The Thirst by Jo Nesbo

I have not read all of Jo Nesbo's books nor in the right order. So I was a little surprised to learn that Harry Hole had left the police to be a teacher. Nevertheless, you can read books in the order you want, without disturbing the reading or understanding of story. 

In The Thirst, Harry is called, with a lot of pressure, to resume service to track down an individual whose crimes and violence reminds him of his nemesis, the one that has always escaped him. He therefore agrees to return to service, to finish this chapter of his life. 

So we find the Harry we know but in a happier style than usual. Because Harry, for once, believes in the possibility of happiness. He is much more Zen and it changes but feels good. 

About the crimes, as bloodthirsty and vampiric as possible, and the story, always as well put together, they will keep you on the edge of your seat from the beginning to the end. Sure, it's not for the faint hearted what with the bloody details, but it's worth it. And what's more, I really liked being led by the nose by Jo, who, in a very Whodunit style, sows the clues, let us discover some protagonists's thoughts, lends them do some actions that can not be more suspicious, making me believe regularly that I had found the culprit. Ha ah! You wish!

What's the story?

THERE’S A NEW KILLER ON THE STREETS...A woman is found murdered after an internet date. The marks left on her body show the police that they are dealing with a particularly vicious killer.

HE’S IN YOUR HOUSE… HE’S IN YOUR ROOMUnder pressure from the media to find the murderer, the force know there’s only one man for the job. But Harry Hole is reluctant to return to the place that almost took everything from him. Until he starts to suspect a connection between this killing and his one failed case.

HE’S OUT FOR BLOODWhen another victim is found, Harry realises he will need to put everything on the line if he’s to finally catch the one who got away.

In a nutshell

The Thirst... as in the thirst for violence, blood, revenge but also the thirst for tranquility and happiness. This is a good title that Jo Nesbo has found here for a good novel that's very captivating. A book for thirsty... of thrills!

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.

Entanglement by Zygmunt Miłoszewski

(Polish State Prosecutor Szacki Investigates)

Antonia Lloyd-Jones (Translator)
254 pages
Bitter Lemon Press (Aug. 1 2010)



I regularly try to discover new authors, from different geographical corners... and I regularly fail one objective, namely the geographical corners. I realize that even if I read not known authors or at least never read authors, they quite all come from the same (comfort?) zone: France, USA, Canada, Great Britain and that's all... So I was very proud of me when I chose this book by Zygmunt Miloszewski, a Polish author (although I must admit that it is less his geographical origin that his book cover that prompted me to read it).

One thing is certain, I do not regret at all choosing that cover book! Some will find with pleasure some references to Agatha Christie: a murder behind closed doors, characters interviewed one by one and an unveiling in front of the group, some will feel like being in a giant Clue (because this time the crime does occur in the kitchen!) Others will be delighted by the characters, sometimes shifted, sometimes tortured, but always well written. Speaking characters, we closely follow the prosecutor Teodore Szacki who's doing a lot of thinking about both the ongoing investigations and his personal life.

I enjoyed discovering the Polish judicial system that looks a bit like the French one. A prosecutor conducting an investigation, aided by the police. Teodore will struggle to investigate because he sets foot in a plot to prevent him to delve into the past of the victim. So, certainly, the story mixes many different fields but each has the merit of lifting the veil on different subjects, be it dark and political history of Poland or therapies to the fashion of the day.

I enjoyed the behing the scenes of the judiciary system: here no resolution with great fanfare for each case but offices that are drowning in cases, prosecutors who spend more time filling out paperwork than investigating, investigations botched by lack of resources or disillusionment on the justice rendered.

I found original the newspapers extracts before each chapter which gives an idea of ​​the news of the day. This makes us revisit History from the Polish perspective. We discover as much the temperature of the day than the political shenanigans of the elections in progress. It gives a context to the story and gives us the impression of being part of this country, at this time.

I had a bit of difficulty in reading the sometimes unpronounceable names for non Polish people, so difficult to remember and easy to mix. You initially have to concentrate not to confuse the characters and understand the course of the plot. Another small problem for some people perhaps: this is not a breathless thriller, the investigation takes time. As for me, I found it perfectly served to emphasize the heaviness of the judicial system, the difficulties due to the historical and societal context of Poland in 2005.

The blurb

The morning oafter a gruelling group therapy session, Henry Talek is found dead, a roasting spit stuck in his eye. The case lands on the desk of Warsaw prosecutor Teodor Szacki. World-weary and suffering from bureaucratic exhaustion and marital ennui, Szacki feels that life has passed him by. But things are about to change, as his search for the killer unearths another murder that took place 20 years ago - before the fall of Communism. And why is the Secret Police taking such an intense interest in this particular case?

In a nutshell

A good first polar for this Polish writer that must be followed, because it seems that the second volume of the series is even better! It is a 4/5 for me.

The Owl by Bob Forward

An Owl Thriller
Brash Books (1 juin 2014)
234 pages - 13,51 $




I was attracted by the story of an anti-hero that can not sleep. This book is a new edition and has even been turned into a film. The author is a writer for film and has among others participated in the writing of X-Men, the Fantastic Four, etc. It immediately gives the idea that the book should be pretty good, right? Anyway, I was sure to be blown away by the action!

The blurb

The most daring and original hero in crime fiction… in a debut novel that’s a relentless, pure-adrenaline rush.

It’s the mid-1980s. Crime in Los Angeles is running rampant. When the law can’t help you, there is one man who can: Alexander L’Hiboux, whose ability to sleep was destroyed in the ghastly tragedy that cost him his family. Now he’s justice-for-hire, prowling the streets and solving crimes with deadly finality. A desperate, grief-stricken shipping magnate hires The Owl to find the scum who brutalized his daughter…a quest that uncovers a shocking conspiracy that will rock the city.

What's good in that book?

Its action! Because there's a lot of it. We follow The Owl and as he never sleeps... there is no downtime. We wander in the slums of Los Angeles, we discover a nightlife not always rosy. We learn how to pass the time when you can not sleep, but we can not stay at home either, because some people would love to whack us. We rush headlong into the stronghold of mobsters not so soft and very well armed, we dodge bullets, we fight with our bare hands. In short, this book is no picnic!

