Roulette - Pascale Hervé, #4

Roulette is a gripping international crime thriller set beneath the blazing skies of southern France, where a forgotten casino win, a decades-old murder and a powerful crime family collide.

When André Marchand dies, his niece and nephew discover an old casino winnings chit worth half a million francs hidden among his possessions. There is no trace of the money and no record that it was ever claimed. Curious rather than hopeful, they ask private investigator Pascale Hervé to uncover the truth.

At almost the same moment, demolition workers in Marseille uncover human remains beneath the foundations of the long-abandoned Casino de la Mer. The victim was murdered more than thirty years earlier, and the discovery reawakens the ghosts of one of the city's most notorious criminal dynasties.

As Pascale reunites with Capitaine Hélène Roche and works alongside the Police Nationale, what begins as a search for missing money becomes a dangerous investigation into corruption, organised crime and long-buried secrets. The surviving members of the Lavigne family have spent decades rebuilding their empire, but the return of the ambitious and ruthless Julien Lavigne threatens to ignite old feuds once more.

Every clue leads deeper into a labyrinth of lies stretching back to the final years of the twentieth century. Witnesses have vanished, memories have faded and those responsible are determined to ensure the past remains buried. Yet someone is already eliminating the few people who still know the truth.

As bodies begin to fall in the present, Pascale realises she is no longer investigating history. She is hunting a killer who has waited decades to settle unfinished business.

Rich in atmosphere and authentic investigative detail, Roulette combines intricate mystery, compelling characters and the sun-drenched landscapes of Provence and Marseille in a fast-paced thriller where every revelation changes the odds.

Perfect for readers who enjoy intelligent crime fiction, cold-case mysteries and European detective novels featuring strong, experienced investigators.

Roulette can be enjoyed as a standalone novel, although readers of the Pascale Hervé series will recognise returning characters whose stories continue here.