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Chalk-Circle Man
Chalk-Circle Man | Fred Vargas
The debut mystery in the internationally bestselling Commissaire Adamsberg series-now available for the first time in the United States Fred Vargas 's Commissaire Adamsberg mysteries are a sensation in France, consistently praised for their intelligence, wit, and macabre imagination. This first novel in the series introduces the unorthodox detective Commissaire Adamsberg-one of the most engaging characters in contemporary crime fiction. When blue chalk circles begin to appear on the pavement in neighborhoods around Paris, Adamsberg is alone in thinking that they are far from amusing. As he studies each new circle and the increasingly bizarre objects they contain-empty beer cans, four trombones, a pigeon's foot, a doll's head-he senses the cruelty that lies within whoever is responsible. And when a circle is discovered with decidedly less banal contents-a woman with her throat slashed-Adamsberg knows that this is just the beginning.
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review
akfreeborn
Chalk-Circle Man | Fred Vargas
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Pickpick

My reading while my son had a surgical procedure today. Very clever plot. The first in the popular French series. I enjoyed it but translation was a bit clumsy in spots- maybe that is intentional. I would read another in this series!

Jas16 Wishing your son a speedy recovery. 2y
16 likes1 comment
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gradcat
Chalk-Circle Man | Fred Vargas
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1. Cat sleeping on my lap next to blue pencil bag 😽
2. Seven 🕖
3. I love white chocolate, but I don‘t think it‘s actually chocolate 🍫
4. This is embarrassing, because it‘s probably been over two years! 😱 I cut my own, ha ha 💇🏻‍♀️
5. I DID recommend “The Chalk-Circle Man,” only a couple or three days ago 📖 😄. I just haven‘t finished another book yet.
@MinDea
#HumpDayPost
Omigod, took me 3 times to get this right!

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gradcat
Chalk-Circle Man | Fred Vargas
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I LOVED this book! It is a better-than-average mystery story, replete with fully drawn, quirky characters. Commissaire Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg is our hero, but he‘s not exactly action-oriented, unless one takes into account the long solo walks he takes to aid his thinking. In fact, outward appearances would suggest the Adamsberg is quite idle, but woe to the villain who misunderstands the man. His methods for solving murders (cont.)

gradcat (cont.) consist mostly of letting people talk while he listens, contributing almost nothing, and latching on to the slightest pieces of evidence. The beauty of the Commissaire is that he is surrounded by intriguing personalities, thus giving the reader a variety of characters to consider for the actual bad deed. Maybe this isn‘t for folks who love action, but the mystery story is great. 5y
gradcat Oh! And that‘s me finished with #13in3! Thanks @Samplergal! 5y
tournevis Fred Vargas is @writerlibrarian 's favourite author! 5y
See All 6 Comments
writerlibrarian It is indeed my favourite author. I have one book of her in that series, the latest one that I keep to read until the new one is published. I just love her. (edited) 5y
gradcat @writerlibrarian I‘m contemplating buying her second one right now, but it‘s slightly confusing: Amazon has a different book order than Wiki does. I suppose I should follow Wiki because they list them by original French publication date? (edited) 5y
andrew61 I have the third one due to read, i think because im not sure what order they are chronologically as some seem to be translated earlier. Anyway i loved the character so will dig it out soon now you've reminded me. 5y
83 likes4 stack adds6 comments
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gradcat
Chalk-Circle Man | Fred Vargas
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Down to my last couple of hours in #13in3...will finish two from start-to-finish, and will finish up a third book—woo hoo! @Samplergal

Samplergal Excellent!! 5y
71 likes1 comment
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Suelizbeth
The Chalk Circle Man | Fred Vargas
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Pickpick

I had never heard of this author. I received this book from The Foxed Box, a curated subscription box. This book is translated from the French and is the first in the Commissaire Adamsberg series and I am completely captivated. The characters are human and intelligent and flawed, the mystery original and intricate and twisty. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

58 likes1 stack add
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mhillis
Chalk-Circle Man | Fred Vargas
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The Chalk Circle Man is a book in a mystery series by Fred Vargas. Commissaire Adamsberg, who is based in Paris, is on the case. I‘ve been meaning to read these for years and I already have a copy of one in French🇫🇷 #paris #augustisatrip

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 🙌🏻👍🏻 6y
CarolynM I've read a couple of Fred Vargas's books, including this one, and really liked them. Only in translation though! 6y
vkois88 Sounds spooky and interesting! Also, I'm super impressed and envious you can read another language. 6y
56 likes3 comments
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AmyER
Chalk-Circle Man | Fred Vargas

Typical for a Sunday. Mathilde considered that she suffered more than most from the fairly widespread malaise she called seventh-day blues.

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Libretto_Reviews
The Chalk Circle Man | Fred Vargas
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Mehso-so

It would be a pick if I had to ignore how difficult it was for me to follow the thread of thoughts that Adamsberg seems to be constantly producing. Adrift in a sea of feelings, considerations, memories and metaphysical conversations between characters that I could not grasp ( and promptly skipped) . But, as a character the french commisair is original and intriguing. Towards the end he gains a bit more humanity and that made him perfect to me.

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Libretto_Reviews
The Chalk Circle Man | Fred Vargas

What an unusual Detective Adamsberg is !

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rabbitprincess
Pickpick

3 stars for the beginning and 4 for the ending, so it averages out to 3.5 for the book overall. I laughed out loud a couple of times, usually when Danglard had an inner monologue. Better for the patient mystery reader who likes a slow build.

