (for painting and wine), we participate in the writing of his book (to the point of reading some passages) and learns more about the history of the region (or country I meant!) It may seem long to some, especially as the book is short. This clearly leaves little time for the plot, but that's part of the charm of this particular novel. 

There's comfort food... and there's comfort books and Treachery in Bordeaux is one of them. No horrible murder, rampage, disillusioned cop, but a mystery that is solved, a cozy atmosphere and an apology for the art of living, of enjoying life, of good food and good wine. The atmosphere is very French, which can charm or not the non-French. 

In a nutshell

A very nice little book with a cozy atmosphere, a simple and well done mystery. For those who enjoy the pleasures of life. This is a 3.5 / 5 for me.

Disclaimer: An e-galley of this title was provided to me by the publisher. No review was promised and the above is an unbiased review of the novel.