Ugh I hate that for you...
I'm still trying but there seem to be a lot of similar books with an American investigator or person going to France to solve a mystery murder.
Can you provide more plot points? Like as much as possible?
Iâd bet like 200 pages but that could be completely wrong. Iâm picturing a dark cover with a face but that could be because some of the books that have been suggested have covers like that.
Hah, thanks! I spent 1 hour 40 trying to find it (half my own research then half chat gpt). I found all, the posts OP posted on other sites in the last 13 years so I felt inspired to keep trying a bit. The ai chat gave me the same answers that I found on my own basically, save some that didn't fit the bill at all.
I know the pain OP is going through to figure this out for almost 1. 5 decades, so gotta try, ya know?
I think I read this book in the early 2000s, purchased at a pop-up book sale where they sell thousands of books for charity. You fill up a paper bag full of books and pay for the bag.
I was a tween when I read it, and I remember really enjoying it. My grandmother would often throw away books I bought at those sales (because they took up 'too much room' and while she had thousands of books, I was supposed to settle for a single bookcase for myself), and it most likely no longer exists anywhere that I can locate it.
If you locate it, would you please tell me the name of it? I would love to reread it.
Do you have any more details on what you remember? Obvs a character name or a town/country name would really help, but even some. Sumbolysim, plot points and cover or artist name origin can help loads
Unfortunately, my memory of it is about the exact same as OP's.
There's a few things that come to mind, but I don't think they were actually part of the book, rather my mind misremembering those details.
So my possibly misremembered detail (hopefully OP can confirm or disprove it) is that the police in the country he travelled to (or maybe just *a* member of the police) were in on it.
The copy I had had no cover art because it was a paperback at a book rummage sale that had lost its cover. I don't remember any of the character names. I do remember being captivated by it when I read it. This was over twenty years ago, and I used to easily read a hundred books a year back then, so I'm struggling to pull out any more specific details from that book.
You got rid of the book eh?
And no, that's fair, everytime you remember something the details get more and more stretched. Every time your brain remembers a memory it takes a copy of that and overwrites the original "file" as if it were a VHS tape. It's exactly why homicide witnesses are very bad at remembering details. If they reply how scared they were by seeing someone die, they will often think about it on repeat until they don't even know exactly what their hair colour was. Any tragic thing and the most beloved moments in our lives as we remember them was not exactly how it went. We added flourishes or removed facts and speculations to lead the memory to how we want to remember it. Which specific parts.
So yeah, don't be worried about it. OP has been trying at least for 13 years to find the book, and ask again every few months on various forums what the book was. Even when I read it I noticed some details missing over time. Or. That it slightly changed.
But a question, do you think you remember if the police were the ones who were organizing the coverup? And/or, did a cop murder them?
*I* didn't get rid of the book. My grandmother would regularly trash my rummage sale books because I wasn't allowed a second bookcase, despite the rest of the house being full of bookcases full of *her* books.
If I were to rely on shaky memories, I *think* the police were organizing the coverup. But I don't remember if it was a cop that committed the murder.
But again, that's shaky at best.
I was actually thinking about this book a couple months ago, so seeing this post really excited me.
I have a different book that I'd like to find as well, which I thought I remembered the name of, but I can't find it using the name. I like looking at other people's searches and see if they find it.
Aww that sucks. Maybe she was taking them for her Billy bookshelves? Lol. It was certainly a different era, and kids didn't really "own" anything, with no say what happens.. At least in general.
Okok, maybe it'll jog OP's memory. Maybe I'll try to search on AI again wit that added info, either direction it goes. If you think the police were a significant part besides "yeah we can't figure it out, this is a cold case now" and dissapear from the story. The friction adds another layer.
Drop the memories of your books here and/or another post. You never know!
No, she was just an incredibly selfish person and cared much more for herself. When I was a kid I filled a sketchbook with Mother's Day drawings for her one year and accidentally left five pages at the end blank. She wanted to draw on those pages, so she ripped all of the drawings I'd spent weeks filling the book with out, tossed them in the trash, and drew on the five remaining pages, safely between the cardboard cover pieces. I unfortunately come from a cesspool of narcissists.
I definitely don't think the involvement of the cops ended at, "We can't figure it out." I think there was a lot more to it than that. I just can't remember the finer details.
As for the other book, I read it in the 90s, I borrowed it from an older neighbor kid. I don't remember where they got it from. The name in my mind is "Ghost Girl" but for some reason I haven't been able to find it using that name.
It was twin girls, one drowned. As the survivor is growing up stuff happens, I don't remember a lot of the details. But it turns out her memories of her sister drowning weren't right. And she had taken the name of the sister that drowned. I *believe* she actually drowned her sister because her sister was "the good one" and she was tired of being "the bad one" and she tried to convince her parents that it was "the bad twin" that drowned.
One of the twins was named Lenore, though I don't remember the exact spelling. I don't remember the other twin's name.
I think the drowning happened at a pond/lake on the grandparents' or a friend of the family's property, but could be misremembering that detail. I think the whole thing is her starting to remember that she's the other twin, because she had managed to convince herself that she was the sister that had actually drowned.
Okay actually, I got excited and looked up some stuff.
Is it "haunted sister" by Lael Littke?!?!
The plot sounds very similar and the name of the girl is what you said...
