Debout deaths is a Romance of the French écrivaine Fred Vargas, published in 1995.

This fourth novel obtains the price of the Whodunnit of the city of Mans, before being crowned by the Mystère price of criticism in 1996.

Summary

One morning, the professional singer Sophia Siméonidis discovers, in her garden, a tree that it forever considering before. Who could well plant this tree… The gardener? A possible admiror? Does the tree, which could be a beech, have a significance symbolic system? No index lets suppose its source.

If the professional singer worries, her husband remains indifferent. It thus decides to approach its somewhat atypical neighbors, so that they check what the roots of the tree hide. They are carried out, but do not discover anything.

One day, Sophia disappears. Pierre, her husband, does not have a concern, it thinks that it left to join Steylos, his former lover. However Juliette worries: intimate friend of Sophia, it does not have any more any news.

A calcined body is discovered; only a small basalt stone connects it to the professional singer.

Arrive Alexandra, her niece, who has very to gain death of her aunt. Its absence of alibi the place into principal suspect.

Disturbed by this enigma and convinced of the innocence of Alexandra, the neighbors inquire…

Characters

It is in this novel that “the Evangelists” accompanied by the Vandoosler godfather appear for the first time. They live each one one of the floors of the house very rotted (but chronologically laminated) of the street Chasle, in Paris.

They will reappear but as supporting characters in other novels of Fred Vargas, as Pars quickly and return late.

• Marc Vandoosler, known as " Marc" saint; : it is Médiéviste. Of intermediate size, excessively mean, with an angular body and face, thin and long hands, it has black and stiff hair. Elegant, it carries four large silver rings of African and Carolingian origin. It is equipped in black and carries a silver belt a little clinquante. It has been proud, gracile, defaitist, pessimist, a little austere, “in the shit” for 2 years, divorced, with unemployment. It gives an impression of great intelligence. He appreciated much Sophia, the missing professional singer. At the end of the novel, one can think that it is in love with the niece of the latter.

• Mathias Delamarre, known as " Matthieu" saint; : prototype of the hunter-gatherer, he is historian specialist in the Préhistoire. It has fair hair incoiffables, blue eyes, large hands. It carries leather sandals, likes to walk naked. It is very intelligent, quiet, has neither work, nor woman. It however wishes Juliette, and that the disorder much.
• Lucien Devernois, known as " Luc" saint; : he is historian of the Great War, a " contemporanéiste". The pale cheeks, the wick of brown hair falling down unceasingly on the eyes, it always has the tightened tie, the gray jacket and the well-worn but English leather shoes. It is very talkative.
• Armand Vandoosler : he is the godfather and the uncle of Marc. 68 years, being held high right and, supervises and observes much, likes to say its opinion, is intelligent, shining, of a degraded beauty, frank lines, a busqué nose. Irregular lips, the triangular eye, the tempting glance. Belonged to the drug squad but was returned because it helped a criminal to escape.
• Supporting characters :
• Sophia Siméonidis, professional singer, Greek origin
• Pierre, husband of Sophia
• Juliette, neighbor and friend of Sophia
• Alexandra, niece of Sophia
• the inspector Leguennec
• Georges, brother of Juliette
• Christophe Dompierre

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