Cadres Noirs

by Pierre Lemaitre

Alain Delambre est un cadre de cinquante-sept ans complètement usé par quatre années de chômage. Ancien DRH, il accepte des petits jobs qui le démoralisent. Au sentiment d’échec s'ajoute bientôt l'humiliation de se faire botter les fesses pour cinq cents euros par mois... Aussi quand un employeur, divine surprise, accepte enfin d'étudier sa candidature, Alain Delambre est prêt à tout, à emprunter de l'argent, à se disqualifier aux yeux de sa femme et de ses filles, et même à participer à l'ultime épreuve de recrutement : un jeu de rôle sous la forme d'une prise d'otages. Il s'engage corps et âme dans cette lutte pour retrouver sa dignité. S'il se rendait compte que les dés sont pipés, sa fureur serait sans limite. Et le jeu de rôle pourrait alors tourner au jeu de massacre…

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Crime, France, Suspense, Noir, Mystery

448 pages, Pocket Book

Published March 2, 2011

About the author

Pierre Lemaitre is a French novelist and screenwriter. He is internationally renowned for the crime novels featuring the fictional character Commandant Camille Verhœven.

His first novel that was translated into English, Alex, is a translation of the French book with the same title, it jointly won the CWA International Dagger for best translated crime novel of 2013.

In November 2013, he was awarded the Prix Goncourt, France's top literary prize, for Au revoir là-haut (published in English as The Great Swindle), an epic about World War I. His novels Camille and The Great Swindle won the CWA International Dagger in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

Reviews

[Paromjit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Translated from the French, this is an extraordinarily dark and twisted satirical novel with a rather different take on the usual crime genre. Pierre Lemaitre specialises in the odd and the strange, and here he walks into this territory with style and panache. 57 year old Alain Delambre, ex-Human Resources executive, has been down on his luck and his self esteem has taken a battering for some time as he struggles with the poorly rewarded part time jobs he has been forced to take. Delambre is your everyman, nothing special, experiencing what so many others have undergone. Finding himself in a precarious position, somewhat unexpectedly, a large organisation with dark motives and agenda offers him the opportunity of a interview for a job he is willing to sell his soul for. Lemaitre structures the story into three distinct parts, with the first and last sections narrated by Delambre.

Framed within a background of a troubled French economy and rising unemployment that provides a sharp, pertinent social and political commentary, this is a story of desperation, brutal violence, deception, humiliation, lies, blackmail and an outrageous hostage scenario. It exposes the laws of the jungle that much of the corporate world operates by. Lemaitre does stretch credulity on numerous occasions as Delambre ditches all sense of ethics and morality for a job he believes is absolutely his. Is there anything he will not do? Delambre's life begins to derail at a startling rate, as his personal and family life becomes a disaster zone, unsurprising given his decisions and behaviour. The role playing heads into volatile and beautifully imagined surreal territory. The author has written a complex, smart and offbeat piece of crime fiction that was a pleasure to read and highly entertaining. Many thanks to Quercus for an ARC.

[Beata · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I would like to thank the Author, Quercus Books
I would like to thank the Author, the Publisher and Netgalley for generously providing me with ARC in exchange for my honest review.*
This is a story of a man, Alain Delambre, who is in his late fifties, an ex-HR specialist, who, after losing his position, works for peanuts doing some menial jobs, gets fired after an incident with his supervisor and seeks to find employment in the field he worked previously. Very intelligent and desperate, Alain applies for a job and he does everything he can to secure it and get his dignity back by taking some stepy which are not always lawful. The book reads very well, there are some tragic-comic moments, black humour and a lot of insight into the corporate life. Alain is a likeable character with whom I fully sympathize and whom I entirely absolve.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Blood Wedding by Pierre Lemaitre a couple years back and I absolutely loved the craziness that was that book and devoured every word in record time. When I saw Inhuman Resources being offered on NetGalley I didn't even hesitate to request it.

This book starts off strong and Mr. Lemaitre's humor and wit is immediately evident.

Alain Delambre is a 57 year old man that had once been in charge of HR for a large company but has since been out of work for the last 4 years after being laid off. He has taken several menial jobs well below his pay scale in order to salvage any bit of dignity he has remaining. When an opportunity presents itself that will question his morals and values he has to ask himself how far is he willing to go to land the job he so deserves. Neither his wife or daughters can understand what has become of their husband and father.

