Graeme Macrae Burnet gives us a multi-layered treat as Chief Inspector Georges Gorski looks into the death of Bertrand Barthelme. The respected local solicitor died when his Mercedes hit a tree after sliding off the A35 near the quiet Alsace town of Saint-Louis. The attractive widow encourages Gorksi to probe further. It sits somewhere between police procedural and literary mystery and Burnet expertly steers the narrative.
On one hand it’s a poignant study and gentle exploration of Gorski’s melancholic character. It can be read as an homage to the great Georges Simenon and there is even a coming-of-age tale nestling within as Barthelme’s teenage son, Raymond, tugs at his dead father’s secrets. Man Booker Prize-nominated Burnet again pursues the fiction/faction styling that has been his trope. Yet another layer in a novel that is one to be savoured. Read our full review here.