Fairy Gunmother

Description

A gloriously comic tale of blunder and disguise, set in the vibrant Parisian quarter of Belleville. A policeman on a mission of mercy is shot dead at point-blank range by a sweet old granny on a frosty morning. The neighbourhood, Paris's bubbling Belleville quarter, is already in uproar because half a dozen other grannies have been found with their shrivelled throats slit. Into this tense situation stumbles Benjamin Malauss ne with an overly complicated life that includes his voluptuous red-haired girlfriend, Julie, and his smelly epileptic dog, Julius. Maniacally inventive - some have called it deranged - Pennac's creations in The Fairy Gunmother have achieved cult status all over Europe.

Daniel Pennac was born in Casablanca in 1944, his father being in the army. He travelled widely in his youth, in Europe, Asia and Africa, and has been employed in a number of capacities, including woodcutter, Paris cab driver, illustrator and schoolteacher. His "Belleville Quintet", written round the character of Benjamin Malauss ne, has been published in many languages.

"These are...classic page-turners, in which the loyalty and decency of ordinary (and not so ordinary) people contrive to vanquish villains and tyrants" -- Ruth Morse Times Literary Supplement "Already a bestseller in its native country, it deserves to be one here if there's any justice in the world of crime" -- Maxim Jakubowski Time Out "There is only profit and pleasure to be had in this wise, good-humoured, funny book" -- David Coward Times Literary Supplement "A crime novel in a class of its own, you'll laugh till you cry" -- Bertrand Audusse Le Monde