"I've never been a violent man. For as long as I can remember, I have never wanted to kill anyone. The odd flare of temper, sure, but never any desire to inflict proper pain. To destroy. So, when it happened, I suppose it took me by surprise."

Now this had everything going for it for me as a reader. So many laugh out loud moments in which I couldn't help relating to in some way. I got a Michael Douglas in Falling Down vibe from this which totally made my heart happy. Alain is basically at his wits end and he can't take any more rejection. A man such as himself, that has worked his proverbial ass off, only to end up with no job and no prospects. How does this happen to someone when you've done everything "right" in life?

When Alain finds out that the opportunity he was vying for has been decided and handed to someone else he decides to take matters into his own hands once and for all.

"The moment people start wearing their morals on their sleeves, you can be positive there's something unmentionable going on behind closed doors." <--- TRUTH!

Again, the first 1/3 of this I was totally loving but then I just got so confused with all the characters. The French names I really struggled with and it was impossible for me to differentiate between who was who. This made me feel very disconnected to this book right up until the end. C'est la vie!

Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus (US) for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Labijose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coincido plenamente con los lectores que comparan al protagonista de esta novela, Alain Delambre, con el Walter White de la inmejorable serie “Breaking Bad”. Un personaje que se ve inmerso, por la injusticia social con la que convive, a tomarse la justicia por su mano, con consecuencias devastadoras, no sólo para él, sino para todos sus seres queridos.

Novela independiente de la serie del detective Verhoeven. Como ya hizo con “Vestido de novia”, Lemaître te engancha desde las primeras páginas, y te sumerge en un carrusel en el que no ves el momento de dejar de leer. La trama está llena de continuos giros y bandazos, todos bastante bien resueltos. Y no deja títere con cabeza en cuanto a crítica social y empresarial. Se despacha a gusto. Que el desenlace pueda resultar más o menos creíble no le resta un ápice de interés a su novela, que además está muy bien escrita.

El autor es un soplo de aire fresco en la literatura francesa. Para aquellos que, de vez en cuando, queremos tomar un respiro de thrillers americanos y “Nordic noir” es más que recomendable. Esta es la cuarta novela que le leo, y cada vez admiro más al escritor.

[Glenn Russell]

I abhor violence, both in life and in literature. Crime fiction and thrillers seem to thrive on violence, therefore I'm usually not attracted to books within the genre. However, when Pascal Garnier adds elements of existentialism or Stieg Larsson addresses social and cultural issues, count me in.

Inhuman Resources by French crime writer Pierre Lemaitre contains lots of violence and action and thrills but there's also Pascal Garnier existentialism and Stieg Larsson social commentary revolving around a topic I find endlessly fascinating - corporate culture.

For crime fiction, I frequently listen to the audio book while taking my walks. I did this for Pascal Garnier and Stieg Larsson and I did this for Inhuman Resources. And when I click into the story, I can listen for hours at a time - exactly my experience here as Pierre Lemaitre spins a riveting, absorbing tale about a fifty-seven-year-old unemployed corporate executive who, after four years of no corporate job, little money, is about to find out how far he'll go to regain everything he so desperately craves.

In many ways, Inhuman Resources reminds me of Thomas Ligotti's My Work is Not Yet Done and Donald E. Westlake's The Ax - the story of a man kicked out and stripped of all self-respect, a story that provides many insights into the mindset of those women and men whose life revolves around working and being part of a corporation.


French author Pierre Lemaitre, born 1951

[Libros Prestados · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cuánto te odio y te quiero, Pierre Lemaitre. No puedes hacer que pase tan buen rato pasándolo mal.

Es extraño, porque esta historia es, al final, un relato moral. Incluso puede que tenga algo de moralina. No es que a mí me haya importado lo más mínimo, pero si me ha sorprendido porque normalmente Lemaitre es más gris.

A ver, sigue siendo moviéndose en tonos de gris (el protagonista es alguien a quien llegas a despreciar un poco aunque al mismo tiempo quieres que gane), pero hay moraleja final. De hecho, es muy posible que como es tan obvia desde el principio, sea un giro narrativo más, porque esperas que el protagonista se dé cuenta.

Y hablando de giros, ¿hay uno en "Recursos inhumanos"? Por supuesto que lo hay, es una novela de Pierre Lemaitre. Aunque dudo en si llamarlo realmente giro, porque funciona más bien como un desarrollo de la historia (y en cierto punto del relato te lo esperas). "Recursos inhumanos" no se basa en el recurso del giro sorprendente. Gira en torno a algo tan sencillo como si el protagonista conseguirá lo que quiere. ¿Pero qué es lo que realmente quiere? Y es más, ¿lo que quiere es lo que necesita? Es esta pregunta la que principalmente se encarga de responder la novela.

