Baudelaire's Revenge

by Bob Van Laerhoven

It is 1870, and Paris is in turmoil.

As the social and political turbulence of the Franco-Prussian War roils the city, workers starve to death while aristocrats seek refuge in orgies and seances. The Parisians are trapped like rats in their beautiful city but a series of gruesome murders captures their fascination and distracts them from the realities of war. The killer leaves lines from the recently deceased Charles Baudelaire's controversial anthology Les Fleurs du Mal on each corpse, written in the poet's exact handwriting. Commissioner Lefevre, a lover of poetry and a veteran of the Algerian war, is on the case, and his investigation is a thrilling, intoxicating journey into the sinister side of human nature, bringing to mind the brooding and tense atmosphere of Patrick Susskind's Perfume. Did Baudelaire rise from the grave? Did he truly die in the first place? The plot dramatically appears to extend as far as the court of the Emperor Napoleon III.

A vivid, intelligent, and intense historical crime novel that offers up some shocking revelations about sexual mores in 19th century France, this superb mystery illuminates the shadow life of one of the greatest names in poetry.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, France, Historical Mystery, Historical, Thriller

268 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2007

About the author

Van Laerhoven made his debut as a novelist in 1985 and quickly became known for his colorful, kaleidoscopic novels, in which the fate of the individual is closely linked to broader social transformations. International flair has become his trademark. His novels blend literature and suspense.
AVID TRAVELLER
Bob Van Laerhoven became a full-time author in 1991. As a freelance travel writer, he explored conflicts and trouble spots across the globe from the early 1990s to 2005. Echoes of his experiences on the road also permeate his novels. Somalia, Liberia, Sudan, Gaza, Iran, Iraq, Kosovo, Lebanon, Laos, Bosnia, Albania, Myanmar… to name but a few.
MULTIFACETED OEUVRE
All these experiences contribute to Bob Van Laerhoven’s rich and commendable oeuvre. He is a 20-time prize-winning author, translated into 12 languages: French, English, German, Spanish, Greek, Swedish, Slovenian, Italian, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese, and Amharic (Ethiopia)
AWARDS
AWARDS

Four-time finalist of the Belgian Hercule Poirot Prize for Best
Mystery Novel of the Year with the novels "Djinn," "The
Finger of God," "Return to Hiroshima," and "The Firehand
Files."

Winner of the Hercule Poirot Prize for "Baudelaire's
Revenge," which also won the USA Best Book Award 2014 in
the category "mystery/suspense."

The collection of short stories "Dangerous Obsessions" was
hailed as the "best short story collection of 2015" by the San Diego Book
Review.

"Heart Fever," the second collection of short stories, was a
Finalist in the Silver Falchion 2018 Award.

The quality UK book site Murder, Mayhem & More chose
"Return to Hiroshima" as one of the ten best international
crime books of 2018.

The novel "Alejandro's Lie" was the Best Thriller Book
Award winner in the category "Political Thriller 2021" on
BestThrillers.com.

The novel was a finalist in The American Writings
Awards 2023

The book won a silver medal in The Bookfest Awards 2023

"Alejandro's Lie" became the first runner-up in the "general fiction" Los Angeles Book Festival 2024 category.

"The Shadow Of The Mole" has become a finalist in the Best Thriller Awards 2022, Historical Fiction category, from Best‐Thrillers.com.

The Historical Fiction Company chose "The Shadow Of The Mole" as the winner in the "Historical Literary" category of the 2022 HFC Book Of The Year contest.

The book also won a silver medal in the Reader View "Reviewer's Choice Awards 2022-2023" competition in the
"Historical Fiction" category.


"The Shadow Of The Mole" is a finalist in the "Hemingway 20th-century wartime novels" competition of The Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBA).

"Scars Of The Heart" received a New York Book 2024 Festival Honorable Mention in the category Anthologies/Compilations.

"Scars Of The Heart" received a Gold Book Award 2024 from Literary Titan

"Scars Of The Heart" is the Literary Global Book Awards 2024 winner in the category "short story collections."

"Scars Of The Heart" is the winner in the San Francisco Book Festival Award Category "Compilations/Anthologies."

"Scars Of The Heart" is the winner in the 2025 International Impact Book Awards in the category "Short Story Collections."

“La Mentira de Alejandro, » the Spanish translation of “Alejandro’s Lie,” received an Honorable Mention (aka Bronze Award) from the International Paris Book Fest 2025

“The Long Farewell” is the winner of a Literary Titan Gold Book Award 2025
"The Long Farewell" is a Finalist in the 2025 American Writing Awards in the category "Historical Fiction."

Reviews

[Erin (Historical Fiction Reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Find this and other reviews at: http://flashlightcommentary.blogspot....

I didn't know what to expect from Bob Van Laerhoven's Baudelaire's Revenge, but I'm very pleased to have taken the chance and picked it up. The seediness of the narrative, cleverly constructed mystery, and convoluted character of the novel's protagonists held true appeal, pulling me out of my world and into the dark underbelly of nineteenth century Paris.

As if that weren't enough, Laerhoven gets major points for creating a mystery I didn't see coming. Smart and well-crafted, I was on edge of my seat from the first, as desperate to identify the killer as Lefevre and Bouveroux. It isn't often I'm caught unaware and the fact that Learhoven was able to do this only enhanced my appreciation for the piece.

A gritty and elaborate thriller, Baudelaire's Revenge represents a perfect blend of fact and fiction. Explicit, but engaging, I greatly enjoyed the time I spent with this piece.

[Lara Biyuts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have my fellow readers noticed that the most popular word in the new book titles is “blood”? Blood flows like water in the wrenched worlds of the books of fiction. Whether blood flows like water in the historical crime novel “Baudelaire’s Revenge” or not, everyone should judge by oneself. If you say that it is so indeed, then I shall say that those numerous spots of blood are placed over the whole fine texture of the novel so tastefully, like red flowers in a garden for dark-minded thinkers and aesthetes of our time.
Alongside with the traditionally increasing suspense (immense, here and there), the reader will be surprised by the unorthodox image of the serial killer. Along with the clear, terse, and vivid imagery, history-lovers will enjoy learning the dreadful truths about the time and the Franco-Prussian War woven in the time-varying vortex of events… The ending is wild, unique, and out of anything you have ever read. A reader, whose priority never was crime novels, I am about to rethink my priority.
Really, “Baudelaire’s Revenge” by Bob Van Laerhoven is a must-read.