Its main character, The Owl, a bit keyes up to the edges (and the middle too). He's always trying to keep up his reputation intact, sometimes to the point of doing unnecessary things, but we don't hold it against him. The Owl is that anti-hero who kills the bad guys as we like it in the movies. In addition, he's funny or cynical, sometimes it's the same thing. I admit I was a little disappointed to read that he washed only once a week, when he managed to go to a hotel... it's kind of a useless and damaging details that the author could have avoid in my opinion. Despite this, I loved to read the story through the view of The Owl when he tells his everyday life and his story, tragic, adds a depth to his situation.

Its story, because what seemed a fairly simple case - avenge the daughter of a tycoon - turns into an Owls-hunt. Someone knows that The Owl has been recruited and is not very happy. The Owls will have to find the culprit behind all the attacks before he can carry out his mission: make said culprit to disappear. Thus the hunter becomes hunted.

In a nutshell

This novel, published in 1984, is a reprint... which already gives an idea of ​​the quality of the book, as it's rare for a publisher to reissued a third-rate. A lot of action, an antihero well written, an atmosphere Los Angeles noir very noir indeed, 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.

Blood Line by John J. Davis

Granger Spy Novel
Simon and Winter Inc. (14 octobre 2014)
253 pages - 19,95 $



I was attracted by the cover, simple and effective. I thought that this book was serious. Then I read the synopsis. So I changed my mind on the content of the book, but the story was still interesting and I wanted to see how the author was going to do with a spy family.

The blurb

New espionage thriller redefines rogue—the Granger Spy Novel series introduces a loving family with lethal issues caught in the crosshairs of global arms dealers.

IF YOUR FAMILY IS A TARGET, YOU HAVE TO BE A WEAPON.

A Granger Spy Novel, Blood Line (Simon & Winter, Inc. /October 14, 2014/ $15.95) is a high-voltage debut spy thriller and the first in a series about a family with killer talents. A father who is a former one-man kill squad for the CIA, a mother who is a past assassin for the Mossad, and a daughter coveted by both agencies. The Grangers are a blood-loyal clan—it’s how they stay alive.

When a simple home invasion turns out to be not so simple, Ron Granger must put aside his quiet rural life and return to the Central Intelligence Agency to take on international arms dealers.

Aided by his beautiful wife, Valerie, and resourceful teen daughter, Leecy, Ron must quickly decide who to believe—the calculating opportunists, shrewd criminals, or the power-hungry rival intelligence agencies. Any ally could be fatal—all of them are racing to possess the technological breakthrough that will forever change the face of modern warfare. But when Leecy is kidnapped, Ron and Val must choose between the mission and a rescue.

Facing an impossible decision, with time running out, Ron only knows one thing:

When you can't trust anyone else, trust your family.

What's good about that book?

When I saw this book on Netgalley, it reminded me of the movie The Family by Luc Besson... but this time, the family is a bunch of spies instead of mafiosi. Knowing the light tone of the film, I admit I hoped/thought/believed that the book would be in the same genre.

And honestly? That's exactly it! You will read it to have a good not too brainer time, no big reflection on the horizon, we let ourselves go with the flow of the book. The tone is light and pleasant.

There is not much action in the story, we're more in the discovery of the family and especially in the history of the parents. The family is pursued by sinister individuals, but still finds time - while walking to flee of course - to tell everything to the last detail. We learn how the father and mother are great spies (the best actually) with capacity tenfold in just about all useful techniques to the model spy. Such perfection is a bit too much but with the assumption that this book does not take itself seriously, it is right in tone and thus welcome!

Well then, there a few things that, in my opinion, do not make much sense in the book:

- I can not imagine that the US government can give the mission to find the latest military technology to a family deeply involved with another agency from another country (Mossad in that case)...

- I can not imagine parents allowing their daughters still in school, as great as she can be, to integrate the CIA as soon as the school finish.

- I somehow found a bit too easy the scene where the culprit is clearly identified while he is in the next room and he listens to everything that is said (you guessed it, the culprit didn't wait for the other to pick him up after the long conversation was over).

But, even with a few far-fetched details, this book will make you spend a good time. I will put this book in the category Young Adults or in the comedy or parody style, because of the tone and the course of the story so/very/too light of the book. This book will appeal to fans of flawless characters, heroes without fear and without reproach to whom everything succeed.

In a nutshell

A good book, very very ideals characters and a family united in espionage, 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.

Hangtown - The Second Detective Janelle Watkins Mystery

by Karen Sandler

ANGRY ROBOT Ltd - Exhibit A - 24 juin 2014

416 pages - 6.99 $ (kindle edition)

Hangtown is the second book with Janelle, ex-cop now private detective, who fight against the consequences of an injury and her demons. Demons that change radically from what we usually see in a private detective! When I read Clean Burn, the first book in the series, I already enjoyed the characters and humor distilled in the book which made ​​me want to read the second installment to follow Janelle and Ken in their investigations.

The blurb

Marooned in her despised hometown of Greenville, California, private investigator Janelle Watkins wants nothing more than to keep her head down and make enough money to move back to the City. But even in the sleepy town of Greenville, the edgy, smart-mouthed private investigator seems to attract mayhem.

It starts with the apparent suicide of a nineteen year-old off a highway bridge. Then another young man goes missing and Janelle begins to suspect that there might be a connection between the incidents. With the help of her former SFPD partner and occasional lover, Sheriff Ken Heinz, Janelle begins to follow the convoluted trail, not realizing that the darkness of her past might finally be catching up.

What's good in that book

The first advantage is that it's not necessary to have read the first book to read this one. Although the two volumes relate to the same city and the same characters, it's two independent stories. I also liked to know more about Janelle's past. In Clean Burn we learned more about Janelle's childhood and in Hangtown, her most recent past is revealed. This book talks about the secrets that can hide in a small town, the silences and unspoken. Although the plot is not the strength of this novel it's precisely the unspoken history of Greenville that allows to make it plausible. 

Again, several investigations which seem separated eventually become one, adding more victims and suspects to the list of characters involved. Janelle and Ken, who team from the begin, are investigating a suspicious death and a suspicious disappearance, Janelle also receives mysterious and aggressive texting from a person from her past that she does not recognize, add to this an accident that should not have taken place and another corpse... we really don't get bored reading this book! 

Janelle is THE central character of the book. She's complex and has more depth than the others. Even Ken seems fairly bland beside her, although he's the town sheriff. I love the way the author portrays Janelle and how she approaches her demons. Janelle, because of her past, sometimes needs to burn herself to calm her emotions but Ken managed - more often now - to make the need go. There's no misery in the way this issue is addressed and this is what I like. This makes the character less typical than usual ("Hello, I'm PI so I drink / play / hit on pretty girls / have problems with my ex / etc.) and more human. 

