Review: Death From the Woods

Death From the Woods Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Brigitte Aubert
Class/Genre: Mystery Serial Killer Thriller
Hodder & Stoughton; 2000; £16.99 (English pounds); 308pp
Classification: Adult fiction (serial killer thriller)

Elise Andrioli had it all until she was caught in a bomb explosion and left blind, mute and quadriplegic. Taken back to her home near Paris, her life does not become any calmer. A serial killer is murdering young boys in the woods.

While waiting outside a supermarket in her wheelchair, a small girl tells her that she was there when the last boy was killed. Very soon, Elise discovers that the girl is also a target. Can she save her?

When Jeffery Deaver chose Lincoln Rhyme to be the main protagonist of his novels, he set himself a hard task by having the criminologist paralysed. I doubt that he even dreamt of going as far as Brigitte Aubert has gone, in creating a powerful character who is blind, mute and quadriplegic. Without reading the novel, it is hard to imagine how the book can function, but it does work and it makes an intricate, complex tale.

The translation is sharp and it reads as though it were originally written in English. However, the French references and general culture make a refreshing change to the normal US/UK thrillers. If you want a change from the normal routine of Grisham or Pelecanos, 'Death From The Woods' will be more than suitable.

The plot itself is interesting and Aubert constantly piles on twists and turns, before creating an amazing denouement that I certainly never saw coming. Aubert provides some clues, but overall, it is a complicated mystery tale that will surprise most readers. Her main character also works well and because she is blind, the majority of the novel is told through her thoughts and dialogue between the characters. Although descriptive detail is, therefore, somewhat reduced, this does not detract from the novel as a whole.

Overall, 'Death From The Woods' is a great tale that mystery thrillers will adore. I look forward to reading more of Aubert's work.

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Luke Croll - RAM

Book Review: Death From the Woods