Adapted for television in France, the first of the Nicolas Le Floch mysteries tells the story of murder against the backdrop of the glittering court of Louis XV.
'Has all the twists, turns and surprises the genre demands' Independent on Sunday
It's France, 1761. Beyond the glittering court of Louis XV and Madame de Pompadour at Versailles, lies Paris, a capital in the grip of crime and immorality ... A police officer disappears and Nicolas Le Floch, a young recruit to the force, is instructed to find him. When unidentified human remains suddenly come to light, he seems to have a murder investigation on his hands. As the city descends into Carnival debauchery, Le Floch will need all his skill, courage and integrity to unravel a mystery which threatens to implicate the highest in the land.
This is the first in a series of six historical crime novels which has sold in excess of 400,000 copies in French. The author brings eighteenth-century Paris vividly to life and the story features real-life characters Madame de Pompadour and Louis XV as well as engaging hero Nicolas le Floch.
About the Author :
Jean-François Parot was a diplomat and historian. He is the author of the Nicolas Le Floch mysteries, which take place in eighteenth century France. The novels, beginning with The Châtelet Apprentice, have been adapted as a successful TV series shown on France 2. Parot died in 2018.
Michael Glencross lives and works in France as a translator. His most recent translations into English include The Dream by Emile Zola and Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne.
Review :
'A terrific book ... brilliantly evokes the casual brutality of life in eighteenth-century France' Sunday Times
'As historical mysteries go, Victorian England has its charms; but dirty, pestilential 18th-century France really promises a walk on the wild side. Jean-François Parot delivers on that pledge with gusto' New York Times
'Has all the twists, turns and surprises the genre demands' Independent on Sunday
'Parot succeeds brilliantly in the reconstruction of of pre-revolutionary Paris' Times
'An engaging murder mystery that picks away at the delicate power balance between king, police and state' Financial Times
'The outstanding attention to historical detail and a writing style that is vaguely reminiscent of its 18th century time period sets this book apart from many in the genre' Portland Book Review