In a nutshell

Another good book from Karen Sandler, whose strength lies in her characters - mostly Janelle Watkins, a very endearing character. A book where the action never stops and where humor is always present. It's a 4/5 for me.

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

The Quick - an early review

by Lauren Owen

Hardcover: 544 pages - 19.99 $

Publisher: Random House (June 17, 2014)

An astonishing debut, a novel of epic scope and suspense that conjures up all the magic and menace of Victorian London

London, 1892: James Norbury, a shy would-be poet newly down from Oxford, finds lodging with a charming young aristocrat. Through this new friendship, he is introduced to the drawing-rooms of high society, and finds love in an unexpected quarter. Then, suddenly, he vanishes without a trace. Unnerved, his sister, Charlotte, sets out from their crumbling country estate determined to find him. In the sinister, labyrinthine city that greets her, she uncovers a secret world at the margins populated by unforgettable characters: a female rope walker turned vigilante, a street urchin with a deadly secret, and the chilling “Doctor Knife.” But the answer to her brother’s disappearance ultimately lies within the doors of one of the country’s preeminent and mysterious institutions: The Aegolius Club, whose members include the most ambitious, and most dangerous, men in England.

In her first novel, Lauren Owen has created a fantastical world that is both beguiling and terrifying. The Quick will establish her as one of fiction’s most dazzling talents.

What's about that book

I enjoyed the quality of writing, fluid and very pleasant. From the beginning of the book, one is swept away by the story. James and Charlotte are two characters we love to discover. The very Victorian style, both in writing and in story, which makes its charm. Some topics, interesting and well fed (but not enough exploited). All in all, the book is very pleasant and one loves to meander in London or to live a happy life in Italy. I really loved some characters, even if they weren't not present for long (Shadwell and Adeline). It does have a bit of Anne Rice in it, mostly for the supernatural part, the way the characters are written or the setting. 

I least enjoyed the second quarter of the novel - after James' disappearance - which mainly includes the logbook of the famous Doctor Knives, interspersed with parts of the story. It was very confusing, especially as the logbook is not very understandable. Of course, we understand that the logbook was partially destroyed for who knows what reason and it missing pieces but the writing is so weird that it becomes difficult to understand. That would have been clever if one did not already know what element Doctor speaks in his diary. In short, it was a rather laborious part to read and therefore quite unpleasant.

Thereafter, the story starts again and one finds again with pleasure the writing of the author, to which she adds different characters and themes. Now, I admit that the profusion of themes is, in my opinion, unnecessary and sometimes superfluous. The story of the disappearance of an aspiring poet, linked with a more or less secret society of the Victorian London and the differences in social classes have enough to make a good book, given the ease with which the author takes us into her story.

Some characters deserved a little more flesh on the bones as they were so promising. I think of Liza, the street urchin, Mrs. P., Alia's emblematic figure, James which is no that important after all, Burke who is so important but of whom we know nothing...

In a nutshell

A pleasant novel, Gothic at will, well written but which probably addresses too many themes and has too many character at the same time to make it consistent. This is a 3.5 / 5 for me.

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

The Fixer

A Justice Novel

de T. E. Woods

Alibi (Feb. 4 2014)

312 pages - 2.99 $ (Kindle)

T. E. Woods delivers a fast-paced thriller—the first in an electrifying new series—peopled with sharp, intriguing characters and more twists and turns than a corkscrew.

Never a doubt. Never a mistake. Always for justice. Never for revenge.She’s the person you hire when you need something fixed - permanently. With a strict set of criteria, she evaluates every request and chooses only a few. No more than one job per country, per year. She will only step in if it’s clear that justice will not be served any other way. Her jobs are completed with skill and precision, and never result in inquiry or police investigation. The Fixer is invisible - and quite deadly. . .

In the office of a clinical psychologist in Olympia, Washington, a beautiful young woman is in terrible emotional pain. She puts up walls, tells lies, and seems to speak in riddles, but the doctor is determined to help her heal, despite the fact that she claims to have hurt many people. As their sessions escalate, the psychologist feels compelled to reach out to the police . . . but it might be too late.

In Seattle, a detective gets a call from his son. A dedicated journalist, he wants his father’s expertise as he looks into a suspicious death. Together they follow the trail of leads toward a stone-cold hired killer—only to find that death has been closer than either could have imagined.

What's good about it?

It 's been awhile since I had not been completely blown away by a book and this was the case for The Fixer. The middle of the novel was a big twist. Perhaps other readers - especially those who rack their brains to find the clues and try to solve the mystery by themselves - will not be as surprised as me. But for readers like me - the kind who likes to be surprised - this is pure happiness!

Reading the blurb of the book, I was curious to see how the killer would be written. Does she would be very too masculine or too aggressive, as female killers can be seen in much of the books or movies... Well, not at all. T.E. Woods managed to make The Fixer very effective - fatally efficient - without making a monster of her. Instead, we are surprised to be on her side of " righteousness " as some cops in the book by the way. What's good it that one enjoys as much the criminal as the police who track her and especially Mort Grant, the detective. We discover technical aspects used by the police to investigate and, again, the effectiveness shows up. No caricatures in this novel, no exaggerated characters but realistic ones with realistic motifs.

About the course of the story, again, no complaints about the accuracy and realism of the investigation. The noose tightens around the killer, as well as the link between her and the police and you want to know how she'll do to get away or what Mort will do about her. You know it's wrong to kill people... that she should stop doing that but at the same time you don't want her to go to prison for having freed the world of perfect criminals who knew how to play with the law to get their free card. At one point everything seems to be going well, then everything changes... then everything changes... Until the end of the book where, frankly, I wanted to shed a tear... then everything changes!

In a nutshell

A very good book, the first one of a series. With characters intelligently written and realistics. A series of twists and a story that keeps you going! It is a 4/5 for me!

*******

I received this book from Random House Publishing Group - Alibi on NetGalley , to make an honest critique .

Runner (early review)

by Patrick Lee

Minotaur Books (18 février 2014)

337 pages - 28.99 $

The blurb of this book, offered on NetGalley, immediately hooked me up. I liked the cover simple and effective (I'm the kind of people who thinks that covers often reflects the book). It also was a change from my reading: no murder to investigate but a chase, a desperate flight... and a mystery to break anyway. Thanks Minotaur Books for this book!

