An Uncertain Place

Apr 10, 2012 Chip rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: foreign, mystery-thriller

Made it, with many fits and starts, to page 315 (of approx 400) before finally throwing in the towel for good. The book struck me as scattered, random, overly coincidental, and at times just plain weird - don't know if due to poor translation or not, but various character interactions, thoughts and responses seemed simply inhuman (in the sense of not how any normal person would behave) - e.g., most everything involving the bizarre "doctor" who could sense and fix things simply by touching people...more

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Sep 22, 2011 Dot rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm always so pleased when I hear that another mystery from French writer Fred Vargas has become available. Her plots often contain elements of the supernatural and she brings together a disparate group of quirky characters who together make up the Serious Crime Squad in Paris. Vargas tells a dark tale but her sense of humour is evident throughout and brings a lightness to the action.

In this volume, Inspector Adamsberg is sent to London to a conference along with Danglard and his encyclopaedic m...more

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Sep 07, 2011 LJ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary_post_1945, england, france, female_author, london, police_procedural, eastern-europe, serbia

First Sentence: Commissaire Adamsberg knew how to iron shirts.

Adamsberg begins in London, attending a police conference with Sgt. Estalere and Comm. Danglard when they are directed to the gates of Highgate Cemetery. There, in front of the gate, are 17 shoes; 8 pairs and one single, removed from corpses, still containing their feet. It is a case Adamsberg is glad not to be theirs. Back in Paris, a horrific and unusual murder occurs in a suburban home. The case leads Adamsburg to Serbia, vampire l...more First Sentence: Commissaire Adamsberg knew how to iron shirts.

Adamsberg begins in London, attending a police conference with Sgt. Estalere and Comm. Danglard when they are directed to the gates of Highgate Cemetery. There, in front of the gate, are 17 shoes; 8 pairs and one single, removed from corpses, still containing their feet. It is a case Adamsberg is glad not to be theirs. Back in Paris, a horrific and unusual murder occurs in a suburban home. The case leads Adamsburg to Serbia, vampire legends and the possibility of losing his life.

An author whose writing makes you savor particular passages, as though it was that first bit of a magnificent meal or sip of a fine wine, is a special gift. Vargas is one such author. One finds oneself reading passages aloud to others, whether they care or not, as you want to share them. Vargas is such a writer.

From the opening page, Vargas’ evocative descriptions immediately place you into the scene…”Since the room had windows on three sides, he spent this time moving his seat around the circular table, following the light, like a lizard on a rock.” and introducing your to new concepts…”Going to London was fine by him: he would find out whether the Thames smelt of damp washing the way the Seine did, and what kind of sound the seagulls made. Perhaps they had a different call in English.”

Even in translation—and kudos to Siân Reynolds—Ms. Vargas voice is unique and strong. “Any experience that’s too beautiful or too horrific always leaves some fragment of itself in the eyes of the people who have witnessed it.” Her description of Lt. Retancourt, a large, powerful woman, is one to be envied..." "Did she know that to him she represented his tree of salvation, a tree with tough and miraculous fruit, the kind of tree you put your arms around without being able to encircle it, the kind of tree you climb up into when the mouth of hell opens?" Ms. Vargas images stay with us for a very long time after the story is done. The use of language is a pleasure to read, even to inventing one word and re-inventing another. Her droll humor brings light to the dark and her dialogue is a pleasure to our internal ear.

Vargas’ characters are just as unique and, you sense, beloved by the author. They are wonderful, varied, and slightly eccentric. But it’s also nice to have a police procedural where much of the investigation is done by a squad working together. You don’t know whether some of the characters are extremely observant and astute, or blessed with extraordinary abilities, or both. Either way, the come to life and you want to know them. Even the victim is dimensional with his back story provided and relationship with his son explained. None of the characters are simply there to fill the space. Even the dog is anthropomorphized by Amamsberg.