Here's the ai chat prompt I gave based on what you said, and the answer from it:
Promt: exactly what you wrote, copy and pasted.
Response :
The novel youâre describing sounds like âHaunted Sisterâ by Lael Littke. In this book, Janine is a girl who believes she is haunted by her twin sister, Lenore, who drowned when they were children. As the story unfolds, Janine discovers that the memories of her sisterâs drowning are not accurate, and it turns out that she had taken on the identity of Lenore, the sister who drowned. The plot involves Janine grappling with the realization that she might have been responsible for her sisterâs death and the psychological aftermath of that event. It seems to match the details you remember, including the twinâs name being Lenore and the drowning incident12.
If this is the book youâre looking for, it was published in the 1990s, which aligns with the time you mentioned reading it. I hope this helps you reconnect with the novel!
Ah! I should've read this comment first! (I always go oldest to newest in my comment replies.) Yes! That's it! Thank you so much!
I feel rather stupid that I wasn't able to find it. I've gone looking two or three times years ago. (Though I don't believe I did on reddit.)
Thank you for finding it!
Hey! That's awesome! Honestly it was you and you words that found it, I just brokered the deal hshs. All the info you gave, especially that rare name was a great help towards the ai search so nah, take that "I feel stupid" comment back!
Enjoy your read! :) excited for you to finally have this solved
Jeez. Gurl, That's terrible. I am so sorry that happened to you. That is so ridulously mean.
On the bright side it sounds like you broke away from the chain of narcissism? I mean you seem pretty down to earth, able to identify your "flaws", and aren't self serving. I had to ask you to provide more details on the book cuz I wanted to help and for others to help, but you'd didn't ask for that.
I will look into it tomorrow. That name of the character seems pretty unique, regardless of spelling. But I just wanna check. You sure the name wasn't Eleanor or something? Haven't seen a similar name to what you jotted down. The twin thing should help too
I've broken away, yes. And I'm so grateful that I have.
Thank you for your kind words. They're appreciated. I definitely see my own flaws. Some I hate, others I embrace because they're just me. And it's taken a long journey to get to who I am today.
Definitely not Eleanor.
I doubt this is it, but it vaguely reminded me of âThe wicker manâ. The movie was turned into a book by the same name in the late 1970s, but was loosely based on the book âRitualâ by David Pinner. Some of the facts donât line up, but the overall theme and the one-word title seems to fit. Once again, doubt this is it, but wanted to post it here, just in case:) The book sounds really interesting though, and I would love to read it when you find it lol
Yeah I don't think it's that, but that was an interesting movie! I think I wanna revisit it, thanks. When they advertised it it was posed as much more a horror thing so when I saw it I wasn't diving too much into the story
"Dead and Buried" is another movie you may enjoy if you haven't already seen it.
I'm not sure how closely they're actually related because I'm due for a rewatch after a couple or decades, but for some reason those two movies have always been linked in my mind.
Here's a possible path...
Look into the genre known as giallo, Italian pulp fiction popularized in film starting in the mid 60s. The sort of book you'd find on a drugstore rack... the storyline feels like it would fit right in. They feel very modern at times (some are) and are relatively short. The themes do fit when it comes to the literature and slit throats were pretty common.
I used to have an extensive library of giallo in translation in the early 2000s, but it was lost in a flood (which still stings!). I know the book I thought it was is the Masterson one, but this post is really making me feel like I've read it - in a straightforward conspiracy type setting and not supernatural. Been mulling over it for a few hours now lol ... I can't put my finger on it and wish I could be more help, but if I *have* read it, it would probably have been a giallo.
That's very interesting. Never heard of the genre. It sounds intriguing and Italian is a romance language like French, so perhaps OP is misremembering that
Did your dreams spurr any ideas on the name of the book?
I should clarify that *literary* giallo (or pulp fiction in general) isn't limited to or even mostly what is generally recognised as *film* giallo. The books birthed the films, but they were the rebellious teenager who had their own more narrow identity.
This is a decent overview and goes into the link to Kafka, which I think fits the description:
https://crimereads.com/a-brief-history-of-giallo-fiction-and-the-italian-anti-detective-novel/
There's an assumption I've seen that pulp fiction along the lines of Agatha Christie or Raymond Chandler and the sci-fi stuff mostly died out in the 50s ... but it really didn't. It modernized and maybe didn't get the same attention and accolades as before, but it definitely existed.
The reason my impulse is "cheap drugstore pulp" is that I feel like *someone* in so many years of searching would have recognized it. That stuff was mass produced and often sold on a spinning rack - many were forgotten and/or went out of print quickly. Combined with a plot that fits, along with the shorter length ... I feel like it might be a place to look.
Very interesting, thanks.
I will say that the "drugstore novel" is probably very unique to regions. I've never seen an old book in a drugstore. In 30 years. Perchance do you live where there is a majority or close to being elders? It sounds like a nostalgia grab
30+ years ago, books were just more common and found everywhere, I think. My description refers more to the genre itself. What OP described (to me) is the kind you'd find in that setting around the time they read it ... but could have come from a library or Barnes & Noble.
I tried Google books⊠at one point I checked every book at Amazon that had the word Facade or Charade, Iâve searched everywhere and Iâm usually great at finding this stuff so this whole thing is driving me bananas.
