Suspense

Wild. WILD. W-I-L-D. ( )

This is the first book by Musso that I have written, although it is his 15th novel. I will have to go back and read some of his earlier works. This is a very complex novel, and it really does have the feel of a novel written by a Frenchman. The writing is distinct.
The premise is that an elite prep school is readying to begin a new construction project and they have invited back the students from the past 25 years. Thomas, an established author returns, and is met by two of his childhood friends, Maxime and Fanny. Maxime is a dad with 2 children, and Fanny is a doctor. The three of them share a terrible secret from 25 years ago. At the time, Vinca Rockwell and Alexis Clement, her teacher, disappeared. Rumors of an affair were circulated. But that isn't the truth at all.
Thomas's parents were both deans at the school and Maxime's father worked there as well. Thomas's parents and Maxime's father, Francis, also harbor secrets.
Thomas is determined to investigate the happenings of that night many years ago, and in doing so uncovers some very interesting secrets. The book's ending leaves you with many thoughts - what will parents do to protect their children, what is the real truth - what Thomas chooses to believe, or what was told / revealed throughout the book? Very interesting!
#TheReunion #Guillaume Musso ( )

‘These days, everything is about truth, about transparency, but truth is rarely what it seems, and in this specific case, it would bring no comfort, no closure, no real justice. Truth would trail in its wake only calamity, a manhunt and slander.’

A massive figure in contemporary French crime fiction, Guillaume Musso now seems to have been ‘discovered’ and gets a big-time splash for this novel, originally called ‘La jeune fille et la nuit’ when it was published last year. This is a perfect summer read which packs a punch and may well have you reading late into the night.

The main narrator is Thomas Degalais, returning to his high school for a reunion and a celebration to mark a new development of the campus – a development that threatens to expose a dead body that Thomas and his friends know is hidden in the wall of the school gymnasium. Over the course of the next few days Thomas and his two closest friends from school – Fanny and Maxime – together with another ex-pupil, the journalist Stéphane Pianelli, try to work out who now might be stalking them, seeking revenge for the events that happened one fateful winter’s night 25 years ago. Long-hidden secrets are revealed and as everyone in Thomas’ life starts to be implicated, he questions his very identity and his past life; everything he thought he knew about himself and his family starts to fall apart. As violence returns to the campus who is to be trusted, and who will survive?

This is a novel with twists and turns. Boy oh boy, it’s full of twists. You will find yourself either marvelling at Musso’s plot, or just shaking your head and wondering what the hell is going on. Everyone seems to have a different version of what happened that night, and as the book nears its conclusion the opening scene of the book – where a body is found in the present day – starts to make sense and, in a slightly clichéd ending, our hero comes face to face with the killer; his life surely is in danger…?

The characters are fleshed out just enough to make you interested, and with flashbacks and other narrative voices thrown in, you do get a sense of motive and just how complicated everyone’s lives have been. Secrets and lies, for sure. It’s definitely a page-turner, and Musso’s novel has been ably translated by Frank Wynne. It’s a breathless rollercoaster that barrels towards its climax and then, with a final possible twist, you are left slightly in doubt as to the veracity of everything that you have just read. Possibly. As I was trying to figure out how to explain the general feel of the book I thought ‘Twin Peaks’ meets Donna Tartt’s ‘The Secret History’ by way of a classic revenge story. It’s definitely worth picking up and reading, and I hope that more of Musso’s novels become more widely available – they certainly deserve to be, on the basis of this. ( )

Set on a dual timeline the story is told between past and present as it follows Thomas, a successful author, as he returns to France to attend a school reunion. A return to his past and a return to that one night that changed the lives of Thomas and his best friend Maxime’s lives for good. And now the secrets of that night are about to come to light and change their lives once again.

Thomas was in love with Vinca, everyone is in love with Vinca but Thomas’s love isn’t reciprocated and campus rumour is that she is in love with the philosophy teacher, Alexis. Rumour also has it that the pair eloped together and neither has been seen since. But Thomas and Maxime know that that’s all it ever was, a rumour. Vinca couldn’t have run away with Alexis because Alexis is dead and the reason they know that is because they killed him. What they don’t know is what happened to Vinca, where she went and why.

Translated from French there is a lot of references to literature, music and arts that maybe didn’t translate into English so well but it could be that I am not as educated as the author! My school education is lacking as I hated school so I certainly won’t be attending any school reunions! But our intrepid protagonist didn’t have much choice to attend his school reunion. His best friend from his school years has contacted him after 25 years with news that will turn both their lives upside-down.

After killing Alexis his body was buried inside the wall of the schools gymnasium and now that building is about to be demolished. Alongside the body is the murder weapons which have their fingerprints and DNA so it won’t be long after the body is discovered for the police to be knocking on their doors. Returning to the school also brings back old feelings Thomas still harbours for the missing Vinca so he decides to revisit the past and begin his own investigate to what did happen to her and why she disappeared.

Full with a diverse range of characters, set in a beautiful location the story flows at a moderate rate that is easy to read, all but for me the French references of which there are quite a few, but they don’t distract from the plot and it is to easy to forget the time as you become drawn into the mystery that is Vinca Rockwell.

What begins with a murder soon leads to a host secrets and lies and the plot thickens. With some twists and turns along the way this is one hell of a school reunion! ( )