Verdict of Nine 1969 detective book

Name: Verdict of Nine
Rating: 4.6 (57 reviews)

Verdict of Nine (1969, France)

Original title: Mort au jury

Twenty years ago Michel Delupas, back then a medicine student, was arrested as a suspect in murder of his wife. The jury of nine people have reached the sentence of guilty, being convinced that Delupas have killed his wife and cut the body using a scalpel to get rid of the evidence. Now, that his prison time is over, all he can think of is revenge. Revenge against the jurors, who sent him to jail. Just to make sure his message will get through, he plans to use a lancet to kill the nine jurors. But twenty years have already passed and he has to locate them first. One of his potential victims, miss Muss-Leduran, is an older woman with a weak heart, who, according to doctors, should have been dead long ago, but somehow she always survives. She live in a secluded place in a village, accompanied only by two elderly servants and a young nurse Paulette, which means she should be an easy target.

Short novel by Rene Reouven has quite unique construction - how often do you learn of the killer in the very first sentence of the book? While the beginning is told from the point of view of Michel Delupas, who is seeking revenge on those who, in his mind, wronged him, soon the tone and nature of the story switched to a different perspective, perspective of a young woman, who possibly will have to face a dangerous killer, who is after her employer, but cannot she tell her about it because the sudden shock could kill miss Muss-Leduran. Local doctor is her only ally in this time of challenge and she has to find a way to protect the elderly lady.

Can you solve a case like this?

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