At long last, the hazy, unfathomable Commissioner Adamsberg is back, accompanied by his team—a group of whimsical and disarming characters.  This time, he tries to get to the bottom of a group of murders committed by a mysterious killer who marks his victims with a cryptic symbol: a drawing of a guillotine.  What links the victims?  Bringing the reader along for a torturous investigation at the boundary of fantasy and madness, Adamsberg takes us to the barren landscape of a magical island and brings us back through the terrible, imperishable footsteps of Robespierre.

With unforgettable characters, cutting dialogue, and a tense, occasionally surreal atmosphere, Fred Vargas spins tales that are easily devoured in one sitting.

Temps Glaciaires, a novel by Fred Vargas, Flammarion, 2015 

François-Xavier Schmit

When he was a child, François-Xavier always kept a book in the pocket of his jeans. However, for the first decade of his working life, he put his love of books aside to embark on a successful career in human resources. At age 34, deciding that life was too short not enjoy every moment of it, François-Xavier quit his position, moved to Toulouse, and opened his own bookstore. Six years later, while L'Autre Rive was thriving in the Pink city, François-Xavier heard that the French Embassy was looking for someone to run a future bookshop, and he moved to New York in August of 2013. The fine selection of books on display at Albertine is a reflection of his hard work.

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