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Set in Paris, Fred Vargas's novel addresses a particularly serious and chilling case of murder. Superintendent Adamsberg loves mysteries but when the town crier begins reading disturbing messages that have been slipped in between the daily news, he knows this is no ordinary crime.
User reviews
LibraryThing member AHS-Wolfy
Chief Inspector Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg has got what he really wanted, a murder squad to lead in Paris. The only problem now is that he has to learn 28 new names of the members of his team so it's a good job Danglard, his trusty no.2, has come along with him to help him out. While they're getting
Adamsberg is not a typical detective, often following gut instinct even when there's no logic behind his feelings. He's somewhat absent-minded, especially with names and dates but he often sees more than even he realises at the time with pictures of events returning to him with a vital clue as to what he may be looking for. The author manages to use her knowledge as an historian to really help set the scene and ramp up the tension with each step. The story does meander along for a while at the beginning but Vargas' characters are so bright and varied I didn't mind one bit. Last time I visited this series I found the translation to be a bit clunky but even though it was done by the same person I had no problems this time around. An original voice in a genre that is increasingly difficult to find something that bit different, recommended for those looking for a more off-beat police procedural.
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their new offices kitted out a woman comes in to report a strange case of graffiti, someone has been painting backwards 4's on the doors in her apartment block. Thinking nothing of it, Adamsberg fobs her off with some vague reassurances but is then more intrigued when the woman returns reporting other instances around different districts in Paris. Danglard has a fuzzy recollection of the symbol and Camille, Adamsberg's lover, also remembers seeing it in a history book of a friend. While all this has been going on, there's a town crier who's been getting some very strange messages, which seem to be snippets of old history books left for him to read. One of his friends manages to trace where the texts are coming from and what they portend they realise they should inform the police and as the friend in question has had dealings with Adamsberg before that's who they arrange to see and advise him that someone may be planning to release the black death at any moment. When he hears the tale, Adamsberg decides to track down the meaning of the backwards 4's and contacts Camille's historian friend, who turns out to be one of The Three Evangelists so if you've read that book it's a nice little cameo, and that also relates to the plague being used as a talisman to ward it off. Is someone seriously about to unleash the Black Death or is it just fear mongering or perhaps there's something else behind it all. Whichever, it's not long before the first victim is found and the pronouncements left for the crier are getting worse.Adamsberg is not a typical detective, often following gut instinct even when there's no logic behind his feelings. He's somewhat absent-minded, especially with names and dates but he often sees more than even he realises at the time with pictures of events returning to him with a vital clue as to what he may be looking for. The author manages to use her knowledge as an historian to really help set the scene and ramp up the tension with each step. The story does meander along for a while at the beginning but Vargas' characters are so bright and varied I didn't mind one bit. Last time I visited this series I found the translation to be a bit clunky but even though it was done by the same person I had no problems this time around. An original voice in a genre that is increasingly difficult to find something that bit different, recommended for those looking for a more off-beat police procedural.
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LibraryThing member msf59
The Bubonic Plague returns to modern day Paris? Or is this just a clever ploy by a sinister killer? Enter Chief Inspector Adamsberg, a rumpled but brilliant detective, an odd mix of Sherlock Holmes and Columbo. He and his homicide team investigate and try to unravel a particularly knotty series of
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crimes and try to avoid a massive panic by a terrified population.This is exceptionally well-plotted and is filled with a cast of wonderfully colorful characters. Fred Vargas is a female French writer, who also is an historian and a archaeologist.She is a major talent! If you looking for a fresh spin in the crime genre ,this one's the ticket! Highly recommended! Show Less
LibraryThing member baswood
My first Fred Vargas book that features Inspector Adamsberg and a thoroughly enjoyable read. This not a police procedural but rather a police unprocedural as Adamsberg relies on his instincts to solve crimes. Paris is the backdrop for much of the book although it all seems a little provincial as
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Adamsberg does not seem to be a big city cop. The book stands out because of its outrageous crime scenario which at times almost takes the book into the realms of fantasy, but Vargas brings it all down to earth with a logical explanation of events. No graphic violence, plenty of characterisation, and a mystery that unfolds gradually as the story progresses, but it takes a commentary near the end to explain it all. I loved the idea of a modern day town crier and thought it would go well in my small town, but I would be worried if their were warnings of the plague and people started painting backward looking 4's on their front doors. Plenty of French culture to enjoy and Adamsberg being French is a consumate seducer of women and always stops for lunch. Great fun, tempted to read some more. Show Less
LibraryThing member Joycepa
A Chief Inspector Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg police procedural set in Paris.
