Fatale
Written by Jean-Patrick Manchette, translated by Donald Nicholson-Smith — It is not fashionable anymore to be a leftist writer of crime fiction. Yet there have been a few crime writers whose works we now consider to be classics who had left-leaning political convictions. Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo, Dashiel Hammett,…
The Mad and the Bad
When a kidnapping goes wrong a young nanny, just released from an asylum, and her charge are pursued across the French countryside by bungling gangsters and a dyspeptic English hitman. This story is equal parts hardboiled thriller and capitalist satire. Winner of the French Grand…
The Mad and the Bad by Jean-Patrick Machete
Translated by Donald Nicholson-Smith — Last month we celebrated Bastille Day with a look at the best French crime fiction. My two suggestions for that list were written by Manchette. The quality of this author hasn’t escaped the eye of publishers New York Review Books,…
DCI Banks in Abattoir Blues, and more...
On the Radar — Yes, fans of Peter Robinson can rejoice as the 22nd Banks novel hits the presses, but that’s not all. We’ve got nine other new titles for you to contemplate this week including something set in 16th century Italy as well as…
Bastille Day Special: The best of French crime fiction
On 14 July, all of France celebrates Bastille Day. On this day in 1789, the infamous Paris prison was stormed by the mob, thus heralding the Revolution and the end of the ancien régime. To honour the occasion, the lovers of French crime fiction within…