Official Review: The Patricide by Kim Ekemar

[gali]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Patricide" by Kim Ekemar.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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I started developing a taste for "golden age mysteries" following extensive sessions with Agatha Christie. There's nothing I like more than to sink my teeth into a good locked room mystery and this one fit the bill perfectly! The Patricide by Kim Ekemar is a gripping whodunit mystery set in 1935 France, featuring Inspector Jean-Claude Rimbaud and Emilie Beauchamp, his sharp-witted aunt.

It all starts out when a wealthy landowner, Patrice Lafarge, decides to change his will in order to prevent the selling of his beloved estate after his death. He invites his three grownup children over to celebrate his 75th birthday. The real purpose behind the invitation is to inform them about the coming changes he intends to make in his testament. Patrice is portrayed as stubborn, overbearing, and irrational man and none too loved by his kids. He also has an older (and retarded) son from another liaison and a housekeeper who takes care of his needs.

Day after the family gathering, a mysterious fire breaks out and Patrice is found dead in his bedroom. The door was locked and bolted from the inside and there was no way anyone could enter or leave the room. And so the stage is set for this clever locked room mystery. Inspector Jean-Claude Rimbaud is called to the scene and has to determine whether it was an accident or a murder most foul. The presence of a S-shaped metal subject in the bedroom becomes a vital clue, as does the background of each of the characters involved. And then there is issue of the missing will… It is up to our Inspector Jean-Claude Rimbaud and his trustworthy sidekick aunt to puzzle all the pieces together and unlock the mystery of the locked-room.

An appropriately slow opening of the book allows us to meet the main characters. The author takes the reader inside the mind of all the characters and exposes the reader to emotions felt by each of the characters. As the story progresses the pace picks up considerably, especially after the death of Patrice. The meaning of "Patricide" is "the action of killing one's father", horrifying as it sounds, and this is the main theme of the book. The author has also seamlessly woven themes of fallible human nature, family relationships, duty, love, and tradition vs. progress. The message that "Life can be appreciated from angles of a very large prism" comes across loud and clear.

This book certainly has a lot going for it. It's a locked-room mystery of the highest order: a suspicious death, cleverly construct plot, intriguing clues and red herrings aplenty to keep the pages turning. The narrative voice is succinct, dry, straightforward, and easy to read. I did find it a bit slower to get through to begin with, but this quickly changed as the story unfolded. I liked the fact that the reader can figure out partially the solution from the clues given. The solution to the mystery was nothing short of brilliant, let me tell you! The author ups the ante with the most creative solution I have ever seen.

The author provides the reader a list of characters, but it isn't that complex to keep track of the characters. Aunt Emilie was by far my most favorite character. She reminded me of Miss Marple with her antics. The plot moves at a steady pace, and the author does a wonderful job of providing just enough detail to paint a clear picture of the characters and settings. The characters are rather interesting, and the who, how and why are not divulged until the last minute. However, parts of the plot are more tell than show, and the transition between scenes is not always done smoothly. Also almost everyone got a personal drama which seemed a bit constructed. Nonetheless, it is a very well written and edited book (except a couple of missing words).

All in all I enjoyed the book immensely, so rate it 3 out of 4 stars. This is a competent example of the locked room mystery genre, and a very entertaining one to boot. I do hope another book is on the cards. I recommended the book for people who enjoy classic mysteries and for any readers really wanting to immerse themselves in the pleasures of a locked room mystery.

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The Patricide
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Like gali's review? Post a comment saying so!

[rssllue]

This one sounds right up my alley! Awesome review as usual, gali! It sounds like a definite winner! Congratulations to the author!

[gali]

This one sounds right up my alley! Awesome review as usual, gali! It sounds like a definite winner! Congratulations to the author!

Thank you for your kind words.

[rssllue]

[Heidi M Simone]

I loved reading your review, gali! It's very well-written, descriptive, and the book definitely sparks my interest. For a few minutes I couldn't figure out where I've seen the author's name, and then I realized (after searching), he wrote The Callaghan Tetralogy! Anyway, wonderful review!

