John Burny is treating himself to a weekend in Paris, as
every time he looks at it as a new beginning of sorts;
those trysts never fail to make him feel alive. He works
as a real estate agent, however because of the economic
situation in London, sales have plummeted, but however
hesitating he had been to catch that train, the thought
of meeting that special someone for a few days thwarted
whatever doubts he had for a few fleeting moments.
Meanwhile in Paris, detective Roland Desfeuillères is
sadly contemplating how dreary and humdrum his existence
has become.
A typical French petit bourgeois, his life is
the picture of predictability: police work that never
seems to end, coming home late and exhausted to his wife
Juliette and two children; every day feels the same,
until recently when Juliette is beginning to seem
restless. However a murder on the Channel Tunnel train is
bound to alleviate his boredom for a short while.
Scotsman John Burny's body was discovered on the train
and Roland is sent to England to solve the puzzling
murder.
UNDER THE CHANNEL is not your typical murder mystery
novel, as the murder investigation itself is merely the
backdrop for the real mystery, which is Roland's quest
for self-discovery, which happens quite unexpectedly
during his investigation. UNDER THE CHANNEL is fast-
paced, the writing is crisp and to the point, and
perfectly suited to the story. Mr. Pétel's attention to
detail when describing Roland and John's lives serves a
real purpose as it highlights Roland's feelings of slowly
growing inadequacy and alienation, to be truthful, in a
world where he is not sure he still belongs.
UNDER THE CHANNEL sheds a very interesting, introspective
look at how an event that at first glance, seems to have
nothing to do with one's life, proves to be a life-
changing experience. I must also mention the excellent
(British) translation by Emily Boyce and Jane Aitken
which make UNDER THE CHANNEL is very smooth and painless
reading experience.
When the body of a Scotsman turns up on board a Channel Tunnel train at the Gare du Nord, Parisian detective Roland Desfeuillères finds himself in charge of a murder investigation. This inter-city tale of changing identities is no ordinary crime novel.
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