Puzzling messages are appearing in a Paris neighborhood, spread through the services (paid) of a self-appointed town crier, Joss Le Guern. Although objects of interest, especially by the resident intellectual, Hervé
When Decambrais and Le Guern bring the messages to the attention of Adamsberg, he insists there is a connection. Consulting some of his more oddball human sources, the connection seems to be warnings of an outbreak of bubonic plague, the feared Black Death of the Middle Ages—and beyond.
The plot of this off-beat police procedural is intriguing as well as multi-layered. Populating the neighborhoods of Paris and participating in the unfolding of the story are a cast of characters as off-beat as Adamsberg himself, who is no one’s definition of a policeman, never mind a chief inspector. Le Guern is right up there with the best of the oddballs, as are Clementine (a very different grannie), Lizbeth (prostitute turned hotel manager), Camille (plumber/musician), Bertin (a Norman in the midst of Bretons) and the Three Apostles (Marc, Matteu, and Luc). They’re a varied and lively group, constantly entertaining.
The writing style can be a bit off-putting at times, when Vargas appears not to take her own story seriously. Then again, it’s the perfect matrix for Adamsberg, who follows his own star.
Well plotted, well-drawn characters, and French whimsy make this an unusual, rather light-hearted entry in the genre. Highly recommended.
Puzzling messages are appearing in a Paris neighborhood, spread through the services (paid) of a self-appointed town crier, Joss Le Guern. Although objects of interest, especially by the resident intellectual, Hervé
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Decambrais, no one outside of the neighborhood notices. Until a young woman brings to Chief Inspector Adamsberg’s attention some startling graffiti that are suddenly sprouting on doorways in the 13th Arrondisement. While Adrien Danglard, Admasberg’s right hand man of logic and method dismisses them a works of teenagers, Adamsberg is not so sure—he finds them ominous in his scattered, intuitive way of existing and working.When Decambrais and Le Guern bring the messages to the attention of Adamsberg, he insists there is a connection. Consulting some of his more oddball human sources, the connection seems to be warnings of an outbreak of bubonic plague, the feared Black Death of the Middle Ages—and beyond.
The plot of this off-beat police procedural is intriguing as well as multi-layered. Populating the neighborhoods of Paris and participating in the unfolding of the story are a cast of characters as off-beat as Adamsberg himself, who is no one’s definition of a policeman, never mind a chief inspector. Le Guern is right up there with the best of the oddballs, as are Clementine (a very different grannie), Lizbeth (prostitute turned hotel manager), Camille (plumber/musician), Bertin (a Norman in the midst of Bretons) and the Three Apostles (Marc, Matteu, and Luc). They’re a varied and lively group, constantly entertaining.
The writing style can be a bit off-putting at times, when Vargas appears not to take her own story seriously. Then again, it’s the perfect matrix for Adamsberg, who follows his own star.
Well plotted, well-drawn characters, and French whimsy make this an unusual, rather light-hearted entry in the genre. Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member thorold
This is the third Adamsberg story, but the Three Evangelists manage to sneak in too, playing a small role as historical advisors. Rather to everyone's surprise, Adamsberg has been appointed head of a specialist murder brigade, and there's a running joke about his inability to remember the names of
The novel has its focus in a very specific spot in Paris, the Rue de la Gaîté/Boulevard Edgar-Quinet crossroads, in the shadow of the Tour Montparnasse, where a beached Breton fisherman, Joss Le Guern, has carved out a new career for himself by reinventing the profession of town-crier: for a 5 franc fee, he roars out small ads to the assembled locals three times a day. Vargas uses this quirky scenario as a clever way of leading us in to accept the idea of a village murder mystery set in the heart of a busy city, with all the main characters being the eccentrics who live or run businesses around this crossroads: an unfrocked schoolmaster who runs a Balzacian private hotel (complete with personalised serviette rings!) and makes lace on the side; the proprietor of a surf-shop whose sister is concerned that he'll catch his death of cold going around in a singlet all the time; a Norman barman descended directly from Thor; an ex-prostitute turned chanteuse, etc. It's all a bit M. Hulot, but it's so charming that Vargas manages to get us to suspend our disbelief for long enough to make it work.
