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Schwarzer Schmetterling (2011)

by Bernard Minier(Favorite Author)
3.82 of 5 Votes: 2
ISBN
3426199289 (ISBN13: 9783426199282)
languge
English
genre
publisher
Droemer
series
Commandant Martin Servaz
review 1: The Frozen Dead by Bernard Minier Once in a while I land myself with a book that helps me in reassuring myself that all is well with crime writing and THE FROZEN DEAD by Bernard Minier was one of those. All along I have maintained that what I look for most in a Mystery or a thriller is the plot. Most of the times my ratings depend upon the pace and the tightness of the plot, and added to those two very important aspect, I also look for twists. Not someone to shy away from a generous offering, I love my twists especially when they are strewn liberally all over the book.Right from the beginning when a headless dead horse is found hanging, through the brutal murder of another man, right upto the end where he kept his last twist alive, Minier wrote a book that was pretty impo... moressible to not to finish at one go. And boy did he almost turn this piece of crime writing into a horror novel. The use of the secluded landscape, the chilly weather, and the “madhouse” he created an atmosphere where I got goosebumps while reading. And I live in a tropical country. Not for a long time had I been so involved in a book I was reading. The last instance that comes to mind was a duo experience of BLUE HEAVEN by C.J. Box and another brilliant French effort IRENE from Pierre Lemaittre. And now this.I guess the only aspect where Minier followed the well trodden path is while developing martin Servaz. He was divorced, grumpy, middle aged and overweight. A pretty standard character who solves an extraordinary crime. But, one this that did make Servaz a bit different from other fictional policemen was the fact that he felt frightened when the situation was frightening. He wasn’t made into a Superman with no fright and all gloom.All in all a definite entry into my top Mysteries of all time. The pace of the plot, the twists, the atmosphere, the mad house and its inhabitants all made this book an experience to cherish.
review 2: When I saw the size of this book, I thought: "Maybe I'll just read a few pages to see what it is like." I really didn't think I would read the entire book. But I was wrong. Despite being set in France, which has a complicated system of law enforcement, and not being familiar with the local or French names, I was drawn into an intriguing story. The characters are multi-layered and interesting. It is suspenseful, but not really scary. I'm glad I read it before winter because the writer describes the cold, snowy location so you think you are in it's midst. less
Reviews (see all)
heatherkrvt
Exceptional thriller, complex and not at all predictable I would have given it 4+ stars if possible
Syd
Great crime novel that would let me put it down, the beginning was thrilling and kept me enthralled
Hermione
Superb. Enjoyable read with plenty of twists and turns and a plot that doesn't bore.
nathanfarts
Very good - Three plus stars.
fish
A real thriller!
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