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The Readers' Room
From the author of The Red Notebook, described as 'Parisian perfection' by HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, The Readers' Room is a thrilling murder mystery set in the world of publishing.
'The plot blends mystery with comedy to great effect'- Daily Mail
When the manuscript of a debut crime novel arrives at a Parisian publishing house, everyone in the readers' room is convinced it's something special. And the committee for France's highest literary honour, the Prix Goncourt, agrees.
But when the shortlist is announced, there's a problem for editor Violaine she has no idea of the author's identity. As the police begin to investigate a series of murders strangely reminiscent of those recounted in the book, Violaine is not the only one looking for answers. And, suffering memory blanks following an aeroplane accident, she's beginning to wonder what role she might play in the story ...
Antoine Laurain, bestselling author of The Red Notebook, combines intrigue and charm in this dazzling novel of mystery, love and the power of books.
'The plot blends mystery with comedy to great effect'- Daily Mail
When the manuscript of a debut crime novel arrives at a Parisian publishing house, everyone in the readers' room is convinced it's something special. And the committee for France's highest literary honour, the Prix Goncourt, agrees.
But when the shortlist is announced, there's a problem for editor Violaine she has no idea of the author's identity. As the police begin to investigate a series of murders strangely reminiscent of those recounted in the book, Violaine is not the only one looking for answers. And, suffering memory blanks following an aeroplane accident, she's beginning to wonder what role she might play in the story ...
Antoine Laurain, bestselling author of The Red Notebook, combines intrigue and charm in this dazzling novel of mystery, love and the power of books.
169 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 8, 2020
113 people are currently reading
2233 people want to read
About the author
Antoine Laurain
36 books680 followersAntoine Laurain (born 1972) is a French author. He previously worked as a screenwriter and antiques dealer.
His first novel "The Portrait" was published in 2007 and he achieved wide international acclaim with "The Red Notebook". Since then his works have been translated into 14 languages and partly made into films.
His first novel "The Portrait" was published in 2007 and he achieved wide international acclaim with "The Red Notebook". Since then his works have been translated into 14 languages and partly made into films.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 410 reviews
June 9, 2021
Book Reviewed on www.whisperingstories.com
Editor of The Reader’s Room, Parisian publishers, Violaine Lepage is on her way to the USA when the plane she is travelling in crashes leaving her badly injured and in a coma for weeks. Before she left a manuscript which had the team in a flap arrived in the office called Sugar Flowers. The team thought the short thriller was so good that it was going to be the big hitter that won them the prestigious Prix Goncourt award.
The author of the manuscript is being elusive and they are not even sure whether they are male or female. The team decided to run with the book. However, not long after publication, the events in the book catch the attention of the French police who are investigating murders that seem to be identical to those in the Sugar Flowers.
Violaine Lepage can’t be of any help to the officers who want to know who the author is, as she doesn’t know. Plus, since the crash, she seems to have lost quite a lot of her memory and doesn’t recognise the person she used to be.
The Reader’s Room is a short mystery book at just 176 pages. It has been perfectly translated from French into English. The blurb had me very interested in the book, what book lover doesn’t want to read about events in a book becoming true?
The beginning was a little slow as it is mainly about Violaine, her injuries, the crash, memory loss, her life as an editor, and how she labelled certain people. The book doesn’t really get going fully until the mysterious Sugar Flowers is released.
It is quite a descriptive book which some readers will love and others not so much. Everything is described in a lot of detail, plus there are a lot of characters too, some appear and then disappear again without adding much to the plot. Whilst others have you second-guessing what their role in the manuscript and subsequently killings is.
I read The Readers’ Room in one afternoon as once I had gotten through the initial few chapters the pace picked up and I began to quickly fly through the pages. I was hooked. I wanted to know who the author of Sugar Flowers was, were the killings related to the book? I had my suspicions from early on and in part I was right but there was far more than I had predicted going on and plenty of plot twists I hadn’t seen coming.
This is a story that weaves together many subplots and has you wondering how they can be connected. It was certainly an interesting and captivating read that kept me entertained for an afternoon.
Editor of The Reader’s Room, Parisian publishers, Violaine Lepage is on her way to the USA when the plane she is travelling in crashes leaving her badly injured and in a coma for weeks. Before she left a manuscript which had the team in a flap arrived in the office called Sugar Flowers. The team thought the short thriller was so good that it was going to be the big hitter that won them the prestigious Prix Goncourt award.
The author of the manuscript is being elusive and they are not even sure whether they are male or female. The team decided to run with the book. However, not long after publication, the events in the book catch the attention of the French police who are investigating murders that seem to be identical to those in the Sugar Flowers.
Violaine Lepage can’t be of any help to the officers who want to know who the author is, as she doesn’t know. Plus, since the crash, she seems to have lost quite a lot of her memory and doesn’t recognise the person she used to be.
The Reader’s Room is a short mystery book at just 176 pages. It has been perfectly translated from French into English. The blurb had me very interested in the book, what book lover doesn’t want to read about events in a book becoming true?
The beginning was a little slow as it is mainly about Violaine, her injuries, the crash, memory loss, her life as an editor, and how she labelled certain people. The book doesn’t really get going fully until the mysterious Sugar Flowers is released.
It is quite a descriptive book which some readers will love and others not so much. Everything is described in a lot of detail, plus there are a lot of characters too, some appear and then disappear again without adding much to the plot. Whilst others have you second-guessing what their role in the manuscript and subsequently killings is.
I read The Readers’ Room in one afternoon as once I had gotten through the initial few chapters the pace picked up and I began to quickly fly through the pages. I was hooked. I wanted to know who the author of Sugar Flowers was, were the killings related to the book? I had my suspicions from early on and in part I was right but there was far more than I had predicted going on and plenty of plot twists I hadn’t seen coming.
This is a story that weaves together many subplots and has you wondering how they can be connected. It was certainly an interesting and captivating read that kept me entertained for an afternoon.