Adamsberg gets involved when Joss becomes worried about some strange apocalyptic messages he's being asked to read out, and at the same time someone seems to be going around painting strange symbols on the doors of apartment buildings. With some help from Marc Vandoosler, he manages to work out the link between the two, but it doesn't get him very far. Then the first body is found, and things start getting very itchy...
Once again, this is a novel that's particularly enjoyable for the way it never goes quite where you're expecting it to: the characters are original, funny and believable, the dialogue very sharp. The mystery itself is absurdly complicated: it relies on a variant of a plot device that old-fashioned mystery writers occasionally used for a single murder (but generally avoided, because it is very hard to make it believable). Applying it to a serial-killer story shows considerable chutzpah - Vargas just about manages to get away with it, and she even adds a special twist of her own.
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any of his new subordinates. As in L'homme aux cercles bleus, he gets involved in investigating a series of murders that are prefigured by the appearance of enigmatic symbols, and as in several of the other books, it turns out that the murderer is playing on one of the semi-rational fears that are lodged in our collective cultural memory: in this case the Plague.The novel has its focus in a very specific spot in Paris, the Rue de la Gaîté/Boulevard Edgar-Quinet crossroads, in the shadow of the Tour Montparnasse, where a beached Breton fisherman, Joss Le Guern, has carved out a new career for himself by reinventing the profession of town-crier: for a 5 franc fee, he roars out small ads to the assembled locals three times a day. Vargas uses this quirky scenario as a clever way of leading us in to accept the idea of a village murder mystery set in the heart of a busy city, with all the main characters being the eccentrics who live or run businesses around this crossroads: an unfrocked schoolmaster who runs a Balzacian private hotel (complete with personalised serviette rings!) and makes lace on the side; the proprietor of a surf-shop whose sister is concerned that he'll catch his death of cold going around in a singlet all the time; a Norman barman descended directly from Thor; an ex-prostitute turned chanteuse, etc. It's all a bit M. Hulot, but it's so charming that Vargas manages to get us to suspend our disbelief for long enough to make it work.
Adamsberg gets involved when Joss becomes worried about some strange apocalyptic messages he's being asked to read out, and at the same time someone seems to be going around painting strange symbols on the doors of apartment buildings. With some help from Marc Vandoosler, he manages to work out the link between the two, but it doesn't get him very far. Then the first body is found, and things start getting very itchy...
Once again, this is a novel that's particularly enjoyable for the way it never goes quite where you're expecting it to: the characters are original, funny and believable, the dialogue very sharp. The mystery itself is absurdly complicated: it relies on a variant of a plot device that old-fashioned mystery writers occasionally used for a single murder (but generally avoided, because it is very hard to make it believable). Applying it to a serial-killer story shows considerable chutzpah - Vargas just about manages to get away with it, and she even adds a special twist of her own.
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LibraryThing member Welshwoman
I confess that, until last week, I had not heard of Vargas or Adamsberg, but now I'm glad I have. Adamsberg is an extraordinary character, clearly very attractive to women although not conventionally good-looking. He remains calm on the surface, whatever is happening in his mind, and his undoubted
The story is similarly odd; I didn't know, for example, that there had been plague in Paris in 1920. Worth reading.
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abilities as a detective rely not on logic or reason but on some kind of intuition or osmosis. Being absent-minded, he carries a little book in which he writes reminders of people's names. A very odd person but someone one would like to meet.The story is similarly odd; I didn't know, for example, that there had been plague in Paris in 1920. Worth reading.
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LibraryThing member 30oddyearsofzan
I feel like I didn't enjoy this one as much as I did. Possibly because I came to it straight from Atonement, which is the best thing I've read this year so far, and partly because of some perceived clunkiness of the translation, it felt like harder going. But nevertheless this is an engrossing
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mystery with an engaging cast of characters; I particularly liked the residents of the Place Edgar-Quinet. I'd still definitely check out more from this series. Show Less
LibraryThing member firebird013
Fred Vargas is the female writer of excellent detective fiction. This is the book that introduces us to her hero Adamsberg. Absorbing and not predictable.
