Rosy and John by Pierre Lemaitre @QuercusBooks @Maclehosepress #pierrelemaitre #rosyandjohn #camilleverhoeven

Maclehose Press 14th December 2017

Book Description

A terrifying addition to Lemaitre’s award-winning Paris trilogy – Irene, Alex and Camille.

Jean Garnier lives on the fringes – a lonely nobody who has lost everything dear to him.  His girlfriend was killed in an unexplained accident, his mother has just been sent to prison – he has even lost his job after the sudden death of his boss.

In one last, desperate cry for help, Jean sets up seven lethal bombs, hidden all over Paris and timed so that one will explode every 24 hours.

After the first detonation, Jean gives himself up to the police.  He has one simple demand: his mother must be released, or the daily explosions will continue.

Camille Verhoeven is faced with a race against time to uncover the secrets of this troubled young man and avert a massive human disaster.

A short story from award winning crime writer Pierre Lemaitre featuring Camille Verhoeven –  yep I was sold!  Capturing Camille’s fine eye to detail this is a sharp piece of crime fiction with some black humour and a gleeful end.  The time pressures of the bombs create tension in the script and the shrewd Camille is aware that the information presented is far from being the whole picture.

For me, this was an impressive short story, a quick read with a well thought out plot.  So yes I liked it, however having read a lot of Pierre Lemaitre I do think his strength is in the comprehensive plot, terrific twists and the gruesome detail and in a short story this cannot all be present.  There was some classic Lemaitre gore and shock and while recommended, especially with the familiar characters from the Irene trilogy, this is a short, crime specific story, sharp and witty with a solid finale.  Great holiday reading – especially as currently it is only available as an E Book.