The Saint-Pacôme Detective Novel Society made legal journalist Isabelle Richer its guest of honor on the occasion of its 22e annual gala, where the various Saint-Pacôme literary prizes will be awarded.
The main interested party, delighted to be invited to this august assembly, is also keen on detective novels. She agreed to answer our questions. But first, here are the finalists for the 2024 Saint-Pacôme Prize!
The butterfly womanby JL Blanchard (Fides)
The weight of the yearsby Guillaume Morrissette (Saint-Jean)
The Shame of Frank Whiteby Jacques Savoie (Free Expression)
The name of the winner will be revealed on Saturday, October 5 during the Saint-Pacôme Detective Novel Gala.
This is thanks in particular to the defunct radio show The more, the more we read!to which she collaborated as a columnist, that Isabelle Richer discovered numerous thrillers and detective novels from here and elsewhere. “This is how I discovered the books of Maureen Martineau as well as those of André Marois, which are favorites. I read holy peace last year, following his nomination for the Saint-Pacôme prize. I really like this type of writing, always on the fringe of black humor. » She says she is particularly sensitive to the tone and originality of Maureen Martineau’s texts. Does she have authors from elsewhere that she appreciates? “My favorite, of all people, is Fred Vargas. Of course, I like, like everyone else, Michael Connelly, Henning Mankell, Philip Kerr, Jo Nesbo, James Lee Burke… but the one who supplants them all is Fred Vargas, precisely for this unique tone. Nothing comes close to what she does in detective literature. I like Adamsberg’s digressions, his slowness, his reflections. »
How does she read her novels? Does she seek to discover the murderer or does she let herself be carried away by the story? “I am a docile reader. I let myself be carried away; I don’t play investigator. Where I get annoyed is when there is something improbable, if the author takes shortcuts or narrative liberties, or too many coincidences, it takes away credibility. I pick up. I’m particularly critical of legal thrillers. » Does this surprise us? “I’m correcting the mine errors in the book! Connelly, who covered the legal scene, is entirely compliant and manages to put together credible and thrilling intrigues. »
Does reality exceed fiction? “Yes, often. There are only a few books that blow me away, because I’ve seen worse. Human nature goes to extremes that we wouldn’t suspect. When I witness it in court, I tell myself that having read it, I wouldn’t have believed it. There are implausibilities which are otherwise possible. »
Isabelle Richer started as a general journalist. Like everywhere in the newsrooms, she covered everything until she came into contact with the legal world, which she appreciated immediately. His first experience? “I was impressed; it was not a simple matter. It was the case handed down in the court of appeal by Chantal Daigle and Jean-Guy Tremblay, on the right to abortion, where the legal aspects were complex, but embodied in a very human story. » She explains that she had to understand the legal concepts, to digest them, in order to then be able to explain them to the public. “After that case, I covered a criminal trial and that’s when I really got hooked. I asked to be assigned to the courthouse, and that’s what I’ve done my whole life. » I emphasize to what extent she is the face of judicial journalism in Quebec. Does she mentor? “I do mentoring with my young colleagues, often those who are in the regions, who do little, and who are worried about doing things well. The transfer of knowledge and knowledge is very important to me; I would like to plug in my brain and put it on a USB stick to transmit what I know. »
If she does not say no to possibly being tempted by the world of fiction, she will however have to wait until she extricates herself from this profession that she adores. Until then, we can delve into his memories thanks to his book, What I never told: Twenty-five years in the courthousepublished by Éditions La Presse in 2022. You can see her from Monday to Friday, at 11:30 a.m. on ICI RDI and also listen to her podcast, My version of the factson OHdio.
Journalist Isabelle Richer will also be the guest of a coffee conference on Sunday October 6 at La Mosaïque-Bibliothèque, at 10 a.m. The cost of this activity is $5 and registration is required ([email protected] Or [email protected] or 418 856-3394, ext. 1118).
Photo: © Bénédicte Brocard
Related News :