Discovering Pierre Lemaitre
My favourite crime fiction author of the moment is Pierre Lemaitre, a French writer. Are you a fan of crime fiction — what the French call “Polar”? Then I strongly recommend you read his books. Pierre Lemaitre writes only in French. However, some of his more famous works have been translated into English.
I came across him only towards the end of last year, when my husband bought one of his books. It had just won the Prix Goncourt, France’s top literary prize. The book was Au Revoir Là-Haut, published in English as The Great Swindle. The book talks about how the paths of two French soldiers crossed during First World War, and what happened after. It has nothing to do with the typical crime fiction. Even with my half-baked French, I could appreciate his writing style, the storyline, and the sense of humour.
After this initial encounter, I dug into his background. As it turns out, he actually started out as a crime writer. His first book, Travail Soigné (English translation – Irene), was published in 2006. I bought this book and fell in love with Le Commissaire (Police Commissioner) Camille Verhœven. He’s the French protagonist who is short in height (145cm) but sharp in mind.
The Camille Verhœven Trilogy
After realising that this book is the first of a trilogy, I purchased and devoured the remaining two books. They were Alex and Sacrifices (English translation – Camille), read in just a couple of weeks. That’s fast for me — it usually takes a couple of months to finish reading a French book. I have more than 30 years of “crime-reading” experience. It goes back to Enid Blyton’s The Secret Seven and The Famous Five books. With that behind me, I can say Pierre Lemaitre is one of the best crime fiction authors I’ve encountered. When you read his books, don’t assume the most obvious evidence always leads you to the real killer.
Why This Crime Fiction Author Deserves More English Readers
I am surprised that Pierre Lemaitre has not enjoyed a higher level of success among the anglophone readers. Frankly, if it weren’t for the fact that I am learning French, I doubt I’d have come across his books. It’s part of why I’ve been exploring the French literary world in the first place.
Who are your favourite crime fiction authors?