LibraryThing member Gary10
Chief Inspector Adamsberg investigates a bizarre series of murders in Paris that are made to resemble Bubonic Plague deaths. Better than average.
LibraryThing member verenka
Dark Thriller about a serial killer in Paris, threatening to start an epidemic of the bubonic plague. The book was originally written in French, as I realised. I had a hard time understanding some of the dialogue. I didn't know some of the expressions used at all. I don't know, though, if the
Anyway it was exactly the type of dark serial killer thriller I was feeling like reading.
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expressions were translated funny from french or if it was a very idiomatic translation of the Parisian slang..Anyway it was exactly the type of dark serial killer thriller I was feeling like reading.
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LibraryThing member cameling
Chief Inspector Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg is puzzled by some reverse 4s appearing on the doors of some apartments in Paris and when 2 men bring him a series of cryptic notes left for the town crier, notes written in text out from different centuries, he is flummoxed but not alarmed..... that is,
From the first murder, things start escalating. More bodies are found with nothing seemingly to connect them except the fact that they lived in apartments where a black reverse 4 was not painted on the door. Panic ensues and everyone starts painting reverse 4s on their doors in an attempt to ward off what looks to be the onset of another outbreak of the plague.
Adamsberg finds himself having to pick up on French history quickly if he is to try and find other potential victims before they are murdered by an elusive murderer. There's good historical detail on the Black Plague as it swept through France, when and how it spread, and some of the superstitious practices thought to be successful in warding off the plague.
The intrigue here was in part uncovering the murderer but the most interesting was unveiling the connections between the victims, and the reasons for the murders and in this unveiling, more surprises are in store.
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until the first murder takes place, and the murderer makes it look as it the Black Plague has struck in Paris once more.From the first murder, things start escalating. More bodies are found with nothing seemingly to connect them except the fact that they lived in apartments where a black reverse 4 was not painted on the door. Panic ensues and everyone starts painting reverse 4s on their doors in an attempt to ward off what looks to be the onset of another outbreak of the plague.
Adamsberg finds himself having to pick up on French history quickly if he is to try and find other potential victims before they are murdered by an elusive murderer. There's good historical detail on the Black Plague as it swept through France, when and how it spread, and some of the superstitious practices thought to be successful in warding off the plague.
The intrigue here was in part uncovering the murderer but the most interesting was unveiling the connections between the victims, and the reasons for the murders and in this unveiling, more surprises are in store.
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LibraryThing member TeaLeafReader
Mmmm.... so well written, thoughtful, intriguing, compelling. Intelligent mystery for those who enjoy originality and masterful writing in equal measure.
LibraryThing member MEAWelsh
Enjoyable mystery with a timeless feel set in mysterious and historical France. I had trouble getting through the first chapter, but once I did, I thoroughly enjoyed this quick read.
LibraryThing member Mooose
Set in Paris. A murder squad chief who is about as far from the hard-boiled character as you can get. People can't believe that someone who dresses like him could have reached his rank. While taking over new position he becomes interested in reports of protection against the plague being painted on
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doors and the threates of doom a local town crier shares with his audience. Could the plague return? who or what is killing citizens? are the investigators at risk? why is this happening? (cue music) Show Less
LibraryThing member cathyskye
First Line: When manie wormes breede of putrefaction of the earth: toade stooles and rotten herbes abound: The fruites and beastes of the earth are unsavoury: The wine becomes muddie: manie birds and beastes flye from that place....
In a small Parisian neighborhood the age-old tradition of the town
Concerned, Le Guern brings the messages to the attention of Commissaire Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg and his right-hand man, Adrien Danglard. When several apartment buildings have their doors painted with the ancient symbol to ward off plague, Adamsberg knows there is a connection. Then a flea-bitten corpse with plague-like symptoms is found, and the Commissaire is under pressure to solve the case and restore calm to a frightened city.
Once again Vargas has worked her magic. She's created a tiny neighborhood in Paris populated with wonderful characters and a true feeling of community. There is more to the plot than first meets the eye as well. At first seen as a straight-forward mystery involving the bubonic plague, Vargas slowly includes snippets of evidence and tiny clues that make the reader wonder if there's not something more to the plot. This is Vargas, so of course there's more to it than the plague!
Vargas is so skilled at plotting that I was convinced that Adamsberg was after the wrong villain. But-- like twisting the barrel of a kaleidoscope-- the facts kept shifting in and out of focus, regrouping themselves into different patterns, and I slowly began to realize what was going on.
