Louis Kehlweiler knows something is wrong. He has a naturally inquisitive mind and he is predisposed to finding everyday things interesting. But since he got sacked from the Ministry he has trouble being taken seriously. He is seen as someone who simply lets his mind wander and who allows his imagination to play tricks on him.

He’s an eccentric who regularly talks to the toad he carries around in his pocket. He has people watching the interesting corners of Paris: someone keeps an eye on a right-wing torturer for him, while another follows the movements of dogs. He obsessively looks for patterns in the behaviour of people and creatures.

So it’s incredibly frustrating when Kehlweiler is convinced a murder has been committed… and no one believes him. In addition, there’s not much evidence of mishap to go on either.

‘Dog Will Have His Day’ tells the story of the crime that drives Kehlweiler mad. Fred Vargas takes us from the cultural hub of Paris to the little fishing village of Port Nicolas, where Kehlweiler is as much a stranger as we are. No one gives him any straight answers and it seems that everyone has something to hide.

It’s an absorbing  story with colourful, humorous characters. I don’t want to give any more of the plot away, but I think you’ll want to get to the bottom of the crime as much as Kehlweiler does, if not more!

★★★☆☆

‘Dog Will Have His Day’ by Fred Vargas was published on 17th April 2014 by Harvill Secker, £14.99.

My copy of ‘Dog Will Have His Day’ was kindly sent to me (on my request) to review.