Novel / Adventure

Despite having studied in the United States and become a brilliant anesthesiologist at a major San Francisco hospital, Neel cannot escape an arranged marriage, a nearly immutable tradition in India. During a brief trip to visit his family, the trap is sprung, and he finds himself bound to Leila, whom he has only met once. Certainly, she is beautiful, gentle, cultured, and intelligent, but he doesn't want her. He much prefers his fiery Californian mistress. What he doesn't know is that Leila will bide her time and, quietly, without drama or scenes, will have many surprises in store for her husband.
With this debut novel, Anne Cherian offers a surprising perspective on arranged marriages and presents us, between East and West, with a love story like a breath of fresh air.

In the heart of Ouranos, a futuristic and polluted megalopolis where the air has become unbreathable, Soann is entrusted with a mission of the utmost importance. Chosen to validate the introduction of a plant from elsewhere that could revive the suffocating city, the young woman finds herself accused of a crime she didn't commit and becomes the scapegoat in a political conspiracy. Determined to fight back, a chase ensues, during which Soann has an unexpected and life-changing encounter with the beautiful and enigmatic Aléna. While everything seems to separate the two young women and their worlds, they will have to unite in their quest for the truth. By defying the interests of the state, will Soann be able to save the planet's ecological future and protect those she loves?

During World War II, in the heart of the Thai jungle, the Japanese put thousands of English prisoners to work to build the Bangkok-Rangoon railway.
A living symbol of British tradition, Colonel Nicholson stoically resists the orders and abuses of his captors until they finally agree to respect international conventions on prisoners of war. He puts his talents as a builder and leader of men to work constructing a bridge of vital strategic importance for the River Kwai. But British intelligence has decided to do everything in its power to thwart this project. On the eve of the railway's inauguration, a sabotage commando is parachuted near the bridge. Who will emerge victorious from this struggle where the human ideal of "a job well done" clashes with patriotism?
Part adventure novel, part philosophical tale, this remarkably truthful work is considered one of the "classics" of our time. It inspired one of the greatest cinematic successes, directed by David Lean in 1957.

Twelve-year-old Steven Lamb digs in the earth around the village of Exmoor every day after school, hoping to find the body of his uncle, who disappeared years ago at the age of eleven. The most likely explanation is that he fell into the clutches of the infamous serial killer Arnold Avery, now behind bars. This obsession is a burden he inherited from his mother and grandmother, who have never recovered from this tragedy. And to bring them joy, Steven wants to bring them the body so they can finally grieve. However, despite his tireless searching throughout the region, he finds nothing. He then opts for another solution: contacting the killer. Gradually, he establishes a coded correspondence with him to avoid being intercepted by prison staff. Steven has no idea what a dangerous trap he has just set for himself. Because Arnold isn't just crazy and deranged to the extreme; he's also a gambler and has been bored in his cell for far too long. Thus begins a game that threatens to become deadly for Steven!

Exmoor National Park, England.
A teenage girl, left alone in her father's car while he went hunting in the moors, is kidnapped. A note placed on the steering wheel sounds like an accusation: "You don't love her."
Soon, around the small town of Shipcott, the scenario was repeating itself relentlessly. Children, left unattended for a few minutes in a vehicle, were kidnapped. The only clue: the same message from the culprit. No claim of responsibility, no ransom demand, no hope.
The police seem powerless. Every passing day diminishes the chances of finding the children alive, and panic grips the community. Especially since some have good reason to believe that police officer Jonas Holly, with his troubled past, is the last person who can be trusted…

Corpses don't talk, or so they say. Yet in the autopsy room, corpse number 19 has things to say… That day, Patrick Fort, an anatomy student with Asperger's syndrome, must determine the cause of a man's death. But the body lying on the dissection table is about to reveal a story quite different from the medical examiner's official conclusions. Patrick is passionate, obsessive; he wants to understand. But as he tries to unearth a truth that some are determined to hide, he digs up numerous secrets and lies, some of which concern him personally…

Wall Street, the temple of financial speculation: no one knows its mafia-like underbelly, its scandalous secrets, and its enormous scams better than Jordan Belfort. Nicknamed, not so long ago, the Wolf of Wall Street, he had become one of the richest men in New York. Yet the FBI took an interest in him and arrested him. With a keen sense of narrative and rhythm, Belfort recounts his tragicomic story, from his beginnings as a trader to his downfall, mentioning along the way his decadent parties and drug abuse of all kinds. A rock star's life. By its very excess, this autobiography of the most demented of financial sharks will remain in the annals of history.

Where can we find meaning in existence? By believing in eternal life won at the price of a well-ordered hope? By exploring the whole map of different spiritual traditions? Alexis Jenni suggests instead that we realize that everything is already there, beneath our feet, in the fluid walk of a body in motion carried by its desire, guided by its taste.
In this vibrant essay, nourished by a late-life rediscovery of Christian faith, Alexis Jenni blends profound reflection with accounts of experiences where meaning emerges from a detail. He seeks the beyond on the firm ground of our senses. For such is the meaning of the verb "to believe," such is its effect, when it is combined with our five senses. To believe is not to know, it is to feel (to see, to hear, to smell, to taste, and to touch). It is also to experience each moment more intensely, it is also to love. The beloved face will thus be the place where he grasps this vivid presence, when the path that leads to oneself is the one that connects to another.

A post office in Glasgow, a week before Christmas. Martin Pavel lies on the floor, his eyes fixed on those of a terrified little boy. Above them, a masked man, Kalashnikov in hand, watches the boy's grandfather, who has volunteered to collect the money. Once the collection is complete, the old man stands motionless, waiting to be blown to bits by a hail of bullets.
Having recently returned from maternity leave, Detective Inspector Alex Morrow takes charge of the investigation. Why did the grandfather help the killer?
Was it a moment of madness, an act of sacrifice, or did the killer know him?
Her investigation leads her to the door of Kenny Gallagher, a politician on the ropes who is fighting to save his political future – and his marriage – after being accused of sleeping with a party staffer.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Morrow, two of his young colleagues find themselves at the mercy of a blackmailer after succumbing to temptation…
One city, three crimes, and tenuous links between the world of crime and the international sphere of the ultra-rich.