Who Would Like This Book:
If you love atmospheric crime thrillers set in unique, chilling locations, "The Frozen Dead" is a treat. Picture a snowbound mountain village, a sinister mental institution, and a set of layered, oddball characters. The book stands out for its moody Pyrenees backdrop, psychological complexity, and a detective whose quirks make him utterly memorable. Fans of dark mysteries, intricate plots, and twisty European noir (think Maigret or Jo Nesbø) will be glued to the pages.
Who May Not Like This Book:
Some readers found the translation clunky or felt the writing didn’t quite reach the heights of other Scandinavian or French crime novels. The pacing can start off slow, and those who prefer snappier dialog or non-stop action might find it a bit laborious. If you’re put off by grim or gruesome details, or want everything neatly resolved, this might not be your best pick.
About:
"The Frozen Dead" by Bernard Minier is a chilling crime novel set in the Pyrenees Mountains of southern France. The story follows Commander Martin Servaz as he investigates the brutal killing of a horse owned by a wealthy individual, which leads him to the Wargnier Psychiatric Institute where Europe's most dangerous psychotics are housed. As Servaz delves into the investigation, he collaborates with the local gendarmerie and crosses paths with a young psychologist, Dr. Dianne Berg, who is interning at the institute. The narrative weaves together two parallel threads - the criminal investigation and Dr. Berg's integration into the institute - culminating in a suspenseful and dark conclusion set against the backdrop of a harsh winter in the mountains.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
The book contains high content warnings due to themes of murder, mental illness, and violence.
From The Publisher:
Now available as a Netflix Original Series!
Saint-Martin-de-Comminges is a small town nestled in the French Pyrenees. The kind of place where winters are harsh and unforgiving and where nothing ever happens.
Until the winter morning when a group of workers discover the headless, flayed body of a horse, hanging suspended from the edge of a frozen cliff.
On the same day the gruesome discovery takes place, Diane Berg, a young psychiatrist starts her first job at a high-security asylum for the criminally insane, just a few miles away. She is baffled by the slightly unorthodox methods the asylum's director uses, and then greatly alarmed when she realizes that drugs are disappearing from within the fortified institution while someone seems to be slipping out at night.
Commandant Martin Servaz, a charismatic city cop from nearby Toulouse fond of quoting Latin, can't believe he has been called out over the death of an animal. But there's something disturbing about this crime that he can't ignore. Then DNA from one of the most notorious inmates of the asylum, a highly intelligent former prosecutor, accused of killing and raping several women, is found on the horse carcass . . . and a few days later the first human murder takes place.
A dark story of madness and revenge seems to be unfolding. Servaz and his colleague, the mysterious Irene Ziegler, must use all their skill to solve the terrifying mystery and best one of the most fiendish and clever opponents they could ever imagine.
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