In some ways, this book was more strictly a police procedural than others, perhaps as there was no romantic overtone to it. All the crimes are singular in their execution. The plot is smart and clever without ever being contrived. Taking Adamsberg from London to Paris to Serbia not only accentuates the mystery and the building of suspense—and she does suspense well—but adds a richness to the story. Vargas takes you down unexpected paths and includes a twist you never saw coming. She takes us on a journey; not only of locations, but of legends and superstitions, yet provides logical explanations in the end.

“An Uncertain Place” was published in France in 2008. Ms. Vargas is an author you want to have write more, publish more frequently and be translated more quickly. Her books are gifts to readers and, although it sounds greedy, with each one, you want more.

AN UNCERTAIN PLACE (Pol. Proc-Comm. Adamsberg-England/France/Serbia-Cont) - Ex
Vargas, Fred (trans. by Siân Reynolds) – 7th in series (book 4 has not been translated)
Harvill Secker, 2011, UK Trade Paperback – ISBN: 9781846554452
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Apr 24, 2011 David Barrie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In 2008 the fourth of Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight books was published, completing the vampire renaissance, and ensuring that you couldn’t stroll through a bookshop without encountering a fanged predator lurking amongst the shelves. Not even the crime section was safe, for that was the year when Fred Vargas’ An uncertain place came out in France and brought us the prospect of commissaire Adamsberg as a latter-day Van Helsing, caught in the middle of a centuries-old feud between the blood-suckers a

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In 2008 the fourth of Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight books was published, completing the vampire renaissance, and ensuring that you couldn’t stroll through a bookshop without encountering a fanged predator lurking amongst the shelves. Not even the crime section was safe, for that was the year when Fred Vargas’ An uncertain place came out in France and brought us the prospect of commissaire Adamsberg as a latter-day Van Helsing, caught in the middle of a centuries-old feud between the blood-suckers and those who would destroy them.

One singular difference between Meyer and Vargas is that Meyer’s vampires are cobbled together from twentieth century vampire lore, as purveyed on the large and small screens, whereas Vargas’ are rooted in the historical past – the turbulent Balkans of the eighteenth century and the solemn Victorian splendour of Highgate cemetery. This, of course, is one of Vargas’ notorious strengths – to take an episode from another era (the Black Death in Have mercy on us all) or a figure of myth (werewolves in Seeking whom he may devour) and weave it into a contemporary murder mystery, forcing together the rational present and the superstitious past, scientific method and legendary practices. Little wonder that the resulting cases can only be handled successfully by a holy fool such as Adamsberg, a blissful surfer on the seas of instinct and intuition, with a little help from his sceptical sidekick inspector Danglard, who needs a raft of well-ordered facts to stay afloat.

Adamsberg’s investigative style, and by extension Vargas’ plotting, is guaranteed to irritate traditionalist armchair detectives who pride themselves on their ability to spot the culprit before their fictional alter ego does so (and in saying this I must admit I am to a certain extent just such a traditionalist). In a Vargas book there is no hierarchy of significance – the slightest detail often outweighs chapters’ worth of procedural toil. In the end, there’s no point trying to outguess the author. What we are called upon to do is to mimic Adamsberg’s approach and just go with the flow, trusting to the author to carry us through safely – and delighted – to the conclusion.

An uncertain place is true to the tradition of quirkiness that has marked all the Adamsberg books. The crimes are suitably weird and macabre – a collection of severed feet left outside Highgate cemetery still snug in their shoes and a murder victim cut up into 460 separate pieces, 300 of which have been pounded to a pulp, in a suburban bungalow outside Paris. The investigation is appropriately unpredictable – Adamsberg helps the prime suspect escape justice before taking off to a village in Serbia where he encounters not only his current would-be nemesis but an old one from a previous book. And the incidental detail is as rich as ever (the correct name for someone who eats wardrobes, why you should bury a vampire face down, why you should carefully dispose of your pencil shavings, ...).

