By Martin Michaud https://www.michaudmartin.com/homepage-english
Published by Dundurn Press https://www.dundurn.com/
448 pages ISBN 9781459742703
Publication date 23 November 2021
I was allowed access to a pdf review copy on Net Galley. Thanks to the author and publisher for organising this.
From the blurb
When a young Montreal family dies in an orgy of bloody violence, all signs point to a rampage by the father. But Victor Lessard isn’t convinced. The brilliant, brooding detective suspects that others were involved in the killings. But who? And why? As Lessard struggles to solve the puzzle, the discovery of a nightmarish chamber of horrors seems to confirm that the murders are part of a wider pattern. With a ghost from his past making him doubt his own sanity, Lessard must evade the lethal operatives of a powerful, highly secretive organization as he races to untangle the mystery before a diabolical killer can strike again.
Synopsis
Victor Lessard is a troubled detective. His adult son has moved in with him and their relationship is strained as it also is with his ex-wife. His current relationship with girlfriend Veronique appears doomed and he spends his nights sleeping in a Layzboy chair. He cannot even find solace in his favourite coffee due to his recurring reflux.
He gets called to an apparent murder/suicide incident where the husband has murdered his wife and 3 children with an axe before cutting out his own tongue and then ending his life. The murder site is horrific and made worse by masses of flies in the air and a thick carpet of dead ones which need to be cleared before the techs can work. A seemingly ‘open and shut’ case bothers Victor and he feels the need to investigate further despite warnings by his superior Tanguay.
Victor is clearly disturbed by this case, his colleagues notice this but they are unaware of his past. Victor’s own father murdered his family and committed suicide as well, Victor being the only survivor as he was late home that day. This torments him and begins to see vivid images of his brother Raymond such that they can seemingly communicate with each other. Eventually Tanguay stands him down for his own good.
Suspension isn’t going to stand in Victor’s way though and he surreptitiously contacts his partner Fernandez to continue investigating. They turn up a similar case of murder suicide some years earlier outside Montreal which is the break he is looking for. He gets access to the case files and after demonstrating that there are matters unexplained the original investigating officer agrees to get involved thereby helping to legitimise Victor’s efforts. In doing so a sexual abuse and imprisonment is unearthed and a paedophile ring exposed.
Victor is convinced that the sinister forces are work are being controlled by a priest or a group of them. Is a satanic sex cult at the centre of it all? The answers are eventually revealed on home ground back in Montreal.
My thoughts
There’s certainly a lot crammed in here. The plot when distilled down is the hunt for a serial killer. However, there is so much complexity added in, layers of confusion and red herrings that play out, such that the reader is never certain where the story is going or who is controlling the killer, if indeed anyone is.
Most of the story is told in third person but parts are in first person which initially confused me a little until I realised those passages were reserved for past recollections or when Felix was writing in his diary. The writing style is un-fussy, and it comes as no surprise that the author has written extensively for television. Indeed, this novel reads like it would adapt perfectly for a multi episode series.
I’ve not read much fiction based in Canada other than Kathy Reich’s Temperance Brennan books so it’s always nice to cover a new setting. Here we see mainly the seedier side of Montreal away from the big city glare and the French/Canadian duality adds a nice twist to the narrative. However, much of the novel covers the major city problems of drugs, HIV infection prostitution and homelessness could be set anywhere. These are problems that many care to ignore but are all around us. Here they add an air of authenticity and grimy reality to a far-reaching plot. What violence there is muted and gory bits kept to a minimum.
Essentially this is an incident driven story but the characterisation of Lessard is extensive, and his back story is complex. We learn about how he becomes orphaned, his time in foster care and on the street, his past dealings with Monsieur Antoine’s outreach and his final mentoring phase with the gay policemen. All covered with a nice level of sensitivity.
The tale of troubled cop who is suspended but continues to investigate is one that is very familiar to readers and viewers alike. However, when told with a bit of panache can still be very entertaining as this one is. The main character remains engaging and one I would stick with to see how his future plays out and his troubles are resolved if they are at all. A crime thriller that is a little different and I would certainly be looking to read the next novel in the series.
Peter turns the page 