Run fast! Slow back

Author: Fred Varga
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features: Licensed in 25 countries, winner of the Best Detective Novel Award in French-speaking countries, European Young Readers Award, upcoming film adaptation of the same name. Varga is a mystery, with readership almost unprecedented. – Le Monde This renowned detective novelist has a keen sense and extremely rich imagination. – Le Figaro The novel is meticulously crafted like a diamond. – Libération Varga gives us a lesson in philosophy and literature. – French L'Express magazine Varga's new work may be her most perfect to date. – L'Observateur
In 21st-century Paris, strange four-letter symbols appeared on the doors of many buildings in the city. Subsequently, one after another, men and women died mysteriously, their bodies turning black and covered in fleas, reminiscent of the Black Death – plague – that ravaged the world centuries ago and claimed millions of lives. Panic gripped Paris, people lived in fear, the media stirred up trouble, and the police were overwhelmed. Eventually, through expert investigation, it was discovered that the four-letter signature CLT was an abbreviation of the medieval saying "Flee! Return Slowly" aimed at combating the plague.
A detective who solves cases by intuition draws inspiration from a ring, with the help of a brilliant psychologist and a quirky historian, and apprehends the person spreading the plague, unraveling a Christophe Lambert-style revenge case. However, the real is still lurking in the shadows.
Through the unfolding of events and an analysis of the motives behind the crimes, the novel reveals certain weaknesses of human nature, pointing out that the indifference and selfishness of modern society lead to loneliness, which can easily drive people to and madness, making modern civilization vulnerable to destruction by irrational fanatics.
This is the masterpiece of Fred Varga, a renowned French detective novelist known as the "Queen of French Detective Fiction," who has won numerous international awards. It has been translated into over 20 languages and published in more than 50 countries worldwide. A film adaptation based on this book is set to be released by French film company Gaumont.