However, there is a difference between An uncertain place and its predecessors. Adamsberg seems lonelier, more isolated, and as a result we miss the constant interaction with the rest of his team that was such a source of strength in previous books such as Wash this blood clean from my hand. Indeed, this book suggests that had Vargas decided at the outset to cast Adamsberg as a one-man-band, she would have produced a series of quirky books (possibly not too far removed from Douglas Adam’s Dirk Gently, Holistic Detective), but not the compelling saga she came up with. Adamsberg needs Danglard as Holmes needs Watson. No man is an island, not even the loopiest individual.

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May 19, 2011 Vivienne rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: translation, crime

I feel that I understand Commissaire Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg and his unit at the Paris Serious Crime Squad much better after watching 'Spiral' on BBC3.

This is slightly more unusual for its theme of vampires though these vampires are a long way from the beings found in paranormal romance titles. These are Old World vampiri.

As always Vargas, who is an archaeologist and historian, does an excellent job in capturing a sense of place whether it is London's Highgate Cemetery or Paris as well as in thi...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Jason Speck rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Vargas' unique creation, Parisian detective Jean Baptiste-Adamsberg, has yet to find his audience in the United States, and it's not entirely hard to see why. Vargas' writing, much like her protagonists' thinking, whirls in loops and curlicues all the while driving an often fantastical narrative forward. This is not your American crime novel, featuring short, blunt prose with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. It's also not your modern-day mystery, with dramatic opening sequences and cliffhanger ch...more Vargas' unique creation, Parisian detective Jean Baptiste-Adamsberg, has yet to find his audience in the United States, and it's not entirely hard to see why. Vargas' writing, much like her protagonists' thinking, whirls in loops and curlicues all the while driving an often fantastical narrative forward. This is not your American crime novel, featuring short, blunt prose with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. It's also not your modern-day mystery, with dramatic opening sequences and cliffhanger chapter-endings. In An Uncertain Place, the mystery unfolds at a pace all its own. The effect, in short, is magic.

Adamsberg often exacerbates his colleagues with his seemingly random and tangential elocutions and observations, and I would imagine that there exist some readers who feel the same: get to the damn point. But to hurry the pace along is to miss much of what makes these cases so special, because for the reader who pays attention, everything matters, and what may not have meant something to you at first will come thundering back later.

Adamsberg is at a conference in London when he accompanies a British colleague to a shocking crime scene: several pairs of severed feet, in shoes, left at the gates of the notorious Highgate Cemetery. While Adamsberg and his colleagues puzzle at the mystery on their way home, another even more gruesome crime takes place in their own backyard: an old man is systematically pulverized in his home, down to the tiniest bones in his feet. Is this all connected? Is it hell.

Adamsberg quickly ascertains that someone, somewhere, fears he will solve the crime. Calling in a series of favors, he travels to the Continent and the forests of Serbia, understanding that in order to make sense of the present, he and his officers must illuminate the past. Because a long-dead horror awaits...

I truly enjoy Vargas' unique work--there's no-one I can think to compare her to (and you know if publishers could they'd put some stupid comparison on her book jackets--they don't). Each book has about it the trappings of the philosophical and the fantastical, but in every case it serves to help ground Adamsberg and his colleagues as they work out what is transpiring. There is no unnecessary verbiage, nor flair for flair's sake--her books are finely crafted, each layer melding with the other until no obvious brushstrokes remain. Give her books their due time and attention and they will richly reward you while asking for merely a little patience in return. Good things come to those who wait for Adamsberg to finish his train of thought. (less)

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Feb 08, 2013 Goesta rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

My first exposure to Fred Vargas and the Adamsberg series, I read An Uncertain Place in the English translation by Siân Reynolds (Vintage Books). It is clear from the other reviews that if you are expecting a classic no-nonsense police procedural rooted in gritty, empirical reality, you might be severely frustrated. On the other hand, there is nothing particularly supernatural about this world; no (suspense of dis-) belief in certain creatures of the night is required, merely the acceptance that...more My first exposure to Fred Vargas and the Adamsberg series, I read An Uncertain Place in the English translation by Siân Reynolds (Vintage Books). It is clear from the other reviews that if you are expecting a classic no-nonsense police procedural rooted in gritty, empirical reality, you might be severely frustrated. On the other hand, there is nothing particularly supernatural about this world; no (suspense of dis-) belief in certain creatures of the night is required, merely the acceptance that some people/characters will go to extreme lengths to support their own view of reality (and what serial killer does not fall into that category; here, a more unusual motive is merely posited).

