DIRTY Nazutti

With his second novel (after "Love me Casanova"), Antoine Chainas plunges us into the depths of the human soul and in the shallows of sexual deviancy ...
And the reader will not come out unscathed from this chaotic journey, between fascination and repulsion ...

With "Versus" the author thus portrays Nazutti, a cop Brigade protection of minors, at the intersection of Dirty Harry Clint Eastwood (as Dirty Harry, he hates everyone and applies its own design of Justice) and Vic MACKEY of "The Shield" (for the fall of a cop plagued by his job).
And this portrait leads the reader into the darkest corners and most disturbing of the human soul, following the drift of this cop is a block of hate and rage, a concentrate of all the hatred and all the prejudices fools of our company ...
A character uncompromising, disturbing and unhealthy, and therefore difficult or impossible to love ... and yet manages to make Chainas focusing in also focusing on its shortcomings (see the reunion cop with his daughter, relationship with Rose ...).
Without judging it or apologize Chainas thus managed to bring a touch of humanity, finally concourrant to make the character of Nazutti even more disturbing ...

Beyond the main character, Chainas not forget for all the detective story (even if it is only a pretext) and, again, takes us to the other side of the mirror ... There, where sex is primitive, wild and perverse ...
In his descriptions of deviance (fully documented), the author alongside the dark and sordid, but it never yields to ease and so manages not to sink his story into voyeurism or gratuity.
Chainas therefore seeks to highlight a company in distress, immoral, soulless, where the individual is disembodied and apathetic, the source of his own downfall ...
Nazutti finally being only a reflection of that civilization in decay and the edge of chaos ...

With a stylized writing, visceral and vivid, Chainas mastered the course of the story and also shows comfortable with slang and philosophical digressions with psychological depth.
However, some will be put off, see disgusted by the darkness and the rawness of the subject.
Indeed, "Versus" is a work of hard-line claiming an intellectual approach and a genuine commitment to the reader. It had the effect of directly in the face, which, in any event, can not be ignored ...
Whether you love or you hate ...

In summary: Chainas offers a powerful thriller with a power and a rare originality ... which is also a real literary experience ...
"Versus" is therefore part of his rare works that really marked and lasting impression ...
The shadow of Nazutti continues to haunt the reader long and well beyond the last page ...

Signed Cedric "DvdMan"