I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book that I have read by Mr. Garnier and I am confident that I will be reading the rest of his work. These short, intense mysteries would appeal to anyone who enjoys great Noir fiction and the added bonus of the cultural nuances from the settings being placed in France just makes these books that much more interesting to me.

The Islanders was darker and more humorous. Close to the Edge is brilliantly plotted and tragic but maintains an overall quirky and ironic feel that I found to be original and intriguing. The books are quite different in tone, yet they are both compelling and riveting. A reader starting one of his books on a train would most likely wish for a longer ride because one you start one of Garnier’s stories, you will want to read straight through to the end.

Other reviewers have compared Garnier to other French writers and I have to confess ignorance of those other writers (that I plan on remedying to be sure). For me, I was reminded of the brilliance of James M. Cain. There is in both of these masters a tense reality in the characters and an urgency to the rapidly moving storyline that few authors can accomplish. Additionally, both authors strip their stories down to the bare bones so that the reader is engaged from the first page and won’t take a breath until the final, perhaps unexpected, conclusion. Garnier’s books are the perfect length for the stories they tell and that is another part of their charm.

Five stars. Noir doesn’t get any better.

I will be reading the rest of Garnier’s work, most of them in one sitting.
( )

Read the book in French, called Trop près du bord, the French original is not on Goodreads, although some of his other books are. ( )

I much prefer this story to the Islanders which was the last one I read.
This is much darker and more riveting.
Hopefully the future novels will also be good.
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Gallic Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest unbiased review. ( )