About the Author

Olivier Barde-Cabucon is a French author and the creator of The Inspector of Strange and Unusual Deaths, who has featured in seven bestselling historical mysteries so far. The Inspector of Strange and Unusual Deaths (previously titled Casanova and the Faceless Woman) won the Prix Sang d'Encre for crime fiction in 2012 and is the first of the series
to be translated into English.

Reviews

A splendid mystery with an appealingly enigmatic protagonist, plenty of melodrama and intrigue, and a vivid, pungent evocation of a turbulent time
*Guardian*

An entertaining introduction to the series... Barde-Cabuçon not only produces a satisfying mystery story but also successfully captures the febrile atmosphere of a society where the ancien régime is under threat from the emerging ideas of the Enlightenment
*Sunday Times*

A racy historical mystery with real style, dash and brilliance... The inspector and Casanova carry the riveting story to an unexpected conclusion ... Keeps the suspense at maximum level to the end
*Crime Reviews*

A compelling thriller set in pre-revolutionary France with engaging characters that you are never entirely sure if you can trust - a CUB must read!
*CUB Magazine*

Rich with historical detail and macabre atmosphere, Casanova and the Faceless Woman is a story full of intrigue and secret societies
*Culturefly*

Fans of Sherlock Holmes-esque mysteries will be enraptured with this historical crime thriller set in pre-Revolutionary France
*France Magazine*

The author makes use of a singular alchemy to blend the scheming and plotting of days past with contemporary concerns.
*NVO*

The Inspector and Casanova carry the plot to its unexpected conclusion with dash and brilliance.... The suspense holds up until the end... With this faceless woman Olivier Barde-Cabuçon has masterfully added another string to Casanova's bow
*Page*

A heretic monk, a fortune teller, a secret society and petticoats, this is a historical mystery with style
*Le Point*

Behind the numerous plot twists you can sense the turning points of history, when alchemy becomes science, when philosophers start to oppose the church, when liberty and free-will are valued for the first time. We eagerly await the next instalment
*Alibi*

A series to follow
*Memoire des arts*

Secret societies, political shenanigans, and murder most foul... A great mystery with lots of vividly drawn characters... A highly imaginative and engaging romp through history
*Liz Loves Books (blog)*

Zut alors, what a brilliant read... the strength of the characterisation, the incredibly visual description and scene setting, and the wealth of historical detail just makes this book shine. I am delighted to see that that there a host of further books in this series, as I think that Monsieur Barde-Cabucon has just accrued another devotee. Highly recommended
*Raven Crime Reads*

I would love to see more of the Inspector of Strange and Unexplained Deaths.
*She Reads Novels*

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel... I would love to read more in the series.
*Bookbloggerish*