Como otros libros del autor me ha parecido un buen thriller, que mantiene bien la tensión y tan fácil de leer que resulta casi insultante.

[Esti Santos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sr. Lemaitre, me quito el sombrero ante esta novelaza.
Brutal. Lemaitre es único. Este es el cuarto libro que leo de este autor y, sin ninguna duda para mí, el mejor. Que tensión narrativa, qué locura de trama. La premisa es sencilla: un hombre de casi 60 años lleva 4 años en paro y está desesperado. Pues prepárate para el viaje si te decides a leer esta novela. Despues de un desarrollo espectacular, cuando llegas a la tercera parte, te dices: aquí ya va a decaer, ya está todo contado, y entonces, zas! viene lo mejor!! Y cuando se acaba ese zas, zaca, tomaaa!! Insuperable Lemaitre! Tensión hasta el final, con esa elegancia que tiene este escritor.
El final, muy acertado!

[Paloma orejuda (Pevima) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pues... no es lo mejor de Lemaitre, pero es bastante entretenido y su lectura muy agil.

1.-La historia. Alain (puedo decir que según mis amigos franceses es un nombre de cincuentón o persona mayor XD) Delambre, un agente de recursos en paro sobrevive trabajando con un mini empleo en una mensajería farmacéutica. Un día le dan una patada en el culo (literalmente) y su situación se vuelve insostenible. Entonces se presenta a una candidatura como agente de recursos humanos para una importantísima empresa petrolera. La prueba consiste en valorar a una serie de directivos en mitad de un secuestro de rehenes escenificado (todo una mentira bastante cochina). Cuando descubre que todo está amañado, se dejará llevar por su lado más violento y por sus instintos, y se convertirá en "Alain" enfrentándose a "Goliat".

2.-Los personajes. Alain. A veces consigue desesperar al lector, pero es testarudo y lucha hasta el final por lo que cree que es justo para él y se merece, aunque esto no sea lo que de verdad le de la felicidad.
Nicole, la mujer de Alain, bastante integra. Lucie su hija abogada, muy parecida a su madre. Matilde su hija más inocente, casada con un imbécil (Gregory).
Los rehenes y los secuestradores... Fontana (tipico matón mercenario al que estás deseando que le metan un tiro entre los ojos, perdón).
Mención especial para Charles (insertar corazoncitos)... un personaje pintado como patético, borracho y estrambótico, pero es adorable, es taaan bonico que sabes que no es cierto. Las personas como él no existen, no son tan nobles.

3.-La narrativa, la pluma y demás. Me encanta como escribe Lemaitre, te cuenta cualquier cosa de una forma ágil, cínica, irónica, mordiente... y nunca sabes por donde te va a salir (aunque con esta historia si que es bastante predecible). La crítica social que hace en esta historia en apabullante, abrumadora... y los capítulos son cortos, en primera persona y enganchan.

4.-El final. Bastante blando, un poquito agridulce (muy poquito), acorde con el desarrollo de la historia y con lo que Alain Delambre se merece.

En fin, 2,5 estrellas sobre 5 porque es ágil, muy entretenido y engancha.

*Popsugar 2020 categoría 26: Un libro con un juego de palabras en el título.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Addendum - After you've read the book, be sure to watch the Netflix adaptation starring Eric Cantona who gives a masterful performance! VV Good


And it’s quite a quiet start for this book, no murders or even violence (well, Im not including a headbutt) and I’m 33 pages in…. is it the same Pierre Lemaitre that I know and love!

The protagonist, we follow his narrative, is an ex HR manager (four years and counting) in his late fifties who struggles to get by doing various minimum wage jobs until he is offered an interview for an HR assistant at a well-established firm.

We learn all about his family in the early reading as well as his current work colleagues and it’s all rather pedestrian in comparison to his prior books, engaging still, but very much more sedate, I’m waiting for the dam to break.

AND then what a complete b’stard our narrator is!! And there’s still 300 pages to go!!

This is more like it 😊 and that’s the “Before” part in the book.