May 12, 2021
I discovered Antoine Laurain when I fell across an earlier title, Vintage 1954, which recounts the adventures of a group of flatmates who are transported to 1954 Paris after drinking wine of that vintage—it was a delightful story with just enough magical realism to charm, and characters I wanted to meet. This master storyteller has done it again in The Readers’ Room! Editor Violaine Lepage gets a manuscript and is convinced that this literary murder mystery has prize-winning potential, so she rushes to publish it—but the author will only communicate via email, and only sporadically. When murders start to happen that reflect scenes in the book, the police take notice, and now everyone is on the lookout for Camille Desencres, the clandestine author. Add a little romance to the intrigue for spark, as Laurain has done, to top off this wonderful tale. Now I have to wait until January 2022 for his next title, Red Is My Heart.
July 30, 2020
A crime fiction novel appears at a publishing company in Paris, and all the staff in the readers' room are abuzz...it is simply magnificent and must be published. But who is the author? Why won't he/she appear in person? And why are the police suddenly asking questions of the publishers when murders begin to take place exactly like those described in the book?
You can count on Antoine Laurain to carry you off into a good story. Each of his books is a delightful little gem, stuffed with fascinating characters and situations, and all set in France.
You can count on Antoine Laurain to carry you off into a good story. Each of his books is a delightful little gem, stuffed with fascinating characters and situations, and all set in France.
November 20, 2021
A nice little bookish mystery. In a way, it reminded me of the film Les Traducteurs.
I must warn you, though, that the ending will not particularly appeal to those who snort at notions like serendipity (I am not one of them, so it was fine with me).
Emotional spoiler: .
What I liked about it:
It has a ghost of Marcel Proust as a minuscule character. (This is not at all a ghost story, though).
It's about books (and publishing).
It's French in a smooth, facile way.
A tiny bit of black humour never hurts.
It has Tarot (although not in any mysterious or particularly important way).
In short, I think it's a very good book to while away some time in a pleasurable way.
I must warn you, though, that the ending will not particularly appeal to those who snort at notions like serendipity (I am not one of them, so it was fine with me).
Emotional spoiler: .
What I liked about it:
It has a ghost of Marcel Proust as a minuscule character. (This is not at all a ghost story, though).
It's about books (and publishing).
It's French in a smooth, facile way.
A tiny bit of black humour never hurts.
It has Tarot (although not in any mysterious or particularly important way).
In short, I think it's a very good book to while away some time in a pleasurable way.
December 13, 2020
Eh, savremeni Francuzi. Uvek imate tako lepe korice, tako zavodljive naslove. Tako puno obećavate, a šta dobijem na kraju svaki put???? N-i-š-t-a.
Odmah da se ogradim; možda je do mene. Možda je do prevoda. A možda je i do pisca i knjige.
Premisa je zvučala jako uzbudljivo: jednoj izdavačkoj kući stigne rukopis i oni se oduševe toliko da odluče da objave knjigu. Kad, odjednom, krenu da se dešavaju ubistva opisana baš kao u knjizi. Nažalost, to je sve napisano zbrda zdola, glavna urednica izdavačke kuće zamalo nastrada u avionskoj nesreći i onda shvati da pati od amnezije, pa moramo da upoznajemo njenog muža, pa njenog psihoterapeuta, pa šefa (koji je preminuo, ali ona sada živi u njegovoj kući... too long didn't read fazon). A tek samo razrešenje je toliko bedno, da me evo mrzi i da vam prepričam.
Naravoučenije: ako se u naslovu spominje bilo kakvo čitanje, knjige, biblioteke i drugo, to ne znači da je knjiga automatski dobra, nauči to Nina već jednom.
Odmah da se ogradim; možda je do mene. Možda je do prevoda. A možda je i do pisca i knjige.
Premisa je zvučala jako uzbudljivo: jednoj izdavačkoj kući stigne rukopis i oni se oduševe toliko da odluče da objave knjigu. Kad, odjednom, krenu da se dešavaju ubistva opisana baš kao u knjizi. Nažalost, to je sve napisano zbrda zdola, glavna urednica izdavačke kuće zamalo nastrada u avionskoj nesreći i onda shvati da pati od amnezije, pa moramo da upoznajemo njenog muža, pa njenog psihoterapeuta, pa šefa (koji je preminuo, ali ona sada živi u njegovoj kući... too long didn't read fazon). A tek samo razrešenje je toliko bedno, da me evo mrzi i da vam prepričam.
Naravoučenije: ako se u naslovu spominje bilo kakvo čitanje, knjige, biblioteke i drugo, to ne znači da je knjiga automatski dobra, nauči to Nina već jednom.
May 2, 2021
Small in page length and fast moving, the best thing about this mystery is its being set against the publishing world in France which, if it can be believed, has as much a fanbase as the movie world. I loved the speed, loved the wit. Enjoyed very much. After all, when your fantasies include being conversant with Marcel Proust and on actual speaking terms with Patrick Modiano, what could be better?
July 30, 2020
3 étoiles et demies en vérité. J’ai pris beaucoup de plaisir à lire ce roman, mais j’ai vraiment trouvé que la fin ne tenait pas debout. Dommage.
November 27, 2022
"Schriftsteller sind Egoisten, die nur an sich selbst denken, an ihre Bücher, an ihr Werk. Deshalb sind sie so anstrengend, größenwahnsinnig, unkontrollierbar."
Ich kann diesen Roman, der erste Roman von Antoine Laurain für mich, gar nicht richtig einordnen. Es ist ein Buch über Bücher, über Schriftsteller, über die Verlagsbranche, es ist ein Kriminalfall, es ist mystisch und undurchsichtig. Der Erzählstil ist geprägt von einer schönen Leichtigkeit, durchzogen von viel feinem Humor, der manchmal sarkastisch-böse wird, es schwingt eine Bedrohlichkeit mit und immer ein Hauch von Unwirklichkeit. Lektorin Violaine Lepage veröffentlicht einen Roman, dessen Autor*in sie nicht kennt. Als dieser Roman auf der Auswahlliste für einen Literaturpreis steht und sich Mordfälle ereignen, die so auch im Roman beschrieben werden, wird die Suche intensiviert. Violaine Lepage ist eine unzuverlässige Protagonistin, sie leidet nach einem Unfall unter Erinnerungslücken, die wirklich gravierend sind. Und das ist nicht ihr einziges Geheimnis. Die Auflösung kam für mich völlig überraschend und lässt trotzdem noch viel Spielraum für Spekulation. Ein Buch, dass sich super lesen lässt, das nicht alles offenlegt und dass mich begeistern konnte aber gleichzeitig auch Fragen offen lässt. Die Personen sind vielfach recht skurril in ihren Gedanken und Handlungen, so dass ich ihnen zwar nicht nahe gekommen bin, mich aber von ihnen unterhalten fühlte. Uneingeschränkt kann ich es nicht empfehlen, aber wenn man sich drauf einlassen kann ist es wirklich eine kleine Besonderheit.
