Since 2018 and the publication of Nuit Blanche (Nouveaux Auteurs), Nicolas Druart has continuously made his mark on the French thriller scene. His previous books, L’enclave (2021) and Cinabre (2022), have respectively won the Prix de l’Embouchure and the Prix Infiniment Quiberon.
L’instinct, released on May 3rd by Harper Collins Noir, is further evidence of the author’s talent. A chilling dive into the heart of the Pyrenees where a long weekend will turn into a nightmare.
A break is necessary for Clotilde and her daughter, but especially for the single mother who gives so much, balancing her job as a teacher and her shifts as a volunteer firefighter, she truly needs to catch her breath. For the All Saints’ Day weekend, she allows herself a moment of relaxation in a chalet not far from the Saint-Martin-du-Canigou wildlife park.
In this rental complex, Clotilde will mingle with other vacationers: Vincent and Bérengère, whose relationship is strained, Charles, a successful author of gory thrillers, and Yumi and Ingrid, a young couple. Everything seems set for a peaceful weekend in nature; however, things will gradually deteriorate: the escape of a dangerous fugitive, an impending storm, the zoo, where a terrible tragedy occurred two years ago, takes on a heavier atmosphere as night falls…
With L’instinct, the author offers us a gripping and suspenseful thriller that aims to lose the reader in a maze of multiple clues. With its chronological narrative, almost in real-time, the reader watches helplessly as the characters sink deeper into this sticky environment, just like the fog enveloping the surroundings of the Pic du Canigou, they feel the situation slipping out of their control. Everyone becomes a suspect, everyone is wary, and all are targeted.
Gradually, a heavy shroud covers this peaceful clearing where, ultimately, everyone has something to hide. Nicolas Druart’s addictive and precise writing will do the rest, making it difficult for the reader to put down the book until the final revelations!
