Hot night in town
Trevanian
The simple fact of seeing the name appear Trevanian on a list of upcoming publications is already generating interest. This mysterious author of whom little is known about his work and life disappeared in 2005 after being declared dead on several occasions: he enjoys a legendary, almost mythical aura. We have already spoken to you in our pages about Handhis novel set in Montreal at the end of the 1950s, then a strange western, Incident at Twenty Mileand finally a Basque tragedy, Katya’s summer. His work, unclassifiable and protean, has the main characteristic of literally mutating by changing style and genre with each book. Here we are offered a series of stories taking place almost everywhere in major cities around the world and which, according to the press release, take the form of “a festival of action, humor and emotion, always served by Trevanian’s ironic and sharp point of view on the human condition. We’re dying of impatience…
Gallmeister, February-March
Civilized
Patrick Senécal
When we leaf through the catalog of Alire editions, we come across a breathtaking figure: since the publication of On the thresholdn 1998, Patrick Senécal has sold over a million books. His novels can be found in all bookstores and you can even find them on the FNAC website, where almost all of his works are available. This is a success that must be underlined, especially since Senécal’s new opus should easily reach the top. Here, it all starts with a small advert published in a newspaper: a company is looking for twelve volunteers to undergo a series of tests over two weeks. We promise an immersive and stimulating adventure requiring great adaptability. The premium is very attractive and the selection promises to be relentless. Small detail not at all trivial when you know Senécal, the twelve candidates must be ready to test their limits. We can already guess that the notion of limit will prove crucial.
Alire, March
The Shame of Frank White
Jacques Savoie
It’s really nice to see it reappear Jacques Savoiethe author of Revolving doors then a whole series of intriguing thrillers. Here, it is not his bizarre inspector Jérôme Marceau who leads the investigation, but rather a journalist, François Leblanc, alias Frank White, who will take charge of it despite himself. White-Leblanc, who has denied his Acadian past, finds himself in Atlanta, Georgia, looking for his missing friend, also a reporter. This Laurence Tourville, born in China and adopted by a Quebecer, was to receive a journalism prize there, but now she is kidnapped and Frank follows in his partner’s footsteps. The story takes place in the torn America we know, against a backdrop of racism, intolerance and violence, but it turns out that White-Leblanc will be forced to make a detour to Moncton and his tragic childhood. . Everything suggests that the notion of identity is at the heart of the investigation…
Free Expression, April
The outcasts
Arnaldur Indridason
From The city of jars and the investigations of Commissioner Erlendur at the beginning of the millennium, Arnaldur Indridason has been translated into more than forty languages and it has become the very image of Icelandic crime fiction. His Erlendur has now given way to Konrad, a retired detective who discreetly investigates ” cold cases » using his contacts. In this fifth part, an old pistol surfaces in a widow’s belongings and the former police officer takes an interest in it. Especially because his father had a similar one and the circumstances of his death have still not been clarified. Konrad always seems to take up the same investigation, which is ultimately an investigation into Icelandic society of a certain period, into himself, too, and into what he became after the reprehensible actions of this dishonest father who conditioned his life choices and even his career. Indridason’s intimate writing excels at describing the dark corners of the soul.
Metallic, February-March
Red like the sea
Lilja Sigurdardottir
There are two Sigurdardottirs, who write a thriller every year, and both are obviously Icelandic. First Yrsa, whose inspector Huldar has already carried out several investigations translated into French; And Lilja Sigurdardottirwho especially established himself with his trilogy Reykjavik black, which we told you about here. The latter’s new opus is the second part of another trilogy featuring a… financial investigator. Aurora works in England and has returned to Iceland to shed light on the disappearance of her sister, Isafold (see Cold as hell from the same publisher). Still in Reykjavík, she continues her investigation here, determined to find the body of her missing sister and to convict her murderer; the novel begins as she explores a new lead. The press release highlights the multiple and surprising twists and turns of the plot… which fits quite well with the style we know from his first books denouncing violence against women.
Metallic, March