[Amy Bruno]

Virtual tour upcoming with HF Virtual Book Tours!

[Evie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think I've ever read a Parisian crime novel, and if I did, well, clearly it wasn't very memorable. That being said, I do love a good murder mystery and even more so if it's set against a fascinating, rich historical background and spiced up with a healthy dose of intelligent, dark humor.

Baudelaire's Revenge makes for an exquisite and addictive read. The setting is fabulous, the lead character anything but dull and boring (he's a real firecracker despite his age!), and the brutality of Franco-Prussian War makes for an interesting backdrop to a blood chilling murder investigation involving a serial killer leaving lines from Charles Baudelaire's anthology Les Fleurs du Mal next to his victims' bodies. And in the recently deceased poet's own handwriting. Well, if this isn't an exciting and thrilling read then I don't know what is.

The man in charge of the investigation is commissioner Lafevre, a sharp and robust 53-year-old man, a lover of poetry with a strong "predilection for ladies of ill repute." When we first meet him, Lafevre is on his way to a brothel (to, um, "feed the reptile", you know), but when he arrives there, instead of a night filled with bodily pleasures, he discovers a a body - first in a series of bodies trailing a diabolical, seemingly unstoppable killer. And, in the words of commissioner Lefevre himself, "his plans for a night snuggled up against mystifying Claire de la Lune (go) up in smoke."

Baudelaire's Revenge explores some of the darkest corners of human soul and psyche, and it does it in an utmost flamboyant fashion. It is an astoundingly substantial and complex novel for its 256 pages, and it really shines a new light on certain (often shocking and yet mesmerizing) events and aspects of life in the 19th century France. Abundant in social metaphors and cleverly narrated, it's a novel fun to read but also one that leaves you craving more, wanting to learn more about the time period and the people. Especially Charles Baudelaire himself, whom I always thought to be completely fascinating.

The novel is a dark one, heavily influenced by Charles Bodelaire's controversial, brilliant persona. Van Laerhoven paints a vivid and disturbing picture of the society in 19th century France, with the enormous gap between the wealthy and the poor. Dangerous working conditions and starvation of the working class is contrasted with the decadent, perfumed and scandalous lives of the rich ones. The air is heavy with rot and despair, people are scared and desperate, and the threat of a vengeful murderer on the loose adds to the already intensely terrifying atmosphere of the time.

This is not a light and easy to read crime novel. It's heavy and suffocating, but it's also curious and illuminating. Thought provoking. I loved the period appropriate language, the gruesomely detailed descriptions and, most of all, the beautifully rendered world, bursting with flavor and intensity. I really hope there is more where this came from, I need this to be a series of books, I can't stand to part with this bold, deeply sensual, deliciously gothic world. I need more.

[Jaye Rothman · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s Paris in 1870.
The Prussians are nearly at the gates of the city, workers are starving, the rich party on, and civil unrest has started to occur.
To make matters worse a serial killer is leaving verses by the French poet Baudelaire on his victims, who are murdered in shocking and gruesome ways. So much so, that I had to abandon reading the book at night, as the descriptions of the victims death were realistic, vivid and graphic. Two detectives Lefevre and Bouveroux are assigned to the case. The protagonists are not exactly innocents, as they are ex-soldiers who served in a horrific war in Algeria, and Lefevre hooks up with a prostitute regularly. The trail leads them through a dark and morally corrupt Paris.
Van Laerhoven is a wonderful descriptive writer, so much so that I thought I was in Paris in 1870. He brought that period to life for me, with detailed observations of cobbled streets, the prefecture, houses and the weather. I especially loved this description.
“Summer had been a disappointment, rain, thunderstorms, a plague of mosquitoes, howling dogs and agitated cats.”
The novel is dark, intriguing and sexually graphic, and for me it combined all the elements of an unforgettable reading experience. I had to keep reading until the end. And what an ending!
This is a book for readers who love atmospherically charged history, crime, and murder mysteries. This was definitely a five star read for me. I loved it.

[Meg - A Bookish Affair · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Baudelaire's Revenge" is the kind of historical mystery that you read on a dark and stormy night where you're looking for something engrossing that might make you a little scared (it's good to get a little scared from our reading now and then, right?). At the center of this twisting tale is Commissioner Lefevre who is tasked with solving the mystery of a dangerous serial killer who leaves clippings of Baudelaire poems written in the poet's handwriting on his victims. This book would be perfect for those looking for a good dark mood read with a healthy dose of intrigue.

Commissioner Lefevre was really interesting to me and I loved reading about him throughout this book. He's a man of many sides. He is serious about his work but also seems to find himself having an awful lot of fun with prostitutes. He also has a great love of poetry, which is a big reason that he is so interested in the mysterious serial killer with a poetic calling card.

Historical mystery is not always an automatic choice for me but I was really intrigued by the thought of a literary serial killer. Van Laerhoven makes figuring out what actually happened with the case very interesting by only giving a little bit of detail at a time!

I loved the setting of the book. Paris always makes for a fantastic setting but van Laerhoven's almost gothic/ horror view of Paris makes for an especially exciting setting. In the 1870s, France is on the brink of war and the city is chaotic and alive with an electric beat that you can really feel through the author's writing. This is a very exciting tale!

[J.P. McLean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decadence and Depravity

Baudelaire’s Revenge was recommended by a friend who knew the subject matter wouldn’t scare me away. This historical crime thriller is set in Paris in 1870 under the pressure of the Franco-Prussian War. A series of brutally murdered victims are discovered, and with them, passages inscribed in a dead poet’s handwriting. In taking on the case, Commissioner Lefèvre wades through decadence and depravity in bitter detail.

I enjoyed Van Laerhoven’s writing, as translated from Dutch by Brian Doyle. It’s rich and meaty, filled with time period and place references, which is something I especially enjoy about Historical fiction. It took me a few concerted efforts to get into this book. I put it down often but always picked it up again, curious as to what would happen.

Baudelaire’s Revenge is not an easy read, and it contains some gruesome and troubling scenes, but it would appeal to those interested in the period, especially the darker side of Paris. The writing is superb.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a thrilling ride back in time!

