8797999's review against another edition
4.0
This was good! A book I started a while back (May 2020) but got side tracked amongst many others. Not a reflection on the book at all. I seriously started it a few days ago and haven't been able to put it down.
A very interesting case following the kidnapping of a Dutch woman in Perpignan, amongst several other related crimes against Dutch women - are they coincidence or related? The book has several strands and a few red herrings to muddy the waters. An interesting antagonist - I sussed it partially through the story. I like the characters although the main characters love life and relationship with his wife did irritate me, but I suppose it shows a human side when antagonists are usually super human in these sorts of books.
I like the setting of Perpignan too, a very beautiful place and vividly described. There is a lot going on in this book and I will look forward to getting around to reading the follow ups to this. This has been a book on my reading list for a few years. Well worth the wait.
A very interesting case following the kidnapping of a Dutch woman in Perpignan, amongst several other related crimes against Dutch women - are they coincidence or related? The book has several strands and a few red herrings to muddy the waters. An interesting antagonist - I sussed it partially through the story. I like the characters although the main characters love life and relationship with his wife did irritate me, but I suppose it shows a human side when antagonists are usually super human in these sorts of books.
I like the setting of Perpignan too, a very beautiful place and vividly described. There is a lot going on in this book and I will look forward to getting around to reading the follow ups to this. This has been a book on my reading list for a few years. Well worth the wait.
janettedv's review against another edition
4.0
I couldn't not buy this book when I realised that it was set in my favourite part of France. I liked the character of the inspector and the mystery was intriguing with a tense ending.
emmkayt's review against another edition
3.0
A police procedural translated from the French, set in Perpignan, near the Spanish border. A young Dutch woman is kidnapped, and Inspector Gilles Sebag is on the case. I particularly enjoyed the setting - lots of drinking of pastis, and descriptions of the scenery. The story itself was absorbing enough, if cliched. I was surprised though that it was written in this century, given all the male detectives and the rotating gaggle of female secretaries, whose non-speaking roles seemed limited to handing out documents or coffee while being very conscious of the effect their miniskirt or blouse is having...
debdeb's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
3.5
theshepherdsjournal's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
heather_j_f's review against another edition
3.0
Good writing. Not my usual genre; I was looking for something different. Enjoyed it but didn't stick with it! I will come back to it and rate again once I'm finished but it's been on my nightstand for a year so it's time to stop pretending.
canadianbookworm's review
5.0
This first novel won the SNCF Crime Fiction Prize and the City of Lens First Crime Novel Prize.
The setting is in and around Perpignan on the French Mediterranean coast. Tourists are abundant and small crimes are the normal police cases at this time. Sebag and Molino are partners in the local police force. Sebag's children are just going off on vacations with groups or friends, and his wife Claire, who is a teacher has the whole summer off. She is going on a cruise with some friends while he continues to work.
When a Dutch woman is found murdered on a nearby beach, closely followed by the disappearance of another young Dutch woman, the media jumps on the two as connected.
The kidnapper, when he makes contact, seems to have chosen Sebag as his preferred contact, the Sebag finds himself obsessed by the case, something he has seldom felt lately in his police work.
There are a variety of police here, all after the solution to the case, but not necessarily working with the same assumptions. Sebag's focus seems to be a longshot, but as the facts keep falling into line with his proposed theory, the rest of the force begins to be convinced.
The personal side, where we see Sebag's struggles with his marriage and his own issues, make him come alive. This is a great addition to the crime oevre, and I already have my order in for the next book in the series. Which is pretty nice, seeing I picked this book up mostly for the title.
The setting is in and around Perpignan on the French Mediterranean coast. Tourists are abundant and small crimes are the normal police cases at this time. Sebag and Molino are partners in the local police force. Sebag's children are just going off on vacations with groups or friends, and his wife Claire, who is a teacher has the whole summer off. She is going on a cruise with some friends while he continues to work.
When a Dutch woman is found murdered on a nearby beach, closely followed by the disappearance of another young Dutch woman, the media jumps on the two as connected.
The kidnapper, when he makes contact, seems to have chosen Sebag as his preferred contact, the Sebag finds himself obsessed by the case, something he has seldom felt lately in his police work.
There are a variety of police here, all after the solution to the case, but not necessarily working with the same assumptions. Sebag's focus seems to be a longshot, but as the facts keep falling into line with his proposed theory, the rest of the force begins to be convinced.
The personal side, where we see Sebag's struggles with his marriage and his own issues, make him come alive. This is a great addition to the crime oevre, and I already have my order in for the next book in the series. Which is pretty nice, seeing I picked this book up mostly for the title.