Safe Return Doubtful

translated from the French by Louise Rogers

Laurain’s books are always a pleasure to read, populated by quirky characters and offering a a humorous and often charming look at Parisian life.
My personal favourite is Smoking Kills and there are times in this book where he alludes to that.

Nathalia, a photographer, has not only witnessed, but also photographed a murder and at the outset of the book is in therapy on the couch of a psychiatrist, Dr Faber. Since the event she is traumatised and has not been able to work. Faber comes up with an idea to get her to elaborate, suggesting she writes stories about the residents of her apartment block, in turn from each of the four floors below hers.

This particular book from Laurain is a bit too light and cozy for me. There’s a clear homage being paid to the 1954 Hitchcock film Rear Window that memorably starred James Stewart (and written by Cornell Woolrich incidentally), but it’s far less dark, something more along the lines of Only Murders in the Building.

Nonetheless, it’s good entertainment.

My GoodReads score 4 / 5