Death on the Rive Nord

It is now October, 1963, and Inspector Lucas Rocco is well settled in as a citizen of Poissions-les-Marais.

His latest case involves human smuggling.  Africans from Algeria are secretly being smuggled into France and their destination of choice seems to be Amiens, near Rocco's home of Poissions-les-Marais.  Unexpectedly he comes face-to-face with one, only he is a floater; found dead under a barge.

Shortly into his investigation, and while clearing his head at a nearby grotto, Rocco briefly meets a young, attractive woman who piques his interest.  His interest is also piqued by a new assembly factory in Amiens where he feels that the men in charge are lying through their teeth when he shows them a photo of the dead man.

Later, the young woman approaches him and informs him that she has entered the country illegally and her husband is a criminal set in killing her.  When he checks with his former senior officer in Paris, the details she provided turn out to be true.

A police sting is set up in Amiens to catch illegal immigrants, however, the factory that Rocco thinks has the most potential is put off limits by the Ministry of Defence.  Meanwhile the criminal set upon killing his wife for his loss of face has landed in France and is set to take over the Algerian gangs in France.  Violence and murder ensue as the net closes in on the young woman, and she has come to Rocco in search of safety.

Author Adrian Magson does a great job of building up the tension in this sory for the reader before bringing it to the grand conclusion.