Tenderloin

by Ty Hutchinson

Abby Kane FBI Thriller

Gangkruptcy Press (June 3 2013)

373 pages - 3,28 $ (kindle edition)

After reading Corktown Ty Hutchinson, I discovered with pleasure that Tenderloin was on Netgalley. I appreciate Abby Kane, the FBI agent who struggles to be as devoted a mother as a bad guys hunter. My thanks to Patchwork  Press for this title!

The blurb

Life in San Francisco could not be better for FBI Agent Abby Kane and family. With white-collar crimes dominating her work schedule, chasing deranged killers is a thing of the past, until the body of a dead DEA agent pops up in Bogotá.

Ordered to Colombia for answers, Abby’s investigation takes her deep into the Amazon jungle where she discovers evidence of strange experiments at a rundown lab. When she later crosses paths with one of the scientists involved, she learns that a new drug has been invented, and its danger isn’t the addictive high but the terrifying side effects.

Abby believes the cartels are behind the drug, but the locals think it’s one man. They call him The Monster.

Why you should read that book

First, because Abby is a lovable character - one feels that the author loves her the way he writes her. She does not lack of humor nor courage, even if she's sometimes a little too masculine in her reactions. Her children are still present, even more than in Corktown (where they appeared only in texting) . This time, we enter her house and see her interact with them. Again, the children are in danger, which I hope will not be a habit, because I find series in which the family is always in danger tedious (even though we know that in the end nothing will happen to them!)

For the fluidity of the story: it reads quickly and you won't get bored. Well, certainly there are sometimes a few facilities in the story and it's easy to understand who The Monster is before the end but it doesn't spoil the pleasure of reading this novel.

For the travel: Ty Hutchinson takes us through the streets of San Francisco, makes us appreciate the food in Bogotá and leads us into the jungle where a tribe makes us live an eventful evening. This is undoubtedly a highlight of the author, he knows how to make us travel and integrate different cultures.

In a nutshell

A light and enjoyable book. An ideal reading an afternoon at the pool or in a train bound to anywhere, with a character, Abby, that one loves to follow. This is a 3.5 / 5 for me.

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!

Of Fever and Blood

by Sire Cédric

Publishers Square (October 15, 2013)

369 pages - 7.99 $ (ebook)

After reading the first book L'enfant des cimetières and despite my mixed feelings due to the presence of children where I do not like to see them (see my review here), I wanted to try again reading Sire Cédric because, despite this concern, the book was very good. And as I don't like staying on an uncertainty, when the book Of Fever and Blood came out on NetGalley I took the opportunity to rediscover this so popular author. A thank you to Publishers Square and Open Road Media for the book!

The Blurb

This fast-paced, supernatural thriller is a race against time to defeat a deadly force.

Of Fever and Blood begins at the end of an investigation. Inspectors Vauvert and Svärta, an albino profiler, solve a series of sadistic ritual murders and the supposed culprits, the Salaville brothers, are killed in a standoff.

However, one year later, the killings start all over again, but this time in Paris. All forensic evidence point to the brothers, but how can that be?

Their investigation leads Svärta and Vauvert to Judith Saint-Clair, the deathly ill patient at a mental institution that also housed the Salavilles. They discover the incredible truth: Saint-Clair had manipulated the Salavilles into killing young women in order for her to accomplish magic rituals to stave off death. Nothing and no one will stop her from reaching her goal of eternal life . . . death is not an option.

What I think of it

I must say that the fantastic and even horror side is very present in the book. Yes, there is an investigation very well conducted but the supernatural elements take over. As such, I'm not sure if the category booksellers give this book (thriller) is the best. In fact, a new category should be created " thriller horror " or " horrific thriller "... in which books from this new generation of writers influenced by Stephen King as Sir Cedric or Maxime Chattam could be put into. In any case, this novel confirms the quality of writing of Sir Cedric, particularly to convey the horror.

About the book, I meet again with Vauvert with pleasure. The giant cop with a fine intelligence has grown since L'enfant des cimetières. If in the first book, he tried to do his job despite the aspects he did not understand and refused to believe in, in this second book, he's much more comfortable with supernatural elements. He accepts those elements as part of life and soon learned to write a police-report-that-can-be-read-by-chiefs. This time he teams up with Eva, a profiler cop from Paris, albino and quite broken because of a violent and muddled past that we discover as the story unfold. Eva is exceptionally competent, knows it and doesn't hesitate to follow her ideas to the great displeasure of Vauvert. If I struggled to appreciate her at the outset - because she seemed too cold and distant - as I discovered her story and, therefore, learned the reasons for her behavior it helped me to like her.

The story gets off like a bat out of hell as a young girl is kidnapped and finds herself locked in a house where the bloodstains are too numerous not to create a sense of immediate panic. Vauvert and Eva save her in extremis and everything seems to end well. Except that a year later, all start over again. Being struck by the story from the beginning created a tension that doesn't falter. Crime scenes are particularly gruesome - very well written in a fairly understated style - and strike a cord with demonic elements (hell and demons represent some kind of deap-rooted fear for most poeple).

