Wasp-waisted [Paperback]

David Barrie (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2009

A young model is found dead in a luxury hotel in Paris. A stunning photo of the scene features on the cover of the country's top-selling scandal sheet. It was delivered before the police found the body. In a city obsessed with images of perfection, the murderer's artistic talents are the object of much admiration.

It's Franck Guerin's first criminal case. Used to the murky world of national security, he has to learn to play by the rules. Not so easy when your only clue is the lingerie in which the victim was draped.

The fashion trail takes him into a universe of desire, deceit, beauty and profit. As the victims mount and the images roll in, Franck has to train his eye to spot the killer's signature. Not to mention whoever is collecting photos of him...

The first of the Franck Guerin novels. Original, stylish and tightly-plotted, Wasp-Waisted recounts a murder enquiry born of a fatal encounter between fashion, art, business and desire.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: John Law Media (June 1, 2009)
• ISBN-10: 0956251803
• ISBN-13: 978-0956251800
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

More About the Author

I live in Paris, and have done so for almost half of my life. Fond though I am of the country (Scotland) and city (Glasgow) in which I was born and raised, I must admit I'm very happy to have found my way to Paris and to have sunk my roots here.
Writing (or rather seeking to have what I have written published) is something to which I've only recently turned. I therefore have a day job, working as a management consultant (not the most glorious of professions, I grant you, but one which offers many delights to the curious).
I write first and foremost because I like telling stories. I also do it because it reminds me just how tough and unforgiving it is trying to hammer out a tale that's worth reading - which, in turn, makes me a more appreciative (and probably more tolerant) reader.
I write crime fiction because it's a genre that has never turned its back on the simple pleasures of colourful characters and compelling plots. You can do a lot of things with crime fiction (social and political commentary, existential angst, ...), but there's an overwhelming duty to keep your reader on his or her toes, providing a little mental gymnastics and a lot of entertainment.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Great read. Recommended., May 6, 2011

By 

spider - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wasp-Waisted (Kindle Edition)

It's obvious that the author has been living in Paris for 20 years and has a keen eye. His protagonist, captain Franck Guerin of the Brigade Criminelle, takes us all over Paris as he investigates a series of murders. I just finished reading this last night, and I'm purchasing the second book in the series to see what captain Guerin encounters next.