Ich kann diesen Roman, der erste Roman von Antoine Laurain für mich, gar nicht richtig einordnen. Es ist ein Buch über Bücher, über Schriftsteller, über die Verlagsbranche, es ist ein Kriminalfall, es ist mystisch und undurchsichtig. Der Erzählstil ist geprägt von einer schönen Leichtigkeit, durchzogen von viel feinem Humor, der manchmal sarkastisch-böse wird, es schwingt eine Bedrohlichkeit mit und immer ein Hauch von Unwirklichkeit. Lektorin Violaine Lepage veröffentlicht einen Roman, dessen Autor*in sie nicht kennt. Als dieser Roman auf der Auswahlliste für einen Literaturpreis steht und sich Mordfälle ereignen, die so auch im Roman beschrieben werden, wird die Suche intensiviert. Violaine Lepage ist eine unzuverlässige Protagonistin, sie leidet nach einem Unfall unter Erinnerungslücken, die wirklich gravierend sind. Und das ist nicht ihr einziges Geheimnis. Die Auflösung kam für mich völlig überraschend und lässt trotzdem noch viel Spielraum für Spekulation. Ein Buch, dass sich super lesen lässt, das nicht alles offenlegt und dass mich begeistern konnte aber gleichzeitig auch Fragen offen lässt. Die Personen sind vielfach recht skurril in ihren Gedanken und Handlungen, so dass ich ihnen zwar nicht nahe gekommen bin, mich aber von ihnen unterhalten fühlte. Uneingeschränkt kann ich es nicht empfehlen, aber wenn man sich drauf einlassen kann ist es wirklich eine kleine Besonderheit.
October 23, 2021
3.5stars I was somewhat bored with the first part, couldn't understand where this was going, the second part got a lot more interesting, but overall I just thought it ok, liked The Red Notebook so much better.
February 20, 2022
this story had me hooked i could not put it down!!!
a solid 4/5 🤩
a solid 4/5 🤩
April 13, 2022
It's been two days, and I still don't know how to rate this weird little book. Sometimes I honestly didn't know what was supposed to be happening, what had already happened, and what wasn't happening at all. I just. Have questions? It felt like all those French movies people keep telling me are the best, which leave me similarly confused. So. It might be just me?
*I received a free copy from the German publisher via the bookshop I work at*
*I received a free copy from the German publisher via the bookshop I work at*
August 22, 2021
The Readers Room was a fast paced and addictive read that, whilst not quite meeting my expectations, nevertheless had me totally hooked.
May 24, 2022
I don’t know how much can be blamed on translation (perhaps in the original the actual language is transcendent) but this was just okay for me. Any one of the plot threads would be fine on its own, but taken together there was just too much of a muchness. It’s not clear if I just read a mystery, a fantasy, or not anything in particular, and what I did read for a large part doesn’t make sense or is stretched beyond credibility, e.g. a plane accident so that the protagonist can conveniently lose quite a bit of memory.
Characters come and go, major ones, viewpoint characters even--they'll appear for a chapter or two, and then are forgotten with no consequence. (It works for Douglas Adams, it doesn't work here). The author gives you innumerable pointless and unnecessary details about characters. Hey, Antoine: not everyone needs a back story!
Upon reflection, really, this ends up being only 2 stars for me. It's a disappointment. I enjoyed reading it more than most 2 star books because I was hopeful that something would happen to tie the disparate elements together, but no, that wasn't the case. (Obviously, a certain amount is revealed at the climax, but not enough to explain all my concerns or all his red herrings).
May 2022 update: less than two years later, I didn't recall this book at all, and was wondering why I hadn't marked it as "did not finish." So I read my review, and a summary, and it came back to me. So you can add "unmemorable" to my list of complaints regarding it.
That said, I have written a novel (not yet published), so now I will suffer pangs of guilt every time I offer less than five stars. In my subjective opinion, the stars suggest:
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!
Characters come and go, major ones, viewpoint characters even--they'll appear for a chapter or two, and then are forgotten with no consequence. (It works for Douglas Adams, it doesn't work here). The author gives you innumerable pointless and unnecessary details about characters. Hey, Antoine: not everyone needs a back story!
Upon reflection, really, this ends up being only 2 stars for me. It's a disappointment. I enjoyed reading it more than most 2 star books because I was hopeful that something would happen to tie the disparate elements together, but no, that wasn't the case. (Obviously, a certain amount is revealed at the climax, but not enough to explain all my concerns or all his red herrings).
May 2022 update: less than two years later, I didn't recall this book at all, and was wondering why I hadn't marked it as "did not finish." So I read my review, and a summary, and it came back to me. So you can add "unmemorable" to my list of complaints regarding it.
That said, I have written a novel (not yet published), so now I will suffer pangs of guilt every time I offer less than five stars. In my subjective opinion, the stars suggest:
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!
January 1, 2021
It's not often that you wake up talking to Proust especially since you've been in a coma from a terrible airplane crash but that's what happens to Violaine Lepage, an editor at a Parisian publishing house. That's not the worst thing that has happened to her recently. She has a debut crime novel up for France's highest literary prize and has no idea of who the author is.
That's still not the worst news. People start getting murdered just like the book and the police are investigating. As her memory starts to return to her she discovers she has some very strange secrets including an uncomfortable link to the book. Things start to get very complicated.
An interesting story of retribution and how things never turn out the way you thought they would.
That's still not the worst news. People start getting murdered just like the book and the police are investigating. As her memory starts to return to her she discovers she has some very strange secrets including an uncomfortable link to the book. Things start to get very complicated.
An interesting story of retribution and how things never turn out the way you thought they would.
December 25, 2020
I received a free publisher's review copy.
