Black Water Lilies
Ratings4
Average rating3.5
15
Ratings4
Average rating3.5
From the author of the "wonderfully ingenious" (Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review) novel After 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 his Water 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. Jérôme 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's Water Lilies with 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 Jérôme Morval's corpse? And what is the connection to the mysterious, rumored painting of Black Water Lilies?
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Maaan this book hurt me. I have much to say and much to vent - so many spoilers incoming!
Okay maybe I'm in the minority with this but I actually enjoyed the romance between Laurenç and Stéphanie. Maybe I'm just a sucker for love but I thought it was cute. Yes, ridiculous at times, but still enjoyable. The dynamic between Laurenç and Sylvio was also endearing. The laid back inspector with the straight-laced deputy: opposites attract, warming up to one another, you get the idea. The banter between them was humorous and I liked how they become quite the dynamic duo. BUT when we start getting to the end I have major beef.
Spoiler
So all throughout the book, Laurenç is convinced that Stéphanie is in danger, that she is crying out for help, that he must protect her, that Jacques is the murderer. When we finally get to the climax, Jacques threatens Laurenç at gunpoint, telling him to leave a farewell note for Stéphanie and leave Giverny forever. Oh and by the by, he shoots Neptune!!! Yet THAT'S when Laurenç decides to skedaddle?!?! THAT'S when he decides to abandon the investigation?! What? He now knows for sure that Jacques is an ultra-possessive, blackmailing, dog-shooting, certified psycho and yet he leaves Stéphanie behind with him while she's none the wiser? Why not just pretend to leave and come back? Are you not a cop? I know Jacques said he would kill Stéphanie and himself if Laurenç made any moves but really? There wasn't a single thing that could've been done to extricate Stéphanie from the situation? All the blood sweat and tears put into the investigation with Sylvio just to be like, nah bro, we done. Huh??? It felt oddly anticlimactic that Laurenç gave up so easily. Seemingly without much of a fight at all. And so tragically, Stéphanie is destined to spend the next forty some years with whack-job Jacques while she has no idea that he's actually a homicidal, controlling maniac.
I suppose it's one of those things where you have to suspend your belief for the story. There's quite a few things like that throughout the book, but the aforementioned was the most blatant for me. I will say, I didn't dislike the twist: the three separate timelines, the three women being the same person. I thought it was clever writing, even if I did sort of see it coming. And it was actually fun rereading parts of the book knowing the ending, and being able to garner the new meaning from the passages.
Look, I'm glad they got their reunion in the end and that presumably, Stéphanie will finally get to leave Giverny. She did say in the very beginning of the book, after all, that only one of them will get to leave.
Now, I know what you're thinking dear reader: Why the hell are you still giving this book 4 stars?? Well what can I say, I can't stop thinking about it. It's frustrating, and heartbreaking, and powerful. Despite all the frustrations, it's still a moving piece of work. Like I said at the beginning, this book hurt me. I think I knew fairly quickly into the read that it would hurt me. But that is the point of these stories; to be soul-stirring and dramatic and thrilling. Now on to some lighthearted reading to give my soul some rest!