Onto “During” and this could get very messy! It was a section that I ripped off in one reading which I haven’t done in a long time with a book, so much to absorb……

“After” will leave you thinking long n hard once you have finished, was it believable, was it a satisfactory ending, was it rushed at times & were there too many plot “leaps”

It does as you would expect of a Pierre Lemaitre book where I’ll let you read all about it, I could tell you more but no spoilers here as it needs to be read without much prior knowledge of what’s going on but expect plenty of twists, all is never what it seems.

5 stars (rounded up from 4.5) as I enjoy his works, where he’s never let me down yet

[stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un libro magnifico, aunque al principio parece lento y que no va a ninguna parte, a medida que avanza la historia se vuelve intrigante y con mucho suspenso. Para ser el primer libro que leo de este autor, me ha fascinado. Un genio en crear las situaciones más tensas y los momentos culmines, con un toque de humor.

[Ana Cristina Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pierre Lemaitre es un buen narrador y sus historias siempre se leen con pasión, sean de género negro, novela histórica o, como en este caso, reflejo de un drama contemporáneo. Es el drama de la jungla corporativa, de los ejecutivos que de un día para otro pasan de tenerlo todo a ser marginados y parias, víctimas de la competitividad y la indiferencia de los empleadores. El título ya nos da un poco la clave de la crítica que esta historia conlleva, respecto a la manera en que el capital humano es tratado en las grandes empresas y, en general en el mercado laboral, donde cumplir años se convierte en un delito imperdonable.

El protagonista es Alain Delambre, antiguo director de recursos humanos que ha perdido su empleo y se está precipitando de manera imparable en la marginalidad social. Cuando finalmente le llaman para una entrevista de trabajo está dispuesto a todo para conseguirlo. ¿Hasta dónde? A partir de aquí, nos encontramos con un thriller que tiene un esquema algo tradicional y previsible – a pesar de los continuos giros – pero que está lleno de reflexiones válidas y se lee con interés. Es novela negra pero basada en realidades muy cotidianas, que no por el hecho de ser comunes dejan de ser escalofriantes, si nos paramos a pensarlo.

Muy bien escrito y lleno de acción, con muchos detalles realistas. Especialmente interesante para los que, de una manera u otra, sufren o han sufrido el 'corporate hell'.
3,5*

[8stitches 9lives · Rating 4 out of 5]

Multi award winning author Pierre Lemaitre has been a feature of my bookshelf for more years than I care to remember. Always a sucker for a well told tale, I also admired that he followed his own direction rather than the ones demanded of him. The pun in the title had me thinking this would have a satirical slant, and I wasn't far wrong, but it is also so much more! Heartbreak and personal struggle is lightened by some excellent black humour. This is very different from any of his previous books, but equally as compelling. Quirky, odd and strange would all be suitably accurate adjectives to describe it. There is familiarity in the plot devices/twists and turns used, the wholly engaging narrative and the characterisation. Each of the characters are completely believable and developed really well. With so many crime fiction books falling drastically short of the mark in terms of unpredictability, Lemaitre makes it seem very easy to provide readers with a story that can leave a reader in shock and awe! I'm sure it's not, but what is it they say... there is no reality only perception.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of 'Inhuman Resources' was how the author creates characters you feel for and can relate to, although Alain did start to frustrate me as he was constantly making, not simply bad decisions, but terrible ones. Intelligent, perceptive to the stark reality many face in terms of lack of work opportunities that is just as true today as it was when it was first published in French in 2010 and in the last third of the book the story transforms from a suspenseful, social commentary into a fully fledged, fast paced and high stakes thriller! I must mention Sam Gordon's wonderful translation - it's an important job as it can make or break a book. You know the jobs been exceptionally done when you cannot tell it's a translated work.

Many thanks to MacLehose Press for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

[Nigel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Briefly - I enjoyed some parts of this a lot - I found the book rather slow overall.

In full
I'd read a couple of books by this author in his Verhœven series which I really enjoyed. I was pleased to be able to read something different from him. This one is about Alain Delambre, an approaching 60 ex HR manager. The only jobs he has had for the past 4 years have been low paid positions and there seems to be no way out of his dilemma. And then he has an interview for a job that he would really like. Is there a snag?

I found the characters in this good and often vivid. However I also found the book really quite slow for some considerable time. We learn a lot about his life, problems and family. I realise that the scene has to be set but for me there was too much description and too little action until almost halfway through.

