Garnier, Pascal: The Front Seat Passenger

For once the reviews proved worthwhile.   This is the final novel of a French author whose work is
more than a little reminiscent of Simenon but with humour and surrealism added.   A man loses his
wife in a car crash driven by her lover, something he appears not to have suspected.   He decides to
track down the wife of the dead man, does so under an assume name and becomes involved with her and her best friend.   The latter was the first wife of the dead man but seems to exercise a strong control over the widow who is rather submissive.   She does not like the man but accepts him for her
friends' sake and invites them both to a weekend in the country where she reveals his real identity.
This is the point at which the plot turns into something else ( not revealed to avoid spoiling).   While
naturally read in translation which I am sure maintains both the feeling and meaning of the original, I
found the events believable, clearly expounded and the denouement, while unexpected, perfectly
plausible.

Gibson, William: Zero History

A fascinating story that, superficially, is the search for a very limited cult fashion production which uses pop-up stores, announced at short notice, for its sales.   A major ad-agency, Blue Ant, headed by
Hubertus Bigend hires Hollis Henry, an ex-musician, to track down the originator of the denim in
question.   She is not alone in the search and the book develops into a thriller with double-cross and
the use of much modern technology - the latter being what one expects from Gibson.   Set mainly in
London with an early excursion to Paris, the author makes excellent use of fictionalised locations that are definitely reality-based: none of this jumping in a cab at Hyde Park Corner for a five minute run to the Tower of London!   Clearly and simply written except when the technology demands the use of
specific words, I found it a stimulating and very enjoyable experience.   When the hugger-mugger is
over, the leading participants on the side of good are seen on an ekranoplan, a Russian ship/aircraft that skims the waves.   This is a real item and, co-incidentally, one appears in the book I am now
reading.