The Accordionist

It’s all rather delightfully bonkers, a playful and subversively unorthodox take on the private eye novel by a master of her craft – Declan Burke * Irish Times *A real wonder of a book, in all senses of the word * Waterford Today *The book is as beguiling as previous entries in the Three Evangelists series, with the pleasure here coming from the comic interplay between the unconventional sleuths – Barry Forshaw * Guardian *Vargas is the poet of modern French crime writing, her work has a slightly ethereal feel… this is solid gold Euro-noir crime fiction. A high calibre literary thriller that entertains with aplomb… The Accordionist is cleverly plotted, the intensity builds and what starts out as intriguing becomes more involving as the reader is gripped by the fundamental question, ‘who did it?’ More than other crime novels, you have to surrender to Vargas’s vision of the world, one that you will not instantly recognise but may come to love… The Accordionist satisfies the most ardent noir strictures; slightly subversive, strong plotting, droll humour, inventive twists and elegant prose. This is a real treat for lovers of intelligent crime fiction – Paul Burke * Nudge *Shockingly original, disturbingly eccentric and massively involving, Vargas books are a step beyond ordinary crime fiction and take you on a startling journey… Their quirky interplay and unconventional way of thinking…makes for a droll, entertaining read. Translator Sián Reynolds has a knack of rendering their cadences and ticks into readable English * Connexion *Brilliant…Vargas is a lovely storyteller * Evening Standard *[Vargas] has won the CWA international dagger four times, confirming her place in the top rank of contemporary crime writers… [A Climate of Fear] is easily the best thing she has ever done… The idea of history repeating itself is at the heart of this stunning novel, which confirms Vargas’ fine understanding of the unchanging nature of human passions. * Sunday Times *One of the most entertainingly eccentric of all current European crime writers… Highly impressive. * Independent *Vargas writes with strength, erudition and unique imagination… In the crowded world of crime fiction, she’s a valuable one-off. * The Times *

Fred Vargas was born in Paris in 1957. A historian and archaeologist by profession, she is now a bestselling novelist. Her books have sold over 10 million copies worldwide and have been translated into 45 languages.