The ups & downs of French specificity

It is very refreshing to read a modern detective story that uses its French setting so well. The story sends the characters from modern Paris to small villages and from glacial mountains to the coast. The parallel enquiries being carried out by Niemans and Abdouf give the book a good pace and manage to keep the reader inquisitive. In addition, the dark, unsettling atmosphere that prevails adds to the reader's apprehension. Having read the book both in French and in English, it is fair to say that the translation does not do justice to the dialogues, leading to some conversations sounding clichéd (this is always a risk when translating modern, more coarse French). However, this should not spoil the overall pleasure of the book. The film, directed by the talented Mathieu Kassovitz (la Haine)stars Jean Reno in the role of Niemans. If it manages to reproduce the atmosphere and the momentum of the book, it will be a big success.

PS : Attention, ce roman est un piège : si vous commencez la première page, vous ne pourrez pas fermer le livre avant le point final.Une fois ouvert, il est tout simplement impossible de refermer ce bouquin. Je l'ai ouvert une nuit pour tenter de trouver le sommeil, me disant que le temps que l'intrigue se mette en place, je ne prenais pas grand risque…Bilan, je n'ai pas reposé avant d'avoir tourné la dernière page.