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Starred review from February 15, 2018

In the space of a few days in March 1967, the four members of Pearl Harbor, a British band based in West Berlin, die separately in mysterious circumstances. The police close each case, ruling out homicide. But the victims' families contact a Belfast journalist to investigate further. Flash forward to 2010--a man without identification (referred to in the hospital as X Midi) is hit by a car in Brussels and left with locked-in syndrome. A charismatic physical therapist breaks through to the man, gains his trust, and helps him develop a method of communication by blinking, whereby the man tells his role in the story. Moving back and forth among multiple perspectives and time periods, this engrossing mystery starts somewhat slowly but lives up to its promising setup, as each main character excavates a crucial piece of the puzzle. X Midi's recollections are heartbreaking and somewhat erratic, going from 1950s Brussels to Paris to swinging London at the height of Beatlemania and West Berlin, where many struggling bands played to bored GIs. Rock and roll itself is a notable character, as exemplified in X Midi's love of Chuck Berry and his experiences in the 1960s music scene. VERDICT This best-selling Belgian thriller, which was short-listed for two literary awards, is a treat for fans of dark mysteries and unreliable narrators.--Julie Elliott, Indiana Univ. Lib., South Bend

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2018

In the space of a few days in March 1967, the four members of Pearl Harbor, a British band based in West Berlin, die separately in mysterious circumstances. The police close each case, ruling out homicide. But the victims' families contact a Belfast journalist to investigate further. Flash forward to 2010--a man without identification (referred to in the hospital as X Midi) is hit by a car in Brussels and left with locked-in syndrome. A charismatic physical therapist breaks through to the man, gains his trust, and helps him develop a method of communication by blinking, whereby the man tells his role in the story. Moving back and forth among multiple perspectives and time periods, this engrossing mystery starts somewhat slowly but lives up to its promising setup, as each main character excavates a crucial piece of the puzzle. X Midi's recollections are heartbreaking and somewhat erratic, going from 1950s Brussels to Paris to swinging London at the height of Beatlemania and West Berlin, where many struggling bands played to bored GIs. Rock and roll itself is a notable character, as exemplified in X Midi's love of Chuck Berry and his experiences in the 1960s music scene. VERDICT This best-selling Belgian thriller, which was short-listed for two literary awards, is a treat for fans of dark mysteries and unreliable narrators.--Julie Elliott, Indiana Univ. Lib., South Bend

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 15, 2018
Belgian author Colize’s intricate crime novel takes a while to pull the reader into its rhythm, but it’s worth the wait. One plot thread begins with the 1967 deaths of all four members of Pearl Harbor, a British rock band, at the same time but in different locations. Oddly, the police attribute all the deaths to natural causes. Another starts with a car accident involving a nameless victim in Brussels in 2010. The Pearl Harbor story line and the related first-person narrative provide a window into the excitement engendered by the earliest days of a musical revolution, creating a living history of how the music shaped a culture that included drugs and sex along with rock and roll. The later narrative unravels the mystery of the earlier one, revealing a dark and well-orchestrated (and sometimes far-fetched) scheme in which the only winners may be those with secrets to keep. Those interested in last century’s European rock scene will be enthralled. Agent: Pierre Astier, Astier-Pécher Literary & Film Agency (France).