Customer Reviews

120, rue de la Gare

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This comic-book adaptaion of Leo Malet's hard-boiled thriller is by French cartoonist Jacques Tardi, author/artist of the Adele Blanc-Sec series.

The story begins in September 1940. Nestor Burma, captured French soldier and former private detective, is working as a clerk in Stalag XB when he meets a mysterious amnesiac nicknamed "La Globule." Bébert, another captured conscript, tells Burma that his unit found the severely injured unknown in civilian clothes in the countryside, just before their capture by the Germans. La Globule dies telling Burma: "Dites a Hélene... 120 Rue de la Gare!" The address is also the last words of Burma's former colleague, Bob Colomer, who is shot greeting Burma upon his 1941 discharge into occupied France. Just before the murder Burma sees a woman holding a gun - she is identified as former actress Madeleine Moraine.

Strange and significant dreams begin to plague Burma. Who is Hélene? Who was La Globule? Is Moraine the murderer? What is their connection with the late jewel thief, Jo Tour Eiffel? Burma's mentor, Montbrison, has only dead ends and red herrings to offer the detective as he follows the twisted trail leading to 120 Rue de la Gare.

This is a highly enjoyable hard-boiled mystery with a lot of twists and turns. The `casting call' finale is a bit clichéd, and the story as a whole somewhat text heavy, but Tardi pulls it off as always with splendid characterization and period detail. Highly recommended!