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Back Time Is a Killer
Chapters (84)
  1. Dedication
  2. Time is a Killer
  3. Contents
  4. Map
  5. 1
  6. Twenty-seven years later …
  7. IRevellata
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. IISaint Rose’s Day
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. 47
  55. 48
  56. 49
  57. 50
  58. 51
  59. 52
  60. 53
  61. 54
  62. IIISempre giovanu
  63. 55
  64. 56
  65. 57
  66. 58
  67. 59
  68. 60
  69. 61
  70. 62
  71. 63
  72. 64
  73. 65
  74. 66
  75. 67
  76. Twenty-seven years later
  77. Acknowledgements
  78. AFTER THE CRASH
  79. BLACK WATER LILIES
  80. DON’T LET GO
  81. About the Author
  82. Also by Michel Bussi
  83. More on W&N
  84. Copyright

The body flashed into the water like an arrow, almost without making a splash.

A perfect dive.

The dive of a professional.

Of a mermaid.

Maria-Chjara re-emerged a few seconds later. A pair of firm, pointed breasts swelled her transparent white bikini, a seventy-year-old water nymph.

Félix and Inès applauded. They loved Aunty Maria.

Clotilde burst out laughing. She and Maria-Chjara had become friends. Maria liked to joke about how she had her breasts reinflated each year, just before the summer. The day she died they would lay her in her coffin, but wouldn’t be able to close the lid!

And no Corsican polyphony, lamenti or voceri at her funeral.

She adjusted her transparent bikini in front of men with V-shaped and hairless torsos, startled by this particular grandmother. In front of their scandalised wives, consenting victims in the dictatorship of beauty.

Time is a killer.

But sometimes there are extenuating circumstances.

‘Are you coming in, Mamy?’ Félix and Inès called.

Clotilde smiled and was rocked by gentle melancholy at the sight of Natale lost in his dreams, Valentine concentrating on her accounts, and then Maria-Chjara winking at handsome Matteo who was just about to finish feeding his baby dolphin.

Sempre giovanu.

Acknowledgements

To Luc Besson and Gaumont.

AFTER THE CRASH

Michel Bussi

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On the night of 22 December, a plane crashes on the Franco-Swiss border.

All the passengers are killed instantly, apart from one miraculous survivor – a three-month-old baby girl. But who is she? Two families step forward to claim her, but is she Lyse-Rose or Emilie?

Two decades later, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, the detective who investigated the case makes a discovery that could change everything …

‘One of the most remarkable books I’ve read in a long time … I doubt I’ll read a more brilliant crime novel this year’ Sunday Times

BLACK WATER LILIES

Michel Bussi

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Jérôme Morval, a man whose passion for art was matched only by his passion for women, has been found dead in the stream that runs through the gardens of Giverny. In his pocket is a postcard of Monet’s Water Lilies with the words: Eleven years old. Happy Birthday.

Entangled in the mystery are three women: a young painting prodigy, a seductive schoolteacher and an old widow who watches over the village from a mill by the stream. All three of them share a secret. But what do they know about the discovery of Morval’s corpse? And what is the connection to the mysterious, rumoured painting Black Water Lilies?

‘Ends with one of the most reverberating shocks in modern crime fiction’ Sunday Times

DON’T LET GO

Michel Bussi

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In an idyllic resort on the island of La Réunion, Liane Bellion and her husband Martial are enjoying the perfect moment: blue seas, palm trees, a warm breeze.