Black Water Lilies: A Novel

This was supposed to be a book club entry for Match, but they had problems getting enough copies. I already had a copy of the book, so I read it. among other things, this book fit into my "Around the world reading" category. It was originally written in French and translated to English. So now I can cross France off my reading map.This is a murder mystery that crosses decades. The first death was considered an accident. The second was definitely a murder. The others might have been imagined. The victims may not have been real. Time here is very much relative. I didn't realize at first just how much time was warped in the telling of this story, but that was no a problem for me. Once things were put in their proper order, things were clearer, but in no way was there any initial confusion.Of interest also, is the fact that the story is set in Giverny, where Claude Monet painted many of his Impressionist painting. Facts of his life are sprinkled in the book, but you won't get enough for a biography. I liked the book.

I really enjoyed all the interesting detail about Monet, his water lily paintings and Giverney, a place we are familiar with. It has nevertheless made me want to return and explore more of this little town. The mystery itself has proved interesting and different with many leads and many dead ends that keeps one's interest all along..What I found a little disconcerting until I got used to it was the English translation which I found to be French written in English. Once I became accustomed to it I really enjoyed the book.

I never thought I’d call a murder mystery charming and delightful, but that’s a perfect description for Black Water Lilies, the magical book by French author Michel Bussi. This richly layered tale stars a bitter old woman, a seductive art teacher and a talented young art student who live in Giverny, the home of Claude Monet and his famous gardens. Monet, who died in 1926, also plays an important role in this wonderful tale. In fact, I learned things about him I didn’t know, in spite of a life long interest in his work, a fascinating day spent in Giverny a few years ago and several visits to The Musée de l’Orangerie and the Musée d’Orsay, where most of his works are shown.The story begins with the discovery of a murdered man in the stream that runs through Monet’s gardens. It meanders through the mind of the old woman, who seems to know something about the murder victim, to the brash young cop who comes to investigate the murder. It flows through to the talented young girl, who hopes to win a prize for her interpretation of Monet’s famous water lily paintings, and meanders into the life of the beautiful school teacher, whose loveless marriage leaves her open to the flirtations of the dashing cop.Black Water Lilies is as impressionistic as Monet’s paintings. Just when you think you know whodunit, the book takes another turn, and you’re left wondering what happened. Michel Bussi has created a beautifully written story that’s both magical and mysterious. But if you’re expecting a traditional mystery novel, you’re going to be disappointed. Black Water Lilies transcends genre. It’s simply a great work of fiction.

The opening blurb on the front cover of Black Water Lilies proposes “Three Women. A Madman. A Murder in Monet’s Gardens.” And, yes, we do all have those elements in this mystery novel, but not under the circumstances the reader would expect.I think there are two schools of thought on the ending. There is the reader who finds it brilliantly effective and clever, and the reader who feels it is a literary shenanigan and trick. And, not to say an ending is everything, but I think it does have an effect on how effective you thought this mystery. I am of the latter variety, thinking the author was using too many tricks, thus the three star rating. It is hard to speak much about it without revealing, but it just seemed like a proverbial rug was pulled from the reader’s feet, and it all just didn’t quite add up. I would venture to say that in fact there is not one—but two- surprises as we head toward the finish line. The finale was a little contrived and silly, in my opinion.Besides this aspect, I also had a problem with the herky-jerky style of writing where we are given sporadic, episodic flashes of scenes between characters that does not move things forward very much. I realize this is to set up what is to follow later, but still, there was a little too much “filler” and not enough substance, in my opinion. Also, one of the main investigators into the opening murder, Inspector Serenac, seems to be more motivated by lust than solving a mystery at points.Not to say all is bad, as the setting and atmosphere at points works effectively. The author has a sense of capturing a setting and I liked the backdrop of Giverny, France as the locale for this puzzle as well as how Monet’s work was an aspect to the storyline. And, there is a definite puzzle aspect to Black Water Lilies, and that pushes the reader forward to find out. The second half of the book—minus the ending— was better than the first in my opinion, and it moved at a quicker pace. There were some interesting clues along the way.

This book was a little slow getting started. The description of Giverny was interesting. The intrigue of who committed the murders kept me interested. The ending caught me by surprise. I really enjoyed the book.

The book was in the condition described, arrived promptly, and I was very happy with the price. Please don't forget to leave a good review when you are pleased with your purchases. It helps sellers TREMENDOUSLY and we should support businesses like this one who have been in business for more than a decade and provide jobs for many families, especially during these hard times of the pandemic.

Great book. I did learn a bit about Giverney but nothing about Monet himself that isn’t well known. Good detective story that will capture you and the setting is wonderful.

it was a page turner,,, until the denouement, which kinda lost me,,, maybe I am not clever enough,,, but it was confusing,,, i still do not know hoe it all finished.,, but as a I said a real great read until then.

Arrived on time and good read

Was looking into recommendations in Amazon and got this book. Looking at the interesting ratings and the European background, decided to read the book. And it turned out to be one of the best fictions I have read.Set in a pictures-queue village in France, the story traces the life of a three women in a span of 13 days. The characterization is one of the best parts of the books. It is a rarity where an author goes deep into the depth of characters and describe it perfectly. It is significantly different from the usual books that that comes out from the native English authors.For around 80% of the book, the story feels a bit abstract at times and you find it difficult to connect with the plot and it makes no sense as to where the story is heading. But the way, the author pulls up all the strings and concludes the story is marvelous and unique in nature. That final bit provides a very satisfying feel to the entire book.A nice detective and thriller fiction to read!

A wonderfully captivating novel. Was riveted from beginning to the end. However towards the very end when I realised that the 3 women were....(don't want to give the plot away here).......I was a bit confused...and so had to stop for a while and think through the whole book again. When I finally went through everything in my mind again I was very moved by it all. I wish I had paid better attention to the timelines whilst reading it. Would like to read it again now that I know the punchline. Very moving. I actually cried at the end.

This book is almost impossible to review without spoilers, but I cannot recommend it highly enough. It is a real page-turner with a jaw-dropping conclusion. Hugely enjoyable.