Yes, it's a slightly off-kilter world, full of apparently coincidental connections and a unique sense of humour and atmosphere that seem to offer a commentary on human subjectivity wrestling with meaning and finding answers, except that perhaps this world is not quite as random and unreachable as that of 20th century European dread. If anything, there is perhaps a whiff of (Eastern?) mysticism in both the protagonist's method and the answers he finds. Everything is connected, not perhaps spiritually but at least in the trope of the mystery -- whose point, mythologically, has always been to restore order and vanquish chaos (or if you prefer "evil" - though that designation requires a supernatural belief system of its own, whether or not the reader is aware of it).

Anyway, more simply put, I was utterly taken by the blending of subtly quirky characters, depth of atmosphere, serious tension and flirting with (without, for me, ever descending into) the absurd. A unique and refreshing voice, at once new and pleasantly old-fashioned, subtle and exuberant. I started to guess the mystery just at the right point, I felt. I am not usually attracted to detectives who deduce by some kind of wandering meditation rather than doggedly pursuing the evidence, but now I realize I just hadn't found the right one yet. Vargas made me feel at home in her world, which is quite a feat.

Also I have not been too successful enjoying French mysteries, as most of the time I have the sneaking feeling that the English translation loses something intangible but vital. While I cannot comment as to its accuracy, Reynolds' translation immediately felt "right" and I forgot about it (reading a translation) at once.

I look forward to more as I find them. Whether the glow of discovery will wear off or I will continue to enjoy the series as much as my first time, remains to be seen.(less)

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Aug 20, 2012 Arwen56 rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romanzi

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Beh, prima o poi doveva succedere. Lo avevo previsto e lo avevo detto nelle precedenti recensioni che ho scritto su di lei: questa volta la Vargas ha “toppato” alla grande. Quel “luogo incerto”, che dà il titolo al romanzo, temo sia anche il “luogo incerto” in cui si trova la scrittrice, che non ha scelto di evolversi e di indirizzare il suo indubbio talento su altre vie.

Ma andiamo per gradi. E cominciamo dal commento, rilasciato dalla stessa Vargas”, che viene riportato in tutte le edizioni ita...more

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Apr 15, 2012 Danny rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

In London, seventeen shoes are found just outside of Highgate Cemetery. Normally this wouldn't be a reason for Commissaire Adamsberg, in town as the Parisian representative to a police conference, to take notice. These shoes, however, have feet inside them. Still, the feet are in London and there are more pressing matters across the Channel. In Paris someone has completely dismembered the body of a wealthy recluse. Not even the toes are found next to each other in this gruesome display. With the...more

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Aug 28, 2011 R. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

C'est déjà le huitième roman de Fred Vargas mettant en scène son désormais célèbre commissaire Adamsberg. Ce succès n'est pas dû au hasard et force est de constater que le concept ne s'émousse pas avec le temps, il a même tendance à s'améliorer. Pour chacun de ses romans, Fred Vargas semble partir de quelque chose qui l'intrigue, l'étonne ou l'a fait rêver. Dans son précédent roman, Dans les bois éternel , il s'agissait de l'os se trouvant dans le coeur du cerf. Autour de ce type d'élément, elle...more C'est déjà le huitième roman de Fred Vargas mettant en scène son désormais célèbre commissaire Adamsberg. Ce succès n'est pas dû au hasard et force est de constater que le concept ne s'émousse pas avec le temps, il a même tendance à s'améliorer. Pour chacun de ses romans, Fred Vargas semble partir de quelque chose qui l'intrigue, l'étonne ou l'a fait rêver. Dans son précédent roman, Dans les bois éternel , il s'agissait de l'os se trouvant dans le coeur du cerf. Autour de ce type d'élément, elle construit une histoire se situant à la lisière du fantastique. Elle flirte avec, tourne autour, sans jamais succomber à la tentation de tomber dans ce registre et de décrédibiliser son histoire.