The idea that the job interview that Alain hopes to be shortlisted for is a role playing hostage situation is interesting. The reality was fascinating and the book came alive for me at this point. It was far faster moving and twisted well. Some of the characters who had felt a little shadowy too came to the fore. In particular Lucie, his daughter, and Charles, an ex workmate became more prominent and interesting. Equally some of the people involved with the "job interview" were worthwhile and interesting.

Ultimately I feel that some of this reads very well indeed. There is a powerful story with some decent characters in. However I did find it very slow at times too. I wouldn't recommend it as a first book to try of Lemaitre's however fans will probably be interested to read it. 3.5/5 overall for me.

Note - I received an advance digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review

http://viewson.org.uk/fiction/inhuman...

[Antonio TL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Los thrillers de Pierre Lemaitre hasta ahora siempre me han convencido, pero el tema de Recursos inhumanos al principio no no me atraía en absoluto. Luché por leer las primeras 40 páginas y después de aguantar, no estoy para nada decepcionado, al contrario Como lo demuestran muchos de sus libros, el autor es un gran humanista dispuesto a denunciar las injusticias. A través de este agotador thriller, Pierre Lemaitre aborda el mundo empresarial y uno de sus despiadados fallos: la discriminación contra las personas mayores y sus consecuencias más desastrosas forman el telón de fondo de la novela. La escritura es incisiva, como el personaje de Alain Delambre, que no quiere perdonar a empresarios sin escrúpulos que “descartan” a empleados leales con el pretexto de que son demasiado mayores. La intensidad de la intriga va in crescendo hasta las últimas páginas, llevando al lector a múltiples giros y vueltas.

La construcción de la novela, aunque menos destacable que Alex o Vestido de Novis, es efectiva: la división en 3 partes “Antes-Durante-Después” permite alternar los puntos de vista de los personajes. El “yo” proporciona al lector la empatía necesaria para comprender la novela, el estudio de los personajes es aún más denso y profundo. A través de la diversidad de temas tratados en sus novelas y la variedad de sus estilos, Pierre Lemaitre demuestra que es un autor contemporáneo de primer nivel.

[Mari Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alain Delambre está en el paro, y sabe que tiene una edad comprometida para encontrar trabajo, así que cuando ve un anuncio en el diario en el que se requiere una persona con experiencia en recursos humanos. no se lo piensa, contesta al anuncio y hará todo lo que esté en su mano para conseguir ese puesto.
Esa decisión hará que la vida de Alain cambie totalmente y le llevará por unos caminos insospechados.
Ha sido una novela entretenida, la forma de narrar del autor es una delicia,y us personajes son tremendos, el que más me ha gustado ha sido Charlie, el bueno de Charlie....
En fin, una aventura a contrarreloj que merece mucho la pena.

[Choco Con Churros · Rating 4 out of 5]

Empiezas y te dices, ah!... va de esto!. El tono parece marcado, el narrador, los personajes, la situación... vas viendo la intención, la denuncia... el narrador juzga a todos con los que se encuentra, a veces con amor, siempre con un puntín satírico muy dulce en su esposa, algo más crítico pero no mucho, con sus hijas y casi cruel con el resto del mundo excepto Charles. Así que juzgas a los personajes a través del narrador y al propio narrador a través de lo asombrosamente mal que se justifica a sí mismo, cosa que hace constantemente. Realmente un narrador inteligente, carismático y algo tramposo, que da mucho juego y enriquece un porrón la historia.
De pronto, la cosa cambia, y te la cuenta otro y es que te está relatando otra cosa, no lo que pensabas... sin dejar la denuncia inicial, incluso subrayándola, al drama se le ha añadido el thriller. Te asombras del giro de los acontecimientos. Ahora ya sabes de qué va la cosa y te muerdes las uñas en tensión.
Pero resulta que tampoco era eso lo que te quería contar. La cosa vuelve a girar y a cambiar el narrador, por el primero, el inteligente tramposón, sin dejar la denuncia, el drama, el thriller... al que se añaden desde el drama carcelario al judicial y se descubre el pastel y te quedas de piedra...cuando llega el momento de los fuegos artificiales, las posibilidades se van estrechando en vez de agrandando como parecía y se inicia una batalla contra reloj de gran tensión, con jugadas inteligentes y el corazón en un puño. Todo un placerón. El final se asemeja al principio, y es que hay victorias que no merecen la pena. Me gustó un porrón y el desencantado final lo hace todo más creíble y enlaza perfecto con ese principio gris, que mirado desde el final de la novela hasta se recuerda con ternura. GL (Negro)