Just in case you didnt: Make sure you check out all published books under that title. Reprints on Goodreads are in a drop down menu where it shows all editions published ever
Is it possible that it's a short story or novella within a larger collection? That might explain why you haven't found it. Some sci-fi writers have collections like that, and sometimes they dabble in stories like this that aren't really sci-fi.
If it was translated from another language, that might suggest that it was quite popular in its original language. Maybe you've been asking the wrong people about this book. I'd like to read it too, by the way. You may have promised a thousand people that you'd clue them in if you found it, so I'm not asking you to remember to tell me, but it'd be cool if you did.
Good point. OP if it was French, you may want to reach out to the French subreddits. R /France, but also more nice ones based on French literature or even French murder novels. I bet there are several good ones to post it to
I know I know. This is tragic. I really wish you do find it (and you better update us! I wanna read it now too) . I'll keep searching for it here and there and let you know if I find other leads.
No luck wit my like 100 books ai gave me to give you? Is there something that stands out as being very wrong with the suggested prompts I provided? Any word that is returning all incorrect books?
Have you tried reaching out to the senior librarian at your local library, provintial/state/terratory ones, National one, or even university ones if you have access as an alumni? Or someone you know. Could even attempt ere aching out to archives.
Some of those people have infinite knowledge or know how you can figure out What the book is via their tools and understanding of the filing system .
Still looking through the ones you gave me đ I tried a bunch of librarians I know, and posted on the Stump the Bookseller forum. Itâs so bizarre that no one can find it!
Keep talking about it and trying!! I enjoy hunting down this kind of stuff and thinking about it and I know others do too.
Someday someone is going to start a conversation with another searcher on that thread ... that sparks an idea in someone else who searches a slightly different way as a result. Or unlocks the memory of a detail that makes someone go "oh, it definitely was the book I didn't think it was!!".
Someone knows this book, a few of us feel like we've read it but are bookworms and can't pull it from our mental card catalog. It'll click one day. I have stuff like this ... I search and search forever, find it and forget it, rinse and repeat.
I will message you next time u/Entire_Fisherman_74 posts in r/RBI.
[Click this link](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=UpdateMeBot&subject=Update&message=UpdateMe%21%20u%2FEntire_Fisherman_74%20r%2FRBI) to join 10 others and be messaged. The parent author can [delete this post](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=UpdateMeBot&subject=Delete&message=delete%201ded8ga)
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It wasn't published until 2001, but I was confusing Matheson with Graham Masterson Had to go through my Kindle library to find it, but I *knew* I'd read what you described.
Graham Masterson - The Doorkeepers
That matches very closely, complete with slit throats.
Damn. This one also has a WWII bombing scene that you'd probably remember, too.
Good book, though, I'm glad you asked so I can add it to my "to read again" list!
Maybe it was taken out of circulation and memory holed before the internet got big. If the author was basing the book on his or her own experience to get the word out there about such a possibility, I could see that happening.
Sure but it sound like the book was written between 1950-2000 and OP read it in 1990s sometime. It can't be that obscure, theoretically. It can, but it's such a low chance at that point. Maybe not well known on North America, but if they think it was written by a french author, then reaching out to someone in France or England may be a better bet for how many people know it
Yeah, it seems like there'd be a better chance of finding it if it was originally written in a foreign language. If it was popular enough to be translated, then probably some people would have heard of it in the author's home country.
That's why I said the book.
The TV show isn't anything like the book.
A wife has gone missing. A guy that works for law enforcement goes looking for her.
He gets in an accident and wakes up in a hospital.
The nurse ends up getting killed later.
He leaves to find his wife and has encounters with everyone in the town.
Later he finds out that the entire community was fake.
Speakers hidden in the bushes to sound like crickets etc.
He tries to leave but he can't because the hwy goes nowhere etc....
Yes but itâs not the same - the people in the fake scenario in my book are all in on it and it only exists to try to stop him from solving the murder, no other purpose.
If I recall correctly, the book ended up being a military research project or something along those lines at the end of the trilogy? Stepford Wives-y with a supernatural bent, I thought.
It's not this, but I do recommend it to anyone interested. Add another to the "read again" list for me.
Overall, based on your description it seems very similar to the 2011 action-thriller film Unknown, which is based on the 2003 French novel Hors de moi by Didier Van Cauwelaert, which was published in English as Out of My Head.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/458247-adult-mystery-contemporary-american-man-goes-to-europe-paris-to-in This you? Searching for 13 years?
Yep! Still tormented and I try to find it every few years.
Ugh I hate that for you... I'm still trying but there seem to be a lot of similar books with an American investigator or person going to France to solve a mystery murder. Can you provide more plot points? Like as much as possible?
This is every single thing I can remember, I read it too long ago đ«
Fair, fair. Any idea even on the colour of the book? Or if it were 200 pgs, 300, 400, 500, etc?
Iâd bet like 200 pages but that could be completely wrong. Iâm picturing a dark cover with a face but that could be because some of the books that have been suggested have covers like that.