Like all Laurain’s novels, this is a story mixing charm and intrigue. But unlike its predecessors, this one is heavier on the intrigue, as real-life crimes mimic those in a crime novel written by a mysterious first-time author and published by the Paris firm where Violaine Lepage heads the manuscripts department. Strange things happen to Violaine too after she survives a horrible plane crash and awakes after being in a coma for over two weeks. Is there a connection between Violaine, the author, and the crimes?
If you’re a crime fiction reader, you may have to adjust your expectations. This book isn’t a whodunnit, and there are still questions remaining at the end. This is more about characters and atmosphere. It’s very French—which, to me, is a pleasure.
Like all Laurain’s novels, this is a story mixing charm and intrigue. But unlike its predecessors, this one is heavier on the intrigue, as real-life crimes mimic those in a crime novel written by a mysterious first-time author and published by the Paris firm where Violaine Lepage heads the manuscripts department. Strange things happen to Violaine too after she survives a horrible plane crash and awakes after being in a coma for over two weeks. Is there a connection between Violaine, the author, and the crimes?
If you’re a crime fiction reader, you may have to adjust your expectations. This book isn’t a whodunnit, and there are still questions remaining at the end. This is more about characters and atmosphere. It’s very French—which, to me, is a pleasure.
September 5, 2020
Ce livre est embarrassant. Embarrassant de caricature sur le milieu de l'édition, embarrassant de construction ratée, de pages et de pages sur des personnages à peine présents dans le roman qui servent de remplissage, embarrassant d'une intrigue à fort potentiel transformée en téléfilm de l'après-midi. Embarrassant de se prendre tellement au sérieux avec ses analyses sur les auteurs et la création alors que c'est presque du niveau café du commerce.
Pour moi, le clou final dans le cercueil a été l'AI de la police. Le niveau de ridicule est tellement violent que j'ai hésité entre rire ou pleurer.
J'ai envie de mettre 1 étoile, mais comme comme j'ai tenu sans l'abandonner après 20 pages, j'accorde une deuxième étoile : il y a effectivement des livres plus mauvais.
Pour moi, le clou final dans le cercueil a été l'AI de la police. Le niveau de ridicule est tellement violent que j'ai hésité entre rire ou pleurer.
J'ai envie de mettre 1 étoile, mais comme comme j'ai tenu sans l'abandonner après 20 pages, j'accorde une deuxième étoile : il y a effectivement des livres plus mauvais.
June 26, 2021
Another intriguing mystery from Laurain!
May 15, 2023
It was good.... So good..... I need time to process what just happened.... I was hooked from the very beginning... Wasn't any moment where I lost interest.... Or found boring...
November 2, 2020
At the heart of Laurain’s most recent work is a love of books and authors, and that in itself is very satisfying. In fact, it provides the best moments in what is a mystery, about a mystery.
The director of a readers’ room at a Parisian publisher, is confident that a debut crime novel she has discovered, will be a big hit; actually it goes on to be shortlisted for the Prix Goncourt. But, it’s author cannot be traced, even by the Rouen crime squad when two murders occur, copies of those in the novel.
It lacks Laurain’s trademark dry humour, and the plot which starts well, meanders into the territory of contrivance, but the writing is always good, and there is plenty to enjoy in literary scene of Paris.
The director of a readers’ room at a Parisian publisher, is confident that a debut crime novel she has discovered, will be a big hit; actually it goes on to be shortlisted for the Prix Goncourt. But, it’s author cannot be traced, even by the Rouen crime squad when two murders occur, copies of those in the novel.
It lacks Laurain’s trademark dry humour, and the plot which starts well, meanders into the territory of contrivance, but the writing is always good, and there is plenty to enjoy in literary scene of Paris.
August 11, 2020
The Readers’ Room by Antoine Laurain
This book surprised me. I am normally lukewarm about translated books. It seems like all too frequently slight cultural differences can dramatically impact literature. Just as in Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, I have been delightfully surprised. A publishing house selects a mystery for publishing and complications arise.
Laurain develops characters with, well character. They are not cardboard cutouts such as MLB is using but people with a wealth of foibles. There really are no heroic protagonists in the book. It just has a complex, people driven plot.
I enjoyed the book and sugar flowers can be quite beautiful.
This book surprised me. I am normally lukewarm about translated books. It seems like all too frequently slight cultural differences can dramatically impact literature. Just as in Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, I have been delightfully surprised. A publishing house selects a mystery for publishing and complications arise.
Laurain develops characters with, well character. They are not cardboard cutouts such as MLB is using but people with a wealth of foibles. There really are no heroic protagonists in the book. It just has a complex, people driven plot.
I enjoyed the book and sugar flowers can be quite beautiful.
May 12, 2021
A very enjoyable book featuring the world of publishing and the interesting people who make it happen. I had enjoyed this author's earlier book, The Red Notebook and was happily reminded of his writing by a posted review on goodreads. After reading this one I had to wade through some Marcel Proust quotes and feel the need to tarry.
September 28, 2020
Another delightful little book from Antoine Laurain. This short novel resides inside a publishing house, where a book is up for the very prestigious Prix Goncourt prize, but the author refuses to come forward and identify himself or herself. As the publisher is trying to locate the author, so are the police. This mystery unfolds slowly, but the novel is also an homage to writing.
January 15, 2021
Wow! This book was a delightful surprise. When you think of the mystery genre, murder is immediately assumed. And while there was murder in this book, that wasn't really the mystery. This book was incredibly clever, well written, fantastically translated (written in French), with an intriguing story and complex characters.
My summary (which I'm writing for me and only me, to jog my faulty memory) will not give the book its proper due. I'll reveal things that were carefully and cleverly laid out it in the book in a quick summation that will ruin the storytelling of the book. Basically, stop reading now and pick up the book instead.
Violaine Lepage runs the manuscript department of a publishing house, overseeing the reading room. The reading room is where thousands of manuscripts are sent and the team reads through them, searching for the handful that are actually worth publishing. Her team consists of: Stephane, a former math teacher who wrote a best-selling book. But he was a self-acknowledged "one and done" and was offered a position in the reading room. Murielle was a former proof-reader who would make accurate comments on the works she would proof read and was offered a job in the reading room. Beatrice is an elderly avid reader and politely requested a job on the staff. When Violaine met her she discovered Beatrice was incredibly wealthy and also blind. Her assistant Marc would read the books to her; she got the position. And the newest member of the team is Marie whom Violaine met at an AA meeting (the only one she ever went to) and Marie is still working on her thesis at university.