[Chas Smash · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vaya vaya vaya.
No ha sido lo que me esperaba pero hay que reconocer que te mantiene en vilo pensando qué va a ocurrir.
Quizás lo peor es el final, muy hollywoodiense, Lemaitre no necesita esa acción absurda y en ciertos aspectos ha sido bastante decepcionante.
Es curioso que aunque no tenga nada que ver me ha recordado a Breaking Bad, quizás por eso me ha resultado el protagonista bastante cansino. Y con el símil a Breaking Bad me refiero a que es el protagonista quien se mete en ese fregado, y aunque pone de excusa a la mujer porque quiere darle una vida mejor, en realidad lo hacen sólo por ellos. Es eso lo que más me molestaba de Heisenberg y lo que menos me gusta de Alain. Si eres ambicioso y quieres salir adelante, se claro y di que es por ti. Y sólo por ti.


2.75/5

[Iván · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una novela trágico-cómica. Bien escrita, divertida y que engancha. Una critica social al mundo del trabajo y a las formas de algunas empresas. Tiene el drama del desempleo como hilo conductor y de fondo. Me ha gustado mucho y me lo he pasado muy bien leyéndola.

[Denise]

"It only takes a couple of seconds for a man to become a maniac."

Alain Delambre, 57-years-old and unemployed for 4 years, is a desperate man. When he receives word that he may finally get an interview for an HR position at a prestigious company, he's totally elated and prepares for the "test" with total focus. He takes extraordinary risks in the days leading up to that big day. He can't stop lying either. The main problem at hand, however, and the issue that his wife objects to, is that this assessment of his qualifications involves a set-up including a staged hostage situation engineered as a pretext of seeing how executives function under stress and pressure. Alain is "in" on the scenario and is willing to do whatever it takes to secure the job. When he discovers that the whole thing is a sham, he goes off the deep end. "The basic ingredients (a sense of humiliation or injustice, extreme loneliness, a weapon and nothing to lose) all resulted in" the cataclysm that occurred at the offsite interview location that day. The events that follow change Alain forever. NO SPOILERS.

This was such a different type of book compared to the others of his that I have read. It's nothing like the serial killer thriller chillers he's written before (ALEX, IRENE, CAMILLE for example). In fact, this is more of a Jonathan Franzen style satirical drama, but I totally enjoyed it despite what I was expecting. The writing is top-notch, translated from French by Sam Gordon, and nothing is lost for that. The action is evenly paced and there is suspense and tension as the reader can't even anticipate what might happen next though it's hard not to feel a great deal of empathy for Alain and his family. Characterization was sublime. The theme of unemployment and how it affects the jobless is definitely at the forefront, but also the notion that work is essential for some to feel alive, to be a whole person. It's not light fare but is very engrossing and I know I'll think about this one for quite some time. I'd love to dissect this in a book club!

Thank you to NetGalley and MacLehose Press Quercus for the e-book ARC to read and review.

[Raven · Rating 5 out of 5]

As well as producing one of the finest crime series, and a collection of unique standalones, Lemaitre once again demonstrates the reach and depth of his literary skill in this dark, cynical and twisted tale, which provides a perfect allegory of the daily struggle of the downtrodden individual against the power of the few…

Quickly, I was struck by how Lemaitre’s use of the absurd in the book, mirroring in style the venerable Pascal Garnier, becomes a powerful literary tool to cast an unflinching glare on the world of work, business and exploitation in French society, but by extension in every culture. By focussing on an older protagonist such as Alain Delambre, we feel the frustration and subjugation that he experiences, nearing the twilight years of his working life, and the disempowerment he rages against as he is unceremoniously thrown on the employment scrapheap. This is the cue for Lemaitre himself to rail against the exclusion of older workers, and the hugely depressing statistics concerning employees and unemployment, which pepper the book. Delambre is an angry man and incensed by the demeaning of his worth, so he formulates a plan: a plan that has severe implications for himself and his loving family. The extreme measures that Delambre undertakes, that dishonour both him and his family are shown to be symptomatic of a larger problem in society and Lemaitre addresses these with a razor sharp and cynical eye.

