The Statement — Brian Moore

Set in the south of France and Paris in the early 1990s, The Statement is the riveting tale of Pierre Brossard, a former officer in the pro-Fascist militia, which served Vichy in its most shameful aspect, and a murderer of Jews.

Now seventy years old, Brossard has spent the better part of his life in hiding, traveling among the monasteries and abbeys that offer him asylum. Though he has evaded capture for decades with the help of the French government and the Catholic Church, now a new breed of government officials is determined to break decades of silence and expose and expatriate the crimes of Vichy.

Based on the real-life case of Paul Touvier, a French war criminal who was also long protected by Church and government officials, The Statement combines profound moral questions with flawless plotting and breathless suspense to devastating effect.