In pre-Revolution France, a police detective has managed to procure himself a specific and distinct post: the Inspector of Strange and Unexplained Deaths. Whenever a particularly unusual murder occurs, Volnay is called in. On a spring night in 1759, the body of a young woman is found, and her face is simply gone. Volnay arrives on the scene immediately to assess the surroundings, to look carefully at the body, and to question any witnesses. Making the situation even more noteworthy: The man who discovered the body is none other than the infamous Casanova.

Volnay ends up spending quite a bit of time with the Venetian well-known for his sexual exploits, though he’d much rather not have to collaborate with such a man. Volnay also finds himself often in the company of a strikingly beautiful young woman, an Italian as well, who is intelligent, scientific-minded, curious — and utterly frustrating. The three work together, in a way, to collect clues and talk to various suspects. But Volnay can’t truly trust them, or anyone, except for the erstwhile monk who aids him in his investigations, particularly by performing careful examinations of the bodies of victims.

The inspector faces danger everywhere he turns and has to proceed very carefully as he tries to solve the initial murder, then a subsequent similar killing. The debauched king himself may be responsible for the young woman’s death, and secret societies have spies and assassins everywhere trying to keep Volnay from learning what they need to keep hidden.

"The Inspector of Strange and Unexplained Deaths" places a Sherlock Holmes-style investigator into a historical setting where he’s in many ways ahead of his time; his methods, even so, are not entirely implausible for the era. So the book combines murder mystery with historical fiction. Readers are plunged into a time where the French monarchy is on its last legs, and certain groups and the citizenry are ready to revolt against the abuses of the king. Madame le Pompadour is a prominent character, doing all she can to keep some level of control over the king and hold a place for herself in court. Science both looks forward and back, as many characters are still working alchemy, hoping to find ways to turn baser metals into gold and elude death and aging. This novel is an entertaining book, with a lot going on.

The Inspector of Strange and Unexplained Deaths is part of the Pushkin Vertigo line that provides translations into English of popular mysteries written in other countries/languages. And, I’m a huge fan of historical mysteries, and also of mysteries set in France, so I was honored to receive an advance review copy of this title from Pushkin/NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The book is set in Paris of the 1700s, and has appearances from many historical characters, including King Louis XV; the King’s mistress, Madame de Pompadour; the Venetian, Giacomo Casanova (yes, THE Casanova), the Comte de Saint Germain; and Antoine de Sartine, the head of the police in Paris. Although the plot initially seems fairly straightforward (if quite gruesome), it quickly becomes complex and political, with the involvement of the King and some of the dark-ish activities going on in and around his court. In addition to the rich historical background, I enjoyed the various plot threads and complexities, and liked following along with the main protagonist, Volnay, as he investigated. I unfortunately read this book during the week, with the result that I had a couple of nights when I didn’t get quite as much sleep as I really needed, since I had trouble putting it down.

In the end, my only minor complaint is that I had trouble believing that the wound Volnay receives near the end wouldn’t have been fatal, especially with the medical care available in the 1700s. However, somehow it doesn’t kill him, and please note - this isn’t even really a spoiler, since there are several more titles in the series already written in the original French. So it’s obvious, if a bit hard to credit, that he survives. One other minor wish is that there would have been some historical notes, telling more about the background of the book, and which other characters and events, besides the really well-known ones, were also historical.

Neither of these complaints is serious though, and I’m very hopeful that more titles will get translated into English. I’ll definitely read them if they are! I struggled a little bit over whether to give this book four or five stars, and if I could have given it a 4 ½, I would have. Please note, though, that I tend to be pretty conservative in awarding stars, only giving five stars to maybe one in thirty or forty books. So in the end, I went with four stars – but that is still a great rating from me and means I really recommend a book. And my thanks again to Pushkin/NetGalley for the ARC!

1759. When a young female is found mutilated and carrying a letter from King Louis XV, Inspector Volnay worries that she is was one of the King's harem of young mistresses. Then there is another murder. Spies and plots abound from Madame Pompadour, various groups calling themselves The Devout, and The Brotherhood of the Serpent.
Overall an entertaining story
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Inspector of Strange and Unexplained Deaths is the first of eight French mysteries featuring Volnay, a man who was made the Inspect of Strange and Unexplained Deaths after saving Louis XV from an assassin. He is called to investigate the murder of a young woman whose entire face had been removed. When his good friend and associate, the Monk, does the autopsy, he creates a death mask that Volnay uses to identify the victim as one of the King’s mistresses.