The story begins with Violaine recovering in the hospital. We learn later in the story that she was in a plane crash with Marie. Marie survived without any injury, Violaine had serious injury to her leg and had been in a coma for a couple weeks. They had gone to Maine to make a deal with Stephen King for his newest book. Marie was a huge King fan; Violaine was terrified of flying, but went anyway for the job.
Six months earlier, Marie had read a manuscript called Sugar Flowers by Camille Desencres. Marie knew it was going to be a success and everyone else who read it agreed. They contacted Desencres by the only method provided, an email address. Sporadic emails led to a contract being signed. Violaine tried to get more information out of Camille and accuses Camille of trying to blackmail her. Camille responds that no harm is meant, and those that need to die, will.
Sugar Flowers is a story, whose narrator is unclear, about a young woman who is gang raped. She gives birth and her parents raise the child. She disappears. When the child grows up and her "parents" die, she learns they were really her grandparents. She sets off to find her mother and kill the four men who had raped her mother.
Sophie Tanche shows up at the reading room. She had discovered that two killings a year ago, matched exactly two deaths described in Sugar Flowers. But she learns that no one knows who Camille is, and that the author has stopped communicating. The book is a huge success and is up for winning the Prix Goncourt. But if Violaine cannot produce an author, her career will be over and her publishing house will take a huge hit. Sophie doesn't know what to believe.
Violaine visits her therapist, Pierre Stein. After the plane crash she discovered problems with her memories. She had no memory of being a smoker, or some of the clothes and jewelry in her house. And later we learn she had no memories of the affairs she had. Pierre tells her that she's a kleptomaniac and he finds it interesting that she seems to have created a mental block relating to the 'sins' in her life.
Sophie and her team are investigating the book and the murders (there are now three. The third murder also exactly matches the description in the book). She knows that the answer is at the reading room. Violaine is dealing with recovering from her accident, the issues with her memory, and trying to find Camille.
It's the night the award will be given. Sophie had learned that a criminal recently released from jail was caught and admitted to the killings (which were drug related). She goes to the reading room to tell them. Violaine is despondent, they haven't found Camille. But then Beatrice tells her that Camille is a woman and Violaine asks how she knows that. Beatrice says she met her and described her perfume. Violaine immediately knows it's Marie. Marie wrote Sugar Flowers.
Sophie takes matters into her own hands. She makes everyone leave but her and Pierre Stein (who had been at the reading room), Marie, and Violaine. She gives a piece of paper to Violaine and one to Marie. Tells them to begin with "My name is..." We learn Violaine (real name Helene) was the woman raped in Sugar Flowers (this was pretty obvious, I had made that connection earlier in the story). Marie was the girlfriend of Fabienne Lepage, Violaine's daughter. Fabienne was devastated when she discovered the truth about her family from her grandmother's diaries. She decided to write a story where all the men got what they deserved. She researched them and tracked them down. She was going to start writing, and began by writing the title Sugar Flowers, then threw herself out the window killing herself. When two of the men died on the day of Fabienne's funeral, just as Fabienne had imagined, Marie took it as a sign and started writing. Marie had been following Violaine and approached her when she saw Violaine heading to an AA meeting. They talked. Violaine gave her Pierre Stein's card and offered her a job at the reading room. Stein was the first to read Sugar Flowers and suggested Marie send the manuscript in to make Violaine read it. He was also the one who signed the contract.
Sugar Flowers missed winning the award by two votes. That same night the fourth man suffered a fatal heart attack and coincidentally died exactly as described in the book.
Like I mentioned before, I had guessed Violaine was the attacked woman earlier on. But I also thought she was Camille. That in her 'forgotten memories' she wrote this book as a type of catharsis. I was floored to learn it was Marie. I didn't see that coming.
This synopsis doesn't to the story justice. The book was woven together masterfully in bits and pieces. Enough for you to understand and want to keep reading without being overly confused. I will highly recommend this book to people.
And a note on my rating: I was really torn on this book. I wish it was a scale of 10 instead of 5 as I feel many of the books I read are lumped in the '4' category. This book is at least a 4 1/2 star and maybe I should have rated it a 5. My 5 threshold is 1. Do I want to own it (yes) 2. Do I recommend it (yes) 3. Will i re-read it? (no. I probably won't read it which is the only reason I didn't give it a 5).
My summary (which I'm writing for me and only me, to jog my faulty memory) will not give the book its proper due. I'll reveal things that were carefully and cleverly laid out it in the book in a quick summation that will ruin the storytelling of the book. Basically, stop reading now and pick up the book instead.
Violaine Lepage runs the manuscript department of a publishing house, overseeing the reading room. The reading room is where thousands of manuscripts are sent and the team reads through them, searching for the handful that are actually worth publishing. Her team consists of: Stephane, a former math teacher who wrote a best-selling book. But he was a self-acknowledged "one and done" and was offered a position in the reading room. Murielle was a former proof-reader who would make accurate comments on the works she would proof read and was offered a job in the reading room. Beatrice is an elderly avid reader and politely requested a job on the staff. When Violaine met her she discovered Beatrice was incredibly wealthy and also blind. Her assistant Marc would read the books to her; she got the position. And the newest member of the team is Marie whom Violaine met at an AA meeting (the only one she ever went to) and Marie is still working on her thesis at university.
The story begins with Violaine recovering in the hospital. We learn later in the story that she was in a plane crash with Marie. Marie survived without any injury, Violaine had serious injury to her leg and had been in a coma for a couple weeks. They had gone to Maine to make a deal with Stephen King for his newest book. Marie was a huge King fan; Violaine was terrified of flying, but went anyway for the job.
Six months earlier, Marie had read a manuscript called Sugar Flowers by Camille Desencres. Marie knew it was going to be a success and everyone else who read it agreed. They contacted Desencres by the only method provided, an email address. Sporadic emails led to a contract being signed. Violaine tried to get more information out of Camille and accuses Camille of trying to blackmail her. Camille responds that no harm is meant, and those that need to die, will.