I've been really getting into books set in France so when I saw this one on Goodreads one day I knew I had to read it, then I was lucky enough to get the tour invite for it not long after so I knew it was meant to be.

Bob van Learhoven brought 1870s Paris to life for me. In reading Baudelaire's Revenge I felt completely immersed in the history of that time and became really invested in the wonderfully written cast of characters that he obviously spent a good deal of time on getting to be just right.

Before reading this book, I'd had no clue who Baudelaire was but the novel, makes me want to learn more about him. What I loved most about the book is how the author used his poems to fit into this historical mystery. It was done so in such a way that it really made me think, which to me is something I love having. If I don't have to work my brain for a mystery, then it's not much of one in my opinion.

However, like I said this one hit all the marks for me. It had a rich historical setting that showed the underbelly of Parisian society while still giving glimmers of hope. I especially loved Commissioner LeFevre and his dedication to solve the murders as well as loving how his mind worked, I thought he was really fascinating as were the other characters. Each seemed to fit into a certain niche and played a part in the tale.

The plot was great, it was engrossing and definitely kept my attention the whole way through and didn't have any lulls or stale parts. The writing was detailed but not in a superfluous way where things were unneeded. Everything just seemed to play a part so nothing was left out in my opinion and nothing was added in that wasn't essential. I liked see how Lefevre go about solving the crimes and while I thought I knew who the killer was in the end I was completely wrong, and I LOVED that. It came as a complete surprise for me and really made me love this novel even more.

Overall, there wasn't a single thing I didn't enjoy about this novel. At 288 pages Bob van Laerhoven was able to squeeze in a thrilling story that felt much longer (in a good way) because of how well written it was. I will definitely read more by him and I can honestly say that this is one I will be re-reading again. I would recommend this to everyone but I can really see historical fiction and historical mystery fans loving this one.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

[Tracey Allen at Carpe Librum · Rating 2 out of 5]

Here's a fact I didn't know, Charles Baudelaire was a French poet and lived from 1821 to 1867. Baudelaire's Revenge by Bob Van Laerhoven is essentially a historical fiction crime novel, featuring Commissioner Lefevre and his 'wingman' Bouveroux investigating a spate of murders; the killer leaving snippets of Baudelaire's poetry on the body three years after the poet's death.

Despite the exciting and promising premise, unfortunately Baudelaire's Revenge never really took off for me. My first problem was that there was simply too much character background and research inserted into the novel for little reward or purpose.

Here's an example:
"Her collarbone reminded the commissioner of the willowy skeletons of tiny mammals on exhibit at the city's natural history museum." Page 56

Another reason I didn't enjoy the novel were the frequent and unnecessary references to modern times. The writer goes out of his way to make sure the reader knows that although we're reading a novel set more than 140 years ago, it is an era of new technology and change for the characters.

Here's an example from Page 99:
"The owner of the house had followed the modern trend and built a toilet detached from the rest of the house."

Any lover of historical fiction will know that the characters are at the cutting edge of change and modernity without being reminded, however Van Laerhoven uses the term 'modern' at least 19 times in 268 pages which slowly began to grate on my nerves.

The last sticking point I had was with some of the descriptions, check out this one from page 56:
"...cushions under her belly so that his penis, its head the size of a plump radish, could penetrate..."

Just ridiculous. However in order to balance the criticism, I'd like to share my favourite quote from the novel, which appeared on Page 147:
"I remember its corridors better than the faces of those who walked them."

Lines like this were a blessing, but what really kept me reading was the character born with a tail. Abandoned at a convent, she was the most exciting character of the novel, and when I began to read the story from her perspective I was thoroughly entertained. If I had my way, I'd lose Lefevre and Bouveroux completely and read the entire life story of this character (name withheld to avoid spoilers).

Baudelaire's Revenge didn't conclude satisfactorily and ultimately was a disappointing read for me. Such a shame.

[Chrisje Stultiens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Als ik op Facebook een bericht zie van Bob Van Laerhoven 'dat zijn Engelse verhalenbundel 'Dangerous Obsessions' in het Spaans, Portugees, Italiaans en Zweeds wordt uitgegeven en niet in het Vlaams verkrijgbaar is', intrigeert mij dat enorm. Ja, waarom heb ik nog niks van hem gelezen? Ik start met 'De wraak van Baudelaire'. Niet voor watjes! 

Katapult naar Rimbaud
Voordat ik aan het boek start, katapulteer ik mezelf terug naar het Atheneum in Turnhout. Onze leraar Frans gaf ons huiswerk: declameer het gedicht van Rimbaud (tijdsgenoot van Baudelaire)  'Le Bateau Ivre' van buiten. Merci Monsieur Fonteyn!

Bob Van Laerhoven
Deze bescheiden kempenzoon, geboren in het authentieke Arendonk, heeft meer dan 30 boeken op zijn palmares en kent vooral in het buitenland succes. Hij reisde naar conflict- en oorlogsgebieden om getuigenissen van slachtoffers de wereld in te sturen. Bob Van Laerhoven schrijft romans, kinderverhalen, theaterwerken en non-fictie. Wat! Een duizendpoot... neen, een duizendhand.

Plot 'De wraak van Baudelaire'
Commissaris Lefèbre en assistent Bouveroux krijgen te maken met een makabere seriemoordenaar. Op de verminkte lijken vinden ze elke keer weer een gedicht van de overleden Baudelaire in zijn eigenste handschrift. Bizar! Maar Parijs hecht niet zoveel belang aan deze moorden, wegens de turbulente tijd waarin het radeloze gepeupel in opstand komt tegen de decadente bourgeoisie.

De Pruisen rukken op en zetten Parijs als ratten in de val. De adel houdt orgieën en absurde feesten. De lichtzinnige Napoleon III baseert zijn strategie op toekomstvoorspellingen van magiërs. Het arme volk voedt zich met zijn doden.

De moorden intrigeren toch Lefèbre, waarbij het familiedrama en zijn verleden telkens opspelen. Het wordt persoonlijk.

