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Irène (Camille Verhœven, #1)

Pierre Lemaitre

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Jan 05, 2014 Sam rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2-translated, 1-contemp-literary, reviewed, read-2015

As most have already mentioned, Irene is the first book in French writer Pierre Lemaitre’s crime trilogy, but actually the second to be translated into English. So a whole bunch of us read (and loved) book #2 first, which meant we already knew the fate of the characters in book #1 before the English translation of book #1 had even hit shelves. I would’ve “saved myself” and waited for MacLehose Press to publish Irene before reading the runaway hit Alex, but I didn’t know at the time that I’d care As most have already mentioned, Irene is the first book in French writer Pierre Lemaitre’s crime trilogy, but actually the second to be translated into English. So a whole bunch of us read (and loved) book #2 first, which meant we already knew the fate of the characters in book #1 before the English translation of book #1 had even hit shelves. I would’ve “saved myself” and waited for MacLehose Press to publish Irene before reading the runaway hit Alex, but I didn’t know at the time that I’d care so much. In any case, I’m grateful that MacLehose introduced me to this excellent writer and such a heart-racing series.

First, a note for those who are new to the trilogy: These books are extremely gory and grisly; people are flayed and filleted and Lemaitre writes about it all in unflinching detail. The violence does not feel gratuitous, exploitative, or fetishistic within the confines of the story, but reading about it requires a strong stomach. If you’re up for it, though, you’re in for treat; the stories are really clever and suspenseful. And, of course, ideally they should be read in order!

For those who read Alex first and are wondering if it’s worth reading Irene now, my answer is yes, yes, yes.

It’s true that you aren’t going to be surprised by one part of the outcome of Irene, but the heightened anticipation—or more accurately, the dread—that comes with knowing what’s going to happen serves as a different kind of enjoyment. Different, but no less potent. The tension is still sustained throughout since not only are you on pins and needles waiting for the expected shoe to drop, but you’ll be trying to puzzle out *how* it’s going to drop and *who* the cause of it is.

There are also plenty of twists and turns that will still surprise you—my jaw dropped when the main twist was revealed; I’d been too busy flying through the pages to detect the hints, so was truly floored. (That twist is what bumps this to a 5-star rating from what was going to be a solid 4 stars.) And knowing the fate of the characters beforehand doesn’t diminish at all the emotional punch once it hits you. (Ahem…I had to go watch some cute puppy videos to cheer up afterwards.)
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Jul 05, 2014 Enthu_Kidlets marked it as to-read

Mar 14, 2015 Anna marked it as to-read

Feb 17, 2017 Juliana Philippa marked it as to-read

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