Anna Jaquiery
Author of The Lying Down Room
3 Works 57 Members 6 Reviews
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Olivermagnus | 1 other review | Jul 2, 2020 | I had some problems when I read the first Commandant Morel mystery, The Lying Down Room, but I'm happy to say that this second book didn't have them. Well, her, to be precise. I strongly disliked the character of Lila Markov, so I was thrilled that she stayed behind in Paris. With Miss High and Mighty out of the way, I could settle down to enjoy the book.
I liked the depiction of Phnom Penh during its monsoon season, and I learned a bit about the Khmer Rouge as I tried to solve the mystery. Morel, in the homeland of his deceased mother, is much more relaxed here and doesn't resort to his hobby of origami nearly as often as he did in the first book.
In Death in the Rainy Season, the whodunit is rather easy to solve. At least it was for me. It's the eternal "Why?" that kept my little grey cells confused. All in all, the setting and the mystery are strong reasons to read this second Morel book. I wonder if there will be a third?… (more)
I liked the depiction of Phnom Penh during its monsoon season, and I learned a bit about the Khmer Rouge as I tried to solve the mystery. Morel, in the homeland of his deceased mother, is much more relaxed here and doesn't resort to his hobby of origami nearly as often as he did in the first book.
In Death in the Rainy Season, the whodunit is rather easy to solve. At least it was for me. It's the eternal "Why?" that kept my little grey cells confused. All in all, the setting and the mystery are strong reasons to read this second Morel book. I wonder if there will be a third?… (more)
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cathyskye | 1 other review | Jan 19, 2020 | I came to The Lying Down Room by a circuitous route. The second book in the series really caught my eye, primarily because it takes place in Cambodia, but I decided to read the first book to get a better feel for the character of Commandant Morel. I wish I'd gone ahead and read that second book first.
This mystery is well-plotted and has a good smooth pace that moves the story right along. Jaquiery gives readers a strong portrait of Paris in August-- particularly of the murderous traffic and of Président Sarkozy's policies. We're told that "over the past six months Morel's team had closed more cases than any other team at the Criminal Brigade," and we're introduced to them, but the introductions are rather hit or miss. Morel feels that one member belongs elsewhere, and the one that readers see most is Lila Markov of the IQ of 174. She spends the entire book in a perpetual bad mood and just made me want to tell her to get over herself.
Morel has a lot on his plate because budget cuts mean fewer police officers to do more work. His father is in the beginning stages of dementia, and when Morel needs to decompress, he either makes a complicated origami bird or visits his married mistress. All the bones of The Lying Down Room are good, but I didn't particularly enjoy the book because I felt as though I were being kept at a distance; I never felt fully engaged with the story or with the characters. Now I need to decide if I want to follow Morel to Cambodia. If I do, it won't be in the immediate future.… (more)
½This mystery is well-plotted and has a good smooth pace that moves the story right along. Jaquiery gives readers a strong portrait of Paris in August-- particularly of the murderous traffic and of Président Sarkozy's policies. We're told that "over the past six months Morel's team had closed more cases than any other team at the Criminal Brigade," and we're introduced to them, but the introductions are rather hit or miss. Morel feels that one member belongs elsewhere, and the one that readers see most is Lila Markov of the IQ of 174. She spends the entire book in a perpetual bad mood and just made me want to tell her to get over herself.
Morel has a lot on his plate because budget cuts mean fewer police officers to do more work. His father is in the beginning stages of dementia, and when Morel needs to decompress, he either makes a complicated origami bird or visits his married mistress. All the bones of The Lying Down Room are good, but I didn't particularly enjoy the book because I felt as though I were being kept at a distance; I never felt fully engaged with the story or with the characters. Now I need to decide if I want to follow Morel to Cambodia. If I do, it won't be in the immediate future.… (more)
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cathyskye | 3 other reviews | Oct 29, 2018 | The Lying Down Room introduces us to Commandant Serge Morel of the Paris police with his team, Lila Markov, Jean Char, Marco Lancel and Akil Abdelkader and also Morel's boss, Commissaire Olivier Perrin. The story opens in Paris in the stifling August heat, and Morel is called to examine a disturbing crime scene. An elderly woman has been brutally murdered to the soundtrack of Faure’s Requiem, and her body grotesquely displayed. The reasons for this murder and the choice of victim baffle Morel and his team. The only suspects which emerge in the murder of Isabelle Dufour are a middle-aged man and a mute teenage boy who have been delivering religious tracts in several of the city suburbs. The investigation will reach much further, though, into Soviet Russia and the cruelties of the orphanage system.
Morel also has some personal problems. He has difficulty committing to a relationship, but he's not above stalking a woman he once loved. He lives at home with his father who was once a significant presence in his life and who is beginning to succumb to senility. Morel's one real pleasure seems to be origami.
I really enjoyed this book. The plot is more complex than at first seems likely. Morel is a man of contradictions with his character being all the more emotionally interesting for it, and consequently the scene is set for further exploration of this detective. I can't wait to get the second book in this compelling series, Death in the Rainy Season.
… (more)
Morel also has some personal problems. He has difficulty committing to a relationship, but he's not above stalking a woman he once loved. He lives at home with his father who was once a significant presence in his life and who is beginning to succumb to senility. Morel's one real pleasure seems to be origami.
I really enjoyed this book. The plot is more complex than at first seems likely. Morel is a man of contradictions with his character being all the more emotionally interesting for it, and consequently the scene is set for further exploration of this detective. I can't wait to get the second book in this compelling series, Death in the Rainy Season.
… (more)
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Olivermagnus | 3 other reviews | Jan 17, 2016 | Statistics
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- 3.2
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I absolutely loved the first book in the Serge Morel series, The Lying Down room, when I read it last year. Death in the Rainy Season is the second book in the series that features Parisian detective Commandant Serge Morel, whose late mother was Cambodian, and whose French father is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. In this book, he's on holiday in Cambodia where he feels a special kinship. The death of a French citizen with connections in the Government forces Morel to abandon his vacation in the country to go to Phnom Penh to help the local police with the investigation.
Morel is baffled as to why the son of a prominent French minister has been murdered in a hotel room registered under a different name. The victim, Hugo Quercy, headed a local charity supporting street children, and was a respected figure in the local community. However, as Morel joins forces with local Police Chief Chey Sarit and medical examiner Sok Pran, it becomes apparent that Hugo is not quite the man everyone thought he was. In addition to the investigation, Morel also has to deal with both suspects and the police holding back information.
I thought this was another fabulous crime novel, set in a fascinating place. I could easily imagine Morel walking round the streets, sweltering in the humidity and trying to find a place to sit out the monsoon rains. I definitely missed the rest of Serge's coworkers who are largely missing from this book, even though he has some interaction with Paris over the phone. Morel is a man of contradictions with his character being all the more emotionally interesting for it. There were enough red herrings to keep me guessing until the very end. I found the whole book clever, compelling and absolutely wonderful.… (more)