Een ware teletijdmachine!
Vaak heb ik bijna mezelf overtuigd om het boek weg te leggen. Ik bevond me écht in vreselijke, donkere en ongure Parijs. Van Laerhoven kan je geestelijk het decor insleuren. Hij gebruikt rijkelijk overladen zinnen doorspekt met Franse en Algerijnse begrippen, wat het verhaal nog meer élan geeft. De historische feiten en personen, die door het verhaal lopen, maken het boek waardevol voor me.

De flashbacks van commissaris Lefèbre naar zijn 'fantastische' soldatentijd in Algiers waan ik té 'James Bond'. De beschrijvingen van de hoererij en perversiteit waren misselijkmakend. Toch bleef ik gulzig verder lezen benieuwd naar de ontknoping. Mijn gedacht: niet voor watjes!

[Hugh M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me first warn you - if you’re looking for a light distraction, this is not a novel for you. But if you search for a novel that will make you reflect on life and death, at the same time transporting you into the seething underbelly and the frivolous nobility of Paris in 1870 - besieged by the Prussian army - then this book will undoubtedly thrill you. “Baudelaire’s Revenge” provokes powerful emotions, just as the poet Charles Baudelaire - now world-famous with his collection of poems “The Flowers of Evil” but during his life disregarded - did in 19th-century France. Baudelaire led a tormented, extreme and dramatic life, which is clearly mirrored in this feisty and dark tale, where an act of incest – without father and daughter knowing of their blood tie - is symbolic for the despair, the loss of identity, and the debauchery of that time. Baudelaire adhered to the “Modernists”, a group of artists that wanted to explore – and overstep – every border of bourgeois society. Subtly, but meaningful, the novel also points toward Baudelaire’s syphilis which greatly influenced the poet’s mind during his later years. No wonder that the end of the novel is mind-blowing - the last stage of syphilis produces vivid hallucinations and Van Laerhoven renders them with disturbing intensity. “Baudelaire’s Revenge” can in many ways be seen as a “modern” novel. The manner in which Van Laerhoven describes the ever widening gap between have and have-nots in 19th-century society points to modern times. Commissioner Lefèvre and his assistant Bouveroux still suffer, more than 20 years after the Algerian war in which they were soldiers, from what we nowadays call PTSD (Posttraumatic stress disorder). Although very different in character, their war experiences are the reason why they’re both hooked on death. Isn’t that currently the case for many people in countries where civil war every time seems to regenerate itself? “Baudelaire’s Revenge” is somber but enthralling, vicious but with an undertone of compassion, stylish yet shocking. Reading the novel is a confrontation, but isn’t that what literature should do? Try to give us more insight in the deep and dark recesses of our minds?

[The Lit Bitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

This novel took me by complete surprise. When asked to review it, it was one of the few that I didn’t go online and research other reviewers thoughts before agreeing to read it.

I went in essentially blind. This book was completely different than what I expected. I don’t want to go into too much detail about the story/summary itself, because it’s really complex which drives the novel so I don’t want to ruin it for anyone!

When I picked it up, I was expecting more of a light hearted detective novel. Think something along the lines of the Charles Lenox mysteries but set in France.

What I actually read was a cross between dark mystery, an intense thinker novel, and a thriller. This isn’t a novel that you can leisurely read though and take a ‘mental break’ with. It has a complex story line that if you aren’t paying attention you might get lost in.

It actually took me a while to read it though it was short….I needed time to digest what I had just read. So in short, it took me some time to read it but more because I wan’t to savor the setting and dark feel of the novel. I am a huge Poe fan so this novel embodied a lot of those same themes so naturally I read it with more intent rather than rushing through to finish.

The ending is the Crème de la Crème to be sure! It kept me guessing and was shocking but yet perfectly fitting for the novel as a whole! I can see why this novel won the Hercule Poirot Prize for Best Crime Novel, it definitely deserved it!

See my full review here

[MaureenMcBooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wrote this review for the newspaper:
The Prussians are bombing Paris and people are eating rats, but Police Commissioner Lefèvre has bigger concerns.
Someone is bumping men off in grisly ways and leaving behind verses from the recently deceased poet Charles Baudelaire — in his handwriting. Police discover links between the self-destructive critic of 19th century “modernity” and the victims: a writer who rejected Baudelaire’s ideas about art, a rival poet, a magistrate who fined him for offending public morals with his collection “The Flowers of Evil.”
The investigation leads Lefèvre into the dark Parisian underworld where charlatans sell phony spiritualism and “cocottes” provide relief in shadowy brothels. As the story unfolds, Lefèvre reveals his own dark past. The twists and turns lead readers into some truly twisted tales of sex and violence, evocative of Baudelaire’s own writings and the real tensions of the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-71.
The book was awarded the Hercule Poirot Prize for Best Crime Novel of the Year in van Laerhoven’s native Belgium.
Its examination of evil reminds me of the “Shadow of the Wind” gothic novel series, while the short chapters recall “The DaVinci Code.” “Baudelaire’s Revenge” is a more disturbing duel with the devil than either of those, with a cast of flawed, tormented characters who would have felt welcome in the company of Baudelaire himself.

[Caroline Brack · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Baudelaire's Revenge" is in my eyes a true "cross-over" between literature and the mystery novel, mixing thrilling elements and literary history. The narrative, set in besieged Paris during the Franco-Prussian war in 1870, is in some places shocking, yet overall subtle, gruesome, yet stylish. There is a social connotation to modern times in the way the author describes the ever-widening gap between the working class, the "nouveau riches" and the aristocracy who indulge in debaucheries while the workers starve. As a whole, the novel is submerged in the "decadent" atmosphere of "Les Fleurs du Mal", the now world-famous collection of poems from Charles Baudelaire, who, although dead for three years when the action starts, plays an important role in this engrossing story. The fin-de-siècle spirit, with its fascination for esotericism, exotic countries, sex and death, is omnipresent in the rich and detailed tale, presenting a convoluted plot that keeps you on the tip of your toes. Different from your "average" mystery, sure, and definitely not a "swimming-pool" novel for it's a story that demands your undiluted attention, but also an outright fascinating read and a tribute to great classical authors,like Poe, Flaubert and Baudelaire, for the thinking reader.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book that I struggled at the beginning to get into. It wasn't one that grabbed me right from the beginning like others have, but it really didn't take long till I was hooked right in. It's dark and rather creepy, perfect for this time of time (IMHO).

Paris 1870 is a time period I am not familiar with, nor did the name Baudelaire mean anything to me. So again I was educated and entertained at the same time.