As ever, Adamsberg is the master chef of the book. Yes, he has his men gather all the clues, follow the chain of evidence, turn everything over to the pathologists and other fact-finders, but he relies on his thought processes. All the evidence, all the interviews, all the random impressions are like the ingredients in a recipe. It's up to Adamsberg to put everything together and add the spice of his intuition to come up with a memorable dish. If you're in the mood for a savory meal, I heartily recommend a Commissaire Adamsberg book by Fred Vargas! If you're new to these books and are wondering whether you should start at the beginning of the series, it's really not necessary. Have Mercy on Us All stands alone quite well.
In a small Parisian neighborhood the age-old tradition of the town
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crier still goes on. The self-appointed crier, Joss Le Guern, reads out the daily news, bits of gossip, the weather forecast, items for sale... and ominous messages in strange language that are paid for and placed in Le Guern's message box by an anonymous source-- messages that seem to warn of an impending plague.Concerned, Le Guern brings the messages to the attention of Commissaire Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg and his right-hand man, Adrien Danglard. When several apartment buildings have their doors painted with the ancient symbol to ward off plague, Adamsberg knows there is a connection. Then a flea-bitten corpse with plague-like symptoms is found, and the Commissaire is under pressure to solve the case and restore calm to a frightened city.
Once again Vargas has worked her magic. She's created a tiny neighborhood in Paris populated with wonderful characters and a true feeling of community. There is more to the plot than first meets the eye as well. At first seen as a straight-forward mystery involving the bubonic plague, Vargas slowly includes snippets of evidence and tiny clues that make the reader wonder if there's not something more to the plot. This is Vargas, so of course there's more to it than the plague!
Vargas is so skilled at plotting that I was convinced that Adamsberg was after the wrong villain. But-- like twisting the barrel of a kaleidoscope-- the facts kept shifting in and out of focus, regrouping themselves into different patterns, and I slowly began to realize what was going on.
As ever, Adamsberg is the master chef of the book. Yes, he has his men gather all the clues, follow the chain of evidence, turn everything over to the pathologists and other fact-finders, but he relies on his thought processes. All the evidence, all the interviews, all the random impressions are like the ingredients in a recipe. It's up to Adamsberg to put everything together and add the spice of his intuition to come up with a memorable dish. If you're in the mood for a savory meal, I heartily recommend a Commissaire Adamsberg book by Fred Vargas! If you're new to these books and are wondering whether you should start at the beginning of the series, it's really not necessary. Have Mercy on Us All stands alone quite well.
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LibraryThing member cecily2
I think I liked [book: Seeking Whom He May Devour] more, but nice writing style and still enjoyable.
LibraryThing member ecw0647
How to can you not like a detective who supervises 26 other homicide flics and needs to use mnemonics such as acne, prognathous, solicitude, Marcel to associate names with faces, and who indulges in self-examination along the lines of "You think you're a million miles away from the likes of Favre,
Chief Inspector Adamsberg and his assistant Danglard are a study in contrast. Adamsberg uses intuition while Danglard never trusts it and relies on facts and evidence. The two make a marvelous pair.
A modern town crier who collects little notes anonymously and then reads them from his soapbox in return for small change has been getting what appear to be nonsensical sentences. A woman comes to the police station to complain that someone has painted black backwards 4's with a fat foot and two little notches at the end 24 of the doors on her street. These are the beginnings of a nightmare for the inspector as the possibility of someone deliberately sprwading the plague begins to haunt him.
This is a very crafty police procedural that intertwines fear, revenge, tragedy, panic and faith in a complex story. Fred Vargas, a woman, writes in French and their are moments when one wonders a little about the translation (I have enormous respect for translators.) My French is so rusty I hesitate to quibble.
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and when occasion arises, there you are puddling about in the same pigsty." I won't provide any hints as to the nature of Favre because you should read the book. It's that good.Chief Inspector Adamsberg and his assistant Danglard are a study in contrast. Adamsberg uses intuition while Danglard never trusts it and relies on facts and evidence. The two make a marvelous pair.
