This book has an “old-style-mystery” feel to it.

Manfred Baumann lives in the small French town of Saint-Louis. He is a shy loner with a routine life, and a man with a secret past. After he is suspected of being involved with the disappearance of waitress Adele Bedeau, he becomes paranoid about what others are thinking and saying about him. Georges Gorski is the detective investigating the case, and Manfred feels that Georges will find out about his secret.

“People loved nothing more than a murder on their doorstep, preferably a bloody and vicious murder. The idea that something dramatic had happened in their midst lent a passing thrill to their lives.”

“He gives me the creeps.”

“Gorski was used to being lied to. People lied as a matter of course and even when their lies were shown to be implausible, they were stubborn … What interested him was not so much the fact that someone lied, but how they behaved when they did so. Often people would reach for their cigarettes or become suddenly distracted by some irrelevant activity. They became incapable of maintaining eye contact. Women toyed with their hair. Men fingered their beards or moustaches.”

~Quotes from “The Disappearance of Adele Bedeau” by Graeme Macrae Burnet

• NPR: “If you’re looking for a stylish, atmospheric mystery with a startling twist, look no further: The Disappearance of Adèle Bedeau by Graeme Macrae Burnet will be your cup of strong Continental coffee.”
• Kirkus: “Dreary but worth reading for its insight into its sad, flawed, and sometimes-repellent characters.”