A demented serial killer is leaving snippets of Baudelaire's poems on this victims, but the hand writing is the poet's himself, strange thing is, he died 3 years previous. This isn't your standard run of the mill murder mysteries. Like I stated already it is dark, complex and through only 268 pages long it isn't a quick read. I had to pay close attention to what was going on, but was definitely worth it. It had an ending I didn't see coming and I was hooked right till the very end. There is no doubt why this book was awarded won the 2007 Hercule Poirot Prize for Best Crime Novel.

The cover definitely fits this book perfectly, I love it.

[Denise Liebig · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Baudelaire’s Revenge” is a masterfully written mystery that digs into the dark underbelly of French society during the Franco-Prussian War. The story was well-researched and made me feel as if Mr. Van Laerhoven had actually lived during or somehow experienced life first-hand in 1870s Paris. Along with being a murder-mystery, the tale also reflects the disparity between social classes, and the difficult and often cruel existence non-wealthy Parisians endured. The twisted love aspect, as well as the deep sense of loss and regret throughout the book helped to build the mystery and keep me engaged. Likewise, the novel’s apt title was intriguing and fueled the mystery to the very end. Darkly disturbing yet filled with beautifully written prose, “Baudelaire’s Revenge” reads like classic literature at its finest. I highly recommend it!

[Henri Paratte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un roman qui commence tambour battant - dans Paris assiégé par l'armée prussienne, un inspecteur et son collègue le commissaire font face à quelques meurtres étranges ou l'assassin semble vouloir impliquer le poète Bandelaire, fraîchement décédé, en laissant des traces poétiques liées aux meurtres. Bien qu'une longue digression ait lieu chez une "cocotte" appelée Claire de Lune, les 50 premières pages sont alléchantes. Même lorsqu'on s'étend peut-être un peu trop sur les mystères "orientaux" découverts par les deux pandores lorsqu'ils étaient en Algérie (sous Charles X, on suppose). Même les citations de Baudelaire collent parfaitement aux modes des meurtres. On se lèche les babines.

Et là, tout commence à déraper. Pas besoin d'être grand clerc pour deviner que quelque part dans les pages à venir on va nous expliciter l'histoire d'une "jumelle méchante" de Baudelaire élevée par des nonnes et qui a fini par se tirer du pensionnat, non sans avoir dûment enculé "Soeur Loup" avec ce qui est décrit comme une "monstrueuse anatomie", à savoir un clitoris hypertrophié, ou alors un pénis en excès. Que le commissaire va dûment vérifier vers la fin du bouquin (malgré l'odeur fétide des fonds de culotte de la "monstrueuse" créature qui est entretemps devenue, on se sait trop pourquoi, pourvoyeuse d'armes démodées pour les Communards) . Rassurons-nous, sur 280 pages les Communards n'ont droit qu'à 2 pages qui semblent être adaptées de Wikipédia, et encore. Le "zizi" de Napoléon III a droit à plus. L'auteur n'est sans doute pas marxiste, plutôt le genre Gala. "Sedan: malgré la défaite, l'empereur déchu nous montre son zizi". "Baudelaire, sa soeur, sa fille: pire que Jacques Anquetil!" ou "Les bombardements ne nous dérangent pas trop".

L'histoire essaie désespérément de relier les arts occultes, le satanismes, les mystères africains, Baudelaire, des voyants, des putes de luxe, un richissime bonhomme qui se déguise en indigène du Pacifique, un mec appelé astucieusement "Le Maçon" et qui enferme l'un des flics pour l'éternité derrière un mur de briques (mais en réalité ce flic est diablement content de mourir comme ça, apparemment, dans un des deux remakes dans le roman de "Je suis enterré vivant et je n'y peux rien") et bien sûr la peut-être soeur jumelle diabolique du syphilitique poète qui traîne son mal de vivre au fond des bouges. On a même droit à une création littéraire de la soeurette maléfique sous le pseudonyme stupéfiant de subtilité de Simone Bourbier. On ne nous épargne rien: non seulement on en a des pages et des pages, mais on en découvre encore un supplément. Heureusement, on a évité les annexes. Il devrait y avoir un prix Darwin pour les auteurs qui trouvent des noms aussi débiles et qui ne savent plus comment se démerder d'une bonne intrigue en nous racontant par le menu tout ce qu'on a déjà deviné et qui est, finalement, sans aucun intérêt.

En plus, on a un mal de chien (à l'époque, c'est risqué) à suivre question dates. L'empereur a été battu le 4 septembre mais tout le monde continue à parler de lui comme si l'empire n'était pas terminé, les gens mangent du chien et même de l'humain un peu partout (la viande de chien est, selon le commissaire, un peu sèche même s'il s'agit d'un chien de race) mais les bordels sont en plein essor et l'empereur (toujours lui) a filé une masse de fric à un voyant qui lui prédisait la victoire et à la maquerelle (la soeur maléfique) avec laquelle il travaillait. Sauf que l'or - mais juste avant Sedan - a été ramassé par la fille de Baudelaire, dont il ne faudrait pas imaginer que, dans la veine du film "La Petite" version 1870, sa virginité n'ait pas été sacrifiée à papa dans le boxon à maman. A la Claire de Lune...on a même ce qui ressemble à une version gore du petit Grégory, au croisement de la Veloze et de la Meurthe, à savoir le viol d'une soeur (celle du futur commissaire, cette fois, qui était déjà un vrai manche comme gamin) par un oncle débile qui parachève l'affaire en coupant quelques bras et quelques jambes.

Curieusement, ce sont les quelques pages qui parlent de souvenirs de Lorraine qui sont encore les plus "vibrantes" du roman, même si l'auteur semble ignorer que de Lunéville à Nancy on ne traverse pas que des forêts primitives, Lunéville qui va en fait devenir en 1870 la frontière franco-allemande.

On pourrait à la rigueur se dire que l'auteur a voulu faire du mauvais Chéri-Bibi (avec les déguisements, etc...) tout en situant historiquement et littérairement son intrigue. Le problème est qu'au tiers du bouquin l'intrigue cesse. On a droit à d'interminables tirades dont l'ennui le dispute à l'inutilité crasse. Tout y passe, mais on finit par passer parce qu'on a bien compris les histoires biscornues sans avoir besoin d'interminables leçons de morale gélatineuse et de découpage narratif (nous expliquant ce que l'intrigue raconte, alors qu'elle est tombée en panne) pendant 150 pages.

