He Lover of Death

by Boris Akunin

Phoenix - 2011

336 pages - 8.56 $

Lu en français ici

Why this book

Quite frankly, I didn't know the author and I bought his book because it was offered at a bargain price in a shop of used books and because it was part of the collection "Great detectives" of 10/18' edition - a French one - which is usually a guarantee of quality.

Summary

Senka Skorikov, orphan and urchin, has been abandoned to the murky world of Moscow's gangster district. While picking a pocket or two, he glimpses the most beautiful woman he has ever seen, and joins the gang of her overlord lover, The Prince, so desperate he is to meet her. Senka climbs the criminal ranks, uncovering a stash of precious metal, and gradually capturing the heart of his beloved Death - so named for the life expectancy of her lovers. But as the bandit community balks at his success on both fronts, threats on his life begin to pour in . A dandy and his 'Chinese' sidekick seem to be taking an inordinate interest in Senka's welfare, and it becomes clear that those threatening Senka are linked to a spate of murders, grizzly even by underworld standards. Fandorin must unweave a tangled web of narcotics, false identities and organised crime - but can he survive an encounter with the ever-alluring Death unscathed? Find out in the darkest Fandorin to date!

What I think about it

I liked the writing style, especially the beginning full of slang. I sometimes had the impression of being in an Audiard's film as dialogues are very imaged (even if it was sometimes difficult to understand). As we go along the rise of Senka, the dialogue becomes more chastened, which makes the book more easy to read and allows us to see Senka's progress in society.

The chapters begin with a title which describe the action to follow, even if sometimes what we imagine is not what happens: the author plays with words to destabilize us and keep us from being too confident about our ability to know in advance what will happen. The titles all contain the name of Senka, since it is through him that we live the story. An example title: "How Senka became mamzelle" (A mamzelle is a prostitute).

The plot goes slowly but surely. Because we follow the investigation through Senka and not Fandorin, we do not have all the cards in the progression of thought. We do not know what the detective does when he's not with Senka, making us witnessing the outcome, so it is difficult to find the culprit by yourself.

Last point to add, this book makes us live from the inside (through Senka) what life in Russia was at that time, with its codes, its hierarchy, its neighborhoods. Life was harsh and corrupt, at least in slums as beautiful areas were protected. It feels a little like in Les Miserables - Russian version - and with an investigation for bonus.

Let's be brief

An author worth reading that allows us to discover a brutal Russia and to enjoy a nearly extinct language nowadays. Besides, I take hats off to Paul Lequesne (the French translator) who did a remarkable job to find the French slang which corresponds to that used by Akunin.

An investigation in which the twists abound. A Russian detective as British as can be. A true atmosphere specific to the author. In short, Akunin, considered the idol of Russian literature, collects readers and I understand why: to try!

Good to know

He Lover of Death is a mirror novel whose double is called She Lover of Death. Both books can be read in any order because the two investigations are conducted at the same time and same place, but with different characters - apart Fandorin and Massa. There are also allusions to the other investigation in He Lover of Death when Fandorin announces that it had to deal with another investigation to explain his absence.

A taste for death

by P. D. James

Adam Dagliesh mysteries no7

Vintage - (reprint edition ) 2005

480 pages - 15.95 $

En français ici

Why this book

Well, mostly because a friend gave it to me and also because it's a crime fiction and the name P. D. James was not unknown to me even if I had never read a book from her. 

Description 

When the quiet Little Vestry of St. Matthew's Church becomes the blood-soaked scene of a double murder, Scotland Yard Commander Adam Dalgliesh faces an intriguing conundrum: How did an upper-crust Minister come to lie, slit throat to slit throat, next to a neighborhood derelict of the lowest order? Challenged with the investigation of a crime that appears to have endless motives, Dalgliesh explores the sinister web spun around a half-burnt diary and a violet-eyed widow who is pregnant and full of malice--all the while hoping to fill the gap of logic that joined these two disparate men in bright red death. . . .

What I think of it

I found with pleasure the quaint charm of Victorian crime fiction - like in Anne Perry or Agatha Christie - the very decorated mansions, the traditional tea and sandwiches ... For that matter, PD James is very good to bring us into her world. The descriptions are very well done, very realistic, the vocabulary is precise, concise, so it is very easy to imagine the room, the scene or picture the scene described.

The strength of the author, however, is what I least liked in the novel. I'm not a fan of endless and recurring descriptions and this is a very large part of the book. The arrival of Dalgliesh in the widows's lover clinical takes several pages ... no juicy, scathing dialogues full of innuendo as I hoped, but descriptions of each piece Adam passes through, people encountered, paintings on the walls - and not to miss visuals - even what Dalgliesh sees through the window: the gardens of the clinic ie, a patient who walks with a nurse. 