C'est certainement l'un des secrets du succès de ses romans. L'autre est surement lié à la personnalité de son commissaire. C'est un rêveur qui laisse les solutions venir à lui plutôt que de les chercher. Il sent les choses, les perçoit, il a un profil kinesthésique. Il est toujours en train de griffonner quelque chose sur un bout de papier en écoutant d'une oreille distraite — cette manie va d'ailleurs lui jouer des tours dans cette histoire. Il a beaucoup de mal à retenir les informations et notamment les noms — ce qui est problématique pour un commissaire — et raisonne de façon complètement irrationnelle, souvent par association d'idées. Vous avez peut-être déjà fait l'expérience de buter sur un problème toute la journée et la solution vous est apparue claire et évidente au saut du lit sans avoir eu l'impression d'y réfléchir. Hé bien c'est un peu cette aptitude dont se sert le commissaire pour résoudre les affaires dont il a la charge. S'il fallait citer un autre symbole de son originalité, je vous parlerais des deux montres qu'il porte au poignet. Ce n'est pas très original puisque Nicolas Hayek — le créateur de Swatch — en portait plusieurs, non l'originalité réside dans le fait qu'aucune n'indique l'heure exacte. Pour ça, il préfère se fier à la prostate de son voisin, le vieil espagnol manchot:

— Sept heures, dit-il en jetant un oeil par la fenêtre. C'est l'heure où le voisin pisse contre l'arbre. Il pisse toutes les heures et demie, jour et nuit. Ca ne fait pas de bien à l'arbre mais ça me donne l'heure.

Le contraste avec son adjoint, le commandant Danglard, est saisissant car c'est un esprit cartésien, logique doublé d'un puits de science. Cette dichotomie, cette opposition de style apporte une saveur bien particulière aux romans de Fred Vargas.

Pour en revenir au livre, cette fois le point de départ est une histoire de vampires. N'ayez pas peur, le tout se tient très bien et est même d'un grand intérêt. Contrairement à certains autres livres de la série, la vie privée du commissaire est passée sous silence et ce n'est finalement pas plus mal. Mais les choses ne vont jamais comme l'on veut et sa vie privée va finir par le rattraper bien malgré lui. En conclusion, un très bon opus qui ravira les rêveurs, les curieux et tout simplement les amateurs de bons bouquins. http://www.aubonroman.com/2011/08/un-...(less)

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Apr 09, 2012 Danny rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-book

In London, seventeen shoes are found just outside of Highgate Cemetery. Normally this wouldn't be a reason for Commissaire Adamsberg, in town as the Parisian representative to a police conference, to take notice. These shoes, however, have feet inside them. Still, the feet are in London and there are more pressing matters across the Channel. In Paris someone has completely dismembered the body of a wealthy recluse. Not even the toes are found next to each other in this gruesome display. With the...more

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Oct 24, 2012 Ubik 2.0 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

“Adamsberg non era un uomo emotivo, sfiorava i sentimenti con cautela, come i rondoni toccano le finestre aperte accarezzandole con l’ala, evitando di precipitarsi dentro, tanto è difficile poi la strada per uscire”

Divertente e pieno di spunti questo romanzo di Fred Vargas, il sesto della serie Adamsberg, se non sbaglio. Ho già notato nei precedenti episodi che la Vargas sembra dare il suo meglio quando il racconto sconfina, almeno in parte, dai supersfruttati (letterariamente) ambienti parigini...more

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Feb 24, 2013 Clotilde rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: detective

This is not the first Vargas I read, and it is not the one I preferred, but it was a good book nonetheless.

