The Angel — Martin O'Brien

A small town, a beautiful stranger and a crime no one can ever forget… When three generations of a wealthy German family are brutally murdered in their Proven?al home, Chief Inspector Daniel Jacquot heads up an investigation that rapidly turns into one of the most baffling - and personal - cases of his career. After a local man is arrested for the murders Jacquot cannot shift the feeling that there's something wrong, something they've all missed. His suspicions are confirmed when a mysterious young woman arrives in the village claiming a special insight. With her help, Jacquot follows a trail that leads back more than half a century - a story of love and betrayal, hatred and blackmail, in which Jacquot's own family had a tragic part to play. (Originally published as Jacquot and the Angel.) Long-listed for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Praise for the Jacquot series "Well-drawn and strongly flavoured… Rich, spicy, and served up with unmistakeable relish." The Literary Review "French country life has never been so fraught with sinister atmosphere, and it is only a matter of time before readers will be eagerly anticipating each new trip to Daniel Jacquot's France." Barry Forshaw, The Rough Guide to Crime Fiction "Well written and compelling. Tight plotting, excellent characterisation and lyrical descriptions mean Jacquot is here to stay." The Daily Mail "Brilliant police procedurals. If you have read any of the books by Fred Vargas then you will certainly enjoy the Jacquot series as well." Ayo Onatade, reviewingtheevidence.com