Blood Red Rivers [Import] [Paperback]

Jean-Christophe Grange (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Vintage; New Ed edition (2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0099449021
• ISBN-13: 978-0099449027
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,312,910 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good write, and a good read., July 25, 2000

By 

Brian O'Sullivan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blood-Red Rivers (Hardcover)

Blood-red Rivers is a well written thriller. Not just a storytellers exercise, it is the product of a good writer. If youy did not know the author you would say it is more likely to have come from the pen of a James Lee Bourke than the word processor of John Grisham.

As a thriller it works. Half way through I was unable to see where it was going, and I was still interested and intrigued enough to want to read on and not put it down.

With most books of this type, it is better to travel than to arrive. Often they do not have as satisfactory and consistent an ending as the start and middle. If I have a reservation with the book it is that there is a slightly "deus ex machina" quality to the conclusion. However, this does not take away from the enjoyment of the book.

Would I read it again? I probably would, and that it is not common with many detective novels. I will watch out for M. Grange's works in the future. I do not buy novels on the attractions of the cover. I buy on the quality of the authors and Jean-Christophe Grange is a quality author.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The ups & downs of French specificity, August 4, 2000

By 

AlexInParis - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blood-Red Rivers (Hardcover)

It is very refreshing to read a modern detective story that uses its French setting so well. The story sends the characters from modern Paris to small villages and from glacial mountains to the coast. The parallel enquiries being carried out by Niemans and Abdouf give the book a good pace and manage to keep the reader inquisitive. In addition, the dark, unsettling atmosphere that prevails adds to the reader's apprehension. Having read the book both in French and in English, it is fair to say that the translation does not do justice to the dialogues, leading to some conversations sounding clichéd (this is always a risk when translating modern, more coarse French). However, this should not spoil the overall pleasure of the book. The film, directed by the talented Mathieu Kassovitz (la Haine)stars Jean Reno in the role of Niemans. If it manages to reproduce the atmosphere and the momentum of the book, it will be a big success.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Action Thriller Set in French Alps, August 10, 2003

By 

Diana F. Von Behren "reneofc" (Kenner, LA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Blood-Red Rivers (Hardcover)

Despite the tough guy language and enough gratuitous violence to satisfy the likes of any Jean-Claude Van Damme or Steven Seagal fan, this police procedural set in a university town in the French Alps has a lot going for itself in terms of storyline and interesting plot twists.

The author entwines two separate stories revolving around two police officers--the first showcases veteran police superintendant Pierre Neimans sent to investigate a gruesome mutilation at the famed Guernon University. In a town but a few hours away,renegade police officer, Lt. Karim Abdouf looks into a bizarre desecration of a child's tomb. Grange expertly plaits the information gleaned by the simultaneous investigations and creates an engaging panorama nearly as spectacular as the Alps that look down on this seemingly innocuous example of college life.

Sadly, I don't believe the English translation does this book justice, especially when read by an American audience, as the slang seems to be geared towards a UK market. Nevertheless, this detracts only slightly to Grange's intriguing storyline where he pulls out all the stops, throwing in almost every au courant red herring except for the proverbial butler and kitchen sink.

Recommended to all those who enjoy a good psychological thriller set in a different terrain where the players make use of the exceptional environment and play by a different set of rules.