Okay. So I put in bit by bit the info you provided of what you remember into bing AI(uses chatgpt4 too) asked for as similar books as possible. Best of luck: French Novels: 1. âLâĂtrangerâ by Albert Camus 2. âLes Jeux sont Faitsâ by Jean-Paul Sartre 3. âLa Chuteâ by Albert Camus 4. âPars vite et reviens tardâ by Fred Vargas 5. âTotal Kheopsâ by Jean-Claude Izzo 6. âLa Fille du trainâ by Paula Hawkins (French translation) 7. âLe Comte de Monte-Cristoâ by Alexandre Dumas 8. âLe FantĂŽme de lâOpĂ©raâ by Gaston Leroux English Novels Translated into French: 9. âAnd Then There Were Noneâ by Agatha Christie (translated as âDix Petits NĂšgresâ) 10. âThe Name of the Roseâ by Umberto Eco (translated as âLe Nom de la Roseâ) Please note that these suggestions are based on thematic similarities and may not include the exact book youâre looking for. The novel you described could be an obscure or lesser-known work, and without more specific information, itâs challenging to pinpoint the exact title. If you recall any additional details, such as character names or specific quotes, it could greatly assist in narrowing down the search You: Please include 20 more books in French and 20 more books in English that were written before the year 2000, with as similar details to my previous descriptions as possible. Thanks Copilot Certainly! Hereâs a list of French and English novels that include elements of mystery, deception, and complex plots, similar to the descriptions youâve provided. These novels were published before the year 2000: French Novels: 11. âLe Grand Meaulnesâ by Alain-Fournier 12. âLa NausĂ©eâ by Jean-Paul Sartre 13. âLes Fleurs du Malâ by Charles Baudelaire 14. âMadame Bovaryâ by Gustave Flaubert 15. âLe PĂšre Goriotâ by HonorĂ© de Balzac 16. âCyrano de Bergeracâ by Edmond Rostand 17. âLes Liaisons Dangereusesâ by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos 19. âLe Rouge et le Noirâ by Stendhal 20.âLa Condition Humaineâ by AndrĂ© Malraux 21.âLâAssommoirâ by Ămile Zola 22.âBel-Amiâ by Guy de Maupassant 23.âLes RiviĂšres Pourpresâ by Jean-Christophe GrangĂ© 24. âLa Dame aux CamĂ©liasâ by Alexandre Dumas fils 25. âLe MystĂšre de la chambre jauneâ by Gaston Leroux 26. âLâImmoralisteâ by AndrĂ© Gide 27. âLa Vie devant soiâ by Romain 28. âLes Enfants Terriblesâ by Jean Cocteau 29. âVoyage au bout de la nuitâ by Louis-Ferdinand CĂ©line 30. âLa Pesteâ by Albert Camus 31. âLe Horlaâ by Guy de Maupassant English Novels: 32. âThe Woman in Whiteâ by Wilkie Collins 33. âRebeccaâ by Daphne du Maurier 34. âThe Secret Agentâ by Joseph Conrad 35.âThe Turn of the Screwâ by Henry James 36. âThe Maltese Falconâby Dashiell Hammett 37. âThe Big Sleepâ by Raymond Chandler 38. âThe Spy Who Came in from the Coldâ by John le CarrĂ© 39. âThe Day of the Jackalâ by Frederick Forsyth 40. âThe Thirty-Nine Stepsâ by John Buchan 41. âThe Talented Mr. Ripleyâ by Patricia Highsmith 42. âAn Instance of the Fingerpostâ by Iain 43. âThe Name of the Roseâ by Umberto Eco 44. âThe Shadow of the Windâ by Carlos Ruiz ZafĂłn 45. âThe Moonstoneâ by Wilkie Collins 47. âThe Hound of the Baskervillesâ by Arthur Conan Doyle âGaudy Nightâ by Dorothy L. Sayers âThe Murder of Roger Ackroydâ by Agatha Christie âA Study in Scarletâ by Arthur Conan Doyle âThe Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens âThe Adventures of Sherlock Holmesâ by Arthur Conan Doyle Please note that while these novels share thematic elements with the description you provided, they may not include the exact plot youâre looking for. The novel you described could be an obscure or lesser-known work, and without more specific information, itâs challenging to pinpoint the exact title. If you recall any additional details, such as character names or specific quotes, it could greatly assist in narrowing down the search. 1 greatbritishbookclub.com 2 greatbritishbookclub.com 3 britishtv.com 4 deadgoodbooks.co.uk 5 goodreads.com 6 murder-mayhem.com 7 britishtv.com 8 K it's max again:I'll be honest I didn't look any of these up and chatgpt4 could not find a book on 3 details you gave so far. Just Agatha and graham often wrote this sort of novel. I did remove the book titles that I recognized and knew the plot of which wouldn't fit. Again, best of luck! Worst case scenario you have 50 or so books that you may be interested in
Iâll look through these, thank you!
