Police Commandant Camille Verhoeven, who reluctantly discovers himself in charge of this initially mystifying case is a wonderful creation. Outside of the sterling characterisation of the truly hypnotic Alex herself, Lemaitre proves he is no slouch at creating other compelling characters, as an integral part of the whole. But, and here's the clever bit, you will be wrong-footed at every turn in your emotional responses to her and this is where the genius of this dark tale lies. With the police seemingly at a loss to identify her and, to more importantly track her and her kidnapper down, what is it about this woman that eludes their detection and has forced a man to take such serious measures as to patiently stalk her, and then seek to watch her die in a pretty damn barbarous way? Well, I'm not telling, but suffice to say when the true nature of Alex's character and her ruthless sense of retribution are slowly revealed, you will be completely caught up in, and engaged with the exposé of this remarkably determined and dangerous young woman - a woman who admittedly makes Lisbeth Salander look like Mary Poppins.

The book opens innocuously enough with the kidnapping of a young woman, the eponymous Alex, but as the grim details of her incarceration unfold, and quite frankly, will probably haunt your dreams, she finds herself having to draw on every ounce of her own resourcefulness to survive and seek her escape. Don't expect any spoilers or dwelling on the plot from me, as I want you all to be as surprised by this twisty tale as I was, but all I will say is, you are in for more than one shock or two along the way. 2013) Publisher: MacLehose Press ISBN: 0857051873Įvery so often a crime thriller comes along that leaves you breathless and takes you on a disturbing journey into the darkest recesses of human experience - ALEX is one such book and you are guaranteed a tale of the unexpected from start to finish. Lemaitre, Pierre - 'Alex' (translated by Frank Wynne)

Alex lemaitre