However, before you begin to think that this sounds like a fairly linear tale of a desperate man taking desperate measures to gain a foothold back in the world of employment, Lemaitre turns the tables on us, and in no short order we have a hostage crisis, embezzlement, computer fraud, a seriously ticked off security operative, violence, a family in disarray, a car chase, a court case and more. Taken in its entirety, Lemaitre beautifully paces moments of extreme pathos, and a general headshaking at the world of big business, with episodes of such verve and tension that add an energy and vigour to this seemingly mundane tale of the little man’s struggle in the face of unrelenting financial and emotional pressure. I loved the increasing confidence of Delambre as he formulates his plan to turn the tables, and the gradual shedding of his previously held morality to achieve his aim, despite the extraordinary sense of betrayal experienced by his wife and daughters. He proves with every fibre of his being that you can teach an old dog new tricks, and if these tricks happen to land him in a whole heap of trouble, he proves himself unafraid to take the chance, despite some unwelcome consequences.

Once again the seamless translation by Sam Gordon, picks up all the elasticity of Lemaitre’s manipulation and use of language, and heightens the perfect structuring and narrative pace that builds tension, and ratchets up the sense of human frailty and newly acquired resilience that Delambre embodies. I found this a hugely satisfying read, for not only the cynical yet pertinent appraisal of the exploitative world of business and its effect on older workers, but also as a genuinely pacey and endlessly surprising thriller as Delambre’s life appears to descend into violent freefall. Smartly done, and as a thriller with a difference, highly recommended,

[LolaF · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un libro distinto a los otros publicados por Lemaitre, en el que dada la situación de crisis en la que estamos metidos, puedo entender perfectamente al personaje principal.
Recomendable su lectura!!

[Céfiro · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nunca imaginé que podría encontrar un libro de Lemaitre donde hallaría tantos puntos deficientes... los más importantes por aquí:
- La premisa inicial es interesante pero absurda.
- La psicología de los personajes es irracional e incongruente, lo que hace casi imposible simpatizar con ellos.
- El giro argumental con el que el autor nos suele deslumbrar en el resto de sus obras aquí es insulso y se queda a medio gas.
- La resolución es pobre.
Y, por último y lo peor de todo, es que el núcleo del libro es un discurso elitista tremendamente insoportable. Se nos quiere hablar de un parado de larga duración dispuesto a hacer todo lo necesario para salir de la situación en la que se encuentra, y yo no discuto que, como nuestro protagonista, no haya por ahí energúmenos dispuestos a traicionar la confianza de todo el que les rodea y de olvidarse de todo valor, ética o principio que hasta entonces haya guiado su vida... lo que discuto es cómo el autor, durante la práctica totalidad del libro, se dedica a soltar frasecitas y descripciones con las que no busca otra cosa que caracterizar la pobreza como algo vergonzoso... lo que se torna aún peor considerando que el escenario descrito en el libro no es siquiera de pobreza, ¡sino de clase media!
En fin, que el libro patina por todos lados.
Se lee en un par de ratos, pero a mí lamentablemente no me ha dado para mucho.

[Gabyal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Esta es una novela satírica extraordinariamente oscura y retorcida con una versión bastante diferente del género criminal habitual. Pierre Lemaitre se especializa en lo extraño y entra en este territorio con estilo. Me encanta como escribe Lemaitre, te cuenta cualquier cosa de una forma ágil, cínica, irónica y nunca sabes por donde te va a salir. La crítica social que hace en esta historia es abrumadora, los capítulos son cortos y enganchan. De lo que he leído de el no es su mejor libro, pero me gustó

[Luis Anarte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitivamente Lemaitre me gusta y mucho. De momento no hay una novela suya que no haya disfrutado y que no haya podido dejar de leer

[Horacio Morales · Rating 3 out of 5]

La novela da giros inesperados que hacen que no puedas dejar de leer. Lemaitre es un autor que te hace sufrir con sus personajes y no podés abandonarlos.
¡Muy buena!

[Gram · Rating 4 out of 5]

The very strange tale of Alain Delambre, a 57-year-old former Human Resources executive who was made redundant 4 years ago. Since then he has been in a variety of low-paid, part-time jobs, while he seeks to return to his career in management.

One day, his supervisor at his dead-end job kicks him in the backside and Alain retaliates by headbutting the man, breaking his nose. Colleagues tell him not to worry, but soon he is being threatened with court action and Alain expects the worst.

Out of the blue, a large company invites him to an interview and soon he's determined to do anything to get this job. So, when he's asked to take part in the ultimate recruitment test - a role-playing game that involves hostage-taking - Alain commits himself wholeheartedly to the task. He desperately needs to regain his self respect and, despite his wife's misgivings, he agrees to the plan.