The blurb

Sam Dryden, retired special forces, lives a quiet life in a small town on the coast of Southern California. While out on a run in the middle of the night, a young girl runs into him on the seaside boardwalk. Barefoot and terrified, she’s running from a group of heavily armed men with one clear goal—to kill the fleeing child. After Dryden helps her evade her pursuers, he learns that the eleven year old, for as long as she can remember, has been kept in a secret prison by forces within the government. But she doesn’t know much beyond her own name, Rachel. She only remembers the past two months of her life—and that she has a skill that makes her very dangerous to these men and the hidden men in charge.

Dryden, who lost his wife and young daughter in an accident five years ago, agrees to help her try to unravel her own past and make sense of it, to protect her from the people who are moving heaven and earth to find them both. Although Dryden is only one man, he’s a man with the extraordinary skills and experience—as a Ranger, a Delta, and five years doing off-the-book black ops with an elite team. But, as he slowly begins to discover, the highly trained paramilitary forces on their heels is the only part of the danger they must face. Will Rachel’s own unremembered past be the most deadly of them all?

What I think of it

I must consider myself particularly fortunate early this year because I keep coming across very good books. Runner is one of them. I loved this story that has no downtime. Sam Dryden is a character we want to know in real life, not just for his fighting qualities but for his intelligence, his strength, because he's a trustworthy good guy. He's not infallible, which makes him very realistic and avoids the hero-who-never-lost-even-though-it-is-not-probable kind of character. As Sam, I also wanted to protect Rachel and help her to regain her memories. One feels that she has suffered, that she's afraid and that meeting with Sam brings her a lot, as meeting her allows Sam to regain a taste for life. So two very realistic and endearing characters we want to keep reading about, which is good since this book is the first in a series based on Sam Dryden. I can't wait to read more of his adventures !

The story will delight fans of conspiracy, SF and other techno-biological warfare. Note, however, that the SF side here is very well done, making it very plausible! We have all heard of military or government laboratories history, hidden scientific researches to find new weapons, to create better soldiers, etc. It's in the same vein and then I say no more, not to spoil the story! But know, dear reader who doesn't like this kind of story, the SF side is only a part of the book and serves as a basis to hunt down Sam and Rachel and if we know early a part of why an armed group is hunting Rachel... we learn much later the rest of her story. It follows a race against those determined to kill them and a time trial because they only have the time of their flight to hope to discover Rachel's secret. The narrative tension rises progressively along what they discover about Rachel and the arrival of new players that we don't know the intentions.

It's difficult to talk about Runner without revealing the story but one thing is for sure, it's one of those books that you'll closed by saying " blimey! I would have stayed a little longer with them." The ending is very well done, nostalgic with a touch of hope and positiveness. A too happy ending would not be realistic and a too dark end... too depressing (I hate stories that end too bad!) The author managed to make me want to read more adventures of Sam, while allowing me to close the book without an aftertaste of unfinished business that we sometimes experience in series. This is probably because the next book won't be about unanswered questions, but about a character, Sam, with whom we want to live another adventure.

In a nutshell

An excellent book, fast paced, characters that you appreciate rapidly, a well-crafted and believable story. Runner has it all, this is a 5/5!

House Bathory

by Linda Lafferty

Lake Union Publishing (January 14, 2014)

486 pages - 9.95 $

I chose this book on NetGalley, because it's about the famous Countess Bathory whom I had just discovered the crazy story in a book by Sire Cédric Of fever and blood. I told myself that this was an opportunity to mix two things I enjoy: suspense and history. Thank you Lake Union Publishing for the book!

The blurb

In the early 1600s, Elizabeth Báthory, the infamous Blood Countess, ruled Čachtice Castle in the hinterlands of Slovakia. During bizarre nightly rites, she tortured and killed the young women she had taken on as servants. A devil, a demon, the terror of Royal Hungary—she bathed in their blood to preserve her own youth.

400 years later, echoes of the Countess’s legendary brutality reach Aspen, Colorado. Betsy Path, a psychoanalyst of uncommon intuition, has a breakthrough with sullen teenager Daisy Hart. Together, they are haunted by the past, as they struggle to understand its imprint upon the present. Betsy and her troubled but perceptive patient learn the truth: the curse of the House of Bathory lives still and has the power to do evil even now.

The story, brimming with palace intrigue, memorable characters intimately realized, and a wealth of evocative detail, travels back and forth between the familiar, modern world and a seventeenth-century Eastern Europe brought startlingly to life.

Inspired by the actual crimes of Elizabeth Báthory, The House of Bathory is another thrilling historical fiction from Linda Lafferty (The Bloodletter’s Daughter and The Drowning Guard). The novel carries readers along with suspense and the sweep of historical events both repellent and fascinating.

What I think of it

The story seemed promising and in a sense it keeps its promises. It actually has a wealth of details and travels back and forth. The historical details are so well written and the characters so realistic that I felt like I was living in the seventeenth century. According to some research I've done, the details about the Countess appear to be real, something I like in a book of historical flavor. Countess Bathory is a true horror story in herself. I don't know if the facts are true or if they are the result of rumors at the time, but it's an incredible story, rich and very fascinating for horror fans!

I was less affected and moved by  the characters in today's times, unlike those of the Bathory time. This may be because of the short chapters that move from one period to another and from one character to another . The change of point of view is a difficult exercise and its disadvantage is that it can lead the reader to not create a link with one or more characters, which was my case for this book. The other concern is towards the end, a little fast (which is a shame given the time it took to reach a confrontation !) and that gives us an explanation a little too easy in my sense.

I admit I read with pleasure 80% of the book, then I droped it for Phoenix Island that I devoured in two days, which is not a good sign. The end of the book seemed to drag on and I skimed through some paragraphs. I was anxious for the story to end and that's a shame. Sometimes I like a book to last because the atmosphere, the characters or the context is so rich that it is a pleasure to hang out in the world of the author. But not this time. As I was not particularly attached to the characters in the present time, which was less well written and less rich than the past, I did not particularly want to stay longer than expected there.

In a nutshell

I liked the historical part of the book and I feared for the characters of the time, unlike the present part of the book that dragged towards the end. A good book to learn about the Countess Bathory, but perhaps a little too long. This is a 3.5 / 5 .

Saints of the Shadow Bible

by Ian Rankin

Orion (7 novembre 2013)

Vendu par Hachette Book Group Digital, Inc.

352 pages - 27.78 $

Ian Rankin came to QuébeCrime Festival and that's how I've learned about him. His main character, Rebus, even has his own TV series. So when I saw that his last book was on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to FINALLY  know his character. Thanks NetGalley and Little Brown and Company for the book! 