If we know fast enough the motive behing the murders, there is a race against the clock to know WHO is the instigator and then WHERE is this famous person because he/she must be stopped as soon as possible to avoid more dead people. Throughout the book, there is a tension and a nervousness, well served by a realistic judicial proceedings. As in L'enfant des cimetières, I like to see Vauvert's efforts to make some situations credibles when they haven't one ounce of reality. In this novel, the police attempt to integrate these supernatural elements in their investigation by affixing a certain logic but when it's not possible, Vauvert doesn't hesitate to think outside the box, even if he finishes to be pursued by justice.

In a nutshell

A good novel one reads quickly, nervous and horrible. A winning trio altogether. I give it 4/5.

Good to know: Sire Cedric was awarded the 2012 Cognac Polar Prize for this book and the Cine+ Frisson 2011 Prize.

My thought on closing the book: brrr! it sends shivers down one spine!

Out of exile

by Luke Preston

A Tom Bishop Fampage

Momentum (October 1, 2013)

254 pages - 4.99 $ (kindle)

Luke Preston was recommended by several authors that I follow on Twitter. As these authors are good, I think that they should also have good taste about books, right? Plus, Luke Preston on Twitter has a keen humour so I wanted to read his second book when I saw it on NetGalley. A thank you to Momentum for the book!

The blurb

Sometimes a little violence is a good thing

You can't go on the kind of spree ex-cop Tom Bishop did and not face consequences.

After three years of rotting in a cell, Bishop is busted out of prison in the dead of night and thrown into the middle of a police war where the stakes are high and personal.

Now, the very man who put him away calls on his help. But what starts out as a simple rescue mission escalates into an adrenaline-fuelled, action packed thrill-ride as Bishop plunges into a web of conspiracy that threatens to destroy his soul, but may provide the truth about his past.

Out of Exile is the anticipated follow up to the award-nominated Dark City Blue.

What I think of it

Out of Exile is the sequel to Dark City Blue that has already caused a stir at the time and that ends with Bishop in prison. Fortunately, not having read the first book does not stop to read the second. Some references are made, of course, but I never felt out of the gang, which is great, but it does make you long to read Dark City Blue!

Out of Exile is not a book you read, it's a effing action-packed film, a kind of Die Hard with a more virile McLane! It's explosive, relentless and incredibly funny. This is an action-packed film where the hero is not afraid to get his hands dirty.

About the characters in the book: we mainly follow Tom Bishop ex-cop who ended up in jail for having taking out the dirty cops who killed his daughter. He's therefore in jail at the beginning of the book. He's a tough guy, violent but who always tries to do what is right. As he says : "Sometimes a little violence is the right thing to do." He is very tall, bald and full of scars (due to bullets received in Dark Blue City), he's the kind of person who would make you want to change of pavement if you crossed him. Yet we can't help ourselves to like him, to know that with him on our side we have the best chance we can get to survive.

One thing I really appreciated is that Bishop does not hesitate to let go of something when he sees that he can't do it. He won't run unnecessarily in front of guns - assuming that him being alive will be more useful. Often heroes risk their lives in situations where logic dictates to hide away from bullets. Obviously, the hero never dies, but it's more difficult to identify with that kind of hero. Bishop reacts more consistently with logic and even if his stamina is much better than mine... I found that he was more realistic in his decisions.

The story is very complex, ultra-fast paced. Tom must team up with a gang of criminals to try to save the victims of a hostage. But he soon realizes that the hostage-taking is a tactic to reach for even more violent and devious ends. He's of course pursued by justice but managed to get the support of some former colleagues. It's a chase against the clock, the dirty cops, cops... no time to lose! There's a lot of stunts, explosions and other ingredients for a good action movie in this book. English is not my mother tongue so I read more slowly than in French and yet I read this book in two days! I couldn't let go of it.

In a nutshell

An explosive book, funny with a very interesting main character which is easy to relate to. A big favorite for this thriller. I give it 5 /5 (and  I run to buy Dark Blue City)

My thought on closing the book: Wow, it rocks!

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!

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!)

Corktown

by Ty Hutchinson

Abby Kane FBI Thriller

272 pages (ebook version) - 0.97 $

Gangkruptcy Press (January 23, 2013)

En français ici

I had that book thanks to NetGalley, I found the synopsis appealing and wanted to discover Abby Kane.

Synopsis

She's short. She's feisty. She's sexy. She's Mom. Meet FBI Agent, Abby Kane.

In the quiet Corktown neighborhood of Detroit, a mutilated body has the residents nervous and for good reason. Detroit Metro Police recognize the handiwork of the serial killer known as the Doctor. But there's a problem with that. They locked him up seven years ago.

Because of her expertise with serial killers, former hotshot detective and now FBI agent, Abby Kane, is tasked with figuring out how this madman is able to kill again. When she visits The Doctor behind bars, he swears he's innocent and not the psychopath everyone thinks he is. Oddly enough, Abby believes him.

