Book Reviews

‘The best moments in reading are when you come across something - a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things - which you had thought special and particular to you. And now, here it is, set down by someone else, a person you have never met, someone even who is long dead. And it is as if a hand has come out, and taken yours.’ Alan Bennett

“Many a book is like a key to unknown chambers within the castle of one’s own self.” ― Franz Kafka

Tuesday 9 August 2011

Where Would I Be Without You? - Guillaume Musso


Martin meets Gabrielle whilst working in San Francisco for a few months after finishing his law degree. They share a brief but life-changing love affair that lasts just days, and then it ends when he returns to France. Neither of them ever forgets the other. Years later, Martin is now working in Paris as a police detective tracking down art thieves, and there is one in particular, the greatest one in the world, going by the name of Archibald McLean, who he is determined to catch. Meanwhile, Martin wonders what has happened to Gabrielle over the years, as he has never again felt in love as he did with her, and feels she is what has been missing from his life. Is there any way that there is a connection between her and the case he is working on?

I found this a fairly quick read due to the style, the action moves on quickly and often there are short paragraphs or sections skipping between one scene and another, jumping back for example from what Martin is doing to where Archie is and back again. This gives the novel a good pace and keeps the reader engaged as the pursuit progresses.

The two main settings are Paris and San Francisco and I found the author used these well in creating an impressive backdrop for the story. The novel is written in three parts, with the final third taking an unexpected and unusual turn. This story combines romance, a bit of a thriller, and elements of the supernatural or magical. I enjoyed this and it was a bit of a different read for me, having the different elements to the story that it did, and I felt it was a very good English translation of the original French. 

2 comments:

  1. Oh, my fave themes all in one book. Bit of thriller, romance and supernatural. Thanks for this review. Will put it on my to-read list. :-)
    _yay_ @ BookthatThing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi, thanks for your comment, it was a good read in terms of mixing lots of themes, hope you enjoy if or when you read it!

    ReplyDelete

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