The story begins like any thriller : a gruesome murder. To be exact : nine victims, or at least their eighteen feet. Followed by a dismembered and smashed body. Something I can't deny is that it made me want to read more. The story goes on, full of traps, of potential suspects, and of dangers for Adamsberg.

The commissaire, true to himself, lives in the clouds and has a train of thoughts so...more

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Aug 06, 2011 Linda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I would give this book 6 stars if I could. I just couldn't put it down. This is the first Fred Vargas "Commissaire Adamsberg" novel that I have read and I can't wait to read her other books. The story was riveting and eerie. I am definitely a huge "Commissaire Adamsberg" fan. I so enjoy French crime writers - Jean Francois Parot, Claude Izner and now I can add Fred Vargas. C'est magnifique!

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Dec 06, 2011 Jennifer rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-loan, fiction

I hoped for great things from this Fred Vargas - a return to the joy of reading The Three Evangelists after the disappointing Seeking Whom He May Devour. The settings seemed promising - Highgate Cemetery and Serbia - and I find the odd characters and odder relationships between the police officers (somehow very unlike the English) at least as engaging as ever, especially set against particularly macabre events.

However, it somehow failed to hit the spot for me as a whole and I think it was the 'u...more

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Nov 30, 2011 Ms Tlaskal added it · review of another edition

I read this in English but it is a very cross-cultural novel in which suave French detectives come up against the British plod. The French detective Adamsberg is on a policeman's conference in London, of which he understands nothing at all yet in socialising with the other detectives they come across a murder at Highgate cemetary; the evidence is Fred Vargas-odd; severed, mummified feet pointing towards the gates of the celebrated cementary. Vargas is making a nod to the current obsession with v...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Morganna The Hungry Wolf rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Francamente non riesco a configurare un genere specifico per questo libro. Ci sono dei delitti da risolvere (bizzarri) e c'è una geniale squadra anticrimine pronta a farlo e questo basterebbe a configurarli come polizieschi. Ma il realtà a me sembra che alla Vargas non importi di esplorare i moventi o gli atti del delitto, e neanche la "sordida" vita privata del poliziotto protagonista, come accade in molti thriller/noir. Direi, e credo che sia difficile smentirmi, che di suspance ce ne sia davv...more Francamente non riesco a configurare un genere specifico per questo libro. Ci sono dei delitti da risolvere (bizzarri) e c'è una geniale squadra anticrimine pronta a farlo e questo basterebbe a configurarli come polizieschi. Ma il realtà a me sembra che alla Vargas non importi di esplorare i moventi o gli atti del delitto, e neanche la "sordida" vita privata del poliziotto protagonista, come accade in molti thriller/noir. Direi, e credo che sia difficile smentirmi, che di suspance ce ne sia davvero poca, e che a noi lettori piace così. Il ritmo è stagnante, dilagante ed allo stesso tempo pregno e vibrante così come è la mente del commissario Adamsberg, il suo principale protagonista, che qui si trova sul groppone un figlio di 29 anni fatto in un momento di distrazione, e tutta una vicenda di vampiri che è poco credibile dal punto di vista della realtà narrativa, ma anche in questo caso, a noi piace così. Ci piace divagare e farci catturare da tutto un mondo di rimandi e citazioni sapientemente mescolato a dialoghi e personaggi brillanti ed indimenticabili a cui ci affezioniamo e che perdoniamo delle loro imperfezioni. La scrittura è fluida come se fossimo lì con i nostri protagonisti ed è saggiamente sfaccettata in momenti più lenti ed in attimi più concitati, senza tralasciare i classici momenti di "spiegone" generalmente affidati al coltissimo Danglard, che ringrazio, perché sta erudendo anche me che lo leggo. Mi dispiace soltanto che, rispetto alla Cavalcata, in questo libro proprio questi elementi siano stati mescolati un pò troppo velocemente, pur rendendoli godibilissimi. Il vampirismo, Highgate, le pratiche superstiziose, persino Elizabeth Siddal e il suo celebre disseppellimento vengono inseriti con maestria, ma a volte ci sfuggono leggermente, cosa che nella Cavalcata non accade, e ritengo che a ragione la Cavalcata sia migliore del Luogo Incerto, anche se questo presenta personalmente elementi folk più ricchi. Qui Adamsberg viaggia anche al di fuori della Francia, andando fino al "luogo incerto" del titolo...Il punto di forza resta comunque la caratterizzazione dei personaggi, compresi i comprimari (anche i più minuscoli, come Palla il gatto, Charme, o il cane Cupido), per cui nessuno di essi è sciatto o anche solo privo di rilevanza. Seguiamo tutti, ognuno di essi ha la sua personalità. E' questa è una cosa molto difficile, calcolando che bastano poche abili pennellate per evocarci ciascuno di essi. La mia opinione personale, come elementi "messi sul fuoco" vince sulla Cavalcata, come scrittura no. E soprattutto. Più che una giallista, la Vargas è, per me, una signora scrittrice ed una abile osservatrice dell'animo umano. Chapeau!(less)

