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Quarante ans de suspense
French
1317 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1988
1 person is currently reading
8 people want to read
About the author
Boileau-Narcejac
157 books81 followersPierre Boileau and Pierre Ayraud (aka Thomas Narcejac) were French authors who specialized in police stories. They collaborated as "Boileau-Narcejac," with plots from Boileau. Narcejac provided most of the atmosphere and characterisations in each novel.
Each of them were highly successful alone before beginning their work together. The Prix du Roman d'Aventures, one of the most important literary awards in France, is given each year to the author of the best example of detective fiction in the world. Boileau won it in 1938 for Le Repos de Bacchus . Narcejac received it for La Mort est du Voyage in 1948. They met at the 1948 awards dinner.
While most of their works stand alone, they also wrote the "Sans Atout" series for young readers.
Two of their novels, Celle qui n'était plus and D'entre les morts , were adapted into films (respectively, Les Diaboliques and Vertigo)
Each of them were highly successful alone before beginning their work together. The Prix du Roman d'Aventures, one of the most important literary awards in France, is given each year to the author of the best example of detective fiction in the world. Boileau won it in 1938 for Le Repos de Bacchus . Narcejac received it for La Mort est du Voyage in 1948. They met at the 1948 awards dinner.
While most of their works stand alone, they also wrote the "Sans Atout" series for young readers.
Two of their novels, Celle qui n'était plus and D'entre les morts , were adapted into films (respectively, Les Diaboliques and Vertigo)
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April 8, 2025
I'll just review the first novel in here, L'Ombre et La Proie. It's a family drama, a melodrama really, where almost all the main characters are dead by the end. Not too hard to work out who the killers are, and there was one glaring inconsistency involving a lack of blood and a body being dragged up some flights of stairs. That aside, there was plenty of action, the detective was a little eccentric, and the two elderly house servants provided a considerable amount of comedy.
Okay, I'm now halfway through the second novel Celle Qui N'etait Plus (The Woman who Wasn't There in English translation). This is much better and was made into a movie, Les Diaboliques (1955) and Diabolique (1996), and centers on a husband and mistress who murder his wife to claim an insurance payout. After dumping the body at night, the husband returns at daylight in the company of a neighbor, hoping to have him there as a witness when the corpse is discovered. However, something quite astonishing has happened...
Okay, I'm now halfway through the second novel Celle Qui N'etait Plus (The Woman who Wasn't There in English translation). This is much better and was made into a movie, Les Diaboliques (1955) and Diabolique (1996), and centers on a husband and mistress who murder his wife to claim an insurance payout. After dumping the body at night, the husband returns at daylight in the company of a neighbor, hoping to have him there as a witness when the corpse is discovered. However, something quite astonishing has happened...
Displaying 1 of 1 review