Reviews

The Accordionist by Fred Vargas

roxane_titaina's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious tense fast-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? Yes

4.5

tanninsandtales's review against another edition

3.0

This is a great choice for readers who feel that most recent publications are too similar. First published in France in the 90's, it is excellent for anyone nostalgic of that decade. Other than that, [b:The Accordionist|34470672|The Accordionist (Three Evangelists Trilogy 3)|Fred Vargas|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1488765310s/34470672.jpg|55593131] has a delicious non-anglophone flavour.

In spite of it being the last installment of a series, it can easily be read as a stand-alone. I hadn't read any of the previous novels and had no difficulty following the story/characters. (Now, I want to go back and read the other two.)

(Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy!)

laurefindil's review against another edition

adventurous funny tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

thisismine_nb's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

daveg30's review

mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

jmatkinson1's review against another edition

4.0

Following a spate of brutal murders in Paris suspicion has fallen on a young accordionist seen loitering near the victim's homes. Clement is a simple young man and when he realises he is being set up he seeks out the only person he trusts, an old prostitute called Marthe. She takes Clement to her erstwhile lover and he recruits the 'three evangelists' to help solve the mystery.

Fred Vargas has a knack of writing about horrible crimes but with a real sense of humour and emotional intelligence, her characters are quirky and interesting. So whilst this is not her most engaging book, it is still streets ahead of most fiction in the genre. The investigator with the pet toad and an encyclopaedic knowledge of the police departments of France is a new and interesting character. However I did find the ending a little messy and too convenient.

richardhannay's review against another edition

3.0

Un libro regularcito. Por un lado tiene buenos personajes y un buen desarrollo por otro hay demasiados buenos personajes y demasiado barullo y sobre todo, como sucede en casi todos los libros de Fred Vargas el final no está a la altura del libro. Empecemos por los personajes. Este libro es el último de los tres que conforman la Serie "Los Tres Evangelistas" que empezaron siendo cuatro y se convirtieron en seis con la adición en la novela anterior del ciclo "Un peu plus loin sur la droite" de Louis Kehrweiler y de su sapo Bufo. Demasiado investigador para tan poco argumento y, como consecuencia de lso Tres Evangelistas originales casi sólo queda Marc Vandoosler, los restantes convertidos en elementos de atrezzo. Una pena porque el equipo original de "Debout les morts" era mucho más divertido y original que "Un hombre y su sapo".

Pero con todo lo peor de la novela es el final que, como digo no está a la altuar del desarrollo. Desde casi su primera aparición hasta el lector más torpe sabe quien va a ser el asesino pero la forma en la que Marc lo descubre daría vergÚenza al peor operador del Deus ex machina barroco. Demasiados interrogantes quedan sobre la mesa como por ejemplo porqué pasan tantos años desde la segunda mujer asesinada hasta la tercera. Finalmente el "perdón" que graciosamente concede Kehrweiler al violador "le secateur" que ni ha colaborado en la investigación ni ha expresado una brizna de arrepentimiento es chocante y poco convincente. ¿habla Kehrweiler en nombre del Minsiterio Fiscal? Su amigo policía no le va a preguntar por él como cortesmente no le ha preguntado por dónde ha estado Clément todo este tiempo?. En fin. Una novelita menor, entretenida, con buen ritmo pero finalmente decepcionante.

_oblivia's review against another edition

5.0

oddio credo di adorare questa donna... perchè fino a poco tempo fa non avevo mai letto nulla di suo?!? *-*
gli oscuri misteri del destino.. cmq.. una volta che inizi a leggerlo non riesci a smettere di andare avanti, è impossibile e adoro ogni singolo personaggio, (qualcuno un po' di più di altri >.<).

-e chi ti dice che saremo d'accordo?
-Vandoosler il vecchio lo sarà. Adora le situazioni del cazzo.
-vero

coralang's review against another edition

4.0

J’ai adoré ce livre de Fred Vargas. L’intrigue est maintenue tout au long. Les personnages sont à la fois uniques et surprenant. On s’attache sans trop d’efforts aux évangélistes et à leur entourage. Bravo

cristinanori's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0