Three Days and a Life by Pierre Lemaitre | Review

Three Days and a Life by Pierre Lemaitre
Publisher: MacLehose Press
Release Date: November 7, 2017
Length: 208 pages
Buy on Amazon

{A Bit of Backstory}

Single Sentence Summary

How high a price would you pay to get away with murder?

From the Publisher

“In 1999, in the small provincial town of Beauval, France, twelve-year-old Antoine Courtin accidentally kills a young neighbor boy in the woods near his home. Panicked, he conceals the body and to his relief–and ongoing shame–he is never suspected of any connection to the child’s disappearance.”

The Draw

• Lemaitre is a French author with many books to his credit and I thought it was time to try him.
• The idea of buried secrets and a childhood crime resurfacing years later was very appealing.
• It’s short!

{My Thoughts}

What Worked For Me

An Unlikely Killer – Twelve-year-old Antoine proved to be a most unusual killer. He acted on impulse, striking out in grief and anger never intending to kill his young neighbor, but he did. From the moment it happens, Antoine was racked with grief, remorse and above all fear. He did not want to leave his single mother alone or go to jail. So, Antoine covered up his crime and lived with his guilt.

“He is overcome by the sheer scale of the tragedy. In a few fleeting seconds, his whole life has changed course. He is a murderer.

These two thoughts seem irreconcilable, it seems impossible to be twelve years old and a murderer…..

The wave of grief crashing over him is terrifying.”

Antoine had to go on to watch the parents of his victim fall apart as days passed and their son wasn’t found. Antoine was sick with fear and regret, very nearly turning himself in, but he didn’t.

Catastrophes – In three short days the small town of Beauval was hit with three major catastrophes, the first being the disappearance of young Remi. With the town on high alert and searches ongoing, two other catastrophes strike in rapid succession leaving the town with much more to focus on than a missing boy. At a glance this trio of events may seem unlikely, but Lemaitre, built them in such a way that it was entirely believable. The last two save Antoine or did they?

Dual Timeline – I loved when the story moved from Antoine in 1999 to Antoine in 2011. Still holding onto his guilt, Antoine had escaped Beauval and was just finishing medical school. Engaged to be married, Antoine was on the brink of having it all. A short visit home, and another poor choice changed all that. From there the story moved to 2015, where the reader meets Antoine one last time. I guessed the ending in part, but still found the final twist very satisfying.

What Didn’t

The Killing Itself – To me the actual killing of Remi and the hiding of his body seemed so unlikely, but it was something I was quickly able to overlook.

Out of Balance – I’d have liked to see a little more balance between the two parts of Antoine’s story. The three days around the murder took up 65% of the book and sometimes felt a little repetitive. I’d have liked to see a little more of Antoine as an adult and how he had managed to stave his guilt for so long. I also thought that a couple of Antoine’s adult choices seemed unwise and perhaps a little more background would have helped me to better understand those adult decisions.

{The Final Assessment}

Three Days and a Life was a fun, fast suspense novel that I very much enjoyed. I would definitely read more books by Pierre Lemaitre who is known for getting into the minds of killers. That’s exactly what he did with young Antoine, leaving the reader with a killer you couldn’t help but care about. Grade: B

If you liked this book you might also enjoy:

• Based on a True Story by Delphine de Vigan – A very different take on a suspense novel from another prominent French writer. (my review)
• Loner by Teddy Wayne – An odd boy, unused to having friends, blossoms in college until the girl loves, doesn’t care anymore. (my review)
• If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio – Seven young acting students are the best of friends until one is found dead and another is charged with the murder. (my review)

Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.

Disclosure: There are Amazon Associate links included within this post.