Scan barcode
8797999's review against another edition
4.0
This was good! A book I started a while back (May 2020) but got side tracked amongst many others. Not a reflection on the book at all. I seriously started it a few days ago and haven't been able to put it down.
A very interesting case following the kidnapping of a Dutch woman in Perpignan, amongst several other related crimes against Dutch women - are they coincidence or related? The book has several strands and a few red herrings to muddy the waters. An interesting antagonist - I sussed it partially through the story. I like the characters although the main characters love life and relationship with his wife did irritate me, but I suppose it shows a human side when antagonists are usually super human in these sorts of books.
I like the setting of Perpignan too, a very beautiful place and vividly described. There is a lot going on in this book and I will look forward to getting around to reading the follow ups to this. This has been a book on my reading list for a few years. Well worth the wait.
A very interesting case following the kidnapping of a Dutch woman in Perpignan, amongst several other related crimes against Dutch women - are they coincidence or related? The book has several strands and a few red herrings to muddy the waters. An interesting antagonist - I sussed it partially through the story. I like the characters although the main characters love life and relationship with his wife did irritate me, but I suppose it shows a human side when antagonists are usually super human in these sorts of books.
I like the setting of Perpignan too, a very beautiful place and vividly described. There is a lot going on in this book and I will look forward to getting around to reading the follow ups to this. This has been a book on my reading list for a few years. Well worth the wait.
seaswift14's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
liberrydude's review against another edition
3.0
A weird title totally unrelated to the story. Yes, there's a cat but it's only mentioned in passing. It's another hot summer in France near the Spanish border on the Mediterranean coast and a police detective is anything but bored as he's facing not only some professional challenges but questions about his wife's fidelity. His kids are away with friends. His wife goes on a cruise alone and he's probably facing the case or cases of a lifetime involving a kidnapping, a murder, and an attempted kidnapping all of Dutch women. Are they related? Gilles, the detective, is pretty calm and seeks solace in swimming in his pool and good food. He reminds me a lot of Inspector Montalbano except he is happily married or is he? As he has time for introspection he has caught his wife in a white lie and agonizes over whether to become a detective in his relationship. The plot moves along slowly and steadily and some of the slights the detective engage in seem petty in their eagerness to get it right. It's a sedate page turner. They are a pretty competitive bunch of cops. The ending is tied up in a satisfactory manner but I was still surprised the cops didn't forsee one of the end results but there are plenty of surprising twists and turns. Hoping there are more to come from Philippe Georget with Inspector Gilles Sebag.
doobyus's review against another edition
2.0
an ok story, a bit plodding, and the clues and cues felt obvious and overworked. maybe it's the translation i didn't like; it seemed to be very literal and left too much french idiom and syntax which, when done well, creates a sense of place but, when done badly only serves to distract. sorry.
emmakg's review against another edition
4.0
I read ‘summertime, all the cats are bored’ last night and enjoyed it. Sebag was an interesting guy without relying on the usual dark past back story for a crime story! His career had stalled (read, been ruined) when he took paternity leave and shared parental leave when his daughter was born, which was an interesting spin! There was an emphasis on this being down to the traditional values of the French police but it seemed like a wider comment on the French attitude to fathers taking a more equal role in parenting. The relationships with his children and wife were super vivid and genuine - but kind of painful at times to be honest. Deffo recommend.
janettedv's review against another edition
4.0
I couldn't not buy this book when I realised that it was set in my favourite part of France. I liked the character of the inspector and the mystery was intriguing with a tense ending.
emmkayt's review against another edition
3.0
A police procedural translated from the French, set in Perpignan, near the Spanish border. A young Dutch woman is kidnapped, and Inspector Gilles Sebag is on the case. I particularly enjoyed the setting - lots of drinking of pastis, and descriptions of the scenery. The story itself was absorbing enough, if cliched. I was surprised though that it was written in this century, given all the male detectives and the rotating gaggle of female secretaries, whose non-speaking roles seemed limited to handing out documents or coffee while being very conscious of the effect their miniskirt or blouse is having...
debdeb's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
3.5
theshepherdsjournal's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5