On a aussi compris, par exemple, que l'auteur a voulu parachever la possibilité de se faire devin par rétrovision en nous annonçant l'avenir. On découvre donc le cinéma quarante ans trop tôt, et on nous annonce joyeusement qu'après cette guerre qu'on nous a en fait peu décrite (à part le prix de la viande de rat et les quelques bombes) il y en aura une pire. Impressionnant.

Le début et l'idée, ainsi que le fait de lire un auteur flamand, m'avaient rempli d'enthousiasme. Le problème semble être que Bob, malgré un nombre important de romans, a produit quelque chose de somme toute raté. J'ai beaucoup de difficulté à comprendre que ce roman ait pu enlever un prix. Sauf si les fantasmes érotiques ont touché au niveau de la queue les membres du jury. En traduction, d'ailleurs, "queue" et "tail" entretiennent une certaine ambiguité "diabolique"...je me demande ce que c'est en néerlandais.

[A. H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Baudelaire's Revenge" is dark, rich, profound and brilliantly constructed. The deep research that informs its colorful and vivid portrayal of Baudelaire's times is astonishing. It is not a book for the timid or the indifferent reader, but it is a powerful literary work that portrays the depths of the human condition at its most brilliant and its most twisted. Highly recommended to intelligent readers everywhere.

[Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meesterlijk! Hier kan Jef Geeraerts een puntje aan zuigen

[Erin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like it, I tried to like it but...I found myself so bored that I would rather be doing anything else then reading it!

[Olga Miret · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dark, haunted and beautiful book I was given a paperback copy of this book as a gift and I voluntarily chose to review it.
I’ve always admired the skill of writers who compose historical fiction, as together with the difficulty of creating a sound story that engages readers, they also have to accomplish the task of ensuring the setting is accurately rendered, the characters actions, dress, vocabulary and manners fit in the era chosen, without producing a dry work of scholarship marred by endless descriptions and explanations as to historical background.
I read plenty of thrillers and mystery novels (perhaps the genre fiction I read the most), but not so many within the historical fiction subgenre. This novel intrigued me for several reasons: the murders had a literary component (there were fragments of poems by Baudelaire left at the scene of the crimes, and there was a suggestion that the people murdered might have been Baudelaire’s enemies), they were set in the Paris of the 1870s, at a time of social and historical turmoil (with the Prussian invasion at its doors), and the protagonists sounded interesting in their own right. Both, Commissioner Lefévre and Inspector Bouveroux are men haunted by their pasts and by their losses.
The author manages to create an oppressive and gothic atmosphere that reeks of lust, drugs, poverty, decadence, corruption, misery and illness. The wealthy and the aristocrats of the time stop at nothing to obtain pleasure, although some eventually come to pay the price for it, and there’s no safe refuge for virtue or right. There are no heroes coming to the rescue and even the characters we feel we should root for are deeply flawed. On the other hand, despite the subject matter that reflects Baudelaire’s choice of themes for his poems, and as happens with the poet’s own writings, the language is lyrical and beautiful in the extreme, and not only in the fragments of poems shared. I haven’t read the original novel in Dutch, but the translation by Brian Doyle is wonderfully written.
The story is told, for the most part, in the third person, alternating the points of view of the two main characters, Lefèvre and Bouveroux. Lefèvre is the more passionate of the two, a man tortured not only by the war in the North of Africa, that they both experienced together and has marked them but also by the loss of his sister, that we only get to fully understand very late in the story. Bouveroux is the rational one, a widower who still mourns his wife, but for whom books and research are a haven and, perhaps, the only way forward. He understands his superior better than others might and tries and cover up for him. Unfortunately, he´s not always a party to all of his adventures. He’s more of John Watson to Lefèvre´s Sherlock Holmes; his morals are less dubious and he appears to be less complex. Apart from those two characters’ points of view, there are also parts written in italics, in the first person, that seem to belong to the diary of a rather strange character who was brought up under difficult circumstances. I must confess to changing my mind about this character (and I’m trying to avoid spoilers) quite a few times throughout the novel, although, at least for me, that was one of the beauties of the book. And, being a psychiatrist and enjoying complex characters, this particular individual is one of the most disturbing and disturbed fictional creations I’ve read about.
I´ve seen comments that mention Poe’s writing, and there is a similar sense of oppression, atmosphere and claustrophobia, with the gothic setting of the background, although here Eros and Thanatos have a pretty similar weight in driving the narrative, perhaps more evidently so that in Poe’s stories.
Despite the beauty of the writing, the bizarre and atmospheric mystery, and the literary background, this is not a book for everybody. There is much that could offend sensibilities (child abuse, incest, prostitution, sexually transmitted diseases, drug abuse, exploitation, violence…) and there is a grey area when it comes to who the good and the bad characters are (nothing is black or white and it’s more a matter of degree than of deeply held moral beliefs). Despite how well it captures the historical era, it is neither a biography of Baudelaire nor a treatise on the socio-political situation in France at the time, and some of the historical characters might be used as inspiration rather than accurately portrayed. The story is also demanding and challenging with regards to plot, so it’s not recommended for someone looking for a light and fun read. This is definitely not a cosy mystery. But if you’re looking for a complex and challenging historical novel and don´t shrink from dark subjects, this is a pretty unique book.

[Jacques Carrié · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very ambitious, extremely dark and disturbing novel that takes you (if you dare to go, as I did) into the deepest and most horrifying labyrinths of the human psyche—exactly the place where 19th-century France’s most talented, deranged, feisty, and controversial poet, Charles Baudelaire, used to function in his tormented ways, beaten by stress, alcohol, and powerful opium…during the progress and final stages of syphilis, a mind-wrecking venereal disease he contracted from Jeanne Duval or other “cocottes” of the seeding underbelly of "La Ville-Lumière," leading to a fatal stroke. Jeanne, despised by Baudelaire’s mother Caroline (who described her as “the black witch with the red Creole eyes” and nearly caused her son’s suicide for not liking her), was truly the inspiration of many of Baudelaire’s poems.

