The Frozen Dead

Starred review from May 26, 2014
French author Minier’s assured debut adroitly combines a genuinely creepy series of crimes, a literally chilling atmosphere, and a dogged detective. Commandant Martin Servaz, of the regional crime unit in Toulouse, is annoyed to be pulled off the sadistic murder of a homeless man for a case that doesn’t even involve homicide. The mutilated and beheaded corpse of a horse was left suspended at a cable car terminus, terrifying the workers at a water power plant that the tram services. The horse belonged to ultrawealthy Eric Lombard, who owns the plant and has companies all around the world, as well as friends in high places. A nearby psychiatric institution specializes in the treatment of extremely dangerous murderers, including a Hannibal Lecter–like sociopath, but the asylum’s security measures make it impossible for any of the patients to escape. Minier’s execution equals his considerable cleverness.

In a fluid French accent, Elijah Alexander chills the listener with a thrilling mystery. Commandant Martin Servaz investigates the DNA sample of a deranged patient from a high-security asylum linked to a string of murders. The violence started with a beheaded horse and continues with mutilated humans; soon a past series of suicides comes to light. The asylum's new psychologist, Diane Berg, explores her own misgivings about unethical treatment methods and suspicious nighttime movements in the institution. As the story abruptly shifts between the perspectives of the two protagonists, Alexander's narration does not differentiate them well, even in dialogue. A.K.M. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine