A good holiday read. Multiple murders over a long period, a tiny spider capable of producing deadly venom, a sadistic climate of fear in a long-gone children's home, and super-sleuth Adamsberg in charge of sorting it all out, away from the gaze of his superiors. Fred Vargas and Adamsberg are always good value, but the level of coincidence piled on coincidence in this story stretches the bounds of credibility, which is why, despite this being a highly readable yarn, I give it only a three star rating. ( )

I did not like this one as well as the others in the series.

I like the characters and it had the usual bits of folklore/ mythology, but it begins to feel like the author strains to create conflict within the squad. I also hate (spoiler alert) books in which the sexual abuse of children is a plot device. This one is especially egregious. I appreciated the ending, anyways, had wondered what she would do to keep integrity of the commassaire in the situation she’d placed him in ( )

Definitely one of the series' best books. This one is about poisonous recluse spiders killing older men. Adamsberg investigates more aggressively than previous cases. Seems visiting Iceland has helped fine tune his focus.

As with other cases this one effects Adamsberg and his remarkably motley team on deeply personal levels. And brings about a much-needed reckoning between the two discordant factions of the team.

Vargas brilliantly balances her broad-based scientific and historic knowledge through the depths of human depravity to Adamsberg's understanding of human flaws. He may not solve cases fast enough but more importantly he is all heart and compassion. Vargas is a master at creating this amazing characterization of a police inspector that is believable and works well.

Excellent read.

Commissioner Adamsberg: Unorthodox and Unforgettable

https://wanderlustandwords.substack.com/p/commissioner-adamsberg-unorthodox ( )

A new Fred Vargas is always an event! My librarian friend knew to put a hold on it for me when the library placed their order, and we've been exchanging texts in the evenings as we both read it. A rash (pun intended) of deaths among elderly men in the south of France, attributed to mysteriously potent spider bites, gets the attention of Commissaire Adamsberg, for no very good reason. His team is puzzled, some actively resistant or even mutinous, including the stalwart Danglard. But Adamsberg, in his fey, wandering, eccentric (and sometimes annoying) way, begins a surreptitious investigation. Childhood traumas - the victims', their victims', and Adamsberg's own - are dragged into the present day, decades later. There is philosophic discussion of venomous animals, Magellan's voyages, blackbirds, pigeons, and garbure (for which I have found a recipe I will be trying). And as a special treat for fans of Vargas's other "Evangelist" mysteries, Mathieu (the prehistorian who eschews most clothing and lives in the basement), turns up to help answer some questions from the past. All delightful, all smart, moody, and woven with history, folklore and "bizarrerie." I will say I had picked out the perpetrator and motive by page 70, and was correct - but with Vargas it doesn't matter. You stay because you savor the world, the people, the weirdness, and the sheer fun of it. Enjoy! ( )