Dit is een van de meest gruwelijke boeken die ik ooit gelezen heb. En toch heb ik het boek uitgelezen, gewoon omdat ik wilde weten hoe het afliep. En dat is nog bizarder dan ik kon vermoeden. En dan heb ik nog maar de helft van begrepen. Ik hoef nooit meer iets van deze schrijver te lezen, dat weet ik in ieder geval wel. ( )

Started this February 3d, 2013 finished early February 6th, 2013.
Being German and not fluent in french I read the German translation.
Very good, but mostly straightforward investigation of serial (child) killings. Not for the squeamish. Sometimes the description of the actions of the serial killer is bit too cardboard-ish, cutting up of animals, taxidermy, etc. but very good integration. A few real cases and cultural references (french cases, films I do not know) and I will look them up, but they are not important. Obviously inspired by "Silence of the lamb" (Hannibal Lector also practices Taxidermy), but not in a bad way.
Modern feel, usage of cell phones (no smartphones, this being written 2007) and Internet for research.
Female hero, who will hopefully star in other books by this author.
While there is a nice twist at the end, and some twists through mistakes during the investigation, it is rather straight, could have done with a bit more mystery.
Some insight in the mind of the serial killer, but not fully realized, more like making it up as the story progresses. For these points 1 star less, also it feels sometimes as though there was deliberate use of a touching theme (killing children) and a shock-value in some descriptions.
I saw the film from this book on TV (in German), I think it was a made for TV-Movie. Not too violent, it was an interesting film, but the book is better.
( )

This was a real thriller and I realy enjoyed this book. ( )

Really tough stuff, and I'm not highly sensitive with regards to thrillers.
The initial idea is very good and refreshing, but in the course of the book, events and characters become "weird", unrealistic and kind of "spongy". Still the plot offers exciting twists and a surprising killer.
Something,which I can't put my finger on, bothered me about the linguistic style (or maybe it is the translation?). ( )

This was a gripping detective thriller set in the north of France. I would never have read it or even heard of it had I not stumbled upon it in the foreign-language section of the used bookstore, where there is usually nothing published in the last fifty years. Since this was $1 and it was a beautiful edition with thick paper, luscious typesetting, and fabulous cover artwork, I bought it.

I got very caught up in the fascinating plot, and I enjoyed the gray, wintry, industrial setting. Aside from only a couple of groan-worthy moments, the story was engaging and well-paced. Since it was sort of gruesome, involving taxidermy and serial killings, I eventually made a decision not to read it right before bed.

I would like to read something else by this author because he keeps it very interesting, he does a nice job with characters and setting, and it is a good way to travel back to France. I love really flowery and descriptive French literary novels, but I have to admit that Proust would spend a lot more time on the bookshelf and a lot less time in my hands than a book like this. ( )