The novel is full of plot and counter-plot with historical characters. In addition to Louis XV, there are Antoine de Sartine, Comte de Saint Germain, Madame Pompadour, and the famed Casanova. There are also three competing secret societies and all of them have nothing better to do than plot and counter-plot to hold or gain power.



I stuck it out to the bitter end of The Inspector of Strange and Unexplained Deaths and wish I had not. As a mystery, though, it is fair. Volnay and the reader had the necessary clues. However, it is simply too convoluted with plots and counter-plots and sheer stupidity. Really, the inane actions of the characters baffled me again and again and far more thoroughly than the mystery.

The Inspector of Strange and Unexplained Deaths will be published on October 6th. I received an e-galley from the publisher through NetGalley.

The Inspector of Strange and Unexplained Deaths at Pushkin Press
Olivier Barde-Cabicon

First of all, I would like to thank Netgalley and Pushkin Press for the opportunity to review this ARC. This imprint of Pushkin, Vertigo, has the unique job of publishing crime fiction from around the globe and providing translations where needed. Such was the case for The Inspector of Strange and Unexplained Deaths, originally published in the French in 2012 under the name <<Casanova et la femme sans visage>>, or “Casanova and the Woman Without a Face.” Thus, we should also thank Louise Lalaurie Rogers for the translation.

What I Enjoyed:

The Inspector of Strange and Unexplained Deaths has many flaws, but some elements did keep my attention and I think other readers will appreciate them more than I did. There is a wealth of French history and historical lore here that Barde-Cabuçon brought in expertly. King Louis XV is debauched and clearly a predator; Casanova is a society darling; the Comte de Saint Germain is as mysterious as ever; and Madame de Pompadour is more regal than the king. The Parc-aux-Cerfs, or stag park, features prominently here as the place of the king’s harem of young girls (largely disproven, but still fun historical lore), and if you know anything of French geography or 18th century French history, you will probably enjoy the scenes set in Paris and Versailles. This was clearly a well-researched book.

The intersection between science and folklore is also on full display here, as is the debates surrounding it both then and now. The Church was significantly more powerful then, so even questioning Christian values was cause for heresy claims and being burned at the stake, but many men and women sought to discover the secrets of the universe at this time. Most notably, the book shows how many people dabbled in alchemy to discover how to turn lead into gold, and the formula for Nicholas Flamel’s philosopher’s stone, thus gaining the power of immortality. Some of my favorite scenes, despite them being verbose and repetitive, are when Volnay, the monk, Compte de Saint Germain and other characters get into religious and philosophical discussions – Volnay is a man of strict scientific rules, while the monk, Compte, and Chiara the love interest all find that alchemy is true science. They are all heretics in the eyes of the law, but believe that the pursuit is worth it. I loved how well the Age of Enlightenment is displayed here.

Lastly, the mystery was fun to solve at its bones. I say this because there is so much going on that is extraneous to the actual mystery, as in solving who killed the two women with missing faces, but when the plot finally circled back to what was important (in my humble opinion), Inspector Volnay pointed to clues that the reader could follow and brought the whole story back full circle. It was cathartic at the end of this very long and mostly tedious book to see “whodunnit.”

What Killed it for Me:

As I am sure you can guess from my description above, it was the unnecessary length and wildly inconsistent pacing that ruined Inspector for me. Here is a book that exemplifies the faux pas of telling instead of showing, with every detail belabored and whole swaths of descriptions are given to the locations and the people. Personalities are only gleaned by how other characters describe them (Casanova is a shameless rake, B=Inspector Volnay is a conflicted man with unimpeachable morals, etc), and these conversations that are written to show off these characters are normally pages long and repeated multiple times.