The blurb

Rebus and Malcolm Fox go head-to-head when a 30-year-old murder investigation resurfaces, forcing Rebus to confront crimes of the past

Rebus is back on the force, albeit with a demotion and a chip on his shoulder. He is investigating a car accident when news arrives that a case from 30 years ago is being reopened. Rebus's team from those days is suspected of helping a murderer escape justice to further their own ends.

Malcolm Fox, in what will be his last case as an internal affairs cop, is tasked with finding out the truth. Past and present are about to collide in shocking and murderous fashion. What does Rebus have to hide? And whose side is he really on? His colleagues back then called themselves "The Saints," and swore a bond on something called the Shadow Bible. But times have changed and the crimes of the past may not stay hidden much longer -- and may also play a role in the present, as Scotland gears up for a referendum on independence. 

Allegiances are being formed, enemies made, and huge questions asked. Who are the saints and who the sinners? And can the one ever become the other?

What I think of it

It was a real favourite for Rebus! Saints of the Shadow Bible is the kind of book where the characters are so well written, realistic and sympathetic they take precedence over history. The atmosphere is also excellently written. Through this book, it was like I've always known Edinburgh inside out and particularly pubs! Add to this the excellent music listening by Rebus... The context of the book is a character in itself!

The story combines several investigations in which Rebus is involved by far, never being entirely integrated into a team because of the suspicion hanging over him and his former colleagues, the Saints. Investigations are influenced by the referendum on Scottish independence, topic  highly current since the referendum will normally take place in September 2014. They are also influenced by fears of change in the organization of the police. As for the investigation on Rebus, it's the result of the questioning of the "double jeopardy". Rankin therefore incorporates elements of Scottish life in this book that allows us to understand the society in which the characters live, but also the reality of Scots's lives.

We follows Rebus who tries, despite being thrown a spanner in his works, to investigate an accident. Who even insists to complete his investigation, while the political and the internal services investigation get involved. He must team up with Malcolm Fox and eventually even rub a little on him! Rankin manages to make us appreciate Fox, whereas initially he's here to inquire about Rebus. And that is something! 

Saints of the Shadow Bible is a book to read for several reasons. First, for the quality of the writing. Rankin is an excellent storyteller. His characters are hyper realistic and we appreciate them very quickly. The story is complex and believable at the same time. The dialogues are also super smooth and realistic. In some books the writer can overdo it and even if it makes some tasty dialogues, we can say that in real life, it wouldn't be the same. However, here all is credible and yet it's a story! The pace of the book never wanes, we follow in turn Rebus, Shiobhan, Fox and other characters, from a point of view to another, without ever catching our breath but never losing our head.

In a nutshell

A great discovery for me ... and it's a shame having waited so long to read one of Rankin's book! A book that takes you into a plot well done, an excellently transcribed context, hyper credible and sympathetic characters, why one would ask for more? So now, if you won't (re)discover Ian Rankin, the shame is on you! I give it 5/5 .

The Ghost Riders of Ordebec

by Fred Vargas

Vintage Books (25 mars 2014)

ISBN-13: 978-0099569558

448 pages - 16.99 $

I discovered Fred Vargas - a French author known around the world who has received the International Prize Dagger Award in 2013 for this novel - after reading several books by Patricia Cornwell... Vargas, you like it or not (I rarely heard mixed reviews about her!) And personally the Adamsberg's wacky and offbeat style, after the scientific rigor of Scarpetta, was sheer bliss! I also appreciate that her stories are often related to fears or old stories (fear of the wolf in Seeking Whom He May Devour, of the plague in Have Mercy on Us All). This time, it's about a legend about the ghost riders...

The blurb

France's bestselling crime writer, and three-time winner of the CWA International Dagger, sends the unorthodox Commissaire Adamsberg far outside his jurisdication in a chilling tale of evil-doers who disappear after visitations from a band of ghostly horsemen. 

'People will die,' says the panic-stricken woman outside police headquarters. She has been standing in blazing sunshine for more than an hour, and refuses to speak to anyone besides Commissaire Adamsberg. Her daughter has seen a vision: ghostly horsemen who target the most nefarious characters in Normandy. Since the middle ages there have been stories of murderers, rapists, those with serious crimes on their conscience, meeting a grizzly end following a visitation by the riders. 

Soon after the young woman's vision a notoriously cruel man disappears, and the local police dismiss the matter as superstition. Although the case is far outside his jurisdiction, Adamsberg agrees to investigate the strange happenings in a village terrorised by wild rumours and ancient feuds.

What I think of it

We meet back in this novel with the brigade lead (or not too lead actually) by Adamsberg. Vargas knows how to create very credible characters despite their caricatural flaws. There's the Commandant himself, a kind of evanescent UFO in the police world but also the nerd Danglard, Veyrenc who speaks in alexandrine, Retancourt a nonstandard cop including in size or The Ball - the cat that spends his time sleeping and that is carried to his food - and all the others. Their flaws make them endearing and humans, They're not super cops, they're not cops who drag their past like some cannonballs. We can feel that Vargas likes all her characters, so that in spite of their flaws or perhaps because of their flaws, we appreciate them.

The story is also well done. Adamsberg is conducting three parallel investigations, one who drags him in Normandy in the footsteps of the Lord of Hellequin and his deadly riders that designate who will die next. The designated fall one after the other and Adamsberg finds the culprit thanks to a detail he banged into without understanding. I confess that until the end, I didn't know who was the killer, because Vargas, nonchalantly, leads us by the nose, throwing in front of us the most likely suspects and leaving in shadow the identity of the murderer until the denouement.

What I also like about this book is the atmosphere and the off-the-wall dialogues - often due to Adamsberg who speaks as he thinks... and thinks differently, leaving his colleagues - and us - in the fog but who thinks in a very personal and effective logic in the end. An extract in which Adamsberg mixes the suspect Christian Clermont in Paris and the dead guy in Normandy Mortembot :

- Blue striped costume for Christian. You see? Not brown.

- No.

- So why did I thought that Mortembot's jacket was blue?

- By mistake.

- Because he changed Danglard. Can you see the link now?

- Frankly, no.

- Because I knew, deep down, that Christian had changed. As well as Mortembot.

- And why Mortembot has changed?

- But we don't care about Mortembot! Yelled Adamsberg. One would think that you deliberately don't understand.

- Do not forget that I almost died under a train.

- It's true, briefly acknowledged Adamsberg.

