Crimes of Winter

Crime, suspense, and marital woes combine in this atmospheric procedural set in the seemingly quiet Mediterranean town of Perpignan.

This winter is going to be a rough one for Inspector Gilles Sebag, for he has discovered a terrible truth: Claire has been cheating on him. Bouncing between depression, whisky, and insomnia, he buries himself in work in an attempt to forget.

But his investigations lead him inexorably to bigger tragedies—a woman murdered in a hotel, a depressed man who throws himself from the roof of his building, another who threatens to blow up the neighborhood—all of them involving betrayals of some sort. Perpignan seems to be suffering from a veritable epidemic of crimes of passion. Adultery is everywhere! And each betrayal leads to another dramatic crime.

Sebag has an uncanny ability to slip into the skin of his suspects and solve apparently unsolvable crimes. Though professionally charmed, he is unlucky in love. He is a perfect protagonist for the town of Perpignan, sleepy and leisurely on the surface, seething with vice and violence underneath.

Crimes of Winter (Police Procedural)

By Philippe Georget

Europa Editions www.eropaeditions.com

ISBN #978-1609453893

Price $18.00

448 Pages

Rating 5-Stars

“Topnotch writing, Interesting Plot, And Real Characters.”

It’s the Christmas holiday, and Inspector Gilles Sebag has just found proof that his wife has had a four-month affair, and he’s trying to deal with the crises at home. However, it appears that there is an epidemic of adultery in Perpignan. And there  is something curious about several of the cases that have resulted in deaths. Someone is sending photographs to husbands showing their wives’ infidelity. Is this person responsible for the deaths, and why?

We follow Inspector Sebag as he struggles with his own marital problems, and facing family-crises that could ruin his marriage. He begins to drink more, and his mind isn’t on the official case as close as it should be, so clues elude him until he comes to grips with his personal situation. Only then can he run the person down behind the deadly string of violence.

This was another interesting case involving the French police inspector on the Mediterranean shore between France and Spain. A splendid follow-up to his premier novel, Summertime, And All The Cats Are Bored. It shows the teamwork of his team, as they investigate this strange case while dealing with their own lives and problems. There were times I couldn’t keep up with the characters, but I blame this on the foreign (to me) names, not to any fault with the author or writing. The writing was certainly topnotch, and the plot interesting, while the characters were real. Highly recommended.

Tom Johnson

Author of THE MAN IN THE BLACK FEDORA

Autumn, All The Cats Return

Autumn, All The Cats Return (Murder Mystery)

“An Inspector Sebag Mystery”

By Philippe Georget

Europa Editions www.europaeditions.com

ISBN #9781609452261

Price $18.00

432 Pages

Rating 5-Stars

“Brilliant writing, and provocative characters you won’t forget.”

An old man in his seventies is discovered in his apartment, shot in the head, handcuffed and tied to a chair. It was an execution style killing, and on the door were the letters OAS – the Algerian Organization Army Secret from the French-Algerian wars in the 1960s. Lt. Giles Sebag and his partner Jacques Molino, from the Perpignan, France, police department on the Mediterranean  are assigned the case, but when a second murder victim is found with the OAS written on the scene, Superintendent Castello forms a team to investigate, fearing someone may be killing old French fighters from the Algerian war.

This was a deep mystery involving something that happened fifty years before when Algeria fought for their independence from France. French and Spanish citizens, who had made their home in Algeria, took up arms against the Arabs and French soldiers. Although I did not fully understand the history of the Algerian war, I was in France during the period just following it, and knew there was still a problem. A lot of people had died, and there was still a lot of hatred among the French against their own country for being forced out of Algeria. The mystery does go into more detail about that period, but we don’t learn who the killer is, or why he’s killing certain men from that period, until the end of the story.

The author writes in a smooth, flowing style that makes this 432-page novel read more like a 200-page quick read. The writing is brilliant, and the characters are well drawn and provocative. This was a page-turner, and hard to put down till the last page. Highly recommended for readers who love a good mystery.

Tom Johnson

Detective Mystery Stories

Summertime, All The Cats Are Bored

Summertime, All The Cats Are Bored (Mystery)

By Philippe Georget

ISBN #978-1609451210

Europa Editions www.eropaeditions.com/

432 Pages

Price $17.00

Rating 5 Stars

“A Page Turner”

On the French Mediterranean near Spain, Inspector Gilles Sebag, of the Perpignan, France, police department is thrust into a game of murder and kidnapping. The mysterious killer plays cat and mouse with the police, as if daring them to catch him, while he keeps a 19-year-old girl locked in a cellar.

The police work with blindfolds on while the killer leaves clues that only confuse them more. He sees Inspector Sebag as his main opponent in this deadly game of crime, but believes he is the smarter of the two. Even if they do catch him, the girl will surely die! And he will win the final game.

This book was difficult to put down. Even though I had to read it over two days, I hated to quit for food or rest. It was that good. I lived in France for three years, and one of my French associates told me once, “Frenchmen are different from Americans, Italians, Greeks, and other Europeans. If our wives cheat on us, it makes us appreciate them more, just knowing other men desire them.” I mention this because it has a bearing on Inspector Sebag and his investigation of the case. We never really learn the reason behind the killer’s motive, except it has something to do with his family – and maybe a sexual problem of his own. The reader follows the police as they search for clues to the whereabouts of the missing girl, and at the end they are placed on a ticking time clock to save the girl.

Easily the best mystery I’ve read so far this year, and I’ve read some darn good ones. 

Tom Johnson

Detective Mystery Stories