Baudelaire’s first volume of poems, Les Fleurs du mal (The Flowers of Evil) appeared in 1857 to a mixed bag of literary critics, mostly enraged conservative folks who had no appetite for such type of writing. They succeeded in having the courts punish him with severe warnings and fines, and suppress six of the book’s poems completely from existence during his lifetime, poems that adhered to the Modernist and Symbolist literary movements he proudly elucidated, never imagining these traditional purists such poems would decades later influence whole generations of new writers worldwide.

Constantly harassed for offending public morality with his highly original and bold poetry, rich with themes of sex, death, sacred love, profane love, lesbianism, lost innocence, the black arts, urban sensibility, city corruption, and sensorial imagery involving smell and fragrances—all considered scandalous at the time—Baudelaire, nevertheless, gained a large following of admirers, giants of letters such as Victor Hugo, Gustave Flaubert, Honoré de Balzac, and genius opera composer Richard Wagner, among them, who offered immediate support.

Three years after Baudelaire’s death, Commissioner Lefèvre and his assistant Inspector Bouveroux, the main characters in Bob Van Laerhoven’s magnificent crossover novel, Baudelaire’s Revenge, face the haunting task to solve a series of beastly murders by a demented person who seems to take revenge on the maligned reputation of Baudelaire’s poetry. Each disfigured or mutilated body carries lines from the likewise dismembered “Flowers of Evil” book of poetry Baudelaire once wrote. The lines seem to be written in Baudelaire's own handwriting.

From early chapters, my feelings were hanging on this question: Is Baudelaire’s ghost madly hovering around the City of Lights…like a Jack the Ripper type of criminal…or is there something frighteningly more sinister and revolting for these two crime investigators to unravel? I had to continue reading Laerhoven’s gripping novel slowly and cautiously, while enjoying his eloquent and lively prose, to the end to find out.

With precise sentences, clever imagery, and clinical details (from current events and socio-political analysis to French literature of this period to mental hallucinations and kinky sex), Laerhoven creates a story of such scope, texture, and depth one feels suddenly thrown forever into the underground hellish world Baudelaire once inhabited. Worse, one also gets to live and feel the appalling reality of Prussian troops entering a very chaotic and demoralized 1870 Paris, its ruler, Emperor Bonaparte III, disorganized and useless to defend the city, its citizens downright perplexed and disheartened, mostly turning to dangerous public acts of violence, robbery, and rape to secure money, food, and pleasure, if not just to survive.

Laerhoven describes with style and clarity yet another layer of storytelling: the “unstoppable decadent atmosphere” of Paris…so perversely reflected, one might say, in Baudelaire’s ingenious poetry found in The Flowers of Evil, where, among other things, the ever-widening gap between the poor working class and the wealthy aristocracy (the former starving to death, the latter indulging in debaucheries) is exposed.

Another fascinating layer in this literary historical dark mystery falls in the characterizations of Commissioner Lefèvre and his assistant Inspector Bouveroux. These two flawed fellows carry the story with incredible intimacy, mystery, and suspense. Both are veterans of the Algerian war, where they fought in the French Army, getting physically and mentally wounded, unable to rid themselves of the curse of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) thirty years or so later, precisely now when the stress and intoxication of the serial crimes they investigate overwhelm everything. Flashbacks took me vividly to those adventurous but dreadful years, mixing brave moments during battles with exotic women during breaks, which forever contaminated their personalities.

Lefèvre, the most affected, often founds himself wondering on the wicked cobbled streets of nocturnal Paris, mostly in search of Claire de la Lune or other exotic prostitute, a few times facing life-threatening situations. His love of poetry, however, keeps him firmly addicted to the “poetry murders” investigation. Bouveroux, on the other hand, is the perfect assistant investigator, unconcerned with women of the night. When he comments to his boss one morning, “Artists are only interested in two things—cash and cunt,” showing his contrasting personality and views on society, Lefèvre responds, “Baudelaire told me he was only interested in death.” He was referring to the day he had visited the living infamous poet in jail during his fined and punished days ordered by the court of Napoleon III. Bouveroux’s own personal concerns (many for sure) evidently lay elsewhere.

Laerhoven weaves more layers of narrative mystery. With sensitive delicacy, he allows some characters from Baudelaire’s family to come out of their shells with poignant dialogues and monologues, often excruciatingly so. Everything gets very tense at times, with his mother Caroline and stepfather General Aupik blasting each other through heated exchange of letters focused on their terribly misbehaving Baudelaire. One can never have enough of this complex but thrilling masterpiece. Highly recommend.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[B.J. Tiernan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gather my tools - my reading glasses to soothe my computer-weary eyes, my cup of coffee that has cooled too much because I couldn't find my reading glasses, and my copy of Baudelaire's Revenge and head out to my secret reading place under the trees in my back yard, close to nature. I collapse into my chaise lounge and open this book. Like a wonderful meal set before me, I devour each word, each line, then each paragraph, and I am instantly transported to the cobblestone streets, dark alleys, and gutters of Paris during a time far away. So beautifully written, at times, my heart aches, longs, and feels things stir, as I read on and allow myself to be drawn in by such profound lines such as "Death after all was the highest form of existence"; "Her smell, a potpourri of oriental memories, her husky laugh, the look in her eyes of a startled mare, the danger that appeared to lurk beneath her quivering limbs were more tangible now than when he was with her"; and "Her son had spent his entire life in a state of anger at being born." So profound is the wisdom, it boggles the mind and wrenches the spirit. A beautifully woven tapestry of history, poetry, philosophy and intrigue. This is what real literature is all about. I highly recommend it.

[Katrien En Mollie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parijs, 1870. Het Pruisische leger nadert de stad. Er worden een aantal moorden gepleegd en de moordenaar laat bij de lijken gedichten van Baudelaire achter.