Corktown is a page-turning mystery thriller that dives headfirst into the grit of Detroit, exploring government corruption and deadly violence. Certainly a Mystery and Thriller Top 100 Must Read.

Available in ebook and paperback

What I think of it

I enjoyed Abby Kane, a (very) small, but strong character with a lot of humor, to whom the author attributes regularly thoughts or feelings rather masculine, but it works fine anyway. Abby is a character that you appreciate quickly. She obviously has some weaknesses: her size and her guilt about her children she thinks she does not take care enough. Her children are also present throughout the book (by SMS). There was even a time when we feared for their lives when they are very far from the place of the investigation, I found it good from Hutchinson.

As for the other characters, there is a choice between not very smart cops (as often where the cops have to team up with the FBI, there is always a smarter team, have you noticed?) and crooked politicians. In short, an array of characters quite well written, but with not enough depth to make you appreciate them more or feel for them. Abby is the central character and her colleague mainly serves to give her a humanity and a vulnerability which she usually does not show. This helps to make her a more credible and endearing character, she is not a GI Jane!

The atmosphere is tense, heavy, mostly due to the corruption which prevent Abby to investigate normally but she's doing it anyway. Folders are hidden, characters disappear at the right time, attempts at intimidation are made: all the elements of corruption are present. The atmosphere is tense but raised by Abby and her - sometimes - caustic humor.

The pace is fast, even when the perpetrators are known as the chase to stop them is unabated. Instead, knowing who will be the next victim, Abby and her colleagues are trying to protect them and arrest the culprits, except that - as in life - human error will ensure that things do not go as planned.

A novel that differs from what I have read, since we know very quickly who is the culprit, but the guilty shares the chapters of the book with the officers of the law. Thus we discover the investigation on both sides of the coin - through the eyes of the guilty and the forces. There are three types of chapters, according to the characters that we follow in the chapter: those where we follow the investigation through Abby (told in the first person), those where we take conscience of concealment and political corruption and finally the murders (from the point of view of the culprit). The murder scenes are quite hard boiled and sometimes disturbing. I'm used to read books in which sometimes the crime scene discovered is fairly bloody, but there the murder was live feed, it's very different!

In a nutshell

A book that reads quickly, a heroine one appreciate, a cold and heavy atmosphere, a good old duel FBI vs police: I give it a 3.5 / 5.

My thought on closing the book: not bad!

The Leopard

by Jo Nesbø
Thriller
Vintage Crime/Black Lizard
Knopf and Vintage Books - 2012
688 pages - 19.95 $

En français ici

I bought this book with a gift card received for my birthday. I had decided to buy only authors I did not know. Jo Nesbø was one of them but he's so well known by lovers of good thrillers, it was absolutely necessary for me to read one of his book.

Synopsis

Two women are found murdered in Oslo – both of them have drowned in their own blood. What mystifies the police, is that the puncture wounds in the victim’s faces have been caused from the inside of their mouths. Kaja Solness from Homicide is sent to Hong Kong to track down a man that is the Oslo Police Department’s only specialist on serial killings. The severely addicted detective has tried to disappear in the vast, anonymous city. He is on the run and haunted by his last case

What I think of it

I love it! Nesbø became one of my favorite authors. He now stands next to Chattam and Holm (that is something!) In less than ten lines, I was caught up by the story, I could not take it down. So beware, once again, this is an author who does not hesitate to stage violence. This is not for everyone, because honestly, some scenes are difficult to read because they're very graphic. As I love this style, it was pure happiness through the 688 pages that scroll at an extraordinary speed. Yes, 688 pages for a thriller can be scary, but do not worry, it devours quickly! (I've read the French version which contains 848 pages...)

But what makes this book so good, dear reader?

The characters, especially Harry Hole, disillusioned inspector, alcoholic, drug addict, but oh so endearing! This was my first encounter with him, and not in the best conditions, it must be said, since he's found drugged in Hong Kong. Yet, the depth of his character brings us to love him, because we can sense that there is something else behind this fucked facade. The other characters are equally well written, complex, a little predictable for some and they emphasize different aspects of Harry.

The story gets off the a good start, a really good one. We are in the action since the first page, we live the crime through the eyes of the victim, it's pretty intense, thank you! The pace did not falter. We travel a lot: in Asia, the Congo, Rwanda, Norway, as the investigation goes along. Nesbø gives us a very clear idea of ​​the countries Harry visits, their history and particularity, which makes an even more gripping story. We feel that there is a solid basis to the story, which makes it more concrete, more realistic.

The investigation seems to go in all directions, we are lost, we think we have figured it out and we find ourselves elsewhere, in short Nesbø play with our nerves. The motive seems confusing, the investigation complex, we do not see the threat coming, we take it in the face and bam! we remain shocked at having been deceived... again. With all that, Nesbø still manages to bring through the crime a good old feud between two services, a war in which one organization (Kripo or criminal brigade) will win, leaders who put sticks in the wheels, making the investigation more difficult. In summary, there is no dead time (but a lot of deads).

