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4.0
‘It was a beautiful morning.’
Souleymane (known as Solo) Camara used to be a policeman in France. He’s escaped from France, leaving behind a murky past, to begin life afresh in Bamako, Mali. Here, living in his late father’s house, Solo work as a private investigator. Solo has learned a lot about how power works in Mali, how who you know and how much you pay can get results. He’s doing okay.
But then he’s approached by Farah Tebessi, a Parisian lawyer to look into the arrest of her sister Bahia. Bahia has been arrested as a drug trafficker. She had 13 kilos of cocaine hidden in her luggage. Can Solo help? He’s been recommended to Ms Tebessi by his former boss.
‘I have a saying: in Mali everything’s possible and nothing’s certain.’
But freeing Bahia becomes the beginning of Solo Camara’s nightmare. There are plenty of people with an interest in protecting a drug empire, and murder is of no concern to them. But who is in control? Any possibility that Solo could walk away from this case is quickly removed: it’s become personal.
And while Solo works on solving the case, we learn more about his past. About how he’s in the position he’s in, and why this case matters. This is a fast-paced story, with an abundance of bribery, death, sex and violence.
I enjoyed it, and I hope Laurent Guillaume writes more novels featuring Solo Camara.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Le French Book for an opportunity to read an advance copy of this novel.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Souleymane (known as Solo) Camara used to be a policeman in France. He’s escaped from France, leaving behind a murky past, to begin life afresh in Bamako, Mali. Here, living in his late father’s house, Solo work as a private investigator. Solo has learned a lot about how power works in Mali, how who you know and how much you pay can get results. He’s doing okay.
But then he’s approached by Farah Tebessi, a Parisian lawyer to look into the arrest of her sister Bahia. Bahia has been arrested as a drug trafficker. She had 13 kilos of cocaine hidden in her luggage. Can Solo help? He’s been recommended to Ms Tebessi by his former boss.
‘I have a saying: in Mali everything’s possible and nothing’s certain.’
But freeing Bahia becomes the beginning of Solo Camara’s nightmare. There are plenty of people with an interest in protecting a drug empire, and murder is of no concern to them. But who is in control? Any possibility that Solo could walk away from this case is quickly removed: it’s become personal.
And while Solo works on solving the case, we learn more about his past. About how he’s in the position he’s in, and why this case matters. This is a fast-paced story, with an abundance of bribery, death, sex and violence.
I enjoyed it, and I hope Laurent Guillaume writes more novels featuring Solo Camara.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Le French Book for an opportunity to read an advance copy of this novel.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
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