Novel
Morituri
Yasmina Khadra · 1997
Synopsis
In Algiers, in the midst of the civil war, Superintendent Llob, an honest policeman who, like his upright colleagues, has become a target, is handed a delicate case by his boss: the daughter of Ghoul Malek, one of the most powerful men in the city, has disappeared. Runaway or kidnapping? With his loyal lieutenant, Lino, he ventures onto dangerous ground, discovers the fear and poverty of the city and the protection the powerful enjoy, while "accidents" multiply around him.
Context
The novel came out in Paris in 1997 from Éditions Baleine, the same year as Double blanc, before L'Automne des chimères: the three books form the Superintendent Llob series. Reissued in 1999 in Folio policier, it depicts an Algeria given over to violence, corruption and mafias, in a language rich in imagery and at times slangy. Translated into English by David Herman, it was published in the United States in 2003. Okacha Touita adapted it for the cinema in 2007.
Who it is for
For plunging into Algeria's dark years through a tense investigation, from the pen of a former officer.
Prizes and reception
Library Journal saw in it an unforgettable picture of the Algerian tragedy; the book won the 813 trophy for best French-language crime novel in 2006.