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A review by cooperca
Autumn, All the Cats Return by Philippe Georget
4.0
A sweet slow burn, a mystery that brings a brutal piece of somewhat forgotten history to the forefront. An old man kills another old man; a shot to the stomach and the kill shot to the heart. Inspector Sebag is called to the scene and quickly we become involved with old wounds that haven't healed. OAS (dissident organization fighting to keep Algeria under French regime) is scrawled on the door of the victims home and so begins the history lesson of the Algerian War (Algeria fighting for it's independence from France from 1954-62) and those who fought for it and against it and those who are still fighting it.
It's a complex story that weaves the various stories together bringing us a well-told and thoughtful mystery. Throughout I was constantly asking myself questions; who, why, why now, who is this old man? Walking the story with Inspector Sebag was a walk I enjoyed! Not only were we privy to being a part of the investigation, but were privy to his internal struggle with his personal life, especially with his wife.
The people who worked with the Inspector were a dysfunctional bunch. Some not coming into work when the didn't feel like it and others who cut corners because they couldn't be bothered. But when push came to shove, they had each others back. And thanks to the Inspectors pushing them, they murders, past and present, where solved.
Truly enjoyed this book! The story kept me vested in the investigation, the characters where believable and flawed, the history of the Algerian War was intriguing (weaving history within a contemporary story), and the style in which it was told was unique and welcomed.
I love Donna Leon's Commissario Guido Brunetti series, and this reminded me somewhat of those books.
It's a complex story that weaves the various stories together bringing us a well-told and thoughtful mystery. Throughout I was constantly asking myself questions; who, why, why now, who is this old man? Walking the story with Inspector Sebag was a walk I enjoyed! Not only were we privy to being a part of the investigation, but were privy to his internal struggle with his personal life, especially with his wife.
The people who worked with the Inspector were a dysfunctional bunch. Some not coming into work when the didn't feel like it and others who cut corners because they couldn't be bothered. But when push came to shove, they had each others back. And thanks to the Inspectors pushing them, they murders, past and present, where solved.
Truly enjoyed this book! The story kept me vested in the investigation, the characters where believable and flawed, the history of the Algerian War was intriguing (weaving history within a contemporary story), and the style in which it was told was unique and welcomed.
I love Donna Leon's Commissario Guido Brunetti series, and this reminded me somewhat of those books.