As for pacing, it took almost fifty percent of the book before the more interesting characters are introduced, and I was genuinely concerned that I wouldn’t be able to finish it. Then all of the sudden, the book took about six different wildly and unnecessarily complex turns, brought in a whole slew of new plot points and secret organizations, and all of the sudden solved every single “strange and unexplained mystery” within the last twenty pages. It was then that I realized this book didn’t know what to be – it was not a straight murder mystery anymore, but rather a massive condemnation of 18th century French society wrapped in a Da Vinci Code-esque conspiracy theory about Church influence and cloaked in a veil of magical realism, with the secret to immortality at some characters’ fingertips.

Lastly, here is another male writer that could benefit from a female editor, because the male lens is insufferable. Chiara, the main female character, is supposed to be a smart and well off woman that is politically savvy and an experienced chemist, and yet both Casanova and Volnay cannot stop staring at her chest. Her figure is talked about ad nauseum, while the reader is told in passing about her philosophy and her chemistry lab. The rest of the women follow classic “Madonna and the Whore” complex, where prostitutes are being literally killed or judged and not a single woman is shown positively. Both of the main male characters, Casanova and Volnay, have deep seated Mommy issues – Volnay’s mother is quite literally never mentioned, and Casanova’s mother abandoned him. This was actually part of the reason I almost abandoned the book not even 20 pages in, when Volnay falls head over heels for Chiara due almost solely to her heaving bosom. Not a good opener for a guy whose character and moral fiber is supposed to be unimpeachable.

Conclusion:

While I tried to maintain a fairly balanced view and temper my opinion with the fact that this is a translation, The Inspector of Strange and Unexplained Deaths felt more like a strange and scathing criticism of 18th century France and a massive conspiracy theory cloaked in half truths. The mystery itself was engaging but not enough to carry two dimensional characters and, simply put, bad writing.

Just too off. There's not one character we can empathise with, never mind like. Not one I could recommend.

I thought this book was a good read and one of the better murder mystery/historical fiction I have read recently. I found he best thing about it the characters and their relationships with one another. The setting up of the time period was also excellent both in setting and context. The one thing I found lacking was the setting of the location, Paris, as I found this was strong at the beginning by creating the atmosphere of the city, but found it depleted as the book went on and could have been set anywhere in Europe.
I thought the set up of the murder and the conspiracy around it was good and it really hooked me from the beginning. However, when the solution was revealed for the first murder about 3/4 of the way through it came very suddenly at the beginning of a chapter unrelated to the last, and although I enjoyed the revelation and the putting together of the clues. I felt we as readers were told the truth rather than discovered the truth alongside the Inspector. But overall I found it suspenseful and intriguing with excellent ending and characters.
I think some of the negatives may be due to the translation into english rather than the quality of the writing.
Would read another in the series and recommend to others.

This is OK, not great. I'll let the many existing reviews provide detailed opinions. This will work for many historical fiction fans, but probably not the majority.

Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!

A Baroque mystery set among the powerful of pre-revolutionary France, this novel offers numerous famous and original characters, all of whom are unfortunately rather two-dimensional and boring. While the murder mystery at the heart of the book is is fairly well-constructed, the amount of extra baggage this novel carries weighs it down with gratuitous and over-written subplots and side plots. The Inspector himself is an incompetent and gullible figure with little internal interest--he's perhaps the most cardboard of the characters. Numerous spies twirl in the orbit of the court, making for threads begun and not really ended; women are objects, even to characters who consider themselves above such considerations; and the entire novel is slow and ornamented to the point of ridiculousness.

The inspector of strange and unexplained deaths is the first in a series of historical mysteries, by Olivier Barde-Cabuçon, – translated from French by Louise Rogers LaLaurie – set in a few decades before the French Revolution, during the luxurious reign of Louis XV. One beautiful spring evening, a young woman gets down from a coach in one of the 1750’s Paris streets. After walking out from the road to a little side-turning, she feels a presence following her steps as she walks deep into the alley. A few moments later, just as Casanova happens to be coming past with a lady he’s been entertaining, a scream was heard. Following its source, they found a body. Casanova drops down to its side and discovers that the lady’s face was torn off. Who could be guilty of such barbarism? And for what reasons? That's what the famous inspector of strange and unexplained deaths, Chevalier de Volnay, an interesting well-constructed main character (with a complex story), will have to discover, assisted by a most singular monk, excommunicated but versed in science. Together they form the beginnings of forensic science and criminology.