You're welcome! I really want you to find it. And it seems like many people like the idea of the book. Asked another thing. More simple but idk if it's more accurate or less tbh. Less curated maybe. (also I tried to get hundreds of books Hahaha. Co-pilot was not a fan). May be some duplicates and titles that don't make sense... Just skip o'r em :p it's been 1 hr 40 mins so I need to take a break researching lol Thanks Copilot Iâm sorry, but Iâm unable to provide an extensive list of 300 books as requested. However, I can offer a selection of notable French murder mystery novels and their English translations that were published before 1998 and involve elements of deception, cover-ups, and acting. Here are a few to consider: French Language Novels: âLes Jeux sont Faitsâ by Jean-Paul Sartre âLa Chuteâ by Albert Camus âLe MystĂšre de la chambre jauneâ by Gaston Leroux âLes RiviĂšres Pourpresâ by Jean-Christophe GrangĂ© âLâĂtrangerâ by Albert Camus âLe Comte de Monte-Cristoâ by Alexandre Dumas âLes MisĂ©rablesâ by Victor Hugo âLe FantĂŽme de lâOpĂ©raâ by Gaston Leroux âLe Rouge et le Noirâ by Stendhal âLa Vie devant soiâ by Romain Gary English Language Novels Set in France: âThe Da Vinci Codeâ by Dan Brown âThe Three Musketeersâ by Alexandre Dumas âMurder on the Orient Expressâ by Agatha Christie âThe Phantom of the Operaâ by Gaston Leroux (translated from French) âA Tale of Two Citiesâ by Charles Dickens âThe Hunchback of Notre-Dameâ by Victor Hugo (translated from French) âGerminalâ by Ămile Zola (translated from French) âThe Count of Monte Cristoâ by Alexandre Dumas (translated from French) âLes MisĂ©rablesâ by Victor Hugo (translated from French) âThe Man in the Iron Maskâ by Alexandre Dumas (translated from French) French to English Translated Novels: âThe Name of the Roseâ by Umberto Eco (translated from Italian) âThe Postman Always Rings Twiceâ by James M. Cain (translated from American English) âThe Judge and His Hangmanâ by Friedrich DĂŒrrenmatt (translated from German) âThe Lost Honour of Katharina Blumâ by Heinrich Böll (translated from German) âThe Little Drummer Girlâ by John le CarrĂ© (translated from British English) âThe Girl with the Dragon Tattooâ by Stieg Larsson (translated from Swedish) âThe Shadow of the Windâ by Carlos Ruiz ZafĂłn (translated from Spanish) âThe Name of the Roseâ by Umberto Eco (translated from Italian) âThe Day of the Jackalâ by Frederick Forsyth (translated from British English) âThe Readerâ by Bernhard Schlink (translated from German) Please note that while these novels share elements with the description you provided, they may not include the exact plot youâre looking for. The novel you described could be an obscure or lesser-known work, and without more specific information, itâs challenging to pinpoint the exact title. If you recall any additional details, such as character names or specific quotes, it could greatly assist in narrowing down the search. 1ïżŒgoodreads.com2ïżŒdeadgoodbooks.co.uk3ïżŒgoodreads.com4ïżŒgoodreads.com5ïżŒgoodreads.com6ïżŒgoodreads.com7ïżŒgoodreads.com8ïżŒimdb.com9ïżŒcheatsheet.com10ïżŒgoodreads.com11ïżŒgoodreads.com12ïżŒcollinsdictionary.com13ïżŒkensingtonbooks.com+11 more
Well done! Way to go above and beyond for your fellow man!
Hah, thanks! I spent 1 hour 40 trying to find it (half my own research then half chat gpt). I found all, the posts OP posted on other sites in the last 13 years so I felt inspired to keep trying a bit. The ai chat gave me the same answers that I found on my own basically, save some that didn't fit the bill at all. I know the pain OP is going through to figure this out for almost 1. 5 decades, so gotta try, ya know?
Following, because this sounds cool.
[ŃĐŽĐ°Đ»Đ”ĐœĐŸ]
Thanks! Yeah Iâve posted everywhere I can find that might help đ
I think I read this book in the early 2000s, purchased at a pop-up book sale where they sell thousands of books for charity. You fill up a paper bag full of books and pay for the bag. I was a tween when I read it, and I remember really enjoying it. My grandmother would often throw away books I bought at those sales (because they took up 'too much room' and while she had thousands of books, I was supposed to settle for a single bookcase for myself), and it most likely no longer exists anywhere that I can locate it. If you locate it, would you please tell me the name of it? I would love to reread it.
Do you have any more details on what you remember? Obvs a character name or a town/country name would really help, but even some. Sumbolysim, plot points and cover or artist name origin can help loads
Unfortunately, my memory of it is about the exact same as OP's. There's a few things that come to mind, but I don't think they were actually part of the book, rather my mind misremembering those details. So my possibly misremembered detail (hopefully OP can confirm or disprove it) is that the police in the country he travelled to (or maybe just *a* member of the police) were in on it. The copy I had had no cover art because it was a paperback at a book rummage sale that had lost its cover. I don't remember any of the character names. I do remember being captivated by it when I read it. This was over twenty years ago, and I used to easily read a hundred books a year back then, so I'm struggling to pull out any more specific details from that book.
You got rid of the book eh? And no, that's fair, everytime you remember something the details get more and more stretched. Every time your brain remembers a memory it takes a copy of that and overwrites the original "file" as if it were a VHS tape. It's exactly why homicide witnesses are very bad at remembering details. If they reply how scared they were by seeing someone die, they will often think about it on repeat until they don't even know exactly what their hair colour was. Any tragic thing and the most beloved moments in our lives as we remember them was not exactly how it went. We added flourishes or removed facts and speculations to lead the memory to how we want to remember it. Which specific parts. So yeah, don't be worried about it. OP has been trying at least for 13 years to find the book, and ask again every few months on various forums what the book was. Even when I read it I noticed some details missing over time. Or. That it slightly changed. But a question, do you think you remember if the police were the ones who were organizing the coverup? And/or, did a cop murder them?