I read on blogs that Nesbø is the new Stieg Larsson (author of the Millennium). Come on! In my case, if Larsson helped the Scandinavian kind of crime fiction to be known worldwide, I have not found that his three novels were exceptional. Nesbø is, in my opinion, a much better writer! I did not experience as many emotions while reading the three Millennium that I had with The Leopard. The suspense is more intense, the dialogues are better written, the characters are very endearing, realistic and well-written (ok, Lisbeth was very well written too). I tell you, we are a notch above with Nesbø (and the notch is high!)

Here's an excerpt of the book and tell me, honestly, does it not make you want to read more?

Excerpt

The drowsiness came. Harry stopped digging. Even though he knew this spell death. A seductive, alluring death, taking him into its arms. Why protest, why fight, why choose pain when he could succumb? Why choose anything other than what he has always done? 

Harry closed his eyes. 

(entire excerpt here on Jo Nesbø's site) 

In a nutshell

One of the best books I've read this year. An author I learned to love. Amateurs of black, Nordic, complex and panting thrillers, treat yourself! A book that should be included in any good bookshelf. I give it a 5/5.

My thought on closing the book: Oh damn, that was good!

Clean Burn

de Karen Sandler

Exhibit A - 2013 (Angry Robot)

304 page - 16.99 $

ARC

En français ici

I got this book through Netgalley and more specifically thanks to Exhibit A (A for Arson!) A new branch of Angry Robot (excellent publisher and guarantee of quality!). I wanted to discover this author and her heroine, a newcomer in the world of crime fiction.

Synopsis

“No child should ever stay missing…”

Wry, smart, tough private eye Janelle Watkins swore off investigating child abductions four years ago, when she left the San Francisco PD.

But when two clients with missing children beg for her help, Janelle can’t say no. Even though it means returning to the scene of her nightmares – her hometown of Greenville.

Forced to enlist the help of her ex-partner and ex-lover, Greenville County Sheriff Ken Heinz, Janelle soon finds herself playing with fire in more than one way, and in a race against the clock to find the missing children before it’s too late.

If Janet Evanovich and the Cohen Brothers ever sat down to collaborate on a story, then this is exactly the kind of incredible novel they might come up with – one full of twists and turns and memorable characters…

Isn’t it about time you met the unforgettable Janelle Watkins?

What I think of it

An excellent first crime fiction - because Sandler is a prolix author in other kind of book - with a heroine with multiple injuries and flaws, but very endearing.

About the characters: Janelle Watkins, ex-cop, private detective, tortured (in every sense of the word) by his past. A heroine not too girly nor too tomboy, a nice mix - which is not always the case for female detectives or cops, I must say. There is also Ken Heinz, ex-partner (in every sense of the word), honest, straightforward and sincere. Two characters very sympathetic to follow. Then there is a lot of secondary characters, well thought out, which gives the impression of being part of the town and to know its inhabitants.

The narrative. Two parallel investigations, one on fire and the other on child abductions bring two former partners together again. The pace does not falter, either because a new lead opens to find the children or because another fire raged. We are taken by the adventures to a burning final (in every sense of the word!)

The author knows how to transcribe Janelle's demons and her worries. We are really feeling her emotions - and they are not all pleasant! - which leads us to understand her reactions - and they are not all pleasant either! I suspected several different people and many times the right one, but I was never really sure until the end. Latter (but not the least in my case), the humor - often cynical - is very well distilled through the story, which makes it more enjoyable to read.

In a nutshell

A very good first crime fiction by Karen Sandler. A heroine to love, despite her shortcomings (or perhaps because of them, I do not know). A story whose rhythm does not slow down. I gave it 4/5!

My thought on closing the book: some great characters!

The Clock Strikes Twelve

by Patricia Wentworth

Open Road Media - 2011

ARC

Miss Silver #7

En français ici

Why that book

It was proposed in the NetGalley catalog in the Mystery & Thrillers category and as I had never read a book by Patricia Wentworth - but I had heard of her - I took the opportunity to discover this author and especially her heroine Miss Silver. Thanks Open Road Media for this book!

Synopsis

Miss Silver investigates the murder of a great British industrialist. 

Though they share a manor house, the Paradines are not close, and their patriarch does nothing to discourage the petty jealousies that divide wealthy families. A cold figure, James Paradine prefers work to his relations, but on New Year’s Eve he convenes the household. Valuable plans have been stolen from his office, and only one person could be to blame. He knows the culprit’s name, and gives the thief until midnight to come forward. By midnight, James Paradine is dead.

Was it the thief who killed him, or could it have been someone else, acting on different motives entirely? The local constables are baffled, and it is left to prim detective Maud Silver to out the murderer.

What I think of it

I confess to having a soft spot for GA novels, even if they are not the ones I read the most. My first steps in the world of investigation were done with Agatha Christie - Poirot especially, but also Miss Marple - and I find and enjoy here the same spirit and the same kind of character.