In a nutshell

A fast reading, not complicated but much less simple than it seems. We let ourselves be carried away by the crazy atmosphere of the book and we end up being had by the conclusion! I give it 4/5.

My thoughts on closing the book : He's a really great guy that Adamsberg!

Juste une ombre

by Karine Giebel

Thriller

Pocket - mai 2013

608 pages - 13.95 $

I discovered with pleasure the rising French authors in the polar world. Karine Giebel in part of them: she won several times the price of polar of Marseille and the Cognac and SNCF prices of polar. My forays into the French readings are just as best as possible as they allow me to find back my roots while diving with delight and thrill in a thriller...

4th cover

First, it's a silhouette, one evening in the street ... A face-to-face with death.

Then, it is a presence. By day: at every intersection. The night, by your bedside. Unable to understand, explain, to prove.

Soon, an obsession. Which ruins your career, separates you from your friends, your lover. Makes you crazy. And alone.

Just a shadow. That takes on your life and takes it forever.

You belong to it, it is already too late ...

What I think of it

Here is a special case: we hate as much as we are afraid for Cloe. She's so pedantic, pretentious, cruel, pushy, that initially we want to say "she has it coming" But as you learn to ignore the shell, we discover her secret, we feel compassion for her faults and we're bamboozled by her charm. Alexander also is and as we like Alexander - a broken cop with crazy eyes but a killer smile - we soon find that Cloe does not deserve this shadow. Nobody deserves that. Yet there it is but nobody sees it except Cloe. So you will find in this book some realistic and well written characters and emotions we all felt at one time or another.

As for the plot, what about it? It's powerful enough for us to strongly feel powerlessness. This is mainly a psychological thriller and it's tense, intense, nervous. You think that this is not possible, the shadow will end up making a mistake by leaving a footprint but here is the whole problem: shadows don't leave trace. And then suddenly, BAM! Giebel throws you to the ground. It's so realistic, I thought it speaks from experience. The story is so similar to news items that you can read sometimes. And news items rarely end well...

This book reads like a play, like behind closed doors. The action takes mainly place in three locations: at Alexander's flat, at Cloe's work and at Cloe's flat. As a result, a kind of intimacy is created, we go inside their home like it's ours, making the Shade even more disturbing with its intrusions. There's enough to become paranoid by reading this book! However, beware, this book is not for everyone, it's about a shadow that seeks to destroy women, there are some difficult scenes. I do not want to spoil the book, but rapes are at issue and as some people around me can not bear to read this kind of scene, I prefer to warn you fellow reader.

In a nutshell

A book you'll read in one go, a compelling with (too?) realistic tension story. Characters whose flaws are very credible. A book I highly recommend. I give it 4/5 .

My thought on closing the book: dammit, she's didn't go in for half measures!

Good to know : Her books are translated in Italian, Dutch, Russian et Spanish

The Snowman

by Jo Nesbø

Harry Hole #7

Vintage Canada (4 janvier 2011)

464 pages - 19.95 $

After reading the Leopard, I bought this book, because it's often cited as one of the best of Jo Nesbø and more importantly, I wanted to know why Harry Hole was in such a bad shape and it seemed it was due to the Snowman ...

Synopsis

The night the first snow falls a young boy wakes to find his mother gone. He walks through the silent house, but finds only wet footprints on the stairs. In the garden looms a solitary figure: a snowman bathed in cold moonlight, its black eyes glaring up at the bedroom windows. Round its neck is his mother's pink scarf. Inspector Harry Hole is convinced there is a link between the disappearance and a menacing letter he received some months earlier. As Harry and his team delve into unsolved case files, they discover that an alarming number of wives and mothers have gone missing over the years. When a second woman disappears Harry's suspicions are confirmed: he is a pawn in a deadly game. For the first time in his career Harry finds himself confronted with a serial killer operating on his turf, a killer who will drive him to the brink of insanity.

What I think of it

In that book Harry's professional and personal relationships mingle and meet and you get to know better the different characters, which makes us closer to the protagonists and gives us the impression of being part of the team. I met Harry Hole again with pleasure. He's in a better state than in The Leopard (which was written after The Snowman), but as I haven't read them in the order... It's in this book that I knew the extent of the horror experienced by Harry and why he's hurting so much in the future. In any case, I enjoyed discovering more about Harry 's relationship with his colleagues who regularly mock his propensity to see a serial killer behind every dog run. I made acquaintance with Rakel - and discovered their history - and Oleg who worships Harry.

Here, no action at all costs, no chases in each chapter, but tension rises gradually. We have a sense of failure and a feeling of the horror to come. Harry must investigate the murders of the past in connection with the disappearances of the present time and it takes time. Time during which the danger increases and we feel that something bad is coming but the killer seems quite too smart for Harry and, indeed, he's on the verge of not succeeding. The atmosphere is cold as can be - probably because it's about the first snow (perhaps to read it in July would not have the same impact!) - and adds to the tension and anxiety. As to discover the culprit... beware the obvious!

Harry's struggle not to drink, his efforts and the anger he feels all the time are obviously recurring in the series, but this is what makes him an endearing character (yes, cliché die hard in thrillers!). However, even if you can read the books by itself because it does not interfere with the story, there are several references in the books to what happened before. It seems to me that it's best to read them in order, especially as Harry's state of mind is linked with what he has experienced and therefore what happened in the previous books.

In a nutshell

Second book I've read by Jo Nesbø and I'm sold! He has a style of his own, where the horror of the crimes, the anxiety associated with the investigation and the atmosphere will guarantee you cold chills! One thing is certain, you will not see snowmen in the same way... 4/5 for this volume .

My thought on closing the book : Poor Harry, he really caught hell!

The Clearing

by Dan Newman

Available October 29, 2013

ISBN: 9781909223523

Format: Large (Trade) Paperback

336 pages - $ 16.99 CAN

I received an email informing me of Exhibit A's future release of this book. I liked the summary and I wanted to discover the author. So I ask and received and ARC (and was so happy to have a real book instead of an ePub!) This book is the last in the challenge R.I.P. VIII.

Synopsis

In 1976, four boys walked into a jungle. Only three came back alive.

Haunted by terrifying childhood memories he doesn't fully understand, journalist Nate Mason returns to the Caribbean island of St. Lucia where he grew up.

Back then, as the son of a diplomat, he was part of an elite social circle. But during a weekend of whispered secrets and dares in a decaying jungle mansion staffed by the descendants of slaves, Nate’s innocence was torn apart.

