The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group discussion

Michaela will be on hand while you read The Chalk Circle Man, the first in her series featuring Comissaire Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg and his quirky cast of supporting characters. As usual, there is a spoiler thread as well.


Happy reading!!

Started this yesterday afternoon. I'm enjoying the setting and unusual plot. It's a very quick read.

Love the series

I'm waiting for my reserve to come through from the library but I think I can start this around the 7th 🙂

Sorry I´m late. Welcome everyone! Will post something tomorrow, as I just got the book from my library.

I just finished this. I thought it was pretty good! That ending was definitely interesting.

I'm finding it as a very quick read and very interesting plot.

This looks interesting...just requested from the library and hope to have it in a few days!

I started this today and got until the murder. Reading it in German.

I had to get used to the style of writing and the crazyness of all the people, as it´s my first Vargas. It says on my edition that people loving Donna Leon will love this too. I don´t love her, but we´ll see! ;)

I finished the book today, and though it´s certainly original and well written, it´s not my cup of tea. I like to follow the detective´s thoughts and/or evidence.

Adamsberg is a dreamer and a man of instincts

About to begin chapter twelve.

All that description about Adamsberg: I have no clue what I’m supposed to know about him from all that description.

These articles go into his character a bit (read at your peril as spoilers might be contained)

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment...

https://www.thenational.ae/arts-cultu...

30 pages in...what a strange little book!

I’m not giving anything away by saying that a body is found in the circle, but not an item.

Why hasn’t our detective wondered about the item that was supposed to be in the blue chalk circle: what was it, and where is it?

This is a glaring omission, to me, by the police. Either the circle man put the woman in the circle as the item, or the killer replaced the item with the woman. If so, has the killer kept the item?

We´ve got a spoiler thread for this book too Patty, where we can discuss these topics freely. :)

Thanks CBRetriever for the links! Will have a look soon! :)

What I said goes with the synopsis of the story on the back of my book. I don’t think I gave anything away.

You didn't. Though I do think the answers to your questions do get addressed once everything is revealed and that could get into spoilers.

I know that. That’s why I didn’t go farther. I have since finished the book, and responded in the spoilers.

This is my second Fred Vargas and now I know why there was a gap of several years between readings. I struggled with the writing style and couldn’t really connect with the characters, especially Adamsberg who I think is meant to be interesting but just annoyed and bored me.

I read this back in 2016. It didn't blow me away and was sort of strange. Adamsberg was definitely a unique character. I've got a couple of other books in the series so I will eventually try them out.

It's got such a different feel. Every character is so quirky, and I'm still waffling between whether I am finding that enjoyable, or if it's just too much quirkiness, bordering on farce.

Really enjoyed this book and will continue to read in this series. I didn’t find that the last 1/3 of the book seemed like a different book but it did seem like “and now we do the grand reveal”. But l’m an Agatha Christie fan so obviously I don’t mind a grand reveal! Some very interesting characters in this book I hope they repeat in the sequels!

Just started this. I don't know if this is really the author or the translator that makes the writing /flow somewhat choppy. Have just read the first two chapters, one already knows that Adamsberg works from his gut.

Odd story.

I'm not going to go through the series very quickly, but I definitely liked this enough to come back to it. I ended up putting on some Michel Legrand and embracing the quirkiness. The French jazz from the 60s really added to the experience, so if you're not feeling the book, I'd recommend that as your background music.

Intriguing premise. An unusual cast of characters. Commissaire Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg is in charge, Inspector Adrien Danglard his second. Vargas splits the brain giving the intuitive and instinctual to Adamsberg and the reasoned and logical to Danglard.
The narrative moves swiftly enough to keep it interesting.
One issue: Adamsberg appears at a critical location without any indication as to how it came to be on his radar. He does state that the information was supplied by another character. If so, it was conveyed off-stage, depriving the reader of being able to include the information into their calculation--Don't care for that.
I may go back to see if I missed something, perhaps not.

Laurence wrote: "Intriguing premise. An unusual cast of characters. Commissaire Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg is in charge, Inspector Adrien Danglard his second. Vargas splits the brain giving the intuitive and instinctu..."

Laurence, are you referring to how (super spoiler, don't read this unless you are finished with the book) (view spoiler)[ he came to search the area of the woods where they find the real Clemence's body? I wondered that too at first before I realized that it was on the Chalk Circle Man's cottage property, where he advised the police that he would be. (hide spoiler)]

aPriL does feral sometimes wrote: "Odd story."

Indeed. I just loaned this to a friend with the warning that this is a really odd book, but give it a try :) Not for everyone, but, I ended up liking it quite a bit.

I like her The Three Evangelists series too

Lisa wrote: "Laurence wrote: "Intriguing premise. An unusual cast of characters. Commissaire Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg is in charge, Inspector Adrien Danglard his second. Vargas splits the brain giving the intuit..."


Exactly the point to which I was referring.
(view spoiler)[Le Nermord tells Adamsberg of his intent to retreat to a country house to avoid public exposure, but I do not recall that he was any more specific than that. I guess it is within reason for Vargas to expect the reader to accept that Adamsberg would have followed up on the cottage location. (hide spoiler)] But, yes Lisa this was precisely the thorn that stuck me when I bumped into it.

Laurence wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Laurence wrote: "Intriguing premise. An unusual cast of characters. Commissaire Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg is in charge, Inspector Adrien Danglard his second. Vargas splits the brain givi..."

(view spoiler)[ I had the notion that the police had addresses for both of his residences, considering that he was a murder suspect. But yes, it gave me pause as well. (hide spoiler)]

I read this book some time ago so the details are fuzzy but I know I enjoyed it and I've dipped into the series since then. They can be hard to find.

Just finished this and after a fitful beginning, I came to enjoy Vargas's writing & descriptions. Full of quirky characters that I warmed up over the course of the novel. Twist I didn't see coming, which is always a plus in a mystery for me. This series would probably not been on my radar without it getting selected for the group read. So thanks! Glad I had the time and access to the book to read.

I read this book and loved it. Especially the quirky characters. Hats off to a great ending.