A crime novel needs a plot, characters and a mystery to solve. But it also needs a setting that can play a part in the story. For me, Liège has this special quality: a city with character, with its neighbourhoods, its contrasts and its history.
This is the world where I placed Le carnet d’Oscar, my series of crime investigations featuring Victor Lenoir, a former inspector in a wheelchair, and Oscar Blanc, his mysterious sidekick.
Liège, much more than a simple setting
I do not just see a row of streets or monuments. I think of a city that can be warm, noisy, surprising or mysterious, depending on the place and the moment.
In a crime novel, a familiar street can take on a new dimension when a character finds a clue there. An ordinary place can become the centre of an investigation because an unexpected event turns daily life upside down. The setting must be lively enough for readers to want to walk through it, while wondering what might be hidden there.
Victor Lenoir: a detective unlike the others
Victor Lenoir is a former inspector in a wheelchair. This choice is part of his identity and of the way he approaches his cases. A case can move forward thanks to observation, logic, memory and the ability to notice a detail that others have missed.
The wheelchair is part of his reality, but it does not sum up who he is. Victor remains a character with a past, a way of seeing the world and cases to solve.
Oscar Blanc, a sidekick who keeps the mystery alive
Next to Victor Lenoir, there is Oscar Blanc. He has a secret: he is not from here. Not at all. This unusual trait brings questions, unexpected situations and a relationship that goes beyond the usual mechanics of an investigation.
In a crime novel, the mystery is not only about the crime. It can also touch the characters’ motives, their past and the reasons why they behave in a certain way. The duo formed by Victor and Oscar is the heart of Le carnet d’Oscar.
Four investigations to discover Le carnet d’Oscar
1. L’Homme au visage d’eau
The first book opens the door to the series and introduces its crime world. It is a natural starting point to meet Victor Lenoir, Oscar Blanc and the atmosphere of the Liège investigations.
2. Le Mur vide
With this second title, the series continues to explore mystery and investigation. Each story is a new chance to return to the world of Le carnet d’Oscar.
3. Les Eaux de la Vesdre
This third book extends the series and its roots in the Liège world. The title brings to mind a familiar landscape of the region, which naturally lends itself to the imagination of a crime story.
4. Le Silence des Fagnes
The fourth title completes this series of four investigations. For readers who like to meet recurring characters again, it is a chance to keep exploring the world built around Victor and Oscar.
You can start with the title that appeals to you most, even if reading the series in publication order remains a good way to get to know the characters.
What I love about crime fiction
A crime novel gives readers an immediate reason to turn the pages. A question appears, a detail does not seem to fit, a character seems to be hiding something. Readers then start to build their own theories.
But what interests me is not limited to the final reveal. I like to build an atmosphere, let the characters grow and slip moments of humour into situations that could otherwise become too dark.
A Belgian author between Liège and Bangkok
My world is not limited to crime investigations. I spend part of my year between Liège and Bangkok, and this double experience feeds my novels, my travel stories, my practical guides and my stories for children.
These worlds have one thing in common: the wish to tell stories. Each book means choosing a point of view, creating a rhythm and giving readers a reason to keep reading.
Where to discover the books of Le carnet d’Oscar?
If you enjoy Belgian crime novels, investigations rooted in a recognisable setting and characters who break the usual mould, I invite you to discover Le carnet d’Oscar.
You will find information about the books and the available purchase links on mrschaka.com. If you have already read one of the investigations, I would love to hear your opinion: which character stayed with you, and what kind of investigation would you like to read next?
A book begins with its author, but it lives on through the people who read it.
The book
The Empty Wall is the second book of Oscar’s Notebook, a series of crime novels set in Liège.
