Maite R. Ochotorena
The secret of La Belle Nuit
Period thriller
Synopsis
There is only one thing worse than the fear of the unknown, than wars, poverty, or disease: losing a child surpasses the capacity for human suffering. Stealing the innocence of childhood transcends immorality and turns a man into a demon.
Dark days are falling for many French families. Not only must they cope with the violent upheavals of the revolution ravaging the country, but now they must face a far more painful danger.
Nantes, Poitiers, Bordeaux, Paris. One by one, children of all kinds and backgrounds disappear. There is no room for hope; no one is safe. When the enigmatic Lazzaro Maltés takes charge of the investigation, Vasek Rabechault senses that his future as an inspector is in jeopardy. However, as the grim tally of victims grows, he cannot refuse the help of a man whose reputation has been endorsed by the new government in Paris.
Time is running out for the two investigators; day after day they struggle to eradicate a scourge that seems endless. When the first body is found abandoned on a riverbank, cruelly mutilated, a horrible feeling of helplessness grips them. There is no hope for the innocent. Time is running out.
A period novel with a great atmosphere
(And a very personal experience behind it...)
I dedicated a great deal of time and effort to shaping this duology, of which «The Secret of La Belle Nuit» is the first part and «The Shadow of Fourneau» the conclusion. The French Revolution is a fascinating and nuanced episode in history, full of dramatic events that captivated me and compelled me to be meticulous with the backdrop that animates the plot.
A turbulent country where betrayals, mistrust, and the Reign of Terror create an unparalleled breeding ground for a novel; the class struggle, the fervor of idealism taken to extremes, the passions of the great thinkers of that time, their excesses, and the chaos that reigned as the young Republic and human rights emerged in a world until then dominated by the powerful… I couldn't have chosen a better context for the events that would shape the fate of the Salazar brothers.
This was my first novel—though not my first piece of writing—and that's why it holds a special place in my heart. It was my catalyst, my salvation, my way of telling myself that I am a writer and that I had to fight for it. I suppose that same passion, the force with which I conceived it, is palpable in its pages. Welcome to my universe, do you dare?
Lo que dicen los lectores...
Maria Jesús Morales
«Esta novela engancha de principio a fin. Una historia brutal, escrita con una elegancia increíble, y con una sencillez, que hace fácil y amena su lectura, hasta el punto de conseguir no cansar, aun con horas seguidas de lectura.»
Gonzalo
«Una prosa descriptiva perfecta: clara y con un rico y amplio vocabulario. El argumento está magníficamente desarrollado, produciendo un gran interés por ver como se va tejiendo la trama, y con un nivel de intriga muy acertado, que la autora culmina con un final muy acertado.»
Aitor Olano
«Es un muy buen libro lleno de intrigas y misterio.
Me ha gustado tanto o más que otro de los libros de ésta autora "El destino de Ana H.Murria"
Me falta leer su último libro "La sombra de Fourneau.Mi siguiente compra.»