Join us

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Newsletter

Hervé Le Corre

In the Shadow of the Fire

Cover: In the Shadow of the Fire - Hervé Le Corre

Hervé Le Corre

In the Shadow of the Fire

2021, pp. 480, Hardcover
ISBN: 9781787702493
Translated by: Tina Kover
Region: France
Available as ebook Available as ebook Available as ebook
£ 16.99
Where to buy Where to buy Where to buy

The book

The Paris Commune’s “bloody week” sees the climax of the savagery of the clashes between the Communards and the French Armed Forces loyal to Versailles. Amid the shrapnel and the chaos, while the entire west side of Paris is a field of ruins, a photographer fascinated by the suffering of young women takes “suggestive” photos to sell to a particular clientele. Young women begin disappearing, and when Caroline, a seamstress who volunteers at a first aid station, is counted among the missing, her fiancé Nicolas, a member of the Commune’s National Guard, and Communal security officer Antoine, sets off independently in search of her. Their race against the clock to find her takes them through the shell-shocked streets of Paris, and introduces them to a cast of fascinating characters. In the Shadow of the Fire traces the Communards’ tragic odyssey, while following a breathless criminal investigation.


Praise

“Le Corre is an aquafortist. From beginning to end of this dazzling novel, he deepens the shadows in his Paris of soot and night. Here and there, touches of colour: the bloody red of the Communards’ flag, the incandescence of a fire, the flame of a hurricane lamp. Glimmers of hope flicker and don’t go out.” —Le Monde

“In a perfectly constructed historical frame, supported by breathless intrigue, Hervé Le Corre offers up a fascinating red and black novel. To be read passionately!” —aVoir-aLire

“A true history lesson served by extremely precise writing, In the Shadow of the Fire is an astounding epic in which the reader, constantly confronted with suffering, misery, and violence, is taken above all with the strength of the solidarity and heroism of ordinary people, and the infinite hope of those who believe to the end in the causes they are fighting for.” —L’Express

The author

Hervé Le Corre
Hervé Le Corre was born in Paris and currently teaches in the suburbs of Bordeaux. He is the author of several crime fiction novels, including Talking to Ghosts (2014), and After the War (Maclehose Press, 2015). He also writes for the literary magazine Le Passant Ordinaire.

Books by region

  • Cover: Tatà - Valérie Perrin

    Valérie Perrin

    Tatà

    2026, pp. 592, £ 18.99
    The new novel by the international bestselling author of Fresh Water for Flowers
  • Cover: The Passionate and Very Secret Life of Miles Franklin - Alexandra Lapierre

    Alexandra Lapierre

    The Passionate and Very Secret Life of Miles Franklin

    2026, pp. 496, £ 14.99
    The first novel written about the enigmatic literary legend
  • Cover: Madelaine Before The Dawn - Sandrine Collette

    Sandrine Collette

    Madelaine Before The Dawn

    2026, pp. 208, £ 12.99
    A spellbinding tale of female defiance and rage
  • Cover: Portrait of an Unknown Woman - Camille de Peretti

    Camille de Peretti

    Portrait of an Unknown Woman

    2026, pp. 256, £ 14.99
    A saga inspired by the incredible but true story of the iconic Klimt painting
  • Cover: The Ogre’s Daughter - Catherine Bardon

    Catherine Bardon

    The Ogre’s Daughter

    2025, pp. 280, £ 16.99
    The turbulent life story of Flor de Oro Trujillo, the eldest child of one of the world’s most brutal dictators
  • Cover: Our Precious Wars - Perrine Tripier

    Perrine Tripier

    Our Precious Wars

    2025, pp. 200, £ 14.99
    An ode to memory, and to the beauty of the natural world

More suggestions

  • Cover: The Passionate and Very Secret Life of Miles Franklin - Alexandra Lapierre

    Alexandra Lapierre

    The Passionate and Very Secret Life of Miles Franklin

    2026, pp. 496, £ 14.99
    The first novel written about the enigmatic literary legend
  • Cover: The Golden Age - Joan London

    Joan London

    The Golden Age

    2026, pp. 224, £ 9.99
    A moving story about transition between illness and recovery, childhood and maturity, life and death.
  • Cover: Portrait of an Unknown Woman - Camille de Peretti

    Camille de Peretti

    Portrait of an Unknown Woman

    2026, pp. 256, £ 14.99
    A saga inspired by the incredible but true story of the iconic Klimt painting
  • Cover: Gabriële - Anne Berest, Claire Berest

    Anne Berest, Claire Berest

    Gabriële

    2025, pp. 432, £ 18.99
    The passionate love affair that triggered a revolution, and the story of a remarkable woman living in extraordinary times
  • Cover: A Calamity of Noble Houses - Amira Ghenim

    Amira Ghenim

    A Calamity of Noble Houses

    2025, pp. 380, £ 14.99
    Two prominent families, an illicit love affair, and a chorus of voices with multiple perspectives add up to a gripping saga set in modern Tunisia...
  • Cover: The Bishop's Villa - Sacha Naspini

    Sacha Naspini

    The Bishop's Villa

    2025, pp. 220, £ 14.99
    A WWII story of love, redemption, and resistance.