THE N'GUSTRO AFFAIR by Jean-Patrick Manchette

 

THE N'GUSTRO AFFAIR by Jean-Patrick Manchette; Translated by Donald Nicholson-Smith and Introduction by Gary Indiana (NYRB)

Crime fiction writing deals with space between the image and the words and the talent to enter and leave as quickly as possible. The French author Jean-Patrick Manchette seems to be in the position of being an excellent writer, and the ability to express action, not only in a physical sense but also in its intelligence. There are certain writers one can learn from, and Manchette and Richard Stark are both writers who know how to move the narration at a speed where one turns the page after another because one may know how it ends but love the journey to getting there. 

The N'GUSTRO Affair is based on the kidnapping and killing of Mehdi Ben Barka of Morocco. Still, Manchette turns the novel focusing on Henri Butron, a psychopath thug thrown into a world that he doesn't understand and just a puppet among the others who are pulling and controlling the strings. A tight and beautifully put-together novel, which again reminds me of the mechanics of the  Parker series by Richard Stark. Not a wasted word, and therefore every thought expressed, although in a minimalist manner of stark perfection.