Many people have read the story of Madame Bovary by Flaubert, whose moods have marked more than one generation: a young woman, who dreamed so big, to end up in a small fiefdom. It is the story of his death, or rather of the investigation into his death that Philippe Doumenc romanticizes here.

The latter transports us in the footsteps of Remi, a young investigator from Rouen who will be led to unravel the mystery of Emma Bovary's last words:

"Murdered, not suicide."

The true story of Madame Bovary

It is amusing to note that the characters that Flaubert paints in his famous novel really existed, but did they have the same personalities? It is by force of circumstances that Rémi is propelled into the heart of Yonville, a small village with quite common appearances with inhabitants with different histories. Yet this quiet hamlet holds the key to many shenanigans. We find the same faces, names and professions, but do we have the same intentions as with Flaubert? Would he have lied to us? As Doumenc says in his afterword. This novelist who defended realism and who had so many problems with the Church for this would have taken us by boat? A rather spicy information for our taste…  

A journalistic investigation

If we had to give you references, we would surely say The name of the rose by Umberto Eco for this atmosphere that floats in Yonville. The book is partly constructed in the form of a diary where we follow the various leads that Rémi takes in his investigation. Through his notes we will be dealing with quite disturbing encounters in the manner of Conan Doyle or Agatha Christie. In addition, the author proves his talent for losing the reader in pages of questioning where the protagonist finds himself troubled and confronted with an impossible problem. This little investigator seems to be the only one who can solve the puzzle in which all the pieces are tinged red.

This book is to be prescribed to everyone, whether you are a thriller lover or you have to study Madame Bovary. Suspect each character because this is how the pen invites you to think!