The description is worth, however, when PD James draws a portrait of English high society, but also of gender relations or old age and its implications for the family. The analysis of characters and relationships is so very well done, this is obviously a strong point with the author.

That said, we know the murderer fairly quickly thanks in part to how well the author make us feel the unspoken and discomfort during interrogations - and partly because the Commander Dalgliesh announce it before the end . So no resounding end, not "damn I've never seen it", no reversals shock situations, but still there is a time when one begins to fear for potential victims.

Let's be brief

This is a book where you find the famous British phlegm, but not the famous British humor - as found in the adventures of Sherlock Holmes, for example - to liven up a bit. This is a must read if you prefer the atmosphere to actions and if descriptions delight you. This is a very classical novel, the characters are very well described, but not enough original or spirited to be left with a lasting impression.

Good to know

The novel was awarded the Silver Dagger in 1986. As for P. D. James, she is, according to the Times, the biggest writer of detective novels of our time ...

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 :-)

Crime and Punishment 4/100

by Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky

Folio classique - 1995

669 pages - 14,75 $

En français ici

Why this book

Because I'm always curious about the classics, because it makes me look serious, because it makes my library eclectic  ... And what decided me to read this book that waited for me in my library ... is that it's part the 100! So here's my fourth book read from the list.

The summary

"Raskolnikov began to shake his body like a man struck by a terrible blow.

- But ... so ... who... is the murderer? he stammered in a broken voice.

Porphyrius Petrovitch sat back in his chair, like a man stunned by a preposterous question.

- Who is the murderer? he repeated, as if he could not believe his ears, but it is you. "

The story without revealing it

Rodion alias Raskolnikov alias Rodka alias Rodia, etc... killed a pawnbroker, spitfire, shrewish and unloved. Why? While reading the book you will know it, that's enough that you know from the start that he killed (but I will not say how many people...)

What I think of it

It is unconventional as we know from the outset who killed, even if said murder happens after only after about 80 pages. Rodia is the murderer, it is written on the back cover, so why 80 pages before killing? This is the time he takes to resolve to commit the crime after long and multiple questions.

Once the crime commited what happens in the 500 pages left? Lengthy and numerous questions on the act itself and on the idea of turning himself in. Rodion babbles incoherently, becomes in turns aggressive, apathetic, delusional, friendly (he helps people), unpleasant (due to his aggressive disdain), tearful, vituperative ... You guessed it, one goes through a myriad of feelings.

Personally, what I least like in classic literature is what I see as self-centered (who am I, or what am I experiencing, where am I going...) and endless thoughts, here I was spoiled! However, I must recognize the genius of Dostoeyvsky who leads us into this spiral of madness over 600 pages, managing to create moments of extraordinary intensity. Moreover, he manages to make Rodia not to look like the monster he is, since everyone look after him (even the police is trying to help).

About the writing itself, the dialogue can be broken, poured out, confused. It sometimes gave me the impression of reading a play. A play with extravagant and over-acting characters that brings us, strangely, even closer to them. The characters are regularly extreme, they do not speak: they shriek, scream, babble, are moved, wring their hands, shiver with fever. The author uses parentheses very often to add information or emphasize a point, which can destabilize or annoy sometimes because it is not natural in a discussion. Last, the Russian names are not fixed: Rodion can be called in several ways and it's the same for all the characters, which sometimes makes it difficult to know who it is.

Yes, I struggled at times: this is not my kind of reading, I have already state that, but the quality of the writing, the power of story, the characterization, the atmosphere created, all this has largely offset some difficult times. I was immersed in the story like never before among people, often whimsical and certainly on the edge of caricature, but that's what makes it easier to feel close to them.

Let's be brief

This is the story of a criminal whose endless thinking about his possible confession is regularly hampered by multiple encounters and stories lived by other characters. You should know that the story takes place about two weeks ... over 600 pages! Human relationships are indeed very important and particularly well covered in this book. For those who love relationships and human history, this novel is a masterpiece. For those who love action and decision-making ... not sure!

Interesting facts

Priceless : looking for Crime and Punishment on the Renaud-Bray site, the bottom of the page suggestion was... tada: 50 shades of Grey!

More seriously, Nietzsche said that Dostoyevsky was the only one from who he had learned something in psychology ... This gives you an idea of ​​the power of the characters you'll encounter in his books, is not it? Reference