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A review by jmatkinson1
The Accordionist by Fred Vargas
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.
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.