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Dominique Manotti's ROUGH TRADE is told in a rather bizarre not quite stream of consciousness style that must have been a nightmare for translators Margaret Crosland and Elfreda Powell. Tenses swap, point of view floats, and you're not not always quite sure if characters are speaking or simply thinking. But hey, it really works. Supt Theo Daquin is handsome rugby player with a nice house and a taste for good food and strong coffee (well, this is Paris -- everything stops for a decent lunch). He's an openly gay cop who will bed anything that moves, but definitely prefers the boys! ROUGH TRADE'S story could come from the pages of the newspapers -- drugs, the murder of a prostitute, and Turkish workers wanting immigration rights all tussle for centre stage. This isn't the 21st century, though . . . the story is told across the space of about a month in 1980, with a fast forward 15 years for a short epilogue. Oh, and amidst all this there's a Turkish assassin, Ali Agca, who is wandering round. And Daquin has the full story, thanks to informer Solemain, who is warming his bed. The other cops more or less take a back seat to Daquin, but it's not a terribly complimentary view of French police, who seem to do just what they like in pursuit of the villains. In fact, it's a bleak portrayal both of Paris and of French policing. ROUGH TRADE is told chronologically. If you can get used to the distant, dispassionate style -- noir at its absolute finest -- this is one hell of a book. I read it in one sitting and immediately grabbed the second in the series, DEAD HORSEMEAT, which will be reviewed here shortly. Daquin won't be everyone's favourite character. He's ruthless, willing to bend the rules and a bit too free with his fists where suspects are concerned. But these are offset by his unswerving pursuit of justice and his bone-dry humour. I liked him loads and was impatient when he was offstage. Manotti's portrayal of Daquin reminded me somewhat of Joseph Hansen's Dave Brandstetter in that he is a man doing his job and who just happens to be gay. But I must admit I would have expected a touch more comment and/or homophobia in 1980 France. ROUGH TRADE is an unusual, gripping and challenging read. I loved it from first to last and suspect strongly it will be one of my books of the year.
Reviewed by Sharon Wheeler, April 2006
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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