Adrian Magson’s Death on the Marais
is a stunning introduction to his latest detective Lucas Rocco. The author has already been firmly established within the genre with his Harry Tate series and is looking to begin a new and equally captivating series with Lucas Rocco. Set in France in 1963, a time of great administrative change, Death on the Marais is a thriller that is exceptionally difficult to put down. It sees the hardened detective removed from his Paris base to rural France. Due to a new police initiative Rocco is now based in the small village of Poissons-Les-Marais, Picardie. It is far removed from the bustling metropolitan life that he was used to in the nation’s capital. Thus it is with a sense of dread that he begins his new life as a countryside police officer. On his first day in the job, Rocco discovers the corpse of a murdered woman dressed in a Gestapo uniform. Given the historical proximity to WW2, this makes for a shocking find. The detective is faced with a veil of silence as he attempts to uncover the mystery surrounding the untimely death of the young woman. Connections between her death and that of a powerful industrialist quickly emerge and our hero is forced to confront the upper echelons of Parisian society.
What is so striking about this novel is that it refuses to be put down. The writing is beautiful; it evokes life within a small town in France. News travels amongst locals at an almost instantaneous pace despite the lack of a communications infrastructure. For much of the book Rocco is very much the outsider who must prove his credentials to a skeptical local populace. He must also contend with the urban authorities who are most unwilling to help a presumed rogue and dangerous officer, yet Lucas Rocco remains scarred from his military service in the Indochina conflict. Throughout the novel, Rocco suffers various flashbacks and is unsure as to what his time in the jungle actually accomplished. He is a cynic, jaded by warfare and yet determined to maintain what has been an excellent record within the police force. As with most genre protagonists, he is motivated by a strong sense of justice and a determination to seek out the truth.
Death on the Marais is a slick and memorable thriller in which rural France and the discrepancies between official bureaucracy and real police work are laid bare. Terse writing, a very credible plot and fascinating characterisation make for a most entertaining reading experience. If you are looking for an intelligent and fast-paced read then this book marks the beginning of what will no doubt be an excellent series.
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