Vargas, Fred

While Vargas has won numerous international mystery and thriller awards, she is not well known in the United States. This book, which stands well alone, is a good introduction. ["An entertaining atmospheric mystery, touched with a soupçon of the supernatural": LJ Xpress Reviews 3/3/17 review of the Penguin hc.]

The four-time winner of the CWA International Dagger returns with an entertaining atmospheric mystery, touched with a soupçon of the supernatural. While the plot is convoluted to the point of ridiculousness, the eccentric characters and decidedly French attitude toward policing (a stash of white wine is key to loosening witnesses' tongues) make this an appealing Gallic alternative for fans of Christopher Fowler's "Bryant and May" series. [See Prepub Alert, 10/3/17.]

Although this novel can stand alone, readers might appreciate gaining insight and growing attached to the characters if they become part of the team from the start. Personality traits are best appreciated by intimates, and picking up the seventh book in the series felt a little like an outsider transferring into the department. Vargas is a three-time CWA International Dagger Award winner and her tale of this quirky-but-qualified band of misfits makes for a page-turning summer read.

A nice Gallic counterpart to Christopher Fowler's very English "Peculiar Crimes Unit" series, which also hints at the supernatural and stars eccentric sleuths. Readers should suspend their disbelief at Vargas's dizzying array of plot twists and coincidences and just enjoy the roller-coaster ride. Great fun!