Alex, Pierre Lemaitre (3.5)
I chose this book randomly from the library. It had a
sticker: ‘International Dagger Award Winner, Best Crime novel of 2013’ and a
simple cover. Normally I don’t like crime novels, particularly ones that linger
over the gore, but the premise of this one had me intrigued. The book starts
with the introduction and quick abduction of a 30-year-old lone woman. She is
beaten and subsequently taken to an abandoned building to be tortured by a man
who seems to have been following her for the last few days. The police are
called in as a witness saw the man throw her into a nondescript truck, though
they start slowly as no one has reported a missing woman. This is where things
get interesting. It becomes obvious that the woman is not as innocent as we
first were led to believe and her kidnapper really wants her dead, for things
she may have done in the past. Lemaitre does a good job of believably
alternating your definition of the main character between victim, aggressor,
psychopath and unfortunate soul. While I had to read the torture parts similar
to how I watch a crime movie (with splayed fingers in front of my eyes – i.e.
skimming), I did enjoy the plot. I don’t recommend this for those soft of heart,
as it is quite gruesome and disturbing.
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