For today’s FFB Femme Fatale Special, I’ve chosen Jean-Patrick Manchette’s cool and clever noir novel, Fatale. Jean-Patrick Manchette is one of France’s best crime writers. This New York Review of Books edition, with an Afterword by Jean Echenoz and translated by Donald Nicholson-Smith, presents Aimée as an avenging angel who manipulates men and leads them to their doom. If you’re in the mood for a noir novel with blustering action and heart-pounding intensity, you can’t go wrong with Fatale. It doesn’t get much better than this.
George, I’d forgotten it was Femme Fatale special for FFB at Patti’s blog. In any case I’ve been too busy to review anything this week. I haven’t read many femme fatale novels.
Prashant, if you do get in the mood for a noir femme fatale novel, I recommend Jean-Patrick Manchette’s FATALE. It’s terrific!
I heard Lee Child recommend Manchette at a Bouchercon panel (I think Patti Abbott ran it) and sought his books out afterwards. I was only able to find three in English – THREE TO KILL, THE PRONE GUNMAN and FATALE. I would second George’s recommendation. His books make fascinating reading.
Jeff, I’ll be seeking out more of Manchette’s work.