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Sep 17, 2012 Elisabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Adamsberg, convié à un séminaire de 3 jours, déjà une corvée en soi, à Londres (lui qui ne parle pas un mot d'anglais) ne se doutait pas qu'il allait se retrouver face à une vingtaine de chaussures, les pieds de leurs propriétaires coupés, toujours dedans, à l'une des portes du cimetière de Highgate... Encore moins qu'il se retrouverait mêlé à un massacre lors de son retour en France, ou qu'il risquerait sa vie dans un petit village des Balkans...
Trois étoiles seulement parce que j'ai été un peu...more

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Jan 05, 2013 Cel Jel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read the first paragraph, and felt that I was coming home. I love the quirkiness of the thought processes in Fred Vargas' books, and so I was glad to find this book had most of that. I enjoyed the threads that get drawn together for the end.

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Dec 09, 2012 Shonna Froebel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: translations

This is the latest in the series featuring Commissaire Adamsberg.
The story begins as Adamsberg leaves for a conference in London. His neighbour Lucio insists he helps a cat in distress before he goes. In London, Commandant Danglard is in his element as an anglophile. During a walk with a local DCI, they find themselves witness to a unique crime scene. Several pairs of shoes outside a cemetary, with feet still in them. This is disquieting, but not their case.
On return to Paris, Adamsberg's team i...more

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Feb 19, 2013 Jennifer Klenz rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of Louise Penny (Armaud Gamache)

Recommended to Jennifer by: originally P.-A. Sonolet

It has been a while since I have read an Adamsberg mystery. I did not remember in that past that Vargas spent so much time discussing all the quirks of Adamsberg's team. It seemed to almost be the main action for a while becoming more prominent than the two horrific cases they were dealing with. I like having some of the book set in Serbia and was intrigued to be introduced to that part of the world.
I did not guess the murderer's identity but I wasn't trying very hard. All and all a satisfying...more

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May 20, 2012 Alain added it · review of another edition

Adamsberg est confront? ? un crime particuli?rement violent. Un homme a ?t? tu? et son corps a ?t? totalement ? d?truit ? comme si son meurtrier avait voulu le faire ? dispara?tre ?. Le commissaire commence une enqu?te ?trange, peupl?e de vampires, que des personnes haut plac?es ont tout int?r?t ? voir ?chouer.

J?ai pass? un bon moment ? lire ce livre. Cependant, ce n?est pas le roman de Fred Vargas que j?ai pr?f?r?. Il y a toujours une part d??trange et de myst?rieux dans ses livres ce qui fait...more

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Jul 27, 2012 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Four chapters in and loving it. Classic Adamsberg, with requisite supernatural-crime theme, Danglard and co. Vargas at her very best, so far.

