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A review by april_does_feral_sometimes
Seeking Whom He May Devour by Fred Vargas
3.0
Seeking Whom He May Devour' by French writer Fred Vargas concentrates on the characters more than it does on crimes. Book two in the Commissaire Adamsberg series, it is better translated (?) into English than the first book, [b:The Chalk Circle Man|23351431|The Chalk Circle Man|Fred Vargas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1413131962l/23351431._SY75_.jpg|2845151]. It continues the pattern of emphasizing the quirkiness of characters, of the crimes, of the plot. Officially mysteries, I believe these novels are more humorous entertainments than they are mysteries. They are like cozies, except the murder descriptions tend to induce an ick! response. However, so far, none of the murders in the two novels has crossed into ewwww! sick bastard! territory.
In the previous novel, Commissaire Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg kept drifting into memories about an ex-girlfriend, Camille Forestier. In this story, she is actually there in most of the book. She comes back into Adamsberg's life when a werewolf begins tearing sheep apart. Yes, I said werewolf! Or is it a werewolf? The torn-out throats of the sheep have convinced the farmers it is either a large dog or wolf, but as the forensics on the ground is spare, even weird, the farmers begin to think werewolf!
As it happens, Camille's new boyfriend is a Canadian, Lawrence Donald Johnstone. He is a celebrity noted for his documentary studies of Canadian grizzly bears, but he has, for the moment, become fascinated by France's European wolves. He frequents the Mercantour Range in the Alps to study them relying on local guides.
Then, a sheep breeder is found dead, throat torn out! The murder is out of Adamsberg's Paris jurisdiction, but he couldn't help following the bizarre story in the newspapers. When he spots Camille on TV, standing next to a handsome man (Johnstone), wild dogs couldn't stop Adamsberg from starting an investigation! Of course it is only the werewolf suppositions that are of interest. Right? Clues to the murder seem to be pointing to a missing local man with a big dog. A map, with x's - possible future murders? - is discovered in the man's hut. Then, after a second murder matches an x on the map, it seems so.
I think this novel was kinda fun, a mystery road-trip undertaken by oddball characters following a map of murder!
In the previous novel, Commissaire Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg kept drifting into memories about an ex-girlfriend, Camille Forestier. In this story, she is actually there in most of the book. She comes back into Adamsberg's life when a werewolf begins tearing sheep apart. Yes, I said werewolf! Or is it a werewolf? The torn-out throats of the sheep have convinced the farmers it is either a large dog or wolf, but as the forensics on the ground is spare, even weird, the farmers begin to think werewolf!
As it happens, Camille's new boyfriend is a Canadian, Lawrence Donald Johnstone. He is a celebrity noted for his documentary studies of Canadian grizzly bears, but he has, for the moment, become fascinated by France's European wolves. He frequents the Mercantour Range in the Alps to study them relying on local guides.
Then, a sheep breeder is found dead, throat torn out! The murder is out of Adamsberg's Paris jurisdiction, but he couldn't help following the bizarre story in the newspapers. When he spots Camille on TV, standing next to a handsome man (Johnstone), wild dogs couldn't stop Adamsberg from starting an investigation! Of course it is only the werewolf suppositions that are of interest. Right? Clues to the murder seem to be pointing to a missing local man with a big dog. A map, with x's - possible future murders? - is discovered in the man's hut. Then, after a second murder matches an x on the map, it seems so.
I think this novel was kinda fun, a mystery road-trip undertaken by oddball characters following a map of murder!