Maxime Chattam’s new thriller, “The Patience of the Devil,” was released in early June by Albin Michel publishers. Following “The Primitive Conspiracy,” Nice Premium was drawn into the darkness and followed the heroine, Ludivine Vancker, in the footsteps of the devil… And what if Satan really existed?
Paris, eighteen months after the events of Val-Segond and the case *e. Ludivine Vancker is still an investigator with the Capital’s Research Section; her involvement in the arrest of an unusual go-fast propels her into a new investigation. Along with Segnon and Guilhem, a newly arrived cop at the SR, Ludivine must overcome her fears, solve multiple simultaneous cases — tracking a dismemberer, a massacre on a high-speed train, people found dead from fear… — and hunt down the devil.
The new Maxime Chattam vintage, “The Patience of the Devil” bears the mark of Evil on every page, and the author draws us into the heart of the matter right from the first chapter. Written, as usual, in the third person, Maxime Chattam alternates chapters of the investigation led by Ludivine with chapters focused on the killers. The assaults, the murders are numerous in “The Patience of the Devil”, the atmosphere is dark, foul, reeking of sulfur and fear. The narrative is sometimes violent, and the heroes will not be spared.
Ludivine, a determined and headstrong character, is the central figure of this story, emotionally shut off since the loss of Alexis. In fact, Maxime Chattam’s talent lies right here: drafting an effective and brutal thriller, while offering readers passages full of emotions.
She is accompanied by the loyal black giant, Segnon, who, along with his wife Laëtitia and their children, plays a more significant role as the story unfolds. New characters are introduced: Guilhem, a cop and future groom more frightened by seating arrangements than autopsy reports, Magali, leading another investigation team, Ben, Colonel Jihan, and also the many close associates of the victims and killers whose points of view are interesting to discover.
Very well written, perfectly documented, almost visual, “The Patience of the Devil” is another example of how Chattam’s pen knows what to say and how to say it well. However, some very descriptive passages may seem a bit long. The suspense is, of course, very present but picks up significantly in the second part of the book.
But “The Patience of the Devil” is not just an engaging crime novel; the author incorporates into his narrative a reflection on the world today, on consumer society, herd effects, mass killings, the crisis, and its effects on already fragile personalities. A captivating but frightening societal questioning.
And what if the logical evolution of man lay in his basest instincts? What if the Devil exploited society’s ills to emerge?