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rabbitprincess
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#bookandbreakfast with the book I am determined to finish today. Tea and crumpets, the latter topped with Black Plum and Earl Grey jam from Kitten and the Bear (Toronto). They don't look particularly appetizing but they do the job 😉

scripturient That jam flavor sounds to die for. 🤤 7y
rabbitprincess @scripturient It's really good! At the jam place they serve tea and scones and give you four little samplers with different flavours. This was my favourite. I also like that it doesn't have too many chunks in it -- I don't like chunks of fruit in jam or pie 😜 7y
batsy I love crumpets 😋 7y
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Avanders Mmm anything w earl grey! 😍 (edited) 7y
Melissa_J Ummmm, crumpets 😋 7y
DuckOfDoom This looks delicious 😍 7y
rabbitprincess @batsy @Melissa_J They are good! Someday I need to try making my own. @Avanders It makes them go especially well with tea! @DuckOfDoom They hit the spot! I could easily have eaten more but there were none left. 7y
Liz_M Ooooh, yummy 7y
rabbitprincess @Liz_M I still have some left! Hoping to finish it off this weekend. 6y
32 likes9 comments
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rabbitprincess
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L'Homme aux cercles bleus est en train d'être lu par la femme à la couverture bleue ?
Or if you're reading in English, The Chalk Circle Man is being read by the cotton-blanket woman.

writerlibrarian I am such a fan finie de Vargas. 👊🏻 7y
rabbitprincess @writerlibrarian J'aime beaucoup ses policiers. Mon favori c'est peut-être 7y
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rabbitprincess @rwmg That's on my wishlist too! Hoping to snag a cheap copy somewhere. I have to buy all my French books because they take me much longer to read. The only other Vargas I own and haven't read yet is 7y
rabbitprincess @rwmg Interesting! 7y
23 likes1 stack add6 comments
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rabbitprincess
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J'ai deux livres pour #junebookbugs aujourd'hui 😃

RaimeyGallant Chanceux! 7y
CouronneDhiver Bravo! 7y
rwmg Ooh, ooh, I love Fred Vargas (in English translation, I must admit) 7y
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rabbitprincess @RaimeyGallant @CouronneDhiver Merci! @rwmg I have to read her in French, otherwise I try to back-translate. Really must add L'homme aux cercles bleus to the read-soon pile. 7y
CouronneDhiver La bibliothèque près de moi n'offre pas de romans françaises... ou est-ce que tu achètes les tiens? 7y
rabbitprincess @CouronneDhiver Je les trouve d'habitude aux ventes de livres d'occasion gérées par la bibliothèque (j'habite à Ottawa). Le Fortier j'ai acheté au Renaud-Bray dans le Complexe Desjardins à Montréal. 7y
rwmg In case you didn't know, the fourth in her Adamsberg series, Sous les vents de Neptune, is set in Canada. 7y
rwmg As there are some recurring characters with a story arc, it's best to read them in order 7y
RaimeyGallant I should come to you for French book recs. 7y
rabbitprincess @rwmg Yes, I have to reread that one! Danglard cracked me up in that one. Reminded me of Beauvoir in the Three Pines series. @RaimeyGallant I read only about two French books a year, so I'm not sure how useful my recs will be 😜 But I did like 7y
31 likes10 comments
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andrew61
The Chalk Circle Man | Fred Vargas
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#ashapeinthetitle #junebookbugs
This was a challenge until i remembered the first in the series of commisssaire adamsberg novels, i think im on number 3 so far.

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Jejalena
The Chalk Circle Man | Fred Vargas
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Mehso-so

En riktig deckare där mordet löses upp i näst sista kapitlet. En smart och oväntad brott. Det går tyvärr lite trögt i början när man ska få koll med alla karaktärer och franska namn.

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Jejalena
The Chalk Circle Man | Fred Vargas
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En fransk bok... ständigt och subtilt flirtande...

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rabbitprincess
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J'ai une petite collection de livres en français. Voici quelques-uns dont la couverture contient du bleu (ou bleu-violet).

#seasonsreadings2016 day 4: books in a language other than English.

mllemay Est-ce que t'as lu le Fred Vargas? J'ai seulement lu un de ses livres et je l'ai trouvé quand même bien... 7y
rabbitprincess @mllemay Pas ce Vargas. J'espère le lire en 2017. J'ai lu Pars vite et reviens tard et Sous les vents de Neptune; j'ai bien aimé Pars vite et je veux relire Neptune. 7y
mllemay @rabbitprincess cool merci de l'info! J'ai lu L'homme à l'envers et j'avais trouvé l'intrigue intéressante. Je pense que je vais essayé Pars vite et reviens tard ?? 7y
11 likes3 comments
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Grrlbrarian
The Chalk Circle Man | Fred Vargas
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Tuesday, it's official: you are on my LAST NERVE. I'm just going to sit here and read this book until you go away. 😡😡😡

DGRachel I hear that! 8y
Yournewfriendsams Tuesday's can be just as bad as Monday's- maybe even worse. Hang in there ✊🏽 8y
Grrlbrarian Thanks, @DGRachel and @Yournewfriendsam 🍸📚💤 8y
MrBook Aww *hug* things'll look up! 8y
45 likes4 comments
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BookladyOnTheMove
The Chalk Circle Man | Fred Vargas
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I'm in a mystery phase lately. I love this series by French author Fred Vargas. It's the Commisaire Adamsberg series. The Chalk Circle Man is the first. #24in48. @24in48

5 likes1 stack add