Radical change of direction for the Grand Prix des Enquêteurs: one year after La Septième Diabolique by Adrienne Weick, a detective novel in the footsteps of Barbey d’Aurevilly, the jury crowned Days of Darkness by Alain Decker. A well-made noir novel set in San Diego, a city in which the author lived and studied for several years.
Patrick Baudot, former chief of staff of the criminal brigade and secretary of the prize, praised this successful first novel in which we follow two cops, Elvis Cochran and Alex Craddock, investigating several atrocious murders of young girls. Names that ring sweet to the ear of rock fans, a nod to Elvis Presley, Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent whose real name, as everyone knows, was Craddock! In this diabolical affair, there is no link between the victims other than the replica of a watch that belonged to aviator Lindbergh. The serial killer, who signs his crimes and constantly gives investigators clues linked to American history, plays with the police like a cat with a mouse. Until when?
Happy, the winner who runs a tourism trade school in Normandy thanked the jury. At 54, Alain Decker achieved the three goals he had set for himself in life: to travel around the world (it took him more than two years to get there), to run a marathon (he lost in two and completed two half-marathons!) and write and publish a book.
Royally received as every year by Guy Savoy, at 11 Quai de Conti, within the walls of the Monnaie de Paris, the jury for this Robert Laffont-Figaro Magazine prize is as impressive as ever. It is made up of former police officers such as Patrick Baudot, former chief of staff of the criminal brigade (who published his memories in October with Robert Laffont), Pierre-Louis Durand, former chief of staff at the DRPJ, Maryvonne Chapalain, former head of the BRB group, Alain Vasquez, former head of the Crim group, Mathieu Simoné, former head of the brigade for the repression of pimping, Olivier Marchal, who, before becoming an actor , the director, was an inspector at the SRPJ in Versailles (commissioner Niemans from the series The Purple Rivers was absent this year due to filming). We also find in this jury famous magistrates like Philippe Bilger and Janine Drai and lawyers like Maître Léon Lef Forster or Maître Julie Granier. But also men of science like Jean-Jacques Delemarle, head of the amphitheater of the Paris Forensic Institute, Rémi Costagliola di Polidori, forensic doctor or Patrice Georges-Zimmermann, archaeologist at Inrap. These men and women with rich careers are not stingy with tasty or disturbing anecdotes. But what is said by Master Savoy stays by Master Savoy!