Suspense runs high in Michel Bussi's U.S. debut, After the Crash. When a plane goes down in the Swiss Alps on December 23, 1980, only one passenger survives, a three-month-old girl. But there were two female infants aboard the plane, and extenuating circumstances leave no reliable witness to identify whether the child is Lyse-Rose of the wealthy de Carville couple or Emilie of the struggling middle class Vitral family.
As the defenseless child waits helplessly in a hospital unit, the two families battle for custody. The court is charged with determining her identity, and despite the money the de Carville family pours into experts declaring the girl is theirs, the judge decides she is Emilie Vitral. Unsatisfied with the results, the de Carville family hires Crédule Grand-Duc, a mercenary-turned-private investigator, to find the incontrovertible truth. He has until Lyse-Rose's 18th birthday to do so. On the eve of that fateful day, Grand-Duc is poised to commit suicide. He has failed. And then, gun in hand, he discovers the clue that will confirm the girl's identity beyond any doubt.
Fast-paced and action-packed, this thriller is adrenaline pumping. Bussi offers a smart, complex mystery with plenty of plausible twists and surprises. His choice of timing allows him to employ DNA with a creatively climatic flare. And his characters embody rich, distinct personalities. These elements, combined with a strong translation from Sam Taylor, make for an engrossing story that's almost impossible to put down. --Jen Forbus of Jen's Book Thoughts