What follows is a mindboggling mix of domestic drama, social comment, dark deeds in the world of big business and episodes of extreme violence - all spiced with Lemaitre's trademark dark humour - until Alain finds out that the odds were stacked against him from the start. His personal life unravels as he neglects his wife and his daughter Mathilde sides with her mother who leaves home. He's already assaulted his son-in-law when he refused to lend him money, then conned Mathilde into parting with the deposit for her new apartment. All the while, Alain ramps up his bid to become the best recruit for the job he fervently believes should be his, hiring private detectives to find out more about the executives he's due to assess, along with an "expert" in hostage situations.

Despite being translated from French to English, the somewhat complicated narrative moves along relatively smoothly. Throughout there are newspaper headlines about the French economy, unemployment statistics and redundancy plans, all heightening the pressure on Alain in his desperate quest for a job. All of this diverts his attention from what's really happening in his life.

I've read and enjoyed Lemaitre's Verhoeven Trilogy, but this story is very, very different. At times, I felt it was too far-fetched, but most of this drama is very credible, almost mundane - although many of the characters are anything but! I found the character of Alain to be extremely exasperating, but that only made him more human, even though he rapidly ditches any morals he might have had in pursuit of his "dream" job. This is an entertaining read by a writer whose talent extends well beyond your average crime thriller.

My thanks to Quercus Books and Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Alicia Romero · Rating 3 out of 5]

Si quieres matar a un hombre, empieza por darle lo que mas espera. En la mayoria de los casos, con eso basta.

El libro empieza un tanto lento, pero después de la mitad te mantiene en bastante suspenso.
Claro tengo una relación de amor odio con Alain, porque aunque en parte lo admiré, también lo odié mucho mucho!

[Mientras Leo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me ha gustado, aunque seq ueda floja, cosa que me suele pasar con los libros de este hombre. Me dejan sensaciones encontradas.
http://entremontonesdelibros.blogspot...

[Javier Casado · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un libro curioso. Lo empecé buscando una lectura amena y ligera, y lo es, pero tiene bastante más chicha de la esperada, lo cual es muy bueno. Intriga con una gran carga de crítica social y empresarial.

El libro se lee de un tirón, es de esos que te atrapan y no te sueltan. Lo raro es que un libro así no se limite a ser un "libro clínex", de usar y tirar, sino que además tenga cierta calidad. Me ha gustado.

En realidad, no deja de ser un thriller trepidante con un argumento bien hilado, pero las continuas críticas a nuestra sociedad y, sobre todo, al mundo empresarial, le dan un importante valor añadido. Además, no resulta tan simplón o increíble como la gran mayoría de este tipo de novelillas (o películas) de intriga o acción; tiene algún elemento algo menos creíble, y sobre todo la resolución final resulta bastante “cogida por los pelos”, por decir algo, pero en general no es un texto que ofenda a nuestras neuronas, en absoluto. Al contrario, es de esos raros argumentos de intriga (raros por lo infrecuentes) que realmente te atrapan no sólo por los giros de guión y la acción, sino también por su inteligencia. Chapeau, Monsieur Lemaitre.

En resumen: un libro muy recomendable para “desengrasar”, para pasar unas horas pegado a unas páginas fáciles de leer pero no por eso vacías de contenido. Me ha gustado mucho.

P.D.: El texto está repleto de ácidas críticas de todo tipo al mundo empresarial, pero por poner un ejemplo sencillo, la siguiente cita, sobre los cursos de "management", de gestión de equipos, etc, es simplemente genial, resume perfectamente lo que pienso de dichos cursos tras haber asistido a varios:

Lo que se adquiere (o no) solo mediante la experiencia, el management se encarga de enseñártelo en dos o tres días gracias a unas tablas en las que la gente está clasificada en función de su carácter. (...) Al cabo de los años, las modas cambian y las tablas se suceden. Un año uno se examina para saber si es metódico, enérgico, cooperativo o resuelto. El año siguiente te proponen descubrir si eres trabajador, rebelde, emprendedor, perseverante, empático o soñador. Si cambias de coach, descubres que en realidad eres protector, director, ordenado, emotivo o reconfortante, y si asistes a un nuevo seminario te ayudan a comprobar si estás más bien orientado a la acción, al método, a las ideas o al proceso. Es un tipo de estafa que todo el mundo adora. Como los horóscopos, uno termina siempre por descubrir rasgos en los que se reconoce

[Miriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maravilloso Lemaitre. Calidad y entretenimiento asegurados.