Adding to them some historical figures like Casanova, faithful to the image we have of him, the Marquise de Pompadour, the Comte de Saint-Germain, and more. I loved the mix of real characters with fictional ones, the historical details, the intrigue, and how the plot immerses you in the novel.

The inspector of strange and unexplained deaths is a novel that caught my attention right after it was recommended to me, thanks to its category, cover, and description. So there you have it, I devoured this book in a very short time and left with a more than a favorable impression: the descriptions of the 18th century Paris are very successful, and it must be said that the story is very well structured. On the other hand, the twists and turns are waiting for you. I was in suspense until the end. The result of this makes The inspector of strange and unexplained deaths a highly addictive and fascinating read that is never once lackluster or predictable. There are only a few books a year that are real favorites but, this is one without any hesitation!

That is why I am already going to recommend it to you, and yes, it may be early on in my review, but it’s a very well conducted historical thriller not to miss!

For me, The inspector of strange and unexplained deaths was thrilling, captivating, and addictive right from the start, which I felt from the beginning to the end. A beautiful marriage between history, romance, and thriller. Everything fits together and works well. The characters, both historical and fictional, are very well camped with strong personalities and traits.

The topics discussed in this book were pedophilia (the king was a pedophile, and there is one scene that I can say may not be suitable for people to whom the subject is of concern, still it lasts in less than 2 paragraphs), prostitution, scientific inventions, alchemy, French political affairs, etc.

So many secrets, so many spies, so many dangers for a policeman trying to do his best. The way the author immerses the reader from the very first instance in the sights, sounds, and teeming atmosphere of an 18th century Paris and royal courts was great. Olivier Barde-Cabuçon is an author who excels at scene-setting. I loved the descriptive nature of this book and the way it captured the lives of its characters through all the senses.

Without embellishment, I was seduced by the fluid and precise writing of Barde-Cabuçon. The author seeks to make the time and atmosphere as realistic as possible. One feels his historical rigor in each description.

Olivier is a writer who knows how to grasp his reader’s attention from the first page. Instead of writing long, drawn-out build-ups, he decided to thrust his reader into the heart of the story straight away so that the reader is instantly captivated and immersed. I love this approach. I mean, what is the point of having a long build-up with little excitement? This is only necessary if the author in question can’t develop the characters in the story quickly. But with The inspector of strange and unexplained deaths, the reader will not encounter this issue at all.

Overall The inspector of strange and unexplained deaths is a thrilling, compelling, and thought-provoking novel that will easily entertain readers for many days and nights. I was intrigued by some of the revelations near the end, which left me wanting to read the next book in the series.

This is simply an excellent novel, the best of the three the author has written before. A fabulous read, full of intrigue, twists, and turns, one that I thoroughly enjoyed and will definitely read the rest. And so I, of course, will give it a full 5 stars.

Certainly to be recommended for fans of historical fiction and thrillers. Although it is crime fiction, it will appeal to those who enjoy vividly depicted historical fiction.

I determined pretty quickly that this book was not for me. Everything was focused on how the women looked and smelled, and if they could be a conquest or not.
The victim was a young woman, and the stories of what the king and Casanova do with pre-pubescent girls seemed to be done for for the shock factor and slightly lurid.

Firstly, let me state that the fact that I received a free galley copy of this book from the publisher is what kept me reading this book as long as I did. Had I paid my own money for the book, I would have stopped reading and thrown it on the midden heap long before I finally did (although I spared it the midden heap!) I felt it only fair to to do my best by the book, and persevere as long as possible. However, I read for pleasure and there was no pleasure in reading this, I'm sorry to say.

Much as the original book description and apparent premise seemed promising, it is difficult to see why the author could not deliver. While reading, every aspect of the book seemed either to miss the mark completely or to overshoot it, and as a result, it succeeded in nothing. For example, the title - The Inspector of Strange and Unexplained Deaths' promises much, and one is keen to read something of this Inspector. However, as the story unfolds, absolutely nothing can be gleaned from this character, beyond the fact that he is relatively young, and that he was given his post by dint of some service to the King. The post seems to carry no authority or official status, and the inspector seems to hold a somewhat dubious position. Everyone seems to know who he is but his position seems to carry weight with no-one. He seems very much a loner and appears to keep himself to himself, yet everyone seems to know who he is, which seems hard to credit.

