It all starts with an odd film, hidden away in a
collector's
attic. Ludovic Sénéchal can't resist the advertisement for
16 mm and 35 mm films but after viewing one unmarked film,
he finds himself blinded. His panicked phone call reaches
Lucie Henneballe, a detective who is also his ex-lover.
The
situation intrigues Lucie and she begins unofficially
investigating. Meanwhile, Chief Inspector Frank Sharko has
been assigned a new case to consult on, as five
unidentified
bodies have been discovered in a small town. Sharko and
Lucie soon find their situations intertwining and will
have
to learn to work together if they are to stop the killing.
Sharko and Lucie are both flawed characters, as the weight
of their lives continues to create emotional dissension-
even as they both find comfort in the routines of
investigating and resolving crimes. Sharko is one of the
most intriguing characters I have ever read- he's
diagnosed
with paranoid schizophrenia, and I love how Franck
Thilliez
handles his story. Lucie is a mother dealing with a
hospitalized child, a mom who doesn't understand her, and
obsession with doing her job that often conflicts with her
family obligations. Together, they make an intriguing pair
and I love seeing how their working and emotional
relationship develops. In fact, I actually enjoy their
characters even more so than the admittedly fascinating
and
complex storyline!
SYNDROME E is a darkly compelling thriller that will
appeal
to fans of Stieg Larsson. Franck Thilliez tackles a
multitude of issues, ranging from past covert operations
research to the connections between the human eye and
film,
and shows us the true darkness that can reside when power
and research go amok. SYNDROME E is highly recommended!
In this international bestseller, which is soon to be a
major motion picture penned by the screenwriter of Black
Swan, the classic procedural meets cutting-edge science
Lucie Henebelle, single mother and beleaguered detective,
has just about enough on her plate when she receives a
panicked phone call from an ex-lover who has developed a
rare disorder after watching an obscure film from the 1950s.
With help from the brooding Inspector Franck Sharko, who is
exploring the movie’s connection to five unearthed corpses
at a construction site, Lucie begins to strip away the
layers of what may be the most disturbing film ever made.
With more lives on the line, Sharko and Lucie struggle to
solve this terrifying mystery before it’s too late.
In a high-stakes, adrenaline-fueled hunt that jumps from
France to Canada, Egypt to Rwanda, and beyond, this
astonishing page-turner, with cinematic echoes from The
Manchurian Candidate and the Bourne series, will keep
you guessing until the very end.