Joanne Harris: Peaches for Monsieur le Curé

It isn't often you receive a letter from the dead. When Vianne Rocher receives a letter from beyond the grave, she allows the wind to blow her back to the village in south-west France where, eight years ago, she opened up a chocolate shop. But Lansquenet is different now: women veiled in black, the scent of spices and peppermint tea, and, on the bank of the river Tannes, facing the church: a minaret. Father Reynaud, Vianne's erstwhile adversary, is disgraced and under threat. Could it be that Vianne is the only one who can save him now?

I loved "Chocolat" and the "Lollipop shoes", but this is an even better story than the two previous ones. I'm not sure how good the story would be for someone who hadn't read the other two books, but I can see how the characters have developed over the years and I as a reader have developed, too. The storyline in this sequel is very topical with Father Reynaud sensing a war between the Maghrebins and the Catholic French. I could not put the book down and found myself totally engrossed in Lansquenet.

Kate Mosse: Labyrinth

When Dr Alice Tanner discovers two skeletons during an archaeological dig in southern France, she unearths a link with a horrific and brutal past. But it's not just the sight of the shattered bones that makes her uneasy; there's an overwhelming sense of evil in the tomb that Alice finds hard to shake off, even in the bright French sunshine. Puzzled by the words carved inside the chamber, Alice has an uneasy feeling that she has disturbed something which was meant to remain hidden... Eight hundred years ago, on the night before a brutal civil war ripped apart Languedoc, a book was entrusted to Alais, a young herbalist and healer. Although she cannot understand the symbols and diagrams the book contains, Alais knows her destiny lies in protecting their secret, at all costs. Skilfully blending the lives of two women divided by centuries but united by a common destiny, LABYRINTH is a powerful story steeped in the atmosphere and history of southern France.

This is a fantastic read, although it is predictable in places and sometimes I also found the descriptions a bit too slow. However, I liked the idea of the labyrinth trilogy and how the stories around Alais and Alice are connected.

Dan Brown: The Da Vinci Code

Robert Langdon, Harvard Professor of symbology, receives an urgent late-night call while in Paris: the curator of the Louvre has been murdered. Alongside the body is a series of baffling ciphers. Langdon and a gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, are stunned to find a trail that leads to the works of Da Vinci - and further. The curator, part of a secret society named the Priory of Sion, may have sacrificed his life to keep secret the location of a vastly important religious relic hidden for centuries. It appears that the clandestine Vatican-sanctioned Catholic sect Opus Dei has now made its move. Unless Landon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine code and quickly assemble the pieces of the puzzle, the Priory's secret - and a stunning historical truth - will be lost forever.

Although I'd started reading the book several times, I could not get into it initially. This time, however, it was different and I enjoyed the read. I know from various TV programmes that not everything described in the book is true, but the story has been developed in a way that it does sound feasible. I also liked the fact that Langdon is not the typical hero of a mystery story and shows many flaws in his characters. The one aspect I didn't like about the story was the fact that there seemed to be some tension between Neveu and Langdon, which given the circumstances of their meeting is not logical and feasible at all.

Georges Simenon: Maigret in Court

In a great courtroom drama, Maigret has to explain why he does not believe that Gaston Meurant was capable of slitting his aunt's throat for money and smothering a small child. But in saving him from the gallows, Maigret must expose some dark secrets about Meurant's life. A painful story of an oppressive domestic tragedy and the compassionate insight of a remarkable detective.

I've had this book for a while now, and as I wanted some light-hearted read in between more serious books, I chose this one from my shelf. This is my first Maigret story, but definitely will not be my last! The story is quick-paced and interesting with all the different characters. I also enjoyed the fact that Maigret is so well in tune with his staff. I only would have wished to learn more about Maigret's private life with Madame Maigret, who seems to be his personal tower in his life...

Anne Perry: Der Racheschwur

Paris im dritten Jahr der Revolution. Die junge Celie gibt ihren Sohn Jean-Pierre in die Obhut ihrer Freundin Amandine. Als sie den Kleinen abends wieder abholen will, ist Jean-Pierre tot; er starb, während Amandine sich mit ihrem Geliebten vergnügte. Celie schwört bittere Rache und zeigt die beiden Liebenden als Verräter an. Aber noch bevor sie zum Schafott gebracht werden, marschieren die Preußen in Paris ein, und die Dinge entwickeln sich ganz anders, als von Celie gewollt ...

Diese Novelle war sehr kurzweilig mit interessanten historischen Fakten. Die Hintergründe waren eindeutig und gut recherchiert und die etwas überraschende Wende in Celie war auch sehr ansprechend...

Fred Vargas: Die schwarzen Wasser der Seine. Kriminalgeschichten

Dieses Buch war mein erster Kontakt mit Fred Vargas' Büchern und ich bin begeistert. Einfallsreich, humorvoll und philosophisch tasten sich die Kriminalbeamten an die verschiedenen Taten und Täter heran. Es gibt Überraschungen und Vorhersehbares - die perfekte Mischung für unterhaltsame Krimis.



Drei Geschichten in einem Buch:
Salut et liberté
Die Nacht der Barbaren
Fünf Franc das Stück

Die drei Erzählungen entstanden in den Jahren 1997, 1999 und 2000.