A modern town crier who collects little notes anonymously and then reads them from his soapbox in return for small change has been getting what appear to be nonsensical sentences. A woman comes to the police station to complain that someone has painted black backwards 4's with a fat foot and two little notches at the end 24 of the doors on her street. These are the beginnings of a nightmare for the inspector as the possibility of someone deliberately sprwading the plague begins to haunt him.
This is a very crafty police procedural that intertwines fear, revenge, tragedy, panic and faith in a complex story. Fred Vargas, a woman, writes in French and their are moments when one wonders a little about the translation (I have enormous respect for translators.) My French is so rusty I hesitate to quibble.
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LibraryThing member jkdavies
I really enjoyed this one, Adamsberg has a case where plague symbols are painted around Paris; and a town crier gets mysterious messages to read out from ancient plague texts. After ignoring them for a while, bodies start showing up, obviously strangled, but also bearing black smudges, and the
Each character,from the town crier, his landlord and other lodgers, the hangers on around the square, and the police themselves are tightly drawn, Adamsberg condenses some down to three words as an aide-memoire.
The conclusion seemed slightly rushed, that was my only complaint.
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police try to avert a panic about an outbreak of Black Death. Each character,from the town crier, his landlord and other lodgers, the hangers on around the square, and the police themselves are tightly drawn, Adamsberg condenses some down to three words as an aide-memoire.
The conclusion seemed slightly rushed, that was my only complaint.
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LibraryThing member kerns222
Another slow-baked, almost fun, quirky mystery. The Fred Vargas formula is getting clearer as I read more of her books: Dwell on a set of offbeat characters--not crazy, but out of the ordinary. Stick them in a location in France that you cover in detail for the next 300 plus pages. Have strange
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events and a complicated murder series that somehow relates to the Middle Ages. (Like with werewolves or the plague). Bring in Detective Adamsberg and his logical assistant. Let A’berg get a feel for the crime. Then let him get confused. Dangle A'berg's lover Camille on the edges of his life. After a long walk through details, the crime is solved by intuition. And then A’berg realizes he has the wrong guy in his sights. Finally, the real criminal is found out and he (or she) spills the beans about the whole complicated plot. Show Less
LibraryThing member Ameise1
It was another fantastic Vargas. Within the topic of bubonic plague it is obvious that Vargas' main profession is a historian and archaeologist specializing in the Middle Ages. The twists and turns she is setting out for human primal fear is amazingly. Commissaire Adamsberg's unorthodox method of
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evaluations are tight tested. Sometimes his gorgeous gut instinct got lost and he had to step back to retrieve the thread. Nevertheless it is a gripping fast-paced reading. As always all characters are set out from the beginning and and it kept me guessing up until the very last page. Show Less
LibraryThing member lriley
French noirish type of novel. Plot revolves around a conspiracy by a would be serial killing family using the black plague to spread panic throught Paris as a cover to take its revenge on a group of thugs who humiliated one of its members. The hapless homicide detective Adamsberg is the man given
Well paced and entertaining--this book can get sloppy and a little sentimental at times. Even so I found it intriguing and fun and some of the historical information about the plague to be extremely interesting. All in all though good entertainment. What I'd call a page turner.
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the job of unraveling all the threads and to find the truly guilty members of the clan. Well paced and entertaining--this book can get sloppy and a little sentimental at times. Even so I found it intriguing and fun and some of the historical information about the plague to be extremely interesting. All in all though good entertainment. What I'd call a page turner.
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LibraryThing member Bookish59
Wow. Vargas has created one of the strangest Chief-Inspectors in Adamsberg; laid-back but intense, thoughtful but doesn't care what people think of him, seemingly inattentive but always contemplating his cases, intuitively intelligent but considered illogical especially by Langard, his right-hand
Vargas' mysteries are based on the most odd-ball plots I've ever read, capturing and tantalizing my attention and interest. I found Have Mercy on Us All to be one of her best mysteries. Faster paced, and full of more action, and red-herrings than the others I've read.
An outstanding read.
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officer. He is definitely annoyingly compelling. Vargas' mysteries are based on the most odd-ball plots I've ever read, capturing and tantalizing my attention and interest. I found Have Mercy on Us All to be one of her best mysteries. Faster paced, and full of more action, and red-herrings than the others I've read.
An outstanding read.
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Awards
Deutscher Krimi Preis (International — 2004)
Gumshoe Award (Nominee — 2006)
Trophée 813 (2002)
Prix des libraires (2002)