Book Review for

This Night's Foul Work

by Fred Vargas

The 4th Commissaire Adamsberg mystery.

Two drug dealers are found with their throats cut, presumably victims of their dangerous trade.
However, Inspector Adamsberg thinks otherwise, and calls upon Dr. Ariane to help with the case.
She is a pathologist he knew and liked twenty years ago, and whom he professionally embarrassed
when he exposed a mistake she had made. There are also a series of mysterious mutilations of wild
deer, desecrations of graves, thefts of sacred relic bones, ghost sightings, and the deaths of young
women who are virgins. Suspects include a psychopathic nurse who escapes from prison and has
vowed revenge upon Adamsberg who put her there, and a new member to his squad, Veyrenc,
who was injured and permanently scarred by a gang of boys led by Adamsberg years ago.

Fred Vargas (female author) is highly skilled at weaving a batch of colorful characters while
navigating the reader through many creative sub-plots (i.e. finding the formula for eternal life).
This is the type of mystery one hates to put down. A great thriller.



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