Talking characters, Miss Silver is a very nice old lady despite her very schoolteacher side - a very useful side however to get people talking. She is a true romantic judging by her penchant to help lovers. I like the fact that Miss Silver is knitting when she wants to question a person, it puts people at ease and gives them the impression they're having a mundane discussion even though she worms the truth out of them! As for the other characters, they are very well written, briefly described but very realistic, even if they are sometimes on the edge of caricature (especially the constables). 

Like any good Golden Age novel, the decor is very cheesy, very... red. Gold decorations, curtains and all that ostentation give a decor in which I won't live but, for me, it's like a guilty pleasure: yes, I love these old-fashioned decor! The bombastic and pompous relations are also a strong point of these novels and  Wentworth plays excellently this card. The strength of this book is the impression that one has to be in the house, to live this mystery at the heart of the investigation, to be part of the family. If you like Downton Abbey (ah... the decor, the famous British phlegm and the formal relationships ...), you'll love this book. 

As to the investigation itself, it is a classic whodunit. Namely, you can discover the culprit for yourself because the clues are revealed throughout the investigation. There is therefore no great surprise at the end - unless taken in the pleasure of the story, you have forgotten to guess! But what's the purpose of a thriller if we know the end before the end? But simply, dear reader, because the pleasure is not ONLY in the discovery of the culprit - even if it's always enjoyable to have found whodunit! - but in the relationships between the characters, in the humor distilled in the book, in the background, in social conventions, dialogues and characters. To read such a novel, it's like looking through the hole in the little mouse's house and see how the investigation is going, it's to be at the heart of the action without actually being in it and have the chance to find the culprit before Miss Silver - and that part is not won!

In a nutshell 

A great book, very well written with engaging characters. Miss Silver is unquestionably a "armchair detective" to know. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to spend a little time in good company and, as icing on the cake, the chance to find a culprit by yourself ... from your chair (who says that Miss Silver does not sleep in you?) I've given it 4/5 on Goodreads.

The Torment of Others

by Val McDermid

Tony Hill & Carol Jordan #4
Crime fiction

Harper Collins - 2005

556 pages - 9.99 $

En français ici

Why this book

Or why this author in that case. I follow Mark Billingham on Twitter who often tweet with Val McDermid. As he praised her work I decided to give it a try, knowing that he wouldn't praised bad books. 

Summary

Two brutal killers with the exact same MO.
For the one twisted mind behind it all, there is nothing more pleasurable than the torment of others.

The blood of prostitutes stains the streets of Bradfield, and two young boys have disappeared into thin air. With grisly crime scenes that mirror the MO of a killer long since incarcerated, it's a hell of a time for Detective Chief Inspector Carol Jordan to find out if her new elite crime squad is up to snuff.

With help from friend and clinical psychologist Dr. Tony Hill, Carol rises to the occasion and launches an undercover sting operation to solve the crimes. But when the operation goes terribly wrong, tension reaches an ultimate high. Tony must penetrate the mind of one of the most perverse serial killers he has ever encountred, and Carol must block out the echoes of a haunting past in order to catch a murderer before the blood of a detective is on her hands.

What I think of it

That was something! It's gripping, sometimes difficult to read - I won't recommend that book to some people who don't feel to read about rape and its consequences - but it is very well written and the emotions are very realistics - perhaps too realistics for some people. In my case, I appreciated the accuracy of tone and though some passages were difficults, they are just more interesting because they put us in the shoes of the protagonists. We feel Carol's fears, the discomfort of the other cops towards her or the Tony's guilt. The different characters - even the minor ones - are fairly well described so that we can get an idea of ​​the atmosphere that prevails and we can see how the individuals within the team will react. 

The story, or rather stories, since we're following two investigations are also well written. Boths are very sensitive subjects, as it concerns children for one and murder of sexual nature for the other one. We plunge into the horror of these investigations and the frustration experienced by police officers who can't track the culprit fast enough for their liking. The course of the investigation is also a strong point as the methodology and procedures are very well explained. There is no rabbit out of the hat, the results are found through methodical work, although sometimes the searches are based on the reasoning of Tony.

The suspense escalates regularly and ended up really stressing me. This is because we feel empathy - thanks to the talent of McDermid to make us feel the emotions of the characters - just as much for Carol who finds herself in a situation she knows too well as for a character in the book whose life is at stake. I spent a few very short nights, because I tried to read as much pages as possible to move forward in the investigation and it must be said to finish the book as quickly as possible to know the outcome. To close this book before the end - which I had to do because I had to go to work the next day, argh! - it's a bit like putting a thriller film on pause just when the protagonist opens a door and yells when he discovers ...       (yes, that is a pain huh?)

One extract (see how she puts tension just for a friend to say hello? The whole book is like that!)

A few minutes later, he saw what he’d been waiting for. A gleam of blonde hair caught in the security lights by the back door, and he was on the move. He shoved the file back into his briefcase and stood upright, moving towards the back of the car to cut off his target before she could reach the driver’s door.

