On the night of 22nd December 1980 a plane crashes on the Franco-Swiss border and engulfed in flames. 168 out of 169 passengers are killed instantly. The miraculous sole-survivor is a newborn baby.
But the identity of the child is unknown, and two families – one rich and affluent, and the other poor – step forward to claim her. So begins a private investigation that wil go on for the next 18 years . . .
The novel opens on the eve of the girl’s eighteenth birthday. For years now Credule Grand-Duc has been trying to uncover the truth about the child’s identity – is she Emilie or Lyse-Rose?. And now, it seems he has discovered a terrible secret. He plans to take his own life, but not beforehe places his account of the investigation in the girl’s hands. However someone else gets to him first…
Read by Daniel Philpott
(p) 2015 Orion Publishing Group
But the identity of the child is unknown, and two families – one rich and affluent, and the other poor – step forward to claim her. So begins a private investigation that wil go on for the next 18 years . . .
The novel opens on the eve of the girl’s eighteenth birthday. For years now Credule Grand-Duc has been trying to uncover the truth about the child’s identity – is she Emilie or Lyse-Rose?. And now, it seems he has discovered a terrible secret. He plans to take his own life, but not beforehe places his account of the investigation in the girl’s hands. However someone else gets to him first…
Read by Daniel Philpott
(p) 2015 Orion Publishing Group
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Reviews
There's a great premise to this thriller, which is already a huge bestseller in the author's native France... You find yourself quite frantic to know the truth, before this cleverly constructed, smart mystery concludes by delivering a delicious sting in the tail.
After the Crash is a jolt to the senses and a jolt to the heart - both rollicking and labyrinthine, both wildly propulsive and yet rich with grand drama, and with a cast of characters - particularly its sumptuously powerful women - you won't forget
Riveting! Bussi spins psychological suspense at its finest with this consuming tale of one child, two families, and the dark secrets that define us all. Clear your schedule; this book is worth it!
This is one of the most compulsively readable mystery novels of the year, a great premise thrillingly explored.
Michel Bussi grabs your attention straight away, and keeps it, with great twists, in what is a very good translation by the English writer Sam Taylor.
'A compulsive page turner.'
A richly satisfying story...a hugely enjoyable ride.
Thriller of the Month
Michel Bussi's AFTER THE CRASH will keep you solidly gripped for its total duration. [The] provocative premise - and its aftermath in the present set in motion a truly compelling tale by the talented Michel Bussi, a writer who well knows exactly how to keep the reader turning page after page even when it's past time to turn out that bedside lamp.
...an original voice... he [Bussi] borrows elements from old-fashioned clue-puzzle mysteries to provide a breathtakingly suspenseful thriller.
A novel so extraordinary that it reminded me of reading Stieg Larsson for the very first time. Bussi's novel brings with it the same thrill of discovering a truly original voice.
It is one of the most remarkable books I've read in a long time; Bussi breaks every rule in the book, but I doubt I'll read a more brilliant crime novel this year.