Another Sun (An Anne Marie Laveaud Novel) in Around the World in 80 Books

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Feb 24, 2013 Beverly rated it liked it

Shelves: 2014-new-to-you-authors, mystery, cross-cultural, where-in-the-world, beverly-where-in-the-world, new-to-you

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Sep 19, 2023 Tony rated it liked it

Shelves: audio, crime, setting-caribbean

The author taught in the French Caribbean for thirty years, and draws upon his deep knowledge for this first in a two-book series set in Guadeloupe in 1980. The story revolves around the murder of a prominent landowner and businessman, which is given to Juge d'Instruction Anne Marie Laveaud for investigation. In the French system, this type of judge gathers evidence on the commission of an offense and decides whether to refer the persons charged to the trial court -- sort of a combination of an The author taught in the French Caribbean for thirty years, and draws upon his deep knowledge for this first in a two-book series set in Guadeloupe in 1980. The story revolves around the murder of a prominent landowner and businessman, which is given to Juge d'Instruction Anne Marie Laveaud for investigation. In the French system, this type of judge gathers evidence on the commission of an offense and decides whether to refer the persons charged to the trial court -- sort of a combination of an American police detective and a little bit of a district attorney. And so she becomes the book's protagonist.

Identity is at the heart of the book -- Judge Laveaud is a woman in male-dominated field in a very male-dominated country, a factor in almost every interaction. She's white -- but also pied-noir (born in Algeria) and Jewish, so not considered fully French, especially as her husband is a black Guadeloupean. Race and ethnicity is hugely important in the country, with the "beke" (white descendants of white settlers) controlling power and wealth, and some blacks fighting for independence from France, not to mention all the descendants of indentured workers from India, and all the mulatto variations of the above. Each character's place is carefully delineated within the strata of society based on these elements, and these social relationships are a major theme of the book.

Another major theme is Guadeloupe's relationship to "the mainland" -- as a full "departement" of France, it wields some minor power in French politics. The status quo government of Giscard d'Estaing dumps subsidies into the islands to prop up the economy and keep people happy enough to vote for the status quo come the next election. All of this is the background against which Judge Laveaud works to poke at the motivations for the murder -- especially when the suspect initially brought in by police is found dead in his cell. She smells something fishy and presses for answers which threaten to upset the status quo. Unfortunately, the book drags quite a bit, and while the insights into Guadeloupe's history and society are interesting, the narrative gets quite complicated along the way. Readers with an interest in the island or France's colonial legacy may want to check this out, but as a murder mystery, it doesn't quite deliver the goods. As such, I won't be picking up the sequel. ...more

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Jan 25, 2015 Janet Whalen marked it as to-read

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Around the World in 80 Books