The survivors of that gathering blamed what happened on a myth, an unseen terror from the bush. No one believed them. But now. almost forty years later, is the truth finally about to come out?

Within hours of arriving back on the island, Nate becomes convinced he’s being followed. He soon discovers that his search for answers could cost him his sanity as well as his life, as he realises that some childhood nightmares never go away.

Can childhood nightmares haunt you for the rest of your life? How much do you need to believe in a monster for it to become real? The Clearing is a dark and atmospheric psychological thriller, full of intrigue, terror and superstition, which examines our deepest fears of the unknown. A potent mix of the friendship and bravery of Stand By Me and the betrayals and fear of Angel Heart.

What I think of it

We follow Nate who returns several years later on the island - where he lived a dramatic story in his youth - to end a series of galleys in his life that are bound to the famous event. We follow him but at different times through flashbacks (at the time of the event when he lived in the island, at a crucial period of his recent past and nowadays). What may seem confusing actually let us understand the current events, the reason for his return to the island and to be closer to him. Because we discover the young boy, full of joy, excitement and terror, we learn to appreciate him, we want to protect him (I confess : the fact that I'm the mother of a pre-teen of the same age had a lot to play in this part !)

Facts, old and new, are discovered along the story. There's that idea that we can't understand the present without knowing the past and that premise is good. There is also a supernatural hand (it is an island!) Voodoo is never far away, odd situations are never exactly explained but are well designed to create a distressing condition for Nate who don't understand them because he's not native. Nor are we, so we very well put ourselves in his shoes, living a surreal adventure (have you ever get a chicken leg thrown in your face?). We do not understand but we feel very uncomfortable. So there is a rise of feelings of discomfort, fear and misunderstanding well conducted by the author, who knows the islands, having lived there.

There are some lengthy parts although the space does not falter. How so? It takes a lot of time for Nate to get to his goal and of course many things happen but at times I felt that the author could have not included some mishaps. Fortunately, the atmosphere of the book, how Newman tells the story and the back and forth in time are so well done that every time I began to find it long, the story bounced, the pace accelerated and I was reconciled with the book.

Nate wishes to return to the place of origin of his bad luck to solve all his problems. I admit that when I discovered why he wanted to go back I found it a bit superfluous. The fear experienced by the children is enough to explain their tell at the time and Nate's desire to return was largely explicable by his guilt associated with the event 25 years ago. The end is not as thrilling than is suggested by the story, even if the author manages to make it more enjoyable by adding a final touch of mystery.

One of the characters in the book (if you can talk about character) is the island itself. Certainly there are other people in the novel but in my opinion the island holds the upper hand with Nate. The author has described it as scary as a spot paradise. As much with a joyful atmosphere as a strange one and just as simple in relationships than full of several customs and beliefs that complicate things. We understand and share the joy of Nate who revisit some places, the longing for his childhood but also his fear. That island has two sides to its coin and it can turn very quickly!

In a nutshell

A good novel with its particular and pleasant atmosphere. A character we learn to like, an island that puts a spell on you. I give it a 3.5/5.

My thought on closing the book: what a good dive into the Culture of the islands!

Don't look back

by Karin Fossum

• Inspector Konrad Sejer #2
  Paperback: 324 pages - 13.35 $
  Publisher: Mariner Books (June 1, 2005)
  ISBN-10: 0156031361
  
  
  I bought this book after having heard of it by Sofia Marina (again, a big thank you Marina!) I didn't know this Norwegian author, but I appreciate more and more Scandinavian thrillers. So I thought that I did not risk too much by trying a new author! This book is the third book of my challenge RIP VIII .

Synospis

Don't Look Back heralds the arrival of an exotic new crime series featuring Inspector Sejer, a smart and enigmatic hero, tough but fair. The setting is a small, idyllic village at the foot of Norway's Kollen Mountain, where neighbors know neighbors and children play happily in the streets. But when the body of a teenage girl is found by the lake at the mountaintop, the town's tranquility is shattered forever. Annie was strong, intelligent, and loved by everyone. What went so terribly wrong? Doggedly, yet subtly, Inspector Sejer uncovers layer upon layer of distrust and lies beneath the town's seemingly perfect facade.

Critically acclaimed across Europe, Karin Fossum's Inspector Sejer novels are masterfully constructed, psychologically convincing, and compulsively readable, and are now available in the United States for the first time.

What I think of it 

Although the pace is slower than the thrillers that I love, I enjoyed the human side of this book. The author skillfully depicts us the different characters and especially Konrad Sejer, inspector, widower, who does his best to be a good father, a great grandfather and a dedicated dog owner. Even said dog gets to play a role in this book! This shows the importance given to the characters, relationships between them and their own demons.

The heavy atmosphere, the suspicion and the procedure required to make the investigation give us an addictive atmosphere. Like in English novels which atmosphere is so recognizable and sometimes bombastic, this novel makes us understand the relationships and the way small towns (or villages actually) interact. The isolation, the fact that everyone knows everyone, that it's so difficult to keep to yourselves your little secrets and the very present nature (the forest, the bottomless lake... ), give a very unique atmosphere.

About the pace of the book, despite the lack of action, Karin Fossum managed the feat of making the discovery of the corpse very stressful. Subsequently, the suspects will succeed based upon discoveries, unsaid things and spilling of secrets. I appreciated the smartness of the dialogues, interviews that never seem to be ones, trick questions formulated with precision. Here, nothing is fast, there is no action in each chapter but Konrad who worms truths out of suspects.

In a nutshell

A very good book that I highly recommend especially if you love unique atmosphere, well-constructed dialogues and reason over action. I give it a 4/5.

My thought on closing the book: that was well lead

L'enfant des cimetières

Sire Cédric

Science Fiction - Fantasy

Pocket - 2011

527 pages - $ 13.95

ISBN: 9782266203654 (2266203657)

I can't remember how I discovered this author, probably through fans of Maxime Chattam as both authors give in the fantastic kind... It seems that Sir Cedric is in any case a rising figure in France, so I was happy to discover his book that is my second book in the R.I.P. VIII challenge.

Synopsis

A gravedigger living near a cemetery is taken from a hallucinatory madness and kills his entire family before committing suicide.

A teenager, believing he's chased by shadows, threatens occupants of a hospital with  his weapon and kills Kristel, a painter. David photojournalist - and Kristel's partner - decides to discover the origin of this wave of sordid murders and suicides, which is increasing. Soon he will face the unimaginable...