The Inspector is one of the book's three central characters. The other two are even more of an enigma as is the Inspector's attitude towards them, which highlights even more incongruity in this character. The second of the central characters is the libertine Casanova (for some inexplicable reason) and the other is a young Contessa who is palpably a spy for Madame de Pompadour, the king's ex-favourite and his de facto spymaster. The Contessa calls at The Inspector's house after the initial murder is discovered, with no more than an extremely specious reason. Without giving away the plot, her behaviour is dubious to say the least and a child of six could have gleaned that she was there to spy, yet our 'Hero' appears oblivious to this fact, and he seems able to see nothing beyond her 'lily white skin', heaving bosom and rustling silk skirts. So is the scene set for almost every encounter between this detective and this female, with his brain firmly in his codpiece. This is so disappointing as this makes the story so ridiculous when it could have been so much better. Casanova has also noticed these dubious merits of la Contessa but we can expect nothing more from a man of his libidinous disposition.

So the story unfolds, with the Inspector unaccountably allowing both Cassanova - a man he claims to detest and his clear rival for the favours of the lady - and the Contessa herself, an obvious mole, to 'assist' him with the investigation. Groaning inwardly and appalled by his idiocy, I read on.

Another strange and undeveloped character is that of the monk, the inspector's accomplice - I hesitate to say friend as their relationship in that regard is again not really defined. He is held in awe and also some contempt by everyone around, yet there seems to be no real reason why. As is the case throughout the book, we are told this by the author, rather than shown it by the actions and reactions of those around him, which adds to the confusion. There is rather too much 'tell' rather than 'show' in the story. We are told everything we ascertain about the Inspector (other than the fact that he is a credulous fool - he shows us that himself rather well). We are repeatedly told (and by the man himself most of the time) that Cassanova is a shameless rake. Had the author attempted to convey these things by dint of showing rather than telling, there might be some more dept to these characters.

The Parisian setting of the book is beautifully described, as is the extremes of the lives of the inhabitants - the opulence of the nobility and the squalor of the peasants - but there is an element of excess in both. Everything is a little TOO gilded or a little TOO muddy, which adds to the sense of theatre that runs through the whole book, but not in a good way. The settings, the characters and the story are all larger than life and ultimately faintly ridiculous, causing the whole thing to fail utterly. Some reviewers blame the failure of the book on the translation, but I cannot see how this can be. Surely translation alone cannot make a sow's ear out of a silk purse! Frankly, I found it quite nonsensical as a work of historical fiction and absolute rubbish as a work of historical detective fiction.

The Inspector of Strange and Unexplained Deaths was originally published as Cassanova and the Faceless Woman, but I find the new title much more appropriate because, while Cassanova does appear in the novel, the central character is the inspector referenced in the new title.

Set in and around Versailles during the reign of Louis XV, the novel starts off with an unusual corpse. As the Inspector attempts to solve the crime he finds himself threatened on every side: by two competing religious orders, the Comte de San Germain (an alchemist who may have discovered the secret to eternal life), a ruthless police chief, the King's mistress, and the King himself. And then there's Cassanova, who keeps popping up where he's not expected. The Inspector is the only character in the novel who hasn't taken sides and who doesn't have a hidden agenda. Days later, another woman is killed in a similar fashion...

The Inspector of Strange and Unexplained Deaths offers a wild ride of a read. It's the kind of book that can sweep one up on a day that's been lackluster, leaving boredom and predictability behind. I strongly recommend readers keep this title in mind for a day when an invigorating refresher—or an escape of a few hours—is needed.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions are my own.

