The Waterman. Martin O’Brien. (Daniel Jacquot Mystery no.1) 2005. I read the first book I in this series this spring and loved it. This one explained in more detail why Daniel was, in effect, banished to the hinterlands away from Marseilles. He is on the trail of a hideous murderer and must deal with a stupid new partner. It was good and suspenseful and the descriptions of the food, climate and scenery made me miss France, but I preferred the other one set in an old monastery to this one dealing with drugs and gangs. I’ll read the rest of them gladly. Not for the squeamish. ( )

This is the first of the Jacquot series, with a nice sense of place. Serial killer type of story though and I can't get excited about them. ( )

loved the character who has a famous past. Great detective ( )

A crime thriller set in Marseille, France. The detective is Chief Inspector Daniel Jacquot, a former French International Rugby player (mentioned alot but doesn't really have much bearing on the plot). This is the first in the series and Jacquot is investigating a serial killer who attacks women and leaves them naked in water. An enjoyable read although I felt it could have been edited down - long descriptions interpersed that slowed the plot down. Characters were also introduced without any purpose and then not mentioned again for a number of chapters by which time I had forgotten all about them. Still not sure why the journalist was introduced. This just slowed the pacing of the novel.

Also written in English so why the need to keep throwing in French words? For nearly all the book they were all supposedly speaking French, but written in English, so what was the purpose of the odd French word?

However, although enjoyable book. The main character likeable, setting a bit different and enough mystery to keep the plot going (although a slightly predictable reveal towards the end). As for the rest of the series I would read another if I came across it but wouldn't go out of my way to find it. ( )

A fast paced well written detective thriller. However nothing here to lift it out of the merely professional. The detective Jacquot is based in Marseilles and while the city is well enough described the culture of: France, the gendarmerie and the quotidien do not come to life. It would seem to me that if you were basing a series of books on a French detective then it is a missed opportunity not to to convey a real feel for the french way of life. It seems to have been written by a tourist rather than a francophile.

An example "Basquet went to the drinks cabinet and poured himself a brandy. He winced as the first mouthful burnt its way down scorching the sides of an empty stomach". No self respecting frenchman would drink brandy on an empty somach no matter how stressed he was. This sort of writing is just a bit lazy.

I hope I have not laboured the point to much as I did find the book an enjoyable read. ( )