After Daggers in smiles and Requiem for a Diamond, Cécile Cabanac is back with The little refrain of horror. The native author of the Basque Country, former journalist for television (Les Maternelles, Let the accused enter…) is today an essential pen of the French noir novel.
secrets in the walls
In this reading, you will follow Commander Virginie Sevran in her investigation. A man has bought a house in which he is undertaking work. While demolishing a wall, he discovers a body: a young girl immured. He calls the police who intervene in the night and discover two other bodies: two young boys.
Quite quickly, a link is established: the former owners of the house were host families of the DDASS. The investigators will pull this thread, which will introduce us to different protagonists, all witnesses of what happened in this house, a house which is almost a character in its own right in the story.
The place of the media in criminal cases
In La petite ritornello de l’honneur, the media have an important role, as in general in this kind of business. “They are on the lookout to respond to a request from the public” explains Cécile Cabanac. In this novel, she presents her colleagues in a way that may seem critical at first, but in fact, we realize that they are useful to the investigation, they are not only obstacles but become helpers. “Everyone has a well-defined role in this affair, and the journalist has her role too” underlines the author.
Dysfunctions of social services
Through the lines of Cécile Cabanac, one can feel a form of criticism of the functioning of social services. She recognizes him. Her past as a journalist inevitably resurfaces from time to time, and she remembers the subjects of dysfunctions of these structures, and recalls that the situation has changed little today.
The French craze for news items
Detective fiction on television, crime series, reading thrillers, or even more concretely the success of Society magazine’s investigation into Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès… Miscellaneous facts fascinate the French! “I think that everyone finds in news items forms of tragedies that unfold before our eyes. There is a form of curiosity” analyzes Cécile Cabanac. In any case, she likes to explore the psychology of her characters, and that fascinates readers.
If you like the genre, you will definitely like The little refrain of horror by Cécile Cabanac published by Fleuve.
– River Editions