Short description
Joss le Guern is a town crier in Paris's 14th arrondissement. Over the course of a few days, however, a number of enigmatic and disturbing messages are slipped in to the daily news, and he becomes increasingly alarmed. In the course of his inquiries he begins to sense a sinister and often grotesque menace.
Long description
Each day, in honour of a Parisian tradition, a town crier calls out the local news to all who will listen. Over the course of a few days a number of disturbing messages are slipped in to his box, messages of portentous and malicious intent referring to the Black Death. Strange marks have also appeared on the doors of several buildings: symbols once used to ward off the plague. Detective Commissaire Adamsberg begins to sense a connection, even a grotesque menace. Then charred and flea-bitten corpses are found. The press seizes on their plague-like symptoms, and the panic sets in...
Review
Moody, tense and grotesque, Vargas's prize-winning novel is a fascinating exploration of Paris's dark side.
-- Guardian
A delicious Parisian chiller.
-- Independent
Fred Vargas has everything: complex and surprising plots, good pace, various and eccentric characters, a sense of place and history, individualized dialogue, wit and style.
-- Times Literary Supplement