Dit was een vondst uit een boekenruilkastje. Sinds ik regelmatig naar ruilkastjes ga, heb ik al een aantal boeken geprobeerd die ik anders nooit zou kopen. Dit boek is er ook zo eentje, en ik ben blij dat ik het gelezen heb. Normaal ben ik niet zo gek van gruwelijke details, maar dit boek kon ik wel lezen.
Ik vond het verhaal intrigerend, donker, gothic, rauw, onheilspellend. Het ging voor mij over de donkere kanten van de menselijke geest, over decadentie, over sex en fetishes, over angst voor de dood, over PTSD, over oorlog en menselijke wreedheid.
Het verhaal was spannend en de ontknoping verrassend, maar tegelijk krijg je veel achtergrond over de personages zodat ze 'echte' personen worden. Die achtergrondinfo vertraagt het verhaal over het onderzoek naar de moorden, maar dat vind ik helemaal niet erg. Ik hou wel van die uitwerking en van boeken die je doen nadenken over dingen (thought-provoking).

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought I was going to read a really good mystery. What I ended up paging though was a guide to sexual perversion ranging from child sexual abuse in a nunnery to rape to incest. I really found these scenes offensive. I have to admit that I guessed right away what was going on and who the murderer was. Maybe because I skipped over the various sex and torture scenes. If you are looking for a decent mystery without a lot of sex this is not the book for you. I am very surprised it won the Agatha Christie Award. She must be rolling in her grave at the thought someone is using her name to publicize this bag of filth. This gets shelved under 'books to burn' in my library.

[Erin Al-Mehairi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Baudelaire's Revenge is a book that was written in 2007 by Bob Van Laerhoven, yet it was published in Dutch. Now translated by Brian Doyle (who did an amazing job), this winner of the Hercule Poirot Prize for Best Crime Novel is available in English!

I was thrilled to read it as I have a penchant for foreign writing, especially for books written from the Nordic countries, Belgium, or the Netherlands. These writers have a literary knack for descriptive and raw imagery, content, and structure that I embrace with a passion, so I knew that reading Bob's novel would be exciting for me, especially since I have a love of studying literature and poetry.

Bob has been an intense writer for many years, a traveling writer and journalist, and has seen social harm in places and countries you wouldn't believe until you read about them. Though I hope some of his novels (that I hear rain with his experiences and with social injustice warnings and content) will also be available in English soon, I enjoy a good historical mystery, this one taking place in 1870s Paris, during the time of the Franco-Prussian War and the Seige of Paris, when it was captured by the Prussians.

During this time of instability, when France was a hub for refugees from many surrounding Eastern European countries as well as Spain and Sephardic Jews, obviously there were many various infused cultures. Also due to the unrest, workers had a difficult time, people were hungry, and political unrest was everywhere. Many tried to alleviate their stress with absinthe and prostitutes and feed themselves by stealing and murdering.

Even the detective star of the book, Commissioner Lefevre, loved prostitutes as much as he loved his poetry. The French have a long-standing legacy of supreme writing, poetry, and the arts of course, and Lefevre admired poets, such as Charles Baudelaire (who was very controversial at the time, but happened to later inspire various modern literature). So when a mystery evolves surrounding a poem written by the late Baudelaire that was left on a victim, Lefevre sets his eye on an investigation.

Bob's sentences were so eloquent, each sentence full of life, dripping in details, succulent word choices, and amazing imagery. His writing flows so naturally, but his sentences are not ones that you can read as one whole sentence in one look. It is like you almost must savor each word in his sentences as none are filler, all are precisely planted. The characters were flawless in design, such as Lefevre, who in his imperfect life became the perfect detective, one of whom looks at every minute detail in slow motion, much like Agatha Christie's Poirot. All good mysteries, the old-fashioned type, need a detective with an attributing personality. Bob's characterization didn't disappoint. Riddled with anxiety from trauma (much like PTSD today) during war, death and thoughts of death surrounded Lefevre. It seemed to propel him and I could feel his anguish as much as the down-trodden aura of the vice filled streets of France. I felt myself trying to solve the puzzle along with him as well as seething at the social climate and culture during this era of France!

You must know as a reader that there is explicit content in this book, in a strange cobblestone and street lamp sort of way. Imagine modern hardcore sex but in an experimental and crude society. The book also dealt with much of the problem of STDs that were stealing so many bodies and especially minds during that period. It worked with the book especially given Baudelaire's own writing content, as his writings controversially surrounded sex, death, fear of Satanism, and unmoral character. It didn't bother me to read (it bothered me it happened for real though). It read like a foreign film, which generally are more uncensored.

The 19th Century of France was wrought with prostitution and Bob doesn't leave anything for the mind to wander about, but offers phrasing and technique that about leaves you breathless. He treats the social norm of prostitution as they might have, showing how they rendered it as an art or science. Yet he also shows us the plight of human nature when miserable and looking for satisfaction that is hard to find during intense depressive times. Behind the mask of passion, sometimes evil lies. In human nature, abhorrent actions occur that reap multitudes of deception.

Historically very well-researched, Bob really captures the climate and culture of Paris with fervent abandon and authenticity as well as he accurately portrays the political scene. With as much care, he also brought Baudelaire to life, showing how such talented people, yet reaped in poverty during their lifetimes, were wrought with turmoil.

This book is NOT for the light reader of romance or mysteries. It's for a readers that like to savor a book of high intellect and intent, as well as enjoy intense reading. It's not a book you'll flip fast through because it is an event, not just entertainment for an evening. Bob's book deals with common issues through the ages of human nature and interaction, poor vs. rich, political and societal issues, death and dying, and controversial and mad creative people. On top of all those layers, there is a very sophisticated detective story, with a superb plot and an ending I didn't see coming but completely enjoyed. I appreciate Bob's ability with his writing to tear off the shell of morality and show the dynamics that lay beneath.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Set in Paris in 1870, the Prussians are advancing on the city, but the Parisians seem to have other concerns. A series of murders seem to target opponents of Baudelaire, recently dead of syphilis or opium addiction. Police commissioner Paul Lefèvre investigates when he is not distracted by his latest cocotte. Excessively violent and pointless.

[Trevor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nineteenth century crime novel in France for a change, sounds good! With just the right amount of French prostitutes and murder it was a little less crime solving than I would have liked but we'll written nonetheless.

3 1/2

[Patrice Fischer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this is a page-turner, and you do want to know what happens at the end, its topics are distasteful even for a police procedural/mystery.
Definitely not for bedtime reading.
The author uses language well (as much as can be determined in a translation).

[Kirsten · Rating 2 out of 5]

two stars is a stretch. it took all my energy and discipline to simply finish it. I could talk about all the things that turned my stomach, but I'll sum it up with YUCK.