After the Crash by Michel Bussi is the best book I’ve read all year, so I was very excited when I saw that another novel by Michel Bussi – Black Water Lilies – had been published in the UK. (Bussi is a French author and After the Crash was his first book to be translated and published in the UK.)
Intriguingly, Black Water Lilies is set in and around Monet’s garden in Giverny, where he painted his numerous Water Lilies paintings. The story begins with the murder in the garden of local man, Jerome Morval, doctor, art lover and womaniser. In his pocket was a postcard of Monet’s Water Lilies reading: Eleven years old. Happy Birthday.
Who murdered Jerome Morval? A jealous husband? A jealous lover? And who was the card for? One of the children at the local school? Or did he have an illegitimate child of his own? The local police have suspects in mind, but all their investigations draw a blank.
Entangled in the mystery are a 10 year old girl, who is an artistic prodigy, and a beautiful school teacher, rumoured to be Morval’s mistress. Then there is the 80-something woman, who observes everything around her and passes through the village almost unnoticed. The story is largely narrated by the old woman. Does she know something we don’t?
I’ll be honest, it took me a while to love this book. After After the Crash, I had VERY high expectations for this book and at first it didn’t meet them. But all of a sudden, I loved it! It is an amazing story and the setting is wonderful. I could really picture Monet’s garden as I read.
I’d already decided the book was amazing when I got to the twist.
Oh. My. God. I did not see that coming! It was so good that it had me going back and re-reading bits to see what I might have missed.
This is an amazing book and well worth a read if you love mysteries. Or art. Or brilliantly written books.
December 2, 2016
Ok I might definitely definitely start After the crash today!! And then read this one!
December 2, 2016
Yay! You’ll love them both! I found this one a bit more of a slow burner, but loved it by the end.
December 2, 2016
Oh no, I’m not good with slow burners 🙁 I shall definitely make a bee-line for After the Crash though. Thanks for the heads up!
December 3, 2016
It was intriguing from the start, but I didn’t fall in love with it until about halfway through. You should definitely give After the Crash a go, though!
December 4, 2016
Sounds pretty gripping! I’ll be honest, I probably wouldn’t have made it to the good bit. I have a tendency to stop bothering to read books if I can’t get into them straight away.
Nat.x
December 5, 2016
Sounds good, maybe one to add to my Christmas wish list!
January 2, 2017
Love a good twist, sounds like a book that has much anticipation! Thanks for sharing with #ReadWithMe
January 5, 2017
It’s well worth a read! It very nearly made my top 5 books of 2016.
January 2, 2017
this sounds right up my street – just checking if my library has it (and the crash too)
great review x
#readwithme
January 5, 2017
Thanks, I think you would really enjoy both of them!
January 2, 2017
I haven’t come across this author but I certainly like the sound of this. One for my list #Readwithme
January 5, 2017
Definitely worth a read! I stumbled across After the Crash when I had some book tokens to spend last year and was blown away by it.
January 5, 2017
I’ve not heard of this author before but I love a story with a twist, especially when you have to go back to reread 🙂
#readwithme