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meganpbennett's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Bruno is a very quintessential small town cop. St. Denis is a very safe hamlet in the French countryside, one where the normal crimes are people selling farm-made cheese and homemade pickles, jams, and sausage at the local markets in defiance of European regulations. There's even a very minor subplot involving a potato up the tailpipe of the inspectors. St. Denis is small and peaceful. Until... an old man is found, brutally murdered, complete with a Swastika carved into his chest. His war medal and a photograph of him as a young man playing soccer were stolen.
What I found the most interesting is how the author describes the small town and the community within it. The murder takes a backseat, despite this being a murder mystery, to racial tensions and community issues. It was very odd to read this on the eve of the 2022 French election, with Le Pen at her mostly likely to chance ever to be elected. The racial tensions, and the history of Vichy France and the Resistance play an important part in the story.
Slight spoiler: do to complications in the murder investigation, the killers are neither completely identified nor brought to justice. If you have to have that, this book is not for you. It's very clear who did it and why, and it is left up to reader to decide if what happened was right or wrong.
What I found the most interesting is how the author describes the small town and the community within it. The murder takes a backseat, despite this being a murder mystery, to racial tensions and community issues. It was very odd to read this on the eve of the 2022 French election, with Le Pen at her mostly likely to chance ever to be elected. The racial tensions, and the history of Vichy France and the Resistance play an important part in the story.
Slight spoiler: do to complications in the murder investigation, the killers are neither completely identified nor brought to justice. If you have to have that, this book is not for you. It's very clear who did it and why, and it is left up to reader to decide if what happened was right or wrong.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gore, and Murder
Moderate: Drug use, Hate crime, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, and Alcohol
Minor: Abandonment
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