The story begins with the disappearance of Adèle Bedeau, a sullen but alluring waitress at the local Restaurant de la Cloche. Her vanishing acts as a catalyst for two complex protagonists:
This psychological thriller is a masterful play on literary form, set in the drab, small French town of Saint-Louis. Rather than a standard "whodunnit," the novel is a deep, atmospheric character study that explores guilt, paranoia, and the stagnant nature of provincial life. Plot Overview
: A socially awkward, reclusive bank worker who lives a life of rigid routine. He is a regular at the restaurant and has spent years surreptitiously observing Adèle. When she disappears, his carefully constructed "veneer of normalcy" begins to crumble as he becomes the prime suspect.
(English title: The Disappearance of Adèle Bedeau ) is the spellbinding debut novel by Scottish author Graeme Macrae Burnet , first published in 2014.