Since I mentioned how much I am enjoying Jean-Francois Parot's The Châtelet Apprentice I thought I'd give you a little taste of the story. The series is already long running in France with nine books published (the first in 2000) and five translated into English. I probably shouldn't rely too much on first impressions, but I liked the sound of this one so much I ordered the first and last (the most recent translation being a shortlist contender for the CWA International dagger) at the same time. I thought I'd read all the books on the CWA shortlist (and the most recent Parot), but then wondered if it wasn't better to start at the beginning, and now I am glad I did.
Author Jean-Francois Parot is a French diplomat who has served in a number of countries in Europe and Africa. He is also an historian specializing in, amongst other subjects, 18th century Paris. This shows in his writing, which is dense and detailed, but in my opinion, in a very good way. For me this is historical fiction at its best, and all the better since the story is written by someone who is obviously very keen on the the period and extremely knowledgeable. There is a handy list of characters in the beginning, which is good as the cast is a full one. And the story comes complete with notes in the back of the book.
Parot takes his time to set the scene and give the background details of Nicolas Le Floch life. He's a young man in this first book barely twenty at the start of the story. He was sent to Paris and Monsieur de Sartine, the Lieutenant General of the Police in Paris, by his godfather the Marquis Louis de Ranreuil from his native Brittany. Nicolas is patient and intelligent and quick to pick up on his new trade. He is a mere adolescent upon his arrival, but a little over a year later has matured when he is called back to his home village where his guardian is in a desperate state of health.
My teaser is about Nicolas's training. M. Lardin is a police commissioner who is teaching Nicolas.
"In the beginning, Lardin, whose duties were not confined to a particular district, instructed him to accompany him on his assignments. Nicolas experienced the early morning routine of sealing up property, confiscating goods, making reports or merely settling the disputes between neighbours that were so common in faubourg tenements where the poorest people crowded together. He made the acquaintance of inspectors, men of the watch, guards on the ramparts, gaolers and even executioners. He had to steel himself for the horrendous spectacles of the torture chamber and the great morgue. Nothing was kept from him and he soon learnt that in order to function properly the police had to rely on a host of informers, spies and prostitutes, a twilight world that enabled the Lieutenant General of Police to know more about the capital than anyone else in France. Nicolas also realised that, through his control of the postal service and all private correspondence Monsieur de Sartine had at his disposal a precious network for penetrating people's innermost thoughts. As a result, he himself was suitably cautious and remained guarded in the letters he regularly sent to Brittany."
I like all the little details that Parot inserts into the story from the bits about the police opening the private correspondence of its citizens to Stohrer's, where Nicolas eats pastries, the same sort of pastries that are supplied to the King's court. Out of curiosity I had to look at Amazon in France and it seems Nicolas Le Floch is quite popular and garners rave reviews (I think they all averaged four or five stars). I already know I like him so the next three books in the series are winging their way to me even now. I'm glad I have four more after this one to look forward to.