She looked over her shoulder, calling out a farewell to a colleague. When she turned back, he was only a few feet from her. Shock and astonishment shot across her face and she stopped dead. Her mouth formed an exclamation, but no sound emerged.

‘Hi, Carol,’ Tony said. ‘Fancy a curry?’

‘Jesus,’ she exhaled, her shoulders dropping. ‘You nearly gave me a heart attack. What the hell are you doing here?’

Let's be brief

This book can create some discomfort, of course, but it remains an excellent and gripping book. The suspense is intense: you'll have trouble to put this book down! Personally, I enjoyed it very much and I'll definitely read other books by this author.

Bred to Kill by Franck Thilliez

PENGUIN GROUP Viking - Viking Adult (Jan 8 2015)

I had bought it with Syndrom E at the Quebec Book Fair in April 2013 but honestly, if I did not have it I would have run to buy it because of the cliffhanger in the first book. Now I see that it'll be out in English in 2015. Happy you! You'll have the chance to read it... and let me tell you, the wait was worth it!

The blurb

The electrifying sequel to the runaway international bestsellerSyndrome E

Syndrome E’s Lucie Henebelle and Inspector Sharko have reunited to take on the case of the brutal murder of Eva Louts, a promising graduate student who was killed while working at a primate research center outside Paris. But what first appears to be a vicious animal attack soon proves to be something more sinister. What was Eva secretly researching? Was she tracking three fanatical scientists who control a thirty-thousand-year-old virus with plans to unleash it into the world?

With his unmatched ability to inject cutting-edge science into his novels, Thilliez draws on genetics, paleontology, and the dark side of human nature to create this smart, adrenaline-fueled thriller.Bred to Kill moves from the rain-slicked streets of Paris to the heart of the Alps to the remote

Amazon jungle as Lucie and Sharko work to solve the murder—before whoever killed Eva comes for them.

What's good about it

I prefered this book to the first one and by far. First, because I've learned a lot of things on genetic - thank you to the meticulous research done by the author and his real gift to vulgarise complex concepts - then, because I loved to meet again with Lucie and Franck and last because the rythm never faltered and I love that!

We find again Lucie and Franck who succeed once again in drawing their strength from their weaknesses and their rage to lead to end their investigation. I am very surprised by the accuracy of Lucy's portrait, knowing that the author is a man. Some of the questions that Lucie arises seemed legitimate. The author obviously has a good understanding of the female psyche! As for Frank, I was sorry to see him in an even more pitiable condition than in Syndrome [E] (yes, it's possible!) His redemption goes through his support to Lucy. In short, very realistic and well-written characters.

Another strong point of the novel is the fierce struggle of a cop to bring down Frank. Honestly, there was a moment - or two - where I really wanted to hit him! The relationships between the characters are so well written that when that cop lashes out at Franck, we believe it, we're experiencing it and we are not happy!

Regarding the story, I loved it! What I like in a good thriller is that the explanation is plausible, credible and intelligible. Here, the three qualities are present. Thilliez explains genetics in a clear and understandable way, and the facts are proven. So - in my opinion - it's a guarantee of quality. And then - again in that story - we travel, this time in Brazil. That's when I thought that the author does not fancy heat! Whether in Egypt for the previous volume or here in Brazil, its painful description of the heat makes me think he prefers colder temperatures. But hats off to the way he made me feel sweaty!

The pace of this novel is intense, it's a race to find a group of individuals who show a violence that wasn't seen since Cro-magnon and the mastermind behind it all. Each track leads to a (bad) surprise and drags them along, taking us with them in an investigation as dangerous as scientific.

Let's be brief

A book I've read even faster than the first one, which I liked even more and that I recommend without hesitation. With Gataca, you'll never look left-handed people in the same way...

Syndrome E

by Franck Thilliez (Marc Polizzotti, translator)

Thriller

Viking Adult 2012

384 pages - 28.50 $

Lu en français ici

Why this book

A friend of mine gave me La chambre des morts by Thilliez last year and I really liked it. When I went to Quebec Book Fair last April and came by the Pocket stand, I heard my name "buy us !" the books were begging me. So, you know, I've bought 3 of them (yeah, each passionate reader has already heard the call of the book, right?)

Summary

Already a runaway bestseller in France, Syndrome E tells the story of beleaguered detective Lucie Hennebelle, whose old friend has developed a case of spontaneous blindness after watching an extremely rare - and violent - film from the 1950s. Embedded in the film are subliminal images so unspeakably heinous that Lucie realizes she must get to the bottom of it - especially when nearly everyone who comes into contact with the film starts turning up dead.

Enlisting the help of Inspector Franck Sharko - a brooding, broken analyst for the Paris police who is exploring the film’s connection to five murdered men left in the woods, Lucie begins to strip away the layers of what is perhaps the most disturbing and powerful film ever made. Soon Sharko and Lucie find themselves mired in a darkness that spreads across politics, religion, science, and art while stretching from France to Canada, Egypt to Rwanda, and beyond. And just who is responsible for this darkness will blow readers minds, as Syndrome E forces them to consider: what if the earliest and most brilliant advances and discoveries of neuroscience were not used for good - but for evil.