What I think of it

There's undoubtedly strengths in this novel... but also some weaknesses that have hindered me.

About the strengths, Sire Cedric knows how to generate dizzy spell, anxiety and apprehension among his readers. I have experienced very unpleasant sensations several times while reading passages. I admit I even have hesitated to continue reading the book after some time in the night, because I was not sure of being able to sleep ! Sometimes there is an atmosphere like in Hitchcock's " The Birds": you know from where the danger comes, it's all around, but you do not know when it will attack... and that, that's nerve-racking!

I also liked the characters whose emotions are well transcribed, particularly the mourning of David, who seeks to find the origin of the evil which has taken his partner. Everything is done with subtlety, you feel his grief, his denial of his loss, his need to foresee if only an image of the woman he loves. It's nice to read, despite the pain. As for the anxiety or irrational fears that the other characters experience... it's sufficiently well written that I wanted to look under my bed ! When the young Villeneuve explains what he saw, you feel close to him, you hear him, you're part of his team (a not so winner team in the game of cat and mouse...), you begin to stress. Clearly, this is a strength of the author.

I appreciate that the so imposing cop with so boorish manners is not a caricature of the asshole cop without finesse. Instead Vauvert proves to be able to take into account what the majority of people refuse to believe. He does not necessarily believe in spirits, demons and other supernatural aspects but as he puts it: "What I think does not matter, replied Vauvert, I'm trying to prevent people from dying. That's my job." There is a duality between the scientific evidence and what the victims experience. The fact that the characters do not believe in supernatural phenomenon in principle but seek a logical and technical explanation makes the esoteric side even stronger.

What I dislike about the book concerns two points, probably less important to some people but it bothers me a lot. Very often when it comes to demons, there is sex, or at least some sensuality and this book does not lack it. But the inclusion of children in the sex scenes, THAT, it bothers me. I think it's sick and regrettable. The author is very good to make us feel emotions so if he wanted us to feel a mixture of desire and embarrassment, the fact that there are women and men of all ages who are shadows or rotted corpses in the scene is enough, right?

The second weakness relates to certain shortcuts used by the author to advance the story. Honestly, when do we have seen a person who has coincidentally ALL the ingredients for magical protection? Because frankly, if the devil comes home today, I 'm screwed! Apart from the salt... I have no other ingredients. There are other shortcuts in the book, but fortunately, they are not so numerous. It's just that when reading, I've been saying a few times... Duh! as if it was that easy!

In a nutshell

A novel which reads very quickly, whose plot includes several tracks that come together, well done with some weaknesses. I do not know if I can recommend it, especially because of the children (unacceptable in my case), but it will appeal to fans of the genre. I give it a 3/5.

My thought on closing the book : It's a shame, those small gaps...

Alex

by Pierre Lemaitre

MacLehose Press (June 3, 2014)

352 pages - 12.92 $

ISBN-10: 1623651247

Nouveau sur le blog : pour la version française, cliquez sur l'onglet ci-dessus)

It's thanks to Marina Sofia on Twitter, whose excellent blog is here that I discovered Pierre Lemaitre. No longer living in France, I 'm not really aware of the authors in the hexagon and as I read mostly in English ... it does not help matters. But Marina, she knows these authors and she is a great source of information. So I decided to read Alex after hearing so much about that book from her and read her review here on Crime Fiction Lover (thanks! Marina).

Alex is also my first book of the R.I.P. VIII challenge !

Synopsis

Upon winning the prestigious 2013 Crime Writers Association International Dagger Award, the judges praised Alex by saying, “An original and absorbing ability to leash incredulity in the name of the fictional contract between author and reader . . . A police procedural, a thriller against time, a race between hunted and hunter, and a whydunnit, written from multiple points of view that explore several apparently parallel stories which finally meet.”

Alex Prévost—kidnapped, savagely beaten, suspended from the ceiling of an abandoned warehouse in a tiny wooden cage—is running out of time. Her abductor appears to want only to watch her die. Will hunger, thirst, or the rats get her first?

Apart from a shaky eyewitness report of the abduction, Police Commandant Camille Verhoeven has nothing to go on: no suspect, no leads, and no family or friends anxious to find a missing loved one. The diminutive and brilliant detective knows from bitter experience the urgency of finding the missing woman as quickly as possible—but first he must understand more about her. 

As he uncovers the details of the young woman’s singular history, Camille is forced to acknowledge that the person he seeks is no ordinary victim. She is beautiful, yes, but also extremely tough and resourceful. Before long, saving Alex’s life will be the least of Commandant Verhoeven’s considerable challenges.

What I think

Phew! One thing is sure , this book leaves no one indifferent !

Talking characters. Here we have Alex, victim or executioner? We do not know much about her until the end, and yet we feel for her a range of emotions! Her character is excellently written. She remains a mystery, but she seems fragile, very sure of herself, cold, she seems to suffer. You won't know if you like her or hate her or if you're concerned for her or if you think that she has it coming. I started to love her, then I did not know what to think of her. I wanted to blame Alex, but it was at odds with what I had felt for her before! And at the end! the end is incredible, again a change of context, another way of seeing things, it is even more confusing than it was. Pierre Lemaitre is really good in mixing your feelings! Facing Alex, we have cops: Camille, a (very) small in size, but (very) tough in determination Police commandant, Louis, the distinguished cop and Armand the generous stripper cop (you must read the book to know how that can be!) A trio not trivial, with a strong bond. This book bring some very engaging and realistic characters.

The plot changes along the course of the story, we're looking for a victim, then for a hangman, we're looking for the reason behind all that's happening, we're seeking justice. The characters remain the same but the roles change. The context plays a growing role in the explanation. Everything must be understood and will be... at the end !

Another important point in this book, which deserves to be mentioned because it is quite rare in thrillers. Reading the back cover, I saw the Figaro and Le Monde reviews - two French newspapers - the journalists spoke of a literary novel ... ok. So I started this book with a slight fear: will the bombastic style upstage the plot? Well not at all, on the contrary. The writing is fluid, often funny, tragic, cold and never boring. Indeed the quality of the writing is closer to literary style than thriller style. But you'll find literary flights, as well as slang dialogues, short shock sentences and very long sentences, sometimes only impactful words. It seems that Lemaitre is as strong to play with our feelings as he is to play with words .

In a nutshell

A very nice discovery for me. I loved the story as much as the writing style. I highly recommend this book ! I give it a 4.5/5. 

My thought on closing the book : Oh damn, it serves ... right (you 'll have to read the book to know who!)