Sugar Flowers is a story, whose narrator is unclear, about a young woman who is gang raped. She gives birth and her parents raise the child. She disappears. When the child grows up and her "parents" die, she learns they were really her grandparents. She sets off to find her mother and kill the four men who had raped her mother.
Sophie Tanche shows up at the reading room. She had discovered that two killings a year ago, matched exactly two deaths described in Sugar Flowers. But she learns that no one knows who Camille is, and that the author has stopped communicating. The book is a huge success and is up for winning the Prix Goncourt. But if Violaine cannot produce an author, her career will be over and her publishing house will take a huge hit. Sophie doesn't know what to believe.
Violaine visits her therapist, Pierre Stein. After the plane crash she discovered problems with her memories. She had no memory of being a smoker, or some of the clothes and jewelry in her house. And later we learn she had no memories of the affairs she had. Pierre tells her that she's a kleptomaniac and he finds it interesting that she seems to have created a mental block relating to the 'sins' in her life.
Sophie and her team are investigating the book and the murders (there are now three. The third murder also exactly matches the description in the book). She knows that the answer is at the reading room. Violaine is dealing with recovering from her accident, the issues with her memory, and trying to find Camille.
It's the night the award will be given. Sophie had learned that a criminal recently released from jail was caught and admitted to the killings (which were drug related). She goes to the reading room to tell them. Violaine is despondent, they haven't found Camille. But then Beatrice tells her that Camille is a woman and Violaine asks how she knows that. Beatrice says she met her and described her perfume. Violaine immediately knows it's Marie. Marie wrote Sugar Flowers.
Sophie takes matters into her own hands. She makes everyone leave but her and Pierre Stein (who had been at the reading room), Marie, and Violaine. She gives a piece of paper to Violaine and one to Marie. Tells them to begin with "My name is..." We learn Violaine (real name Helene) was the woman raped in Sugar Flowers (this was pretty obvious, I had made that connection earlier in the story). Marie was the girlfriend of Fabienne Lepage, Violaine's daughter. Fabienne was devastated when she discovered the truth about her family from her grandmother's diaries. She decided to write a story where all the men got what they deserved. She researched them and tracked them down. She was going to start writing, and began by writing the title Sugar Flowers, then threw herself out the window killing herself. When two of the men died on the day of Fabienne's funeral, just as Fabienne had imagined, Marie took it as a sign and started writing. Marie had been following Violaine and approached her when she saw Violaine heading to an AA meeting. They talked. Violaine gave her Pierre Stein's card and offered her a job at the reading room. Stein was the first to read Sugar Flowers and suggested Marie send the manuscript in to make Violaine read it. He was also the one who signed the contract.
Sugar Flowers missed winning the award by two votes. That same night the fourth man suffered a fatal heart attack and coincidentally died exactly as described in the book.
Like I mentioned before, I had guessed Violaine was the attacked woman earlier on. But I also thought she was Camille. That in her 'forgotten memories' she wrote this book as a type of catharsis. I was floored to learn it was Marie. I didn't see that coming.
This synopsis doesn't to the story justice. The book was woven together masterfully in bits and pieces. Enough for you to understand and want to keep reading without being overly confused. I will highly recommend this book to people.
And a note on my rating: I was really torn on this book. I wish it was a scale of 10 instead of 5 as I feel many of the books I read are lumped in the '4' category. This book is at least a 4 1/2 star and maybe I should have rated it a 5. My 5 threshold is 1. Do I want to own it (yes) 2. Do I recommend it (yes) 3. Will i re-read it? (no. I probably won't read it which is the only reason I didn't give it a 5).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 26, 2020
This short novel contains a big story. With a tragic past, a woman, Violaine, succeeds in transforming herself into a literary gatekeeper at a Paris publishing house. Her life is one of finding new literary talent, feting existing authors, and attending glamourous cocktail parties. One of her assistants discovers a gem of a book, a first-time author’s crime novel. The book is praised by literary critics and attracts the attention of the committee awarding the prestigious Prix Goncourt. This becomes a significant problem for Violaine. The author, Camille Désencres, who had been in touch via email, has stopped responding. The pressure builds on Violaine to find her.
Violaine travels back from a visit to the author Stephen King, no less, and her plane crashes. She loses a leg, but with her customary style and grit, is determined to rally. While she recovers, she begins to experience hallucinations in which she has conversations with famous writers, such as Marcel Proust, Ernest Hemingway, and Virginia Woolf. She also realizes her memory has been impaired. She has a dress in her wardrobe she doesn’t remember buying or wearing. Her husband tells her she wore it often. She also didn’t remember that she smoked. Violaine seeks answers from her therapist.
Her worries are amplified when the police visit her after several murders occur exactly as described in the book by Désencres. It becomes apparent that the author could also be the murderer. The novel becomes shortlisted by the Prix Goncourt, and it becomes even more important that Violaine locate Désencres. This is just the beginning of a story where nothing is what it seems.
This is one of those mysteries that no matter how much attention you’re paid, you immediately want to reread it to see how the author laid out the clues. I admit I didn’t come close to guessing how the story resolves. I’m betting mystery lovers will relish the challenge. It’s well-written, but what interested me most was how the author could pack such a complex story into such a tightly woven plot. I think this book will appeal to most mystery readers.
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Violaine travels back from a visit to the author Stephen King, no less, and her plane crashes. She loses a leg, but with her customary style and grit, is determined to rally. While she recovers, she begins to experience hallucinations in which she has conversations with famous writers, such as Marcel Proust, Ernest Hemingway, and Virginia Woolf. She also realizes her memory has been impaired. She has a dress in her wardrobe she doesn’t remember buying or wearing. Her husband tells her she wore it often. She also didn’t remember that she smoked. Violaine seeks answers from her therapist.
Her worries are amplified when the police visit her after several murders occur exactly as described in the book by Désencres. It becomes apparent that the author could also be the murderer. The novel becomes shortlisted by the Prix Goncourt, and it becomes even more important that Violaine locate Désencres. This is just the beginning of a story where nothing is what it seems.