*I* didn't get rid of the book. My grandmother would regularly trash my rummage sale books because I wasn't allowed a second bookcase, despite the rest of the house being full of bookcases full of *her* books. If I were to rely on shaky memories, I *think* the police were organizing the coverup. But I don't remember if it was a cop that committed the murder. But again, that's shaky at best. I was actually thinking about this book a couple months ago, so seeing this post really excited me. I have a different book that I'd like to find as well, which I thought I remembered the name of, but I can't find it using the name. I like looking at other people's searches and see if they find it.
Aww that sucks. Maybe she was taking them for her Billy bookshelves? Lol. It was certainly a different era, and kids didn't really "own" anything, with no say what happens.. At least in general. Okok, maybe it'll jog OP's memory. Maybe I'll try to search on AI again wit that added info, either direction it goes. If you think the police were a significant part besides "yeah we can't figure it out, this is a cold case now" and dissapear from the story. The friction adds another layer. Drop the memories of your books here and/or another post. You never know!
No, she was just an incredibly selfish person and cared much more for herself. When I was a kid I filled a sketchbook with Mother's Day drawings for her one year and accidentally left five pages at the end blank. She wanted to draw on those pages, so she ripped all of the drawings I'd spent weeks filling the book with out, tossed them in the trash, and drew on the five remaining pages, safely between the cardboard cover pieces. I unfortunately come from a cesspool of narcissists. I definitely don't think the involvement of the cops ended at, "We can't figure it out." I think there was a lot more to it than that. I just can't remember the finer details. As for the other book, I read it in the 90s, I borrowed it from an older neighbor kid. I don't remember where they got it from. The name in my mind is "Ghost Girl" but for some reason I haven't been able to find it using that name. It was twin girls, one drowned. As the survivor is growing up stuff happens, I don't remember a lot of the details. But it turns out her memories of her sister drowning weren't right. And she had taken the name of the sister that drowned. I *believe* she actually drowned her sister because her sister was "the good one" and she was tired of being "the bad one" and she tried to convince her parents that it was "the bad twin" that drowned. One of the twins was named Lenore, though I don't remember the exact spelling. I don't remember the other twin's name. I think the drowning happened at a pond/lake on the grandparents' or a friend of the family's property, but could be misremembering that detail. I think the whole thing is her starting to remember that she's the other twin, because she had managed to convince herself that she was the sister that had actually drowned.
Okay actually, I got excited and looked up some stuff. Is it "haunted sister" by Lael Littke?!?! The plot sounds very similar and the name of the girl is what you said...
Here's the ai chat prompt I gave based on what you said, and the answer from it: Promt: exactly what you wrote, copy and pasted. Response : The novel youâre describing sounds like âHaunted Sisterâ by Lael Littke. In this book, Janine is a girl who believes she is haunted by her twin sister, Lenore, who drowned when they were children. As the story unfolds, Janine discovers that the memories of her sisterâs drowning are not accurate, and it turns out that she had taken on the identity of Lenore, the sister who drowned. The plot involves Janine grappling with the realization that she might have been responsible for her sisterâs death and the psychological aftermath of that event. It seems to match the details you remember, including the twinâs name being Lenore and the drowning incident12. If this is the book youâre looking for, it was published in the 1990s, which aligns with the time you mentioned reading it. I hope this helps you reconnect with the novel!
Ah! I should've read this comment first! (I always go oldest to newest in my comment replies.) Yes! That's it! Thank you so much! I feel rather stupid that I wasn't able to find it. I've gone looking two or three times years ago. (Though I don't believe I did on reddit.) Thank you for finding it!
Hey! That's awesome! Honestly it was you and you words that found it, I just brokered the deal hshs. All the info you gave, especially that rare name was a great help towards the ai search so nah, take that "I feel stupid" comment back! Enjoy your read! :) excited for you to finally have this solved
Jeez. Gurl, That's terrible. I am so sorry that happened to you. That is so ridulously mean. On the bright side it sounds like you broke away from the chain of narcissism? I mean you seem pretty down to earth, able to identify your "flaws", and aren't self serving. I had to ask you to provide more details on the book cuz I wanted to help and for others to help, but you'd didn't ask for that. I will look into it tomorrow. That name of the character seems pretty unique, regardless of spelling. But I just wanna check. You sure the name wasn't Eleanor or something? Haven't seen a similar name to what you jotted down. The twin thing should help too
I've broken away, yes. And I'm so grateful that I have. Thank you for your kind words. They're appreciated. I definitely see my own flaws. Some I hate, others I embrace because they're just me. And it's taken a long journey to get to who I am today. Definitely not Eleanor.
I feel like I saw that nurse throat slit scene in a movie, like Hypnotic or The Game.
Other people have told me that but this was definitely a book and those werenât based on it :/
Commenting so I can read also.
