Book Review : "Ceux qui vont mourir te saluent" (F. Vargas)

Have finished this book a while ago actually. But the review is coming a bit late. Now good/bad excuse for it. Here it comes: "Those who are about to die salute You" (in English):A sketch signed Michel Angelo appear on the market. A recognised connoisseur suspects it comes from the archives of the Vatican (Rome). He is suddenly murdered during a pagan party outdoors in Rome. First in line for the suspect, his son and his two special friends. The trio always presents themselves as three Roman emperors. Add to this a still young and attractive widow with secrets and a cardinal sharing part of those secrets... You get it : a well-written crime novel from Fred Vargas.

After one third of the book, the story sounded quite "déjà vu" (or "déjà lu" : ) Indeed I bought this book in February while waiting for my fligth in Paris and after starting it (back home then) I made a break and search in my library: Here it was the very examplar borrowed to my youngest sister! So you may say that this book is not quite something to remember. Indeed the story is a bit long and the end well if you think of it, you may have guessed some of it at half the book. Still I liked the written style, but a bit disappointed after the breath-taking "Have Mercy of Us All". The trio-vira is a bit superficial, the intrigue -still great- could have been a bit longer to end, so the final result is definitely not on the same level of other masterpieces of Fred Vargas.

So my recommendation is: Well take it for what it is. It may be read quick or slow. . If I recall well it is one of the first novel she wrote and you can see that her style has evolved considerably since (Good for us!). Read it for the fun (but follow it by another Fred Vargas in the Adamsberg's serie). An overall 6/10.