This is one of those mysteries that no matter how much attention you’re paid, you immediately want to reread it to see how the author laid out the clues. I admit I didn’t come close to guessing how the story resolves. I’m betting mystery lovers will relish the challenge. It’s well-written, but what interested me most was how the author could pack such a complex story into such a tightly woven plot. I think this book will appeal to most mystery readers.
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
May 21, 2025
4-1/2 Stars
Darker than the other Antoine Laurain novels I have read but equally as compelling. His writing keeps me turning the pages and not wanting to leave his carefully crafted worlds that resemble our own and yet have a bit of something magical or otherworldly about them. And a book about books and the publishing world is always a topic that will draw me right in. Our main character, Violaine, is very flawed and not wholly likable but utterly fascinating. There is some difficult subject matter in this one so be sure to look that up before beginning.
Darker than the other Antoine Laurain novels I have read but equally as compelling. His writing keeps me turning the pages and not wanting to leave his carefully crafted worlds that resemble our own and yet have a bit of something magical or otherworldly about them. And a book about books and the publishing world is always a topic that will draw me right in. Our main character, Violaine, is very flawed and not wholly likable but utterly fascinating. There is some difficult subject matter in this one so be sure to look that up before beginning.
June 21, 2021
Set in the world of publishing, The Readers's Room is full of references to authors past and present, and to the often tortuous process of getting a book from blank page, to spiral bound manuscript, to finished edition. The book focuses on the gatekeepers of the process at the publishing house where editor Violaine Lepage works – the members of the readers’ room. Their task is to review unsolicited manuscripts in order to sort the wheat from the chaff. Usually it’s mostly the latter but then the manuscript of a novel entitled Sugar Flowers arrives. All the readers agree it’s something out of the ordinary even if its author seems unusually anxious to conceal their identity.
An element of the uncanny is introduced when a series of murders appear to match those in the book. Soon Violaine and the detective investigating the case, Inspector Sophie Tanche, discover they have a mutual interest in tracking down the author of the novel. For Violaine, it’s about maximising the publicity benefits that arise from having published a prize-winning book. For Sophie it’s about successfully solving the murders.
The author, like his fictional counterpart, has fun throwing in all sorts of red herrings to keep the reader guessing whilst at the same time making sly digs at the inner workings of the publishing industry. For instance, the lunches at which editors feed their authors “like fat misanthropic cats they’re hoping to butter up and make purr”. I suspect the author may also have misgivings about the proliferation of modern technology given brief scenes featuring a rather unsettling encounter with an advanced AI program and a sat nav that answers back. Naturally, as a Parisian, the author has no trouble conjuring up the atmosphere of his home city with its grand parks and avenues lined with restaurants, bars and brasseries.
If you subscribe to the view that everyone has a novel in them, you’ll enjoy the following image from early in the book. “All those phantom books form a sort of enveloping cloud around literature like the ozone layer around the earth.” In fact, in the book, Violaine has some rather unearthly encounters with authors such as Marcel Proust and Virginia Woolf.
They say truth is stranger than fiction, but is it? And was Oscar Wilde right when he said “life imitates art far more than art imitates life”? I confess the solution to the mystery when it came didn’t quite live up to the ingenuity of the rest of the book but The Readers’ Room remains an extremely entertaining read.
An element of the uncanny is introduced when a series of murders appear to match those in the book. Soon Violaine and the detective investigating the case, Inspector Sophie Tanche, discover they have a mutual interest in tracking down the author of the novel. For Violaine, it’s about maximising the publicity benefits that arise from having published a prize-winning book. For Sophie it’s about successfully solving the murders.
The author, like his fictional counterpart, has fun throwing in all sorts of red herrings to keep the reader guessing whilst at the same time making sly digs at the inner workings of the publishing industry. For instance, the lunches at which editors feed their authors “like fat misanthropic cats they’re hoping to butter up and make purr”. I suspect the author may also have misgivings about the proliferation of modern technology given brief scenes featuring a rather unsettling encounter with an advanced AI program and a sat nav that answers back. Naturally, as a Parisian, the author has no trouble conjuring up the atmosphere of his home city with its grand parks and avenues lined with restaurants, bars and brasseries.
If you subscribe to the view that everyone has a novel in them, you’ll enjoy the following image from early in the book. “All those phantom books form a sort of enveloping cloud around literature like the ozone layer around the earth.” In fact, in the book, Violaine has some rather unearthly encounters with authors such as Marcel Proust and Virginia Woolf.
They say truth is stranger than fiction, but is it? And was Oscar Wilde right when he said “life imitates art far more than art imitates life”? I confess the solution to the mystery when it came didn’t quite live up to the ingenuity of the rest of the book but The Readers’ Room remains an extremely entertaining read.
July 21, 2024
Meta without substance
August 29, 2023
Very well laid out. I never suspected the twists and turns that occurred.
June 30, 2022
Urocza, świeża, rześka - takie słowa przychodzą mi do głowy gdy myślę o skończonej chwilę temu a przeczytanej jednym tchem powieści "Kwiaty z cukru".
Książkę przeczytałam, a w zasadzie pochłonęłam, dzięki uprzejmości Wydawnictwa Nowela, które przesłało mi egzemplarz recenzencki. Dziękuję!
Literatura francuska i włoska należą do tych po które sięgam najchętniej, których klimat, forma i sposób narracji bardzo mi odpowiada. I tym razem się nie zawiodłam.
"Kwiaty z cukru" to powieść, która zawładnęła moimi myślami, sercem i wyobraźnią od pierwszej przeczytanej strony. Krótkie rozdziały popychają fabułę do przodu nie rozwlekając jej, snuje się ona, a ciekawość z każdą stroną coraz bardziej "zjada" czytelnika. Co dalej? Co dalej? Ehh ... perfidna i zgubna dla mojego snu była podczas czytania "Kwiatów z cukru" ta zdolność Autora do zaciekawiania.
Bohaterowie - choć żadnego nie można zaliczyć do tych "bohaterskich" - to rzesza niezwykłych, wyrazistych i ciekawych postaci, z których każda, ma w sobie coś, co sprawia, że chciałoby się go poznać, chciałoby się usiąść i pogadać, słuchać, dowiedzieć się co skrywa, jaką ma do opowiedzenia historię poza tą w której uczestniczy.
