The readers' room by Antoine Laurain

Name of Book: The Readers' Room

Author: Antoine Laurain 

ISBN: 9781910477977

Publisher: Gallic 

Type of book: France, cozy? Mystery, contemporary times, secrets, publishing world, readers, audience, awards, dreams

Year it was published: 2020

Summary:

When the manuscript of a debut crime novel arrives at a Parisian publishing house, everyone in the readers’ room is convinced it’s something special. And the committee for France’s highest literary honour, the Prix Goncourt, agrees.

But when the shortlist is announced, there’s a problem for editor Violaine Lepage: she has no idea of the author’s identity. As the police begin to investigate a series of murders strangely reminiscent of those recounted in the book, Violaine is not the only one looking for answers. And, suffering memory blanks following an aeroplane accident, she’s beginning to wonder what role she might play in the story …

Antoine Laurain, bestselling author of The Red Notebook, combines intrigue and charm in this dazzling novel of mystery, love and the power of books.

Characters:

Main characters are Violaine LePage, a beautiful, talented and harsh critic when it comes to choosing which manuscripts to publish into the world. ( she calls people insects.) She also suffers from fear of heights ( and later on amnesia) and is very resourceful into getting what she wants. She is also very dedicated to her job. Other characters would be her co workers such as her mentor who hides his own secrets and a new co worker who discovers Sugar Flowers and urges everyone to read it as well as give it a chance.  

Theme:

The past doesn't go away

Plot:

The story is in third person narrative mostly from Violaines point of view, although we also get to be with detectives as they try to solve the case. There is great deal of attention paid to the past, more of setting up the scene without giving away the crucial details that forms the stated mystery. If the details are in the story, the author has hidden them very well. 

Author Information:
(From goodreads)

Antoine Laurain (born 1972) is a French author. He previously worked as a screenwriter and antiques dealer.

His first novel "The Portrait" was published in 2007 and he achieved wide international acclaim with "The Red Notebook". Since then his works have been translated into 14 languages and partly made into films.

Opinion:

First of all, despite the summary and perhaps the label of thriller mystery, it was unlike any mystery I have read because it's not filled with gritty details or salacious scandals that may or may not have happened, so it was an unusual read for me. Instead, this novel is best described as having a lot of heart and warmth, strangely enough. Maybe a cozy mystery, although I haven't had a chance to dab my toe into cozies. More than anything, there is something quirky as well as mundane about the story. The characters and the world of publishing in France is definitely fascinating, as well as the plot, but the storyline tends to be a bit slow in my opinion and more ordinary than extraordinary. 

This was given for review 

4 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)