Discover Pulixi and his prize-winning book

Première enquête d’une nouvelle série qui a gagné le prix Babélio du Polar et du Thriller, La Librairie des Chats Noirs est une oeuvre dans laquelle l’auteur bestseller, Piergiorgio Pulixi, rend hommage à la littérature policière. Découvrez ci-dessous ses sources d'inspirations et d'autres faits sur cette nouvelle séries, ainsi que ses livres préférés.

No, to be honest, I wasn't expecting it at all. I was shortlisted alongside authors I consider masters of the genre, and for me, just being on the shortlist with them was already a tremendous privilege and honour. Winning is truly incredible. I am immensely proud of this prize because it comes directly from the readers, with no manipulation or behind-the-scenes machinations. They are the ones who choose and vote based on their personal tastes. Knowing that my little story kept them company, moved them, and made them smile is a great source of joy for me. I see my job as being in the service of readers: for me, writing essentially means gifting readers a few hours of pleasant, carefree enjoyment, helping them forget the anxieties of daily life. As the great Italian poet Pavese said, "Reading is a defence against the insults of life."

Well, the series was conceived as a grand homage to mystery literature in general, from its very beginnings. The list would be endless, but I must mention: Edgar Allan Poe (in many ways my favourite), Émile Gaboriau, Ellery Queen, Rex Stout, Edgar Wallace, Arthur Conan Doyle, Dorothy Sayers. But the book also pays tribute to more modern authors who have rejuvenated the genre, such as Michael Connelly, Elizabeth George, Peter Swanson, Anne Perry, P.D. James, Louise Penny, and many others. I am also very fond of Georges Simenon and Italian authors like Massimo Carlotto, Andrea Camilleri, Maurizio de Giovanni, and Carlo Lucarelli. On the more noir side, I'm mad about Jim Thompson, James Lee Burke, Patrick Manchette, Jean-Claude Izzo, and Patricia Highsmith.

Yes, I find Mrs Camilla Solinas – a widow of three husbands who all died in their sleep (strangely enough), with a great passion for hyper-violent, gory thrillers and a love for Lee Child's Jack Reacher character – very interesting and fun to write. She is a likeable, self-ironic character, full of surprises. She should be the meekest and most defenceless person in the group, but in reality, she is the most dangerous. That makes me smile.

The biggest challenge was trying to break down the prejudices of people who don't typically like this genre. The book isn't just about solving a mystery and finding a killer: this novel is actually an ode to the mystery novel, and I wanted to convey to readers my complete passion for the genre, while also giving reading recommendations for the authors who have made it so beloved.