With this taut U.S. debut, Thilliez explores the origins of violence through cutting-edge and popular science in a breakneck thriller rich with shocking plot twists and profound questions about the nature of humanity.

What I think of it

That's a book you'll read real quickly (less than a week for me). I was taken by its fast-paced rythm, in part due - in my opinion - to the alternating chapters, each one telling the story through one of the two protagonists (Lucie and Franck). I appreciate that form of story which makes a dynamic book. It's like watching a movie, some people like to see the story through the same character and others - like me - like to know more characters. 

The story in itself was not surprising but I enjoy the technical details - yes, for once I enjoyed them - about film and the history of Quebec. Franck did a really good research which makes the story more effective. I did not feel overwhelmed by the amount of information which is good because when I read a thriller, its the story and the interaction I prefer. One must admit Thilliez's talent to popularise. He can introduce complex notions while making them easy to understand. It gives a good basis for reflexion or, at leat, it gives us the feeling of being included in the investigation. 

I picked up a repetition of the same sentence which I've found pleasant and maybe done on purpose. In the French book, page 62, the anthropologist ask Sharko how he should explain the case. The sentence is "on se la fait comment. Simple ou compliquée ?" - which gives in English : how are we doing this? Simple or complicated?" And page 76, the restorer of film asks the same question, using the same sentence, to Lucie. Was it a disguised way of letting us know that this two detectives will share something?

Lovers of conspiracy will love that book. For my part, I was a bit disappointed by the demeanour of the story. I though "rooo... too easy, it could have been better, it's deja-vu" and it's a pity because the story could have been exceptional. Aside from that I grew fond of Lucie and Franck, two tormented souls including a schizophrenic one - which is not common.

I've appreciated Franck's dark side and Lucie's struggle between her daughters and her job. The struggle is already lost by her daughters as we feel her visceral need to hunt the beast - or the killer in that case. I was watching The Killing and Lucie resembles the cop, Sarah Linden, who is so obsessed by her job that she neglects her son and her own life. As for Franck, his Nutty side is new in my case, more accustomed to flawless cops - save for alcohol, women and games of course! So I particularly appreciated his character. 

The epilogue is predictable, you know something is about to happen. My mother's heart shared the same fear than Lucie. And the inevitable happened, it was certain. And yet I shouted "NO, HE CAN'T END HIS BOOK LIKE THAT!" 

Yes he can and he did it. Fortunately, I had bough the sequel (Gattaca) simultaneously. Beware of the cliffhanger!

Let's be brief

A fast-paced book you'll devour. An easy reading thanks to the fluidity of the text. 

Good to know

Franck Thilliez  is the author of several bestselling novels in his native France. This is his first novel to be translated into English in the United States.

Mark Polizzotti is the translator of more than thirty books from the French. His articles and reviews have appeared in The Wall Street Journal  and The Nation. 

The Burning Soul

by John Connolly

A Charlie Parker thriller

Thriller

Pocket Books Fiction - 2012

474 pages - 9,99 $

En français ici

Why that book

Another book I've bought at the QuebeCrime festival last October, where I met John Connolly but was not able to get his autograph! 

Summary

There are some truths so terrible that they should not be spoken aloud. Here is one of those truths: after three hours, the abduction of a child is routinely treated as a homicide.

When a girl disappears from a small Maine town, her neighbor - a recluse named Randall Haight - starts receiving anonymous letters that contain tormenting references to a different teenage girl, murdered long ago. For many years, Randall has kept a secret: when he was fourteen, he was convicted of killing that girl. Now, his former life has returned to haunt him, and he hires private detective Charlie Parker to make it go away. But in a town built on blood and shadowed by old ghosts, where too many of the living are hiding secrets, the past cannot be dismissed so easily. As Parker unravels a twisted, violent history involving a doomed mobster and his enemies, the police, and the FBI, his search returns again and again to Randall Haight. Because Randall is still telling lies. . . .

What I think of it

I read other readers's opinion about that book in Goodreads after reading a few pages which were, to my taste, to much filled with descriptions about the weather, the landscape and with too much writing about crows - and when you know my love for description, you understand my hesitations. People were saying that it was not the best book of the series but were so rave about the series by itself and about John Connolly that I decided to give it a try... Best decision ever made!

Yes, there are descriptions - but mostly in the beginning - and I havec to say that John Connolly knows how to make it really lively, often funny, even ironic and really spirited. The characters are well portrayed, even if I sometimes found that the two gangster's henchmen resembled the two Charlie Parker's henchmen. Personally, I fell for Charlie, his methods and his humour - cynic sometimes - even if the police or the FBI don't share my opinion... I find him endearing. This is the kind of character you'll love to follow, which is a good thing as Connolly has writen many books about him.

