La vallée par Bernard Minier (review)

Police commander Martin Servaz is back after a two-year hiatus. Now demoted to the rank of captain and temporarily suspended due to events in his last two cases, Servaz is on tenterhooks as he awaits disciplinary proceedings. On the personal front, things are not much less stressful. He has a new love interest, is trying to stop smoking, and is raising a young son from a previous relationship. One night, Servaz receives a cryptic call from the mother of his son. Kidnapped eight years ago by a former nemesis, her whereabouts unknown until now, she begs him for help. A call trace leads Servaz to the small town of Aigues-Vives, with its forest and abbey, in a valley in the Pyrénées, the same region where Servaz's case took place in Minier's first novel, Glacé. The captain's return to the area a decade later confirms how much the world has changed. As he clandestinely undertakes the search for Marianne, Servaz teams up with a former colleague investigating a series of gruesomely theatrical murders. To further complicate matters, a suspicious rockslide cuts off all egress from the valley, putting additional pressure on investigators and increasing panic among the locals. Colorful characters, many of them strong and charismatic females, are the strength of the novel. Among others are the tough and perceptive police investigator Irène Ziegler, the courageous and determined town mayor Isabelle Torrès and the incisive but manipulative psychologist Gabriela Dragoman. A cohort of medical, religious, parental, and educational figures complete the social microcosm, resulting in ideological clashes, and increasing volatility among those dissatisfied with the legal and governmental officials. Despite several references to Minier's earlier novels and the return of pre-existing characters, this work can be readily enjoyed on its own. There is a satisfying mix of suspenseful action scenes, thoughtful moments of introspection, and poetic descriptions of the breathtaking landscape. However, this novel lacks the conviction and interest of the earlier ones in the Servaz series. The huis clos structure, which allows temptations, manipulators, and tests of principles to run rampant is a bit reductive. The investigation's solution is rather predictable despite the plot twists and red herrings. The confrontation of conflicting ideologies incarnated by the characters, the intriguing forays into the relationship between art and violence, the discussion on the place of science and religion in contemporary society, could have benefited from more attention. That said, as a mirror of contemporary society, the novel's digressions on delinquency, social unrest, and mistrust of leadership exacerbated by the media and social networks are timely. The fiction's commentary on the social, geographical, generational, and ideological rifts that are splitting France's social tissue, coupled with an ambiguous conclusion that evokes historical events of the nineteenth century, constitute an important reminder of present reality and a warning for the future.