Black Water Lilies: A Novel [Paperback]

From the author of the wonderfully ingenious (Marilyn Stasio,The New York Times Book Review) novelAfter the Crash, a thrilling tale of a murder that takes place in Claude Monet's garden and the mystery that surrounds it.

Giverny, France. During the day, the town is the home of the famous artist Claude Monet and the gardens where he painted hisWater Lilies. But once the tourists have gone, there is a darker side to the peaceful French village.

This is the story of thirteen days that begin with one murder and end with another. J?r?me Morval, a man whose passion for art was matched only by his passion for women, has been found dead in the stream that runs through the gardens. In his pocket is a postcard of Monet'sWater Lilieswith the words:Eleven years old. Happy Birthday.

Entangled in the mystery are three women: a young painting prodigy, the seductive village schoolteacher, and an old widow who watches over the village from a mill by the stream. All three of them share a secret. But what do they know about the discovery of J?r?me Morval's corpse? And what is the connection to the mysterious, rumored painting ofBlack Water Lilies?Michel Bussiis the author ofBlack Water LiliesandAfter the Crashand is one of France's most celebrated crime authors. The winner of more than 15 major literary awards, he is a professor of geography at the University of Rouen and a political commentator. Bussi's portrait of the difficulties of investigating a closed communityis fascinating, and the novel ends with one of the most reverberatingshocks in modern crime fiction. The Sunday Times (UK)
[A] dazzling, unexpected, and haunting masterpiece. The Daily Mail (UK)
Murder always seems especially appalling against a beautiful backdrop,which is why Michel Bussi's novel begins to strikingly.... A good dealof eccentric Gallic charm. lóå