Lantern Pass - by Serge Lehman (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A tightly controlled mountain town. A disappearance no one wants solved. And something in the surrounding peaks that refuses to stay buried.

In the dead of winter, detectives Frank Sangaré and Ms. Umber arrive in Saint-Elme, a remote village in the Alps famed for its mineral water--where residents have learned to mind their own business.

The pair is investigating the disappearance of a wealthy young man who vanished three months earlier. But in Saint-Elme, power flows through the Sax clan, and the local police serve at their pleasure. Thinly veiled threats maintain the peace, and everyone knows where the lines are.

As Sangaré and Umber push forward, they see the high cost of challenging that order--but then the boundaries start to shift. Frogs have flooded the streets. People are seeing things they shouldn't. And the case pulls the detectives into something beyond the reach of money or influence.

Review Quotes

"Pristine, vibrantly colored art and a story full of intrigue... Perfect for adult readers of thrillers like 100 Bullets."

"Readers will pause to gaze on the hypnotic artwork by Peeters. [...] A big, ambitious fantasy that blurs genre lines to dazzling effect while staying true to its French noir roots."

About the Author

Serge Lehman is a French novelist, comics writer, and screenwriter known for his work in science fiction and crime fiction. He helped redefine French sci-fi in the 1990s before transitioning into comics, where his work blends noir, mythology, and social history. Frederik Peeters is a Swiss graphic novelist who gained international recognition with Blue Pills, an autobiographical graphic novel. He has since worked across genres--from literary fiction to science fiction and crime--and is a frequent nominee and award winner at the Angoulême International Comics Festival.