Frederique Molay
Le French Book
February 2013
A serial killer is loose in Paris with the intention of killing seven women in seven days. It falls to the elite squad of investigators, "La Crim", headed by Nico Sirsky. Nico is a rising star and as the investigation continues and the bodies pile up, it becomes apparent that the killer also has Nico in his sights. False clues are laid, incriminating and targeting his family.
The 7th Woman is very suspenseful and fast moving. Mme. Molay does a great job of getting us inside the mind of the killer, but not so much those of Nico and the other characters. I don't know whether this is a translation problem but I never had a real sense of Nico, other that he is a likable sort with a lot of integrity. His immediate attraction to Caroline seems overdone and somewhat unbelievable.
On the whole, I think The 7th Woman is a fascinating look at the methods of investigation in France and one that would appeal to many readers. The 7th Woman won multiple crime writing prizes in Europe when it was first published in 2006 and has become a series. Personally, the level of violence was way out of my comfort zone. I admit to skimming over all the killings after the first three deaths. I would give the book 2.5 stars tending towards 3 but it was not a book for me, no matter how well executed.
Thanks to netgalley.com and Le French Book for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
RATING- 2.5-3 Stars
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