Rodzina, przyjaźń, miłość, spełnienie, wady ukryte i życiowe błędy. Tajemnice. Rzeczy do zapomnienia. Wszystko w tej książce jest.
Słowa uznania również dla Tłumaczki.
Od zawsze powtarzam, że Tłumacz ma dla tekstu ogromne znaczenie, że może go skrzywdzić lub dodać mu szyku. W przypadku "Kwiatów z cukru" tłumaczenie jest doskonałe, zdania piękne, płynne i bogate - takie jak lubię.
Lekka i czarująca. Bardzo francuska, jeszcze bardziej paryska, urzekająca subtelnością i wciągająca bez reszty pięknie wydana powieść. Brawo Redakcjo!
Jeśli kochasz książki o książkach, o miłości do literatury, Pisarzy i książek to "Kwiaty z cukru" są dla Ciebie.
p.s.
Ja osobiście z niecierpliwością będę czekać na kolejne tomy serii, bo coś czuję, że to będzie doskonała literatura.
Książkę przeczytałam, a w zasadzie pochłonęłam, dzięki uprzejmości Wydawnictwa Nowela, które przesłało mi egzemplarz recenzencki. Dziękuję!
Literatura francuska i włoska należą do tych po które sięgam najchętniej, których klimat, forma i sposób narracji bardzo mi odpowiada. I tym razem się nie zawiodłam.
"Kwiaty z cukru" to powieść, która zawładnęła moimi myślami, sercem i wyobraźnią od pierwszej przeczytanej strony. Krótkie rozdziały popychają fabułę do przodu nie rozwlekając jej, snuje się ona, a ciekawość z każdą stroną coraz bardziej "zjada" czytelnika. Co dalej? Co dalej? Ehh ... perfidna i zgubna dla mojego snu była podczas czytania "Kwiatów z cukru" ta zdolność Autora do zaciekawiania.
Bohaterowie - choć żadnego nie można zaliczyć do tych "bohaterskich" - to rzesza niezwykłych, wyrazistych i ciekawych postaci, z których każda, ma w sobie coś, co sprawia, że chciałoby się go poznać, chciałoby się usiąść i pogadać, słuchać, dowiedzieć się co skrywa, jaką ma do opowiedzenia historię poza tą w której uczestniczy.
Rodzina, przyjaźń, miłość, spełnienie, wady ukryte i życiowe błędy. Tajemnice. Rzeczy do zapomnienia. Wszystko w tej książce jest.
Słowa uznania również dla Tłumaczki.
Od zawsze powtarzam, że Tłumacz ma dla tekstu ogromne znaczenie, że może go skrzywdzić lub dodać mu szyku. W przypadku "Kwiatów z cukru" tłumaczenie jest doskonałe, zdania piękne, płynne i bogate - takie jak lubię.
Lekka i czarująca. Bardzo francuska, jeszcze bardziej paryska, urzekająca subtelnością i wciągająca bez reszty pięknie wydana powieść. Brawo Redakcjo!
Jeśli kochasz książki o książkach, o miłości do literatury, Pisarzy i książek to "Kwiaty z cukru" są dla Ciebie.
p.s.
Ja osobiście z niecierpliwością będę czekać na kolejne tomy serii, bo coś czuję, że to będzie doskonała literatura.
June 9, 2022
Rezension: (kann Spoiler enthalten)
Danke an Netgalley und den Verlag für das Rezensionsexemplar!
Das Buch klang so mysteriös und spannend, dass ich es unbedingt lesen muss, auch wenn es nicht das ist, was ich sonst so lese. Und die Geschichte war tatsächlich auch sehr spannend. Wir erfahren durchaus einiges über die Arbeit im Verlag, aber begleiten nebenbei eben auch die Polizei bei der Such nach dem geheimnisvollen Autor, die so einige Geheimnisse aufdeckt, die vielleicht lieber versteckt geblieben wären.
Irgendwann wusste ich so gar nicht mehr, wer jetzt eigentlich nicht darin verwickelt ist, wieviel des Romanes, dessen Autor im Buch verschwunden ist, nun wirklich real ist und was Fiktion. Es war alles total mysteriös und erst auf den allerletzten Seiten wird plötzlich aufgelöst, wie eigentlich alles zusammenhängt. Diese Methode, den Fall zu lösen, fand ich sehr interessant und an sich hat sie mir ja auch gut gefallen, so blieb es echt lange spannend. Doch vom Ende war ich dann doch etwas enttäuscht. Irgendwie hatte ich mir eine andere Auflösung erhofft, weil diese doch ein wenig wirr und unvollständig wirkte. Das hat dann leider auch meine Meinung vom ganzen Buch beeinflusst, denn gerade wenn es um einen Kriminalfall geht, ist das Ende eben super wichtig.
3 Sterne
Danke an Netgalley und den Verlag für das Rezensionsexemplar!
Das Buch klang so mysteriös und spannend, dass ich es unbedingt lesen muss, auch wenn es nicht das ist, was ich sonst so lese. Und die Geschichte war tatsächlich auch sehr spannend. Wir erfahren durchaus einiges über die Arbeit im Verlag, aber begleiten nebenbei eben auch die Polizei bei der Such nach dem geheimnisvollen Autor, die so einige Geheimnisse aufdeckt, die vielleicht lieber versteckt geblieben wären.
Irgendwann wusste ich so gar nicht mehr, wer jetzt eigentlich nicht darin verwickelt ist, wieviel des Romanes, dessen Autor im Buch verschwunden ist, nun wirklich real ist und was Fiktion. Es war alles total mysteriös und erst auf den allerletzten Seiten wird plötzlich aufgelöst, wie eigentlich alles zusammenhängt. Diese Methode, den Fall zu lösen, fand ich sehr interessant und an sich hat sie mir ja auch gut gefallen, so blieb es echt lange spannend. Doch vom Ende war ich dann doch etwas enttäuscht. Irgendwie hatte ich mir eine andere Auflösung erhofft, weil diese doch ein wenig wirr und unvollständig wirkte. Das hat dann leider auch meine Meinung vom ganzen Buch beeinflusst, denn gerade wenn es um einen Kriminalfall geht, ist das Ende eben super wichtig.
3 Sterne
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