"Lots of initial promise, but the plot proves improbable and the execution melodramatic." -- Kirkus Reviews
"The mystery kept me reading, but only because it employed some not-too-believable plot lines to keep readers in suspense." -- Rhaposdy in Books
"...an intriguing if formulaic thriller, featuring skeletons in every closet, secret love, murder and even an occasional nod to James Bond" -- Boston Globe
The frame story, which happens in just two days, is fast-paced; in fact, the author insists on showing you how fast paced it is by date-and-time stamping each chapter with a particular date in 1998. The main character, Marc, rushes from place, all over France by train, by Paris Metro, sometimes running on foot, and sometimes driving an ancient and rickety van, and also frantically trying by phone to reach Lylie, the other main character. He also has to defend himself against a couple of murderous opponents. And as he rushes around, at the same he is reading an account of the past, beginning in 1980 and continuing through he 90s, written by a private detective named Crédule Grand Duc. Bussi also provides flashbacks to the past that illuminate the central mystery.
The central mystery is the identity of Lylie. As a baby, she was found on a mountainside near Switzerland after a horrendous airplane crash. Miraculously, while the other passengers died in the explosion that followed the crash, she had been thrown from the wreckage and survived on the ground until the firemen arrived. The mystery at the center of the novel is her identity: two babies were on board with their now-deceased parents, and there's no way to discover which of the two is the survivor. DNA analysis became available only a decade or so later, and while one wonders why it wasn't tried as soon as possible, that also becomes one of the implausible elements of the plot.
Implausible is the word for much of this novel, but it's the plot that really seems unlikely, including many loose ends. For example, the sometimes-bizarre violence described would surely have brought in police action. The characters and details of their lives are more believable than the plot, which I think explains why the book is popular -- and why I kept reading. The families that claim the baby are exaggeratedly different in social standing: one insanely rich, one insanely poor. Further, most of the characters are either at the extreme of rotten human degradation or at the extreme of kind, sweet, human loveableness.
A few food mentions helped to portray the social standing of the characters: these are a bit off-beat. Marc's grandparents made a marginal living by running a food truck, which they would take to the beach on summer Sundays and to local events like a kite-flying fair. They sell cider, fries, sausages, crêpes, waffles, and other snacks to beach-goers and tourists. 
And: "A Salammbô was Marc’s favorite cake. Or, at least, it had been when he was ten years old." (p. 252) This green-frosted eclair was popular with kids, but his grandmother keeps buying it as a treat for him: "Marc had stopped liking the weird green cakes when he was eleven, but had never dared tell his grandmother. It was the cheapest item in the bakery." (p. 295).
And: "A Salammbô was Marc’s favorite cake. Or, at least, it had been when he was ten years old." (p. 252) This green-frosted eclair was popular with kids, but his grandmother keeps buying it as a treat for him: "Marc had stopped liking the weird green cakes when he was eleven, but had never dared tell his grandmother. It was the cheapest item in the bakery." (p. 295).
On the other hand, Crédule Grand Duc, the detective who worked on the mystery of Lylie's identity for 18 years, embodies a love of very luxurious food. In particular, when he visits the region where the crash took place, he always drinks the very rare and special Vin Jaune of the Jura Mountains: "Apparently I needed to drink an entire bottle of Vin Jaune before my imagination started working properly." (p. 288) In addition to loving food, while investigating in Turkey, the place where the fatal plane originated, he becomes fond of the Turkish smoking custom: "The hookah, raki, and the inevitable keyif; afternoon tea served on a silver platter, in carved glass beakers, so hot it burns your lips as you refresh yourself between increasingly insane questions." (p. 143)
Despite all the flaws, I kept reading, because the suspense builds up despite all the implausible details. In fact, I suspect that the unbelievable nature of Bussi's plot makes the whole novel more, not less, fun to read.
Blog post © 2022 mae sander.
Hello,
ReplyDeleteAfter the Crash sounds interesting. I have never seen an eclair with green icing, I prefer chocolate. Thanks for sharing the review. Have a great weekend.
I haven't heard of this novel, but it sounds like a decent read. Thanks for sharing Mae. hugs-Erika
ReplyDeleteToo many books, too little time. Choices...
ReplyDeleteI never heard about this book, it sounds interesting though.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great book. Oh hey, I will eat an eclair with any color frosting. LOL
ReplyDeleteWow, I was more mesmerized by your review than I was of the book itself. It was YOU who made me want to seek this out.
ReplyDeleteI actually found it very well done. I really enjoy how Bussi writes. Have been listening to all his novels, including his most recent ones in YA. So good, I think
ReplyDeleteMaybe the author drank an entire bottle of Vin Jaune to get his imagination working?
ReplyDelete