Syndrome E by Franck Thilliez
The classic procedural meets cutting-edge science in this runaway international bestseller
A breakout bestseller in France, Syndrome E is a taut thriller with cinematic echoes—from The Manchurian Candidate to the Bourne series—that uncovers a shocking chapter in the history of neuroscience.
Lucie Henebelle, single mother and beleaguered detective, has just about enough on her plate when she receives a phone call from an ex-lover. Lucie’s old friend has developed a case of hysterical blindness after watching a mysterious film from the 1950s. Embedded in the movie are subliminal images so heinous that Lucie, with the help of brooding profiler Inspector Franck Sharko, is determined to get to the bottom of it—especially when nearly everyone connected to the film starts turning up dead.
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
After bodies are found in a construction site, the psychotic Inspector Franck Sharko is called in to investigate the unusual state the corpses were found in. Soon sending him off to Egypt then Canada to track down similar cases and the unusual film that connects them all. Detective Lucie Henebelle, who is a struggling single mother is in possession of the film and working on uncovering the chain of who shot and encrypted the grotesque footage, ultimately they are thrown together to work on the case and find an unexpected friendship.
An anonymous film from the 1950's and cases of unusual mass murders in several countries, what's the link? The two have both international laws and the passage of time against them. Somebody is watching them carefully and they must find the connection before more people are harmed or themselves killed.
The novel is written from different perspectives and we get to know each of them in detail, from what drives them to what holds them back from both their personal lives and professional. Between the two investigations there is very little downtime and interesting information provided about the film that could have been complicated but written in a way that was easy for the reader to grasp.
Overall I enjoyed the story, I found it an interesting and at times a horrific read.
View all my reviews
A breakout bestseller in France, Syndrome E is a taut thriller with cinematic echoes—from The Manchurian Candidate to the Bourne series—that uncovers a shocking chapter in the history of neuroscience.
Lucie Henebelle, single mother and beleaguered detective, has just about enough on her plate when she receives a phone call from an ex-lover. Lucie’s old friend has developed a case of hysterical blindness after watching a mysterious film from the 1950s. Embedded in the movie are subliminal images so heinous that Lucie, with the help of brooding profiler Inspector Franck Sharko, is determined to get to the bottom of it—especially when nearly everyone connected to the film starts turning up dead.
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
After bodies are found in a construction site, the psychotic Inspector Franck Sharko is called in to investigate the unusual state the corpses were found in. Soon sending him off to Egypt then Canada to track down similar cases and the unusual film that connects them all. Detective Lucie Henebelle, who is a struggling single mother is in possession of the film and working on uncovering the chain of who shot and encrypted the grotesque footage, ultimately they are thrown together to work on the case and find an unexpected friendship.
An anonymous film from the 1950's and cases of unusual mass murders in several countries, what's the link? The two have both international laws and the passage of time against them. Somebody is watching them carefully and they must find the connection before more people are harmed or themselves killed.
The novel is written from different perspectives and we get to know each of them in detail, from what drives them to what holds them back from both their personal lives and professional. Between the two investigations there is very little downtime and interesting information provided about the film that could have been complicated but written in a way that was easy for the reader to grasp.
Overall I enjoyed the story, I found it an interesting and at times a horrific read.
View all my reviews
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