|Page Turners| "Au Soleil Redouté" by Michel Bussi

One of my reading goals for 2024 is to read at least 12 books in French (one per month). Last year, I read 3 books in French. One year, THREE books! This year, I am determined to do it differently, and thankfully, it's succeeding. I am reading books that I want to read, and because of that, I have already read 2 French books! This particular book was a delightful read, and is called Au Soleil Redouté by Michel Bussi -a title which would translate to In the Dreaded Sun. While it has yet to be translated to English, for those who know French or are simply patient enough to wait, this is an incredible book.

Do We Want to Turn the Page?

Warning! This next section may contain spoilers about the book. Also, all ratings are based entirely on my opinion and WILL be biased and subjective.

It's fair to say I loved this book. Set on an island called Hiva Oa in the Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia, the book features scenery that makes you want to travel to the island, sprinkled with allusions to Paul Gaugin and Jacques Brel, the French artists who spent much of their time on the archipelago and on Hiva Oa. The novel is told through the perspectives of some of the five women who have been selected to take part in a writing workshop with the famous writer Pierre-Yves François, who disappears almost immediately after stating that the best start to a book is not a murder, but a disappearance. The book also features the perspective of Yann and Maïra, both of whom are accompanying one of the writers (the former as one's husband and the other as another's daughter), two povs that are indispensable to the whole of the story and are both beautifully written, just like the rest of the book. The disappearance of the author sets the stage for an incredible story of murder after murder, and without spoiling the ending too much, the end leaves you wanting to reread the whole book to see what you missed. Overall, the only flaw I can find with the book is that it, at times, felt like it was dragging on, but in the grand scheme of things, that felt like a minor issue compared to the emotional turmoil that this novel (and its ending) brought about. Without a doubt, a 5/5 rating from me.

The Summary:

In the heart of the Marquesas, the most isolated archipelago in the world, where the souls of Brel and Gauguin hover, five readers take part in a writing workshop led by a famous best-selling author. Would the dream of their life be, for each of them, within reach? Deep in the rainforest, strange statues keep watch, the shadow of a tattoo artist lurks. And full sun in the blue waters of the Pacific, a disappearance transforms the stay into a... murderous game? Hell or heaven? Hiva Oa becomes the scene of all suspicions, of all manipulations, where anyone can lie... and die. Yann, a confused cop, and Maïma, a smart teenager, will they find which of the guests at the Au Soleil Redouté... pension has come to kill?

(translated from Goodreads)

The Author:

Michel Bussi is one of France's most celebrated crime authors. The winner of more than 15 major literary awards, he is a professor of geography at the University of Rouen and a political commentator. After the Crash, his first book to appear in English, will be translated into over twenty languages.