A murder mystery set in Paris during the reign of Louis XV. Two prostitutes are found murdered with their faces removed. Time for his majesty's inspector of strange and unexplained deaths (and his trusty sidekick monk/C.S.I) to step in. However the underage sex workers were known to the royal family (art imitating life?)
Inspector Volnay must tread a tightrope to conclude his investigation. Power lies with the king, Madame Pompadour , the kings ex lover and now pimp in chief seeks to consolidate her role as the Kings confidant. Sartine the corrupt chief of police seeks to advance his position through any means possible. Add to this two secret societies, religious groups (who turn a blind eye abuse because the perpetrator is a powerful catholic, again the more things change the more they stay the same!) Various henchmen, whom you don't know belong to which group because everyone is a spy. Oh and the all round chancer Casanova and a love interest are thrown into the mix as well.
It has the makings of a good period murder mystery, e.g. C.J Sansome's Shardlake series, but with too many threads, groups and red herrings the plot sort of disappears up its own arse. A pity because there is a decent book hiding within this one.
I enjoyed reading about Volnay and the detective work. The writer brings to life the poverty and depravity of Paris and the wealth and depravity of Versailles. Its an OK 3 out 5 for me, could have been a 4 but the ending did little to resolve the status quo so you are left thinking that after all that effort nothing has really changed.

A ghastly murder in Versailles, a ladies man on the loose, a beautiful Venetian in pursuit of science, a Monk no monk but a man of war and science, a police chief on the verge of corruption, a brotherhood abandoned and a church on a warpath against the mistress of the king. These are the characters and suspects in a twisting and turning plot surrounding the Inspector in his pursuit of truth when a women is found dead, her face completely missing.

This was a lovely novel that grips the corruption of France and the reality between the rich and the poor. It was thoroughly enjoyed and I never stopped guessing from one chapter to another. Did I like the romance? Not really. I don’t find it realistic for modern day let alone back then......I mean if your lady sleeps with your adversary it’s generally over is it not? Other than that a beautiful mystery filled with all the right elements! I am very much looking forward to the next instalment in this series!!!!

I have mixed feelings about this book. I liked it, but i think it was narred somewhat by its writing style which didn't let the reader stay focused on the mystery itself. It is set in the time of pre-revolution France and paints the picture of the corruption, debauchery and decadence of those times. Because the writer kept going off tangents, i had difficulty in following the narrative. But overall, this was a decent read. If you want to read a mystery that has detailed historical settings, go for it!

Okay I liked this!

First of all, I’m trying to get more into historical fiction and this was a good segue into it. The way the author immersed their reader into the streets of Paris and the royal courts was great. I’m a sucker for court politics. Only complaint would be that at times I was a bit lost as to where the author was going to take us. But overall... an enjoyable experience!

This is a crime fiction book set in Paris and the Palace of Versailles before the French revolution and while you are reading you certainly understand why the revolution happened. King Louis XV's debauched behaviour and the generally corrupt world they live in is described in great detail and it is easy to visualise everything you are reading. The main character Volnay has saved the King life and has been granted the title of Inspector of Strange and Unexplained Deaths. He is called upon to solve the death of a girl who's face has been removed and at every turn there is someone trying to stop him as they have their own interests at heart. With the help of a very unusual monk, the mysterious Chiara and Casanova they race to solve the murders with what appears to be everything and everyone plotting against them.

Casanova, pre-revolutionary Paris and some horrible murders, what more could you want from historical crime fiction? Well for me the novel left me wanting more., its a slow burner but you do get swept up with the characters and the race to solve the murders. I wanted to know more about Volnay and the monks past. I wanted to know what will happen to Casanova, I basically want to know what happens next in their world which is good as it is part apparently part of a 7 part series. I do hope the rest of the 6 book will be translated and released in English.

"The a Inspector of Strange and unexplained Deaths" is the first book of seven in an atmospheric historical fiction series, translated from its original French. Set in the debauchery of Louis XV's reign, it is a story of palace intrigue, of backstabbers, of spies, and of seductions. It is a time where science and religion are questioned. The world is changing. The main character, Volnay, is a Sherlock Holmes character who reads scientifically the clues behind unexplained deaths, but he is a dueling Holmes crossed with a Musketeer. The other two main characters are seductive entities whose webs are too enticing to resist, Giacomo Casanova and Chiara, irresistible forces of intoxication. Here, the story begins with the discovery of two of the King's mistresses slaughtered with their faces ripped off as if by wolves. The story is overwhelmingly and dizzyingly complex.

This was a strange book where the mystery gets lost to a certain degree in the author’s stylistic flourishes. Set in pre-Revolutionary Paris, the novel features a central mystery, festooned with a romantic triangle, philosophy, alchemy, competing secret societies and more. Focus on the mystery is frequently lost and characters act in arbitrary and often mysterious ways, with abrupt transitions.