Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

A brutal and uncompromising novel of working class life in the Vosges. When a factory which employs nearly everyone in the town closes, the workers are left angry and resentful. Their union rep, Martel, does his best to fight the closure, but essentially he is powerless. He himself desperately need money and soon allows himself to be caught up in a scheme that goes wrong and he is left at the mercy of the local criminal – and ruthless – underworld. It’s a story of the disenfranchised and the marginalised, and of industrial decline, leaving so many hopeless and without a future. Up to a point I found it a powerful contemporary read, but after a while the plot seemed to spiral out of control and became increasingly implausible – and increasingly violent. The introduction of gangsters of various nationalities seemed overdone and I lost the sympathy I had for the key characters. Not without its merits, I just felt the writing needed to be reined in a bit. But overall still a good read, entertaining and though-provoking, with some excellent descriptive writing of the harsh climate, which tellingly reflects the characters’ harsh lives, and an interesting glimpse into French industrial working class life when there is no longer any work.

A depressing and bleak tale of a factory in France facing closure and the desperation of a couple, of staff who need money leading them to resort to kidnap for the local gangsters.

An odd tale plays out really, one at times I really quite enjoyed and others just seemed to lose its way.

Translation is good, the stories good, there is almost a Fargo type feel to the book.

Intriguing enough to keep me reading and I’d very likely read more from the author