The French literary landscape has been enriched with a thrilling new thriller by Maxime Chattam. Released on October 30, 2024, Prime Time quickly won over readers and rose to the top of sales. This novel, which explores the themes of live broadcast, media manipulation and the race against time, promises to keep you in suspense until the last page.
“8 p.m. Television news from the first national channel: several million viewers watch absently, until everything changes. The star presenter is taken hostage in front of the cameras by a masked individual with a distorted voice. » This is how the publishing house Albin Michel announced the release of latest book by Maxime Chattam on his Instagram account. With Prime Timethe bestselling author immerses us at the heart of a hostage taking live during a television news. A masked man seizes a star presenter and forces the channel to remain live under penalty of executing his victim, thereby stealing the attention of the audience and the reader. The novel unfolds in real time, heightening the suspense and creating palpable tension.
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Beyond the captivating storyline, Prime Time offers a reflection on the media and their influence on society. The novel questions our relationship to information, manipulation and reality. Maxime Chattam plays with the codes du thriller by offering us a complex plotpopulated by ambiguous charactersreturned to their own fragility, and unexpected twists and turns.
Maxime Chattam, master of suspense
With Prime TimeMaxime Chattam confirms his status as a master of the thriller. The author, known for his bestselling novels like The Evil Trilogy or Otherworldonce again gives us a gripping and intelligent story. Her precise and efficient writing takes us into a whirlwind of emotions, between fear, suspense and hope. Internet users were not mistaken and amply praised the quality of the new work; “ Another excellent novel, screaming with truth and which I had difficulty putting down before the last line. Very pleasant reading time », « What a joy to find Maxime Chattam again. I look forward to its new publication every year. » Prolific, the author has signed more than 30 workssold out to a few 7 million copies. One of his novels is also being adapted into a series, The Signal.
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The novel is also marked by a careful narrative construction. Maxime Chattam alternates the points of view of the different characters, Charline, Paul and Yanis, thus offering us a complete vision of the event. This technique allows the reader to immerse themselves in the heart of the action and better understand the issues surrounding this hostage situation. Married to host Faustine Bollaertthe writer explains that he was able, thanks to her, get information as close as possible to the manufacturers of a newscastfor a credible and particularly well-crafted rendering. In an interview given to Europe 1 on October 31, he explains that he has made numerous discoveries about this environment of which we sometimes have an erroneous vision. Chattam also called on his contacts au GIGN for the rereading of his book, who advised him on the dialogues for always realism.
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A thriller not to be missed
Prime Time is much more than just a thriller. It is a novel which questions our society and invites us to reflect on our relationship with the media. Maxime Chattam thus recalls; “ Today, if something unique and phenomenal happens as dramatic as a hostage situation on a single television channel, you can be sure that the whole world will start spinning around of that, because it’s sensationalist » before questioning “ Who is responsible for programming, is it the channels or the people with their remote controls? »
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Reality joined fiction on January 9, 2024, when hooded and heavily armed men burst onto Ecuadorian television live. In a chaotic sequence lasting more than 33 minutes, members of one of the most powerful drug trafficking gangs in the country threaten and stage each other. The television set then became the symbol of a takeover of power from the State. This new work invites us to become aware of the influence of the media but also of viewer power. If you are looking for a thrilling and intelligent novel, this is the book for you. So don’t hesitate any longer, immerse yourself in the world of Maxime Chattam and let yourself be carried away by this breathtaking story and ask yourself the question: Would zapping be a political act?
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Editor
A versatile journalist, Léa has collaborated with Diplomatie magazine and the Magnum Photos press agency. In 2024, she joined the Auféminin team as a freelancer. Passionate about international news, politics and…
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