Blood Wedding

Blood Wedding – Pierre Lemaitre, MacLehose, £12.99

THIS is a classic mystery, French-style. As noir as can be, intriguing and heart-jabbingly edgy it is difficult to tell much of the story without giving away more than should be told.

It is Pierre Lemaitre’s style to engage the reader and then mislead, misdirect but not trick. Nothing should be taken at face value. Except for the bodies. They are fact.

Sophie is haunted by visions of the past, haunted by things happening that she is sure have not happened. Things being where they should not be.

She has blackouts. After one of them she discovers the child in her care is dead, murdered. Paranoia sets in and rightly so… everyone is, indeed, out to get her. Sophie is on the run. Odd jobs, cash in hand, keep on moving, keep on keeping one step ahead.

It is difficult to like the characters, but you still become attached. You are still shocked at what happens, still shocked at how Sophie deals with it… and how things turn out.