Another brilliant offering from this French lady who combines everyday
settings with offbeat erudite learning and twisted plots. What I find more
than a little appealing is the way she almost has a closed universe with the
main characters in one novel appearing in a secondary role in others. In
this tale, Commissaire Adamsberg has the leading role in a rather bizarre
story about the plague whereas in 'Seeking Whom He May Devour' his role
is limited to an appearance well into that book. In addition, one of the
'Three Apostles' appears logically in a minor role in the novel. Adamsberg
has been compared with Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse and there are some
similarities in their reliance on instinct rather than the minutiae of police
work. The characters that provide the background to the story are given a
fairly rounded decription, as much from what they say and do and the inter-
action between them as from anything. Very enjoyable indeed.