The City of Blood by Frédérique Molay

Le French Book (Jan. 20 2015)

221 pages

Third novel I read by Frédérique Molay... it becomes a habit! I must say that her novels read quickly, and they are nice. And City of Blood blurb intrigued me and it's something I like about Molay: stories always have some originality.

The blurb

When a major Parisian modern art event gets unexpected attention on live TV, Chief of Police Nico Sirsky and his team of elite crime fighters rush to La Villette park and museum complex. There, renowned artist Samuel Cassian is inaugurating the first archeological dig of modern art, twenty-seven years after burying the leftovers of a banquet. In front of reporters from around the world, excavators uncover a skeleton. Could it be the artist’s own son? And does that death have anything to do with the current string of nightclub murders by the “Paris Butcher”? On the site of the French capital's former slaughterhouses, the investigation takes Nico and France's top criminal investigation division from artists' studios to autopsy theaters and nightclubs in hopes of tracking down the murderer who has turned this Paris park into a city of blood.

What's good about it?

The story, original and actual. Who has not heard of these objects we bury everywhere to be unveiled with great fanfare a few years later? Who never imagined that we could discover something criminal, an object that was not originally in... In City of Blood, it's a dead body and it's not anybody, but it's the son of the creator of the time capsule. Who could have killed this young promising artist? Who hate the father at this point to bury his son in his own work? Nico will have to delve into the world of artists, jealousy and love shattered to discover the culprit.

We meet back with pleasure Sirsky Nico and his clique, as friendly as usual. We discover a humorous Nico, looks like love is doing fine with him (his descent into a gay  nightclub is excellent). Again, the life of his family is at stake and this time it's Anya, his mother who is ill. I just hope that every book does not see a member of his family in danger. Maybe it's a brand that some authors choose to constantly put their hero close friend and family in danger, but I find it unrealistic and boring after a while.

The novel reads very quickly, thanks to the writing quality of the author (and the English translation since I read the book in English) and thanks to the unwavering pace of the story. The dead are piling up and the race against the clock is running. Nico will have to understand the past to stop the killings today that add tension to the investigation. And a bonus in that story: I really loved learning more about La Villette - the city of blood (talk about a cynic choice of place to kill people!) 

In a nutshell

Another good novel by Frédérique Molay, a gripping story, engaging characters, it's a 4/5 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 Strings of Murder de Oscar de Muriel

Penguin UK - Michael Joseph (12 février 2015)

Paperback, 407 pages

I thought the cover was really great, wasn't it? Yep, one again, the cover got me! And the Ripper case. And the victorian era. And Scotland! With all that, the book could only be great, right? 

What's the blurb?

Jonathan Strange meets Jonathan Creek in this blistering crime debut set in Victorian Edinburgh.

Edinburgh, 1888. A virtuoso violinist is brutally killed in his home. But with no way in or out of the locked practice room, the murder makes no sense.

Fearing a national panic over a copycat Ripper, Scotland Yard sends Inspector Ian Frey to investigate under the cover of a fake department specializing in the occult. However, Frey's new boss, Detective 'Nine-Nails' McGray, actually believes in such nonsense.

McGray's tragic past has driven him to superstition, but even Frey must admit that this case seems beyond reason. And once someone loses all reason, who knows what they will lose next...

What's good about it?

It's not always the case, but in this book, the characters are not what interested me most. It's the plot, which is well done. The dead comes one after another without logical reason, to a well-designed end and an explanation that is not only plausible, but well explained. This is the big advantage of this book because I have to say I was a little scared at the start of a book with a lousy supernatural explanation (as it was question of a closed room and a Department of mysterious case).

The characters, meanwhile, are well characterized. They each have their own life and differ much from each other. Unfortunately, I disliked the main character, Ian Frey, who happens to be a man imbued of his person, racist against the Scots and cultivating his sense of superiority. Honestly, I rarely dislike a central character that much... In general, the author manages to make us like his hero! The book is told in the first person, so we are entitled to all Frey's personal reflections, as well as those he launches at other. As he describes McGray and the others, it is hard to find them endearing. McGray is painted like a caricature of Scots, which is a shame. In the end, it seems that only Frey is worth something (which surely reflects his feelings), but he's so unpleasant that I didn't like him.

