Casanova and the Faceless Woman by Olivier Barde-Cabuçon

As might have been noticed, I’ve developed an interest in, and picked up any numbers of books set during, the French Revolution of 1789 and onwards. However, I realised recently that I didn’t really know that much about the conditions before the Revolution and facts which might have caused conflict. However, a newly translated book from the lovely Pushkin Press arrived recently, and it has much to say about Paris before the conflict – and it seems that it was not a pretty place…

“Casanova and the Faceless Woman” is the first in a series of novels featuring the most wonderfully name Inspector of Strange and Unexpected Deaths – now there’s a job title to covet! The man in question is one Volnay; a strange, reclusive man with a pet magpie, he was appointed to his position by King Louis XV after saving the latter from assassination. So when a nastily mutilated corpse is found just outside Versailles, Volnay is the one to be summoned. Instantly we’re plunged into a mystery, as there is a letter in the woman’s pocket which links her to the highest in the land. It’s a letter that many people want to get hold of, not least the notorious seducer Casanova, who finds the body.

So aided by his Watson, known only as The Monk, Volnay has quite a task on his hands, and things are complicated by the arrival of the beautiful Chiara D’Ancilla, a feisty young woman fascinated by the modern sciences, which we might call alchemy (and also by Volnay and Casanova!) Then there are the royals in their gilded cage of a palace as well as all manner of spies and political factions. There is a second murder, and it seems that there may be more to the crimes than simply the sadistic death of a young woman.

That’s a very simple hint at the plot of what is a very complex book, and it does simply ooze period detail. The narrative twists back and forward with revelation after revelation, and I did marvel at Barde-Cabuçon‘s skill in constructing such a clever plot. It’s not until the end that all motivations become clear and so I was really kept on my toes while reading it. The characters were a fascinating bunch, too, particularly the damaged Volnay who’s the heart of the book, really. His position is an odd one, given that he has a republican past – which makes him an unlikely defender of the king. And certainly he seems to bear no love for the latter and his degradation. Casanova himself is a creep, but one you end up slightly understanding – although he’s incorrigble to the very end and it seems that nothing will change his desperate need to seduce anything female he comes across.

As I mentioned, the book is mired in the era, and much as I enjoyed the mystery, I felt that the book excelled in showing just how decadent, vile and corrupt the old regime was and just how much the French revolution was needed. There are dark topics here, and the darkest perhaps is the behaviour of Louis, a paedophile and despoiler of young girls. There is stark contrast between the luxury of the king and his court, set against the filth and squalor of his subjects; and the political angle of the book lifted it above the run of the mill historical novel.

I did have a couple of minor quibbles with “Casanova…” however. If I’m honest it veered occasionally into bodice-ripper territory, which is fine if you like that kind of thing, but it’s not really my bag. And despite her feistiness, Chiara did end up responding to Casanova just like any other women is supposed to have done, which irked a bit. The subject matter can often be unpleasant – paedophilia and the exploitation of women are not happy or entertaining topics, or ones that always make for pleasant reading; but I’m guessing that it was necessary for the author to show just how rotten the regime was and how Madame Guillotine, when she finally arrived, would be quite justified in her actions…

Anyway, despite those minor niggles, “Casanova…” was an absorbing and intriguing book, combining detection, a fascinating central character and a lot of really illuminating historical detail which really brought the period to life for me. I understand this is the first in a series of seven books featuring the rather engaging Volnay and so I’ll be watching Pushkin’s catalogue to see if any more titles emerge! 😀

Review copy provided by the publisher, for which many thanks!