Synopsis/blurb….
'The French master of
noir' Observer
It felt like the
slipknot on a rope round my chest was being tightened without pity
Trouble is the last
thing Albert needs. Travelling back to his childhood home on Christmas Eve to
mourn his mother's death, he finds the loneliness and nostalgia of his Parisian
quartier unbearable... Until, that evening, he encounters a beautiful,
seemingly innocent woman at a brasserie, and his spirits are lifted.
Still, something
about the woman disturbs him. Where is the father of her child? And what are
those two red stains on her sleeve? When she invites him back to her apartment,
Albert thinks he's in luck. But a monstrous scene awaits them, and he finds
himself lured into the darkness against his better judgment.
Unravelling like a
paranoid nightmare, Bird in a Cage melds existentialist drama with thrilling
noir to tell the story of a man trapped in a prison of his own making.
'Disturbing from the
outset with strong echoes of Dard's hero Simenon' Sunday Times Crime Club, star
pick
'Exceedingly
clever... you can only squirm more enjoyably into your seat as you read on'
Bookbag, 5 stars
'If you're a fan of
Film Noir, you'll love Bird in a Cage...if all the novels in the Vertigo series
are this good, I predict I'll be needing more bookshelves.' Randall Writes
One of those books where you finish and find yourself
marvelling at the author’s skill in executing a perfectly plausible and
believable outcome, even while a major portion of your brain rebels against the
resolution and the consequences for the main character.
123 pages from start to finish. Short, tense and compelling.
Our main character Albert returns home after four years away.
His mother has passed whilst he’s been gone, it’s Christmas Eve and he’s alone.
“How old does a man have to be not
to feel like an orphan when he loses his mother?”
A trip outdoors
wandering around his neighbourhood has him encountering an attractive woman in
a bar, her young daughter in tow. Mme Dravet reminds him of his lost love Anne.
“However strong your feeling may
be for someone’s who’s gone, it can’t be called love.”
The two get talking and return first to his house and then
hers….big mistake!
Albert you should have stayed home!
I really, really liked this - length - big tick, characters - tick, set-up - tick, writing - big tick, setting - tick, resolution - big tick! Recommended to all.
5 from 5
I look forward to reading more
from the prolific Frederic Dard, though my reading will be limited to whatever gets
translated and reissued by Pushkin Vertigo. Crush and The Wicked Go To Hell await! Otherwise - je ne comprends pas!
There's some more coherent thoughts on Bird in a Cage over at A Crime is Afoot.
Read in September 2016
Copy received from the publisher.
Sounds very suspenseful, Col. And I know what you mean about authors who have the talent to get you to believe something, even if it's implausible to your rational mind. Glad this one was a hit for you.
ReplyDeleteA really really good one here Margot. I'm kind of reminded of Garnier to a degree. I know you like him and I think this one might be up your street!
DeleteThe shortness of the book makes it well worth a try, for sure. I am sure I will try something by this author someday.
ReplyDeleteHighly recommended, Tracy.
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