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Jan 12, 2012 Cuggiah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: best

triller, giallo, noir.. non so quale sia la classificazione migliore dei libri della Vargas, ma di sicuro questo volume li comprende tutti ai massimi livelli.
Non ? uno di qui libri gialli dove si leggi l'inizio e si attende la fine..
Non ? uno di quei triller che sembrano confezionati per la televisione, tutti con la stessa struttura e con gli stessi passaggi emotivi.
la trama ? avvincente e in continua evoluzione. Il mistero e la suspance ci sono, ma soprattuto c'? la storia, ci sono i personagg...more

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Apr 01, 2009 Susie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Un livre typique de Fred Vargas. Je commence à être un peu tannée du style contourné – on dirait qu’elle devient pire qu’avant. Des fois, c’est tellement contourné que je suis un peu perdue. J’ai beaucoup aimé la deuxième partie du livre, quand l’histoire commence à faire du sens, même s’il y avait des bouts où j’étais encore perdue.
Une histoire de pieds dans des souliers trouvés à l’entrée du cimetière Highgate à Londres, et une histoire de meurtrier à Paris qui écrase et disperse le corps de s...more

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Feb 09, 2013 Elena rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

4 stelle perche', prima di tutto, mi ha tenuto compagnia nelle 5 ora che mi son fatta fuori dal teatro per accaparrarmi 2 biglietti per Book of Mormon nel gelo piu' totale. Gli inglesi non ti parlano, manco se ti sono appiccicati per ora in una fila con poche speranze, quindi senza questo libro non so se ce l'avrei fatta. Ma 4 stelle perche', nonostante le morti talmente schifose che avvengono in questo libro, l'autrice' ha il grande talento di saper costruire dei personaggi talmente interessant...more

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May 28, 2012 Marco rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fedele a se stessa ancora una volta Fred Vargas ci ripropone una storia di Adamsberg che ha profonde radici nel suo passato giovanile a Pau.<br />Una storia strampalata (al solito) all'inizio ma che pian piano assume una sua 'razionalit��', una giustificazione. <br />Ci sono molti legami con le avventure precedenti, in particolare con 'Nei boschi eterni'.<br />Il finale al solito �� indovinabile, non tanto sulla base della storia stessa ma sulla conoscenza di Fred Vargas.<br...more

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Jan 15, 2012 Rosanna rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This author always has the most complicated plots imaginable. The one goes from London where eight pairs of shoes are found outside of HIghgate Cemetery with the feet still in them to the Siberian wilderness where stories of vampires still dictate how people live.All of this becomes Commissaire Adamsberg challenge aided by Danglard and others in his squad. Vargas's books demand the reader's attention with the language and settings generally unfamiliar. In the end you find you have leaarned a lot...more

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Jun 04, 2012 Eva rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Before reading it I was a little put off by the fact that it has to do something with vampires - taking into account all the teenage novels about that topic which emerged after Stephanie Meyer's Twilight (shame on me - I read all four of them but liked the first only as a metaphor on adolescence). But fortunately, Vargas is not Meyer. Adamsberg is a strange enough character to deal even with this theme graciously. If you liked Kostova's Historian and you read other Vargas's novels, you will like...more

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Jan 24, 2013 Sónia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, segredo-dos-livros

Quando parti para a leitura deste livro, ia com algum receio. Primeiro, porque foi a minha estreia com esta autora e porque, na sinopse, há referência a vampiros coisa que, a bem da verdade, não me suscita qualquer curiosidade em termos literários. Hoje vejo que os meus receios eram totalmente infundados e ainda bem.

Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg é personagem comum a Um Lugar Incerto e A Terceira Virgem, também editado pela Porto Editora. Somos remetidos para A Terceira Virgem, mas tal em nada influenc...more

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title link	preview: An Uncertain Place
avg rating	preview: An Uncertain Place Goodreads rating: 3.74 (946 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10684309-an-uncertain-place?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347230395l/10684309.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10684309-an-uncertain-place?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]An Uncertain Place by Fred Vargas[/url]

An Uncertain Place (Commissaire Adamsberg #8)

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