The Frozen Dead (Commandant Servaz) - Softcover

Bernard Minier grew up at the foot of the Pyrenees. He has received several awards for his short stories, and THE FROZEN DEAD is his first crime novel.

*Starred Review* Commandant Servaz, a top-notch investigator for the city of Toulouse, France, at the foot of the Pyrenees, relies more on his gut than on science. Servaz is annoyed when he is called away from an investigation to a new crime scene at the hydroelectric plant of Arruns, so high above sea level that the only way to reach it is by cable car. A beheaded body is hung on the upper deck; it is not a human body, however, but rather that of a Thoroughbred horse. This disturbing scene only gets more disturbing when the DNA of an inmate at Institute Wargnier, the nearby psychiatric prison, is found on the horse. This case gets priority as the horse belonged to Eric Lombard, CEO of a multinational company and member of a very influential family with strong political ties to the area. In a parallel story, Diane Berg, a new psychologist, has arrived at the institute and is not entirely welcome, especially after she uncovers flagrant mistreatment of the prisoners. The pervasiveness of evil in this tense and disturbing novel makes for very compelling reading, with the suspense bordering on horror. It should appeal to those who enjoyed Pierre Lemaitre’s Alex (2013) as well as the edgier Scandinavian thrillers. --Stacy Alesi