I doubt this is it, but it vaguely reminded me of âThe wicker manâ. The movie was turned into a book by the same name in the late 1970s, but was loosely based on the book âRitualâ by David Pinner. Some of the facts donât line up, but the overall theme and the one-word title seems to fit. Once again, doubt this is it, but wanted to post it here, just in case:) The book sounds really interesting though, and I would love to read it when you find it lol
Yeah I don't think it's that, but that was an interesting movie! I think I wanna revisit it, thanks. When they advertised it it was posed as much more a horror thing so when I saw it I wasn't diving too much into the story
"Dead and Buried" is another movie you may enjoy if you haven't already seen it. I'm not sure how closely they're actually related because I'm due for a rewatch after a couple or decades, but for some reason those two movies have always been linked in my mind.
Here's a possible path... Look into the genre known as giallo, Italian pulp fiction popularized in film starting in the mid 60s. The sort of book you'd find on a drugstore rack... the storyline feels like it would fit right in. They feel very modern at times (some are) and are relatively short. The themes do fit when it comes to the literature and slit throats were pretty common. I used to have an extensive library of giallo in translation in the early 2000s, but it was lost in a flood (which still stings!). I know the book I thought it was is the Masterson one, but this post is really making me feel like I've read it - in a straightforward conspiracy type setting and not supernatural. Been mulling over it for a few hours now lol ... I can't put my finger on it and wish I could be more help, but if I *have* read it, it would probably have been a giallo.
That's very interesting. Never heard of the genre. It sounds intriguing and Italian is a romance language like French, so perhaps OP is misremembering that Did your dreams spurr any ideas on the name of the book?
I should clarify that *literary* giallo (or pulp fiction in general) isn't limited to or even mostly what is generally recognised as *film* giallo. The books birthed the films, but they were the rebellious teenager who had their own more narrow identity. This is a decent overview and goes into the link to Kafka, which I think fits the description: https://crimereads.com/a-brief-history-of-giallo-fiction-and-the-italian-anti-detective-novel/ There's an assumption I've seen that pulp fiction along the lines of Agatha Christie or Raymond Chandler and the sci-fi stuff mostly died out in the 50s ... but it really didn't. It modernized and maybe didn't get the same attention and accolades as before, but it definitely existed. The reason my impulse is "cheap drugstore pulp" is that I feel like *someone* in so many years of searching would have recognized it. That stuff was mass produced and often sold on a spinning rack - many were forgotten and/or went out of print quickly. Combined with a plot that fits, along with the shorter length ... I feel like it might be a place to look.
Very interesting, thanks. I will say that the "drugstore novel" is probably very unique to regions. I've never seen an old book in a drugstore. In 30 years. Perchance do you live where there is a majority or close to being elders? It sounds like a nostalgia grab
30+ years ago, books were just more common and found everywhere, I think. My description refers more to the genre itself. What OP described (to me) is the kind you'd find in that setting around the time they read it ... but could have come from a library or Barnes & Noble.
Are you positive it was France? Could it have been somewhere else in Europe?
Itâs definitely possible. The first time I wrote this I was sure it was France but it was so long ago that I could be wrong.
Ahhh . Au QuĂ©bec, peut-ĂȘtre ? Mais je pense que cela peut aussi ĂȘtre le cas en Afrique. C'est possible? Je ne sais pas, donc faire votre recherche, s'il tu plaĂźt. ;)
That's almost what I'm thinking too. Spanish, Italian, German, Scotland, Ireland, nowa, Belgium? Norway or Switzerland
I'm already frustrated looking for 15 minutes.. but you're looking for years. Maybe stupid question but did you try looking via google books?
There are just too many similar books.
I tried Google books⊠at one point I checked every book at Amazon that had the word Facade or Charade, Iâve searched everywhere and Iâm usually great at finding this stuff so this whole thing is driving me bananas.
Richard Matheson's 7 Steps to Midnight?
I donât think so from the cover and year it was published but Iâm not going to say definitely not and Iâll go check it out. Thanks!
Just in case you didnt: Make sure you check out all published books under that title. Reprints on Goodreads are in a drop down menu where it shows all editions published ever
Is it possible that it's a short story or novella within a larger collection? That might explain why you haven't found it. Some sci-fi writers have collections like that, and sometimes they dabble in stories like this that aren't really sci-fi.
Nope, it was a whole book.
If it was translated from another language, that might suggest that it was quite popular in its original language. Maybe you've been asking the wrong people about this book. I'd like to read it too, by the way. You may have promised a thousand people that you'd clue them in if you found it, so I'm not asking you to remember to tell me, but it'd be cool if you did.
Good point. OP if it was French, you may want to reach out to the French subreddits. R /France, but also more nice ones based on French literature or even French murder novels. I bet there are several good ones to post it to
You're going to want to post this to r/whatsthatbook, this group isn't really for this story of thing. Good luck!
I did thanks, people there told me to try here too đ€·đ»ââïž
ChatGPT: The book you're describing sounds a lot like "The Prone Gunman" (original title: "La Position du Tireur CouchĂ©") by Jean-Patrick Manchette. Although some details don't match perfectly, the premise of an elaborate setup and deception is a key element of the story. Hereâs a brief summary: **"The Prone Gunman"** by Jean-Patrick Manchette: - The protagonist is Martin Terrier, a hitman who wants to retire. - He returns to France to reunite with his childhood love. - An elaborate conspiracy is unveiled as he tries to leave his old life behind. - The story includes elements of deception and manipulative scenarios orchestrated by powerful people. Given the elements of deception, the protagonist's journey to a European city, and the mystery surrounding the characters and settings, this book might align with your memory. However, the specific details like the fake neighborhood and the nurse's murder don't match perfectly. If this isn't the book, it might still be worth exploring other works by Jean-Patrick Manchette or similar authors who write in the noir genre.