Congratulations to the author for receiving such a positive review!

[gali]

I loved reading your review, gali! It's very well-written, descriptive, and the book definitely sparks my interest. For a few minutes I couldn't figure out where I've seen the author's name, and then I realized (after searching), he wrote The Callaghan Tetralogy! Anyway, wonderful review!

Congratulations to the author for receiving such a positive review!

Indeed, this is the same author. Thank you.

[Heidi M Simone]

I loved reading your review, gali! It's very well-written, descriptive, and the book definitely sparks my interest. For a few minutes I couldn't figure out where I've seen the author's name, and then I realized (after searching), he wrote The Callaghan Tetralogy! Anyway, wonderful review!

Congratulations to the author for receiving such a positive review!

Indeed, this is the same author. Thank you.

[bookowlie]

Great, insightful review! Your phrase "extensive sessions with Agatha Christie" made me laugh. This book sounds like something I would like!

[gali]

Great, insightful review! Your phrase "extensive sessions with Agatha Christie" made me laugh. This book sounds like something I would like!

lol I am now rereading short stories by her. Thank you.

[Vermont Reviews]

Well written review. It sound like a book that I would enjoy reading.

Vermont Reviews

[gali]

Well written review. It sound like a book that I would enjoy reading.

Vermont Reviews

Thank you.

[kimekemar]

I appreciate the review, Gali … but surely you meant "gripping" instead of "griping" and "angles" instead of "angels"? No worries, this only illustrates how difficult it is for any writer to get everything absolutely right. Anthony Burgess once wrote that no books without errors exist. After all the very hard work and multiple revisions and editing that goes into any of my novels in my futile attempts to reach perfection, I believe Burgess was right. There's always something that's not perfect that mars the text … a missing word, a computer changing the spelling, forgotten punctuation or whatever.
In particular I salute you for finding "the solution nothing short of brilliant". That, and your statement that it's "the most creative solution I have ever seen" – especially in the light that you're a devout fan of Agatha Christie and locked-room mysteries – made my day.

All the best,

Kim Ekemar

[kimekemar]

To everyone interested in reading “The Patricide” that Gali recently reviewed on such a positive note, please understand that for the moment the book is only available through pre-order. The publishing date for the book is set for August 15, 2016 – but, if you opt for ordering “The Patricide” before that date, you will receive a 50% discount!
It is available for pre-orders on Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Smashwords, Nook, among many others.

[gali]

I appreciate the review, Gali … but surely you meant "gripping" instead of "griping" and "angles" instead of "angels"? No worries, this only illustrates how difficult it is for any writer to get everything absolutely right. Anthony Burgess once wrote that no books without errors exist. After all the very hard work and multiple revisions and editing that goes into any of my novels in my futile attempts to reach perfection, I believe Burgess was right. There's always something that's not perfect that mars the text … a missing word, a computer changing the spelling, forgotten punctuation or whatever.
In particular I salute you for finding "the solution nothing short of brilliant". That, and your statement that it's "the most creative solution I have ever seen" – especially in the light that you're a devout fan of Agatha Christie and locked-room mysteries – made my day.

All the best,

Kim Ekemar

Sorry about that. I fixed it.

Thank you for your comments and I hope to read more books with whose protagonists.

-- June 30th, 2016, 5:38 am --

To everyone interested in reading “The Patricide” that Gali recently reviewed on such a positive note, please understand that for the moment the book is only available through pre-order. The publishing date for the book is set for August 15, 2016 – but, if you opt for ordering “The Patricide” before that date, you will receive a 50% discount!
It is available for pre-orders on Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Smashwords, Nook, among many others.

I certainly recommend you to take advantage of this generous offer. It is a charming mystery which I enjoyed immensely.

[Silvermoon]

I love Agatha Christie and this book sounds right up my alley! This book is a must read for me! Great Review!