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Have Mercy on Us All, by Fred VargasThis is the third book in the series about the eccentric and very special Detective Commisaire Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg. And it is a fantastic book. At least, to me it In this book the eccentric,enigmatic and intuitive detective - in an eccentric plot - has been made commisaire principal, head of a new section in the Paris police force. His style of leadership, of course, is as interesting as the commisaire himself! At the center of this book is the threat of plague - the Black death, no less in Paris. A murderer, or several, creates a panic in Paris while they systematically kill people. But why? How are the victims and murderers related? Why do the use the plague as a guise? And, of course, who are the killers? There are many and complicated questions and very few clues. Even Adamsberg, so famous for his intuition and photographic memory of images, as well as for his unclear, convoluted, sometimes quite muddled thinking, loses track of it all, somewhere in the great sea of his unfinished thoughts. Death at La Fenice, by Donna LeonLa Fenice is the name of the famed opera house in Venice. The novel starts with the death of the well-known German conductor Helmut Wellauer. He is found dead in his dressing room after an intermission, shortly before he was to conduct La Traviata. Of course, the police are called.  
The detective in charge is Guido Brunetti, vice-commissario of police in Venice, and the hero of many of Donna Leon's stories. He is a brilliant, quintessential police detective. "He was a surprisingly neat man: tie carefully knotted, hair shorter than was the fashion; even his ears lay close to his head, as if reluctant to call attention to themselves. His clothing marked him as Italian. The cadence of his speech announced that he was Venetian. His eyes were all policeman." Brunetti is an interesting character, especially in Death at La Fenice. He has a loving wife and a family life that does not interfere too much with his work. He is broad minded and has considerable wisdom. And he has the ability to understand people - not only what they express, but also what they hold back. And, contrary to many American detectives in crime novels, he is understanding and respectful. The dead conductor, Wellauer, has been drinking coffee that has the unmistakable bitter-almond odor of cyanide. His death is a scandal to the city. And as Brunetti starts to investigate, he quickly realizes that the suspects are multiple. The great conductor Wellauer was loved for his music, but he was a man with many enemies and that had destroyed many lives. Death at La Fenice is a great and entertaining book. Leon's turn of phrase is descriptive, delicious and delightful. You see and hear what you read. It all feels amazingly detailed and real, and the plot moves nicely along as well. Death at La Fenice is one of the best police procedurals of the last decade. |
Siste 8 bokanmeldelserDødens konsulent, av Arild Rypdal |
It is a book that made me laugh, feel great respect for Fred Vargas for her wonderful observations and astonishing descriptions and dialogues. And Have Mercy On Us All was a considerable hit in France as well. It was chosen by the booksellers of France and by the readers of Elle magazine as their Book of the Year. 
by Fred Vargas from amazon UK as well! 
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by Donna Leon.
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