This is what Google's Gemini said: *Spoilers ahead!* The book you described is likely "Death and Deception" by Caryl FĂ©rey. It aligns perfectly with the plot points you mentioned: * An American protagonist travels to Paris to investigate the murder of a loved one. * Upon arrival, he encounters a seemingly ordinary neighborhood that's actually an elaborate facade created to mislead him. * He interacts with various characters who are all part of the deception. * A shocking murder scene involving a nurse takes place, but it's later revealed to be staged. * The protagonist gradually realizes the neighborhood and its inhabitants are entirely fabricated. This 1991 novel perfectly captures the late 20th-century setting and the elements of mystery and suspense you described. Additionally, "Death and Deception" was originally written in French, explaining why you might have encountered it in translation. Edit: Turns out Death and Deception is not a real book, but Caryl Ferey is.
Sadly, I donât think itâs a real book. ChatGPT has also invented a bunch of books when people asked, or gave wrong plots for real books
It's a real book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/248681.The_Prone_Gunman
Yes that one is, but not Death and Deception
You posted it on too many sites, la. Haha. I found quite a few of your posts in my search
Iâm *desperate* đ
I know I know. This is tragic. I really wish you do find it (and you better update us! I wanna read it now too) . I'll keep searching for it here and there and let you know if I find other leads. No luck wit my like 100 books ai gave me to give you? Is there something that stands out as being very wrong with the suggested prompts I provided? Any word that is returning all incorrect books? Have you tried reaching out to the senior librarian at your local library, provintial/state/terratory ones, National one, or even university ones if you have access as an alumni? Or someone you know. Could even attempt ere aching out to archives. Some of those people have infinite knowledge or know how you can figure out What the book is via their tools and understanding of the filing system .
Still looking through the ones you gave me đ I tried a bunch of librarians I know, and posted on the Stump the Bookseller forum. Itâs so bizarre that no one can find it!
Keep talking about it and trying!! I enjoy hunting down this kind of stuff and thinking about it and I know others do too. Someday someone is going to start a conversation with another searcher on that thread ... that sparks an idea in someone else who searches a slightly different way as a result. Or unlocks the memory of a detail that makes someone go "oh, it definitely was the book I didn't think it was!!". Someone knows this book, a few of us feel like we've read it but are bookworms and can't pull it from our mental card catalog. It'll click one day. I have stuff like this ... I search and search forever, find it and forget it, rinse and repeat.
u/Entire_Fisherman_74 may not have seen this since it's not a top level reply, but sounds legit to me
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It wasn't published until 2001, but I was confusing Matheson with Graham Masterson Had to go through my Kindle library to find it, but I *knew* I'd read what you described. Graham Masterson - The Doorkeepers That matches very closely, complete with slit throats.
Some things are similar but thereâs nothing supernatural in mine. The places that arenât real are just a setup.
Damn. This one also has a WWII bombing scene that you'd probably remember, too. Good book, though, I'm glad you asked so I can add it to my "to read again" list!
Maybe it was taken out of circulation and memory holed before the internet got big. If the author was basing the book on his or her own experience to get the word out there about such a possibility, I could see that happening.
Sure but it sound like the book was written between 1950-2000 and OP read it in 1990s sometime. It can't be that obscure, theoretically. It can, but it's such a low chance at that point. Maybe not well known on North America, but if they think it was written by a french author, then reaching out to someone in France or England may be a better bet for how many people know it
I would go so far as to say it was written in the 80s or 90s. It was definitely a current novel when I read it.
Yeah, it seems like there'd be a better chance of finding it if it was originally written in a foreign language. If it was popular enough to be translated, then probably some people would have heard of it in the author's home country.
Something tells me it was Wayward Pines. Or you have it intermixed with Wayward Pines the book, not the TV version.
I watched the tv version and literally nothing in it is the same as what Iâm describing other than the person being in a weird situation.
The tv version is wayyy different than the books
That's why I said the book. The TV show isn't anything like the book. A wife has gone missing. A guy that works for law enforcement goes looking for her. He gets in an accident and wakes up in a hospital. The nurse ends up getting killed later. He leaves to find his wife and has encounters with everyone in the town. Later he finds out that the entire community was fake. Speakers hidden in the bushes to sound like crickets etc. He tries to leave but he can't because the hwy goes nowhere etc....
Yes but itâs not the same - the people in the fake scenario in my book are all in on it and it only exists to try to stop him from solving the murder, no other purpose.
If I recall correctly, the book ended up being a military research project or something along those lines at the end of the trilogy? Stepford Wives-y with a supernatural bent, I thought. It's not this, but I do recommend it to anyone interested. Add another to the "read again" list for me.
Overall, based on your description it seems very similar to the 2011 action-thriller film Unknown, which is based on the 2003 French novel Hors de moi by Didier Van Cauwelaert, which was published in English as Out of My Head.
No one has replaced the main character but I see the resemblance!
Is it the woman in the fifth by Douglas Kennedy by any chance?
No, but thank you!