DownloadThe Portobello Bookshop Gift Guide 2024

The Chalk Circle Man

Fred Vargas author Siân Reynolds translator

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Vintage Publishing

Published:4th Feb '10

Should be back in stock very soon

The Chalk Circle Man cover

The Chalk Circle Man is the first book featuring Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg, one of the most engaging characters in contemporary detective fiction.

In spite of all this his colleagues are forced to admit that he is a born cop.

When strange blue chalk circles start appearing overnight on the pavements of Paris, only Adamsberg takes them - and the increasingly bizarre objects found within them - seriously.

Winner of The Crime Writers' Association Duncan Lawrie International Dagger

Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg is not like other policemen. His methods appear unorthodox in the extreme: he doesn't search for clues; he ignores obvious suspects and arrests people with cast-iron alibis; he appears permanently distracted. In spite of all this his colleagues are forced to admit that he is a born cop.

When strange blue chalk circles start appearing overnight on the pavements of Paris, only Adamsberg takes them - and the increasingly bizarre objects found within them - seriously. And when the body of a woman with her throat savagely cut is found in one, only Adamsberg realises that other murders will soon follow…

‘The hottest property in contemporary crime fiction’ Guardian

Rich and witty * Independent *
She wants to surprise, unsettle, frustrate and amuse - and succeeds in writing a gripping novel that takes readers out of their comfort zones * The Scotsman *
The hottest property in contemporary crime fiction * Guardian *
The novel shows Vargas in riveting form right from the start of her writing career * The Times *
Witty, inventive and vaguely surreal, this novel should win over the most diehard crime fiction fans -- Melissa McClemets * Financial Times *

  • Winner of CWA International Dagger 2009

ISBN: 9780099488972

Dimensions: 198mm x 129mm x 16mm

Weight: 181g

256 pages