Back Up

by Paul Colize, Louise Rogers Lalaurie (Translator)

Overview

Berlin, 1967: four members of the British rock band Pearl Harbor die at the same time but in separate locations. Inexplicably, the police conclude natural causes are to blame.

Brussels, 2010: A homeless man is hit by a car outside the Gare du Midi, leaving him with locked-in syndrome, able to communicate (sometimes) by blinking.

An Irish journalist's interest is piqued. How did the members of Pearl Harbor die, and how is this linked to the homeless man in Brussels?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781786071101
Publisher:	Oneworld Publications
Publication date:	03/13/2018
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Paul Colize is a Belgian novelist who was born in Brussels in 1953. Back Up won the de Saint-Maur Grand Prix and was a finalist in the Prix Victor-Rossel. He lives in Waterloo, Belgium.

Louise Rogers Lalaurie translates fiction and literary non-fiction from French. Her translation of Gabrielle Wittkop’s novella Murder Most Serene was shortlisted for the 2016 Best Translated Book Award.

Editorial Reviews

01/15/2018
Belgian author Colize’s intricate crime novel takes a while to pull the reader into its rhythm, but it’s worth the wait. One plot thread begins with the 1967 deaths of all four members of Pearl Harbor, a British rock band, at the same time but in different locations. Oddly, the police attribute all the deaths to natural causes. Another starts with a car accident involving a nameless victim in Brussels in 2010. The Pearl Harbor story line and the related first-person narrative provide a window into the excitement engendered by the earliest days of a musical revolution, creating a living history of how the music shaped a culture that included drugs and sex along with rock and roll. The later narrative unravels the mystery of the earlier one, revealing a dark and well-orchestrated (and sometimes far-fetched) scheme in which the only winners may be those with secrets to keep. Those interested in last century’s European rock scene will be enthralled. Agent: Pierre Astier, Astier-Pécher Literary & Film Agency (France). (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

'An impeccable tale of posthumous detection encompassing a loving look into the minutiae of rock and the atmosphere and background of some of its golden years. Add to that an exemplary mystery plot and you have a potent combination.'

Crime Time

'A vivid and clever story that takes us back to the musical scene swinging Sixties, but has a deeper plot at its heart. Highly recommended.'

Promoting Crime

'The rock-and-roll aesthetic of the plot kerrangs through the swift and exciting prose.'

World Literature Today

'A dark and disturbing thriller.'

Mystery & Detective Agency

'The crime story...takes on fearsome proportions of international scope...the implications are indeed chilling.'

Crime Review

'A wonderful thriller... I have no qualms about recommending this book to anyone.'

Editor's Choice Historical Novel Society

'A masterpiece.'

author of After the Crash Michel Bussi

02/15/2018
In the space of a few days in March 1967, the four members of Pearl Harbor, a British band based in West Berlin, die separately in mysterious circumstances. The police close each case, ruling out homicide. But the victims' families contact a Belfast journalist to investigate further. Flash forward to 2010—a man without identification (referred to in the hospital as X Midi) is hit by a car in Brussels and left with locked-in syndrome. A charismatic physical therapist breaks through to the man, gains his trust, and helps him develop a method of communication by blinking, whereby the man tells his role in the story. Moving back and forth among multiple perspectives and time periods, this engrossing mystery starts somewhat slowly but lives up to its promising setup, as each main character excavates a crucial piece of the puzzle. X Midi's recollections are heartbreaking and somewhat erratic, going from 1950s Brussels to Paris to swinging London at the height of Beatlemania and West Berlin, where many struggling bands played to bored GIs. Rock and roll itself is a notable character, as exemplified in X Midi's love of Chuck Berry and his experiences in the 1960s music scene. VERDICT This best-selling Belgian thriller, which was short-listed for two literary awards, is a treat for fans of dark mysteries and unreliable narrators.—Julie Elliott, Indiana Univ. Lib., South Bend

Library Journal

Read More