The narration has the simple momentum of classic crime writing, heavy on lit cigarettes, light on subordinate clauses. Irresponsibly drawn to Lucette – he knows he’s a fool – Gorski digs for dirt on Bertrand, who at the time of his death was not (as his wife believed) returning from a traditional midweek supper with colleagues. That was Bertrand’s cover story – but for what? Why did he secretly withdraw a large wad of cash every Tuesday morning? And isn’t it odd that the damage to his Mercedes doesn’t seem consistent with hitting a tree? The proprietor carefully placed a bottle on a paper doily in front of him. Then he lit a cigarette himself. Usually in such a situation, the proprietor of a bar will busy himself with some menial task- polishing glasses or wiping down surfaces - so that his customer does not feel self conscious about drinking alone. Or he will feel the need to offer some banal remarks. But the proprietor of the cafe on the corner of Rue Saint-Fiacre did neither of these things. He simply stood behind the counter, watching Gorski with a placid expression.” What bugs me is I can’t find his two other books in my library. That bugs me when 1) I can’t remember if I gave books away (and as best my feeble brain can recall I did not), and 2) if I did not give them away where in the hell are they? 😟 The deceased’s seventeen-year-old son, Raymond (the same name as the “author’s”), appears relieved by his father’s death. “…a certain lightness; a feeling similar to that which he experienced when the school year ended for summer, or when spring arrived and it became possible to leave the house without a winter coat.”

The Accident on the A35 is a darkly humorous, subtle, and sophisticated novel that burrows into the psyches of its characters and explores the dark corners of life in a sleepy town.”And that's all I'll say for the story itself: it would be shame to give too much away. A couple weeks ago I wrote of Pierre Lemaitre's Three Days and a Life that it reminded me of Simenon and Highsmith, only to wonder this week at my narrow range of reference – because this book really reminded me of Simenon, almost to the point of parody. Now I suspect that was exactly the point. Faux-Maigret. Responding firefighters from Axminster and Colyton set about casualty care, while screening off the crash scene and making the vehicles and area safe. Because of the death of the editor Pires, a trainee who subsequently received the manuscripts had put them to one side, not realising that they linked up with a previously published novel of Brunet called The Disappearance of Adele Bedeau. The link was recognised later by another editor at the publishers, who then published a second novel from the manuscripts as The Accident on the A35. Graeme Burnet uses this as a clever structural device to add mystery and intrigue to what otherwise would be a straightforward police mystery novel. The reader sees the novel as being a smaller thing within a larger publishing world. Nothing was mentioned as to the fate of the second manuscript.

Both the A303 and A358 were closed to allow enquiries to take place but reopened yesterday afternoon. We want to thank residents for their patience. Avon and Somerset Police officers rushed to the scene where a diversion route was in place. The road was closed from around 6am until shortly after 5pm.A word of warning – don’t expect a thriller with a few curve balls or twists with this book, it’s more of a leisurely paced character-driven journey in which the setting also plays a prominent part. Also, if you’re the sort of person that likes a crime or mystery solved and don’t like things left open-ended then this book may not be for you. Set in Saint-Louis, France, very close to the Tripoint, where France, Germany and Switzerland meet, the main characters are the Chief of Police Georges Gorski, and the Barthelme family – husband and wife Bertrand and Lucette and their 17yo son Raymond. Accident on the A35 is the 2nd in a series, but can definitely be read as a stand-alone. I haven’t read The Disappearance of Adèle Bedeau yet and look forward to doing so.