The story in itself is well thought: you think you know who kidnapped the girl before you realise you were lead by the nose by a author who has fun by spreading turnarounds, twists and other puzzles. Honestly, the end was not predictable and that's what I love in a thriller : not being able to guess  who did it!

I was surprised by the length of some sentences - knowing that English-speaking people generally write shorter sentences than French-speaking people. I think that's what give off the fast-paced rythm in thrillers. In the extract below, the sentence is five lines long. Nevertheless, John Connolly's style is often ironic, humourous, lively and the rythm never breaks.

One distinctive feature I love about that book: the mixing of thriller and supernatural (my two favourite kind of reading actually). Charlie can see ghost, which is not common in thriller right? But it does bring a plus in a thriller notably when it's well done like in that book.

One extract (that's show that a description can be as lively as funny, thus not boring)

The Wanderer's décor was neutral, mainly because it didn't really have any décor, unless you counted a single cracked Budweiser mirror. Its chairs were mismatched and rested unevenly on the floor. Its tables were black and red, with faux-marble surfaces. The stools along the bar were dull steel with black vinyl seats that were last upholstered when John McNamara was still managing the Red Sox and they were bumbling along at .500, right before Joe Morgan replaced him and the team went on to win nineteen of twenty to take the AL East title, an achievement that went relatively unnoticed in the Wanderer, as it didn't have a television at the time, and still didn't have one now. 

Let's be brief

I really liked that book I highly recommend. If it's truly the less paced book to the series - mainly due to the weather descriptions at the beginning - I'm looking forward to read the others books! An author who is worth reading ! 

The Sadness of the Samurai

by Víctor Del Árbol
Éditeur : Actes sud - 2013
Collection Babel noir
Roman policier
528 pages - 15.90 $

Lu en français ici

Why that book

I took advantage of a gift card to a bookstore to discover new authors. Victor Del Árbol was part of it. I must say that the prize and the fact that it was a "must read" according to the Bookseller helped a lot!

Summary

A betrayal and a murder in pro-Nazi Spain spark a struggle for power that grips a family for generations in this sweeping historical thriller

Fierce, edgy, brisk, and enthralling, this brilliant novel by Victor del Árbol pushes the boundaries of the traditional historical novel and in doing so creates a work of incredible power that resonates long after the last page has been turned.

When Isabel, a Spanish aristocrat living in the pro-Nazi Spain of 1941, becomes involved in a plot to kill her Fascist husband, she finds herself betrayed by her mysterious lover. The effects of her betrayal play out in a violent struggle for power in both family and government over three generations, intertwining her story with that of a young lawyer named Maria forty years later. During the attempted Fascist coup of 1981, Maria is accused of plotting the prison escape of a man she successfully prosecuted for murder. As Maria's and Isabel's narratives unfold they encircle each other, creating a page-turning literary thriller firmly rooted in history.

What I think of it

I really liked this book I read in 10 days, as much for the content that for the form. Del Arbol has a very pleasant way of writing, bringing many reflections without judgment. He really knows how to recreate this dark period in Spain. We understand the fears, the betrayals and the lies experienced by people. We understand why some people fled Spain or the opportunism of others. It is a dark story - as was that time - which reveals a slice of Spain's History that's unworthy, as well as Vichy in France.

History is important to know where we come from or who we are and this book gives it a lot of weight. In this book, it is the story - and History - experienced by some characters that will lead to extreme violence in the next generation. Generation who will tend to repeat the same mistakes by ignorance of their history. We learn therefore a good lesson on the importance of knowing its origins and history, because once the learning is done, the characters are free to choose to stay in the loop of destruction or stop and take another direction. So it's by the parallel with the history of Spain, very well integrated into the story, that the stories of the characters are revealed, allowing us to understand their actions - without excusing them for all that.

As for the plot, it accelerates the pace throughout the book. The relationship between the characters is expertly led and we discover the reason for the violence and injustice of certain situations and we hope that everything works out, but then again, the story takes place in a dark period -1941 and 1981 - and the characters are not always masters of their destiny.

Speaking of story, it is worth noting that it's written in two story, literally, as a key part of the story takes place in 1941 - the origin of the violence - and the second story, which affects the descendants goes to 1981. I also want to emphasize that History is important in the book, but it does not take up too much in the story. There are not whole pages of explanation, this is not an essay on the Franco regime.

Last point - but not least - the detective story is very well done, again probably due to the fact that the author was a police officer. Everything is very realistic, relations between police and the witnesses, the judiciary or some shenanigans. The plot is nervous, hard, but it is done brilliantly, knocking the cards one after the other without downtime.

Let's be brief 

I recommend this book that may be hard, but the reality was, that is nervous, but not irritating, which is historically rich, but not difficult to read. I'm glad I've discovered this author and I will read his other books with pleasure.

Good to know

This book was awarded The Point of European crime fiction in 2012.

The author has studied history, but has worked in the police ... which proves that the two are not incompatible :-)