If we put aside the fact that Frey portrayes Edinburgh as a horrible place, smelly and dirty, I still enjoyed being there. The descriptions are well made and we feel the cold and wet of the Scottish winter. So it is a good point for the author who knows how to make us feel his characters feelings.

In a nutshell

A good and well done story marred by a very unpleasant main character, but with well made descriptions, it's 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.

2014 top five books

For the second time in this short blog story (though less shorter than last year), here are my top 5 readings in 2014. So sure... some books were printed some time ago in their country of origin but these are books published in English this year. These five books are my favorites in no particular order.

I am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes

Pilgrim is hunting bioterrorism. A head to head waited throughout the book, a  rivalry stuffed with testosterone and action. Combination of Bond and Bourne, action, espionage, mystery and a very current theme, everything is good in this book. The author has taken years to write and you'll need a few hours (days actually given the length...) to read it. A book with a taste for another book. I hope there will be a sequel to Pilgrim's adventures, a character who haunts you for days after finishing the book.

Runner by Patrick Lee

Another book of action and espionage (well, it looks like I've acquired a taste for that kind of book!) A man saves a little girl from mysterious but very organized individuals and tries to understand why the girl is so important. A breathless race against the watch, a bit of technology, intelligent and plausible SF, very lovable characters. In short, we do not get bored by reading this book! This book will have a sequel and that's good news because Sam is a character we want to follow.

Phoenix Island by John Dixon

Carl, young boxer with a tendency to defend the poor, is brought on a desert island in a boot camp for young troublemakers. The secret he discovers puts his and his friends' life in danger. Once is not custom, it is a book for young adults (which I discovered after spending a sleepless night reading it!) This book is so good that a TV show was ordered before its release. This is a dark, hard, exciting, well written book, incredibly fast-paced and with a main character you'll love.

Close Reach by Jonathan Moore

A couple who cruise around the world falls onto pirates... this could be the simplistic blurb of this book, but it would not do justice to the author, nominated for the Bram Stroker. A game of cat and mouse in the sea told by a lover of sea, boats and horror. An explosive mixture and not for the faint of heart to discover! Small bonus for me, the detailed and very understandable explanations on cruise and medical techniques... (and here, you think "medical?" Yeah, the price Adam Stroker is not the price Care Bears, right?)

The Second Deadly Sin by Asa Larsson

A family seems particularly affected by misfortune in this Scandinavian story. Rebecka, the young detective who has some problems with a detestable attorney, succeeds in unraveling the mystery. I loved the author's writing, her way to make us feel the emotions of her characters, the dark and hopeful atmosphere, the way we feel like family with Rebecka and the plot that is well done. Another author from the cold, sure, but among the plethora of Scandinavian writers, she clearly stands out!

And as I still read a lot of paperbacks and I'm not always up to date in my readings, here are some books that I really liked, but printed earlier than 2014 (and to be true it allows me drag more books in my top 5!)

The Whisperer by Donato Carrisi. For a first book, it's a hell of a book! How to be led by the nose and ask for more? Just discovered this author who spreads the twists and makes you appreciate his characters to a background of facts.

The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler Olson. Because there are very good Scandinavian authors and Jussi Adler-Olson is one! A breathless story that one reads in a few hours and a duet of investigators as endearing as improbable.

Saints of the Shadow Bible by Ian Rankin. Because it's a shame not having read Ian Rankin earlier! Edinburgh (and its pubs) is a character in itself. Everything is good, the dialogues, the story, the characters (ah ... Rebus!), The plot and the social portrait of Scotland.

The Bleiberg project by David S. Khara. This French author is a very nice surprise for me. Action, suspense, history (with a capital H) and mind-blowing humour. A race against the clock and a mysterious character to follow.

Irene by Pierre Lemaitre. An author I don't get tired, the quality of his writing always amazes me and serves so well its well-crafted plot, with a fierce humour. An author apart in the Francophone world. Irene is not for the fainthearted and surprises until the end!