Irene by Pierre Lemaitre
For Commandant Verhoeven life is beautiful: he's happily married, and expecting his first child with the lovely Irene. But his blissful existence is punctured by a murder so savage that even the most hardened officers on the force are shaken to the core. In the face of the seemingly motiveless horror, only Verhoeven makes the vital connection - the crime scene resembles one described in a James Ellroy novel too closely for there to be any coincidence. As the stylised murders continue, Verhoeven traces the crimes' literary inspirations, and risks his superiors' ire by taking out adverts to inform the killer of his progress. Before long, the case develops into a personal duel, with each man hell-bent on outsmarting his opponent. There can only be one winner - whoever has the least to lose...
'Quirky, brutal and not for the faint-hearted, it is crime fiction of the highest class.. Superbly constructed and executed, it puts Lemaitre very close to Ellroy's class. If you pick it up, you won't be able to put it down' Geoffrey Wansell, Daily Mail. * Daily Mail *
'Irène, Pierre Lemaitre's first novel, will be the book that people will remember in years to come. Intelligent and engrossing, it's a worthwhile read primarily for that sense of amazement that will have you flicking back through pages looking for the mirrors or trapdoors, but also because of the mystery itself. A crime novel for genre fans penned by a man who is obviously a fan himself' Reader Dad. * Reader Dad *
'A unique and gritty novel firmly placing Lemaitre as one of the most talented authors writing in the genre today' Upcoming4.me. * Upcoming4me *
'Fans of the legendary Derek Raymond will love this gem' Sunday Sport. * Sunday Sport *
'Gripping, frightening, intelligent and brilliant' Marcel Berlins, The Times. * The Times *
'Having now read two of his books I am even more impressed by the writing of Pierre Lemaitre, and am already looking forward to the third book being released in English' A Book Worm. * A Book Worm *
'Ingeniously plotted, deftly mixing dark and comic scenes, introducing the detective's team with panache' John Dugdale, Sunday Times. * Sunday Times *
'Irène builds on the considerable promise of Alex and confirms Camille Verh÷ven as one of the most intriguing protagonists to emerge in crime fiction in recent years' Declan Burke, Irish Times. * Irish Times *
'Thrilling ... with a page-turning race to a grand-slam finish' Laura Wilson, Guardian. * Guardian *
'Irène, Pierre Lemaitre's first novel, will be the book that people will remember in years to come. Intelligent and engrossing, it's a worthwhile read primarily for that sense of amazement that will have you flicking back through pages looking for the mirrors or trapdoors, but also because of the mystery itself. A crime novel for genre fans penned by a man who is obviously a fan himself' Reader Dad. * Reader Dad *
'A unique and gritty novel firmly placing Lemaitre as one of the most talented authors writing in the genre today' Upcoming4.me. * Upcoming4me *
'Fans of the legendary Derek Raymond will love this gem' Sunday Sport. * Sunday Sport *
'Gripping, frightening, intelligent and brilliant' Marcel Berlins, The Times. * The Times *
'Having now read two of his books I am even more impressed by the writing of Pierre Lemaitre, and am already looking forward to the third book being released in English' A Book Worm. * A Book Worm *
'Ingeniously plotted, deftly mixing dark and comic scenes, introducing the detective's team with panache' John Dugdale, Sunday Times. * Sunday Times *
'Irène builds on the considerable promise of Alex and confirms Camille Verh÷ven as one of the most intriguing protagonists to emerge in crime fiction in recent years' Declan Burke, Irish Times. * Irish Times *
'Thrilling ... with a page-turning race to a grand-slam finish' Laura Wilson, Guardian. * Guardian *
Pierre Lemaitre was born in Paris in 1951. He worked for many years as a teacher of literature before becoming a novelist. He was awarded the Crime Writers' Association International Dagger, alongside Fred Vargas, for Alex, and as sole winner for Camille. In 2013 his novel Au revoir là-haut (The Great Swindle, in English translation) won the Prix Goncourt, France's leading literary award.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780857052896 |
| ISBN 10 | 0857052896 |
| Title | Irene |
| Author | Pierre Lemaitre |
| Series | The Paris Crime Files |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Quercus Publishing |
| Year published | 2014-03-06 |
| Number of pages | 368 |
| Prizes | Winner of Prix du Roman Policier du Festival de Cognac 2006 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |