Jean-Marc Raynaud

Saturday September 27 2008, 5.00 p.m at 145 Rue Amelot. The Monde Libertaire bookshop is packed. Benoit Rey, author of Cut-throats, one of the legendary books about the war in Algeria, is launching his latest book, The Memory Holes when, out of the blue a helmeted figure dressed entirely in black leather strides resolutely into the shop, pulls a gun from its jacket and puts two bullets into the head of a shot, young man. The police are on the scene within five minutes. The short young man is quickly identified as Pâques, Didier Pâques. A lieutenant in the DNAT (National Anti-Terrorist Division), no less. For the past three months he has been worming his way into the FA (Anarchist Federation)- affiliated Liberté group as part of his investigations into ETA. The bookshop is sealed off immediately. And the cops stumble upon a further two corpses. That of (retired) General Maxime de Bonnefieu (back in 1960 he had been a lieutenant and in charge of the assault commando with which Benoit Rey served as a … medic). His neck has been broken. A speciality of his own in those days. And, in the toilets, that of Bishop Eberhardt von Steinberg foam around his mouth. Back in 1936 he was chaplain to the Condor Legion in Spain. And blessed the Stukas that razed Guernica to the ground. Had the anarchists decided to revert to type and wipe out cops, soldiers and priests? Starting with a settling of outstanding scores? The cops and the media think so. So it is high time that Ed Merlieux and Ted Chaucre from the FA (Anarchist Federation)’s secret services to shake themselves and lead the investigation! And to say that they turn up more than one surprise would be an under-statement!

Anarchist author Jean-Marc Raynaud writes regularly for ‘Le Monde Libertaire’ on politics and education. As well as being the paper’s business editor he also writes satirical thrillers in the style of Frédéric Dard. Other titles in this series are: Meurtres Exquis au Parti Socialiste (PS)", "Meurtres exquis à la libre pensée", "Meurtres exquis à l'Ile d'Oléron"