In this case a thriller, which takes place in the space of one night but which finds its space and its breath in salutary flashbacks. Because it is on a television set, that of MD1’s news, the most watched channel in France, that the events take place. It’s almost eight o’clock and Paul Daki-Ferrand, the star presenter, sits behind his desk. Everything is ready for the high mass of information, Paul is perfectly styled and lit, he is in “perfect son-in-law” mode, he is just waiting for the countdown. In management, Charlène, known as Charlie, editor-in-chief, enjoys this little thrill that assails her five evenings a week, just before going live.
But just when Paul has to say his usual “Good evening”, a masked individual bursts onto the set, puts a gun to the presenter’s head and announces that the night is going to be long, very long. And, in front of the eyes of millions of viewers, he unpacks a demanding and slightly literate speech. Who is he? What does he really want? What is certain is that he only wants to speak to Charlie, who will become, despite herself, his privileged interlocutor, for one night of horror.
The shadow of PPDA
Five hundred and sixty pages for a single night is a lot. Really a lot. And yet, Maxime Chattam takes up the challenge of entertaining us and surprising us until the last page. In particular by offering the reader the chance to play “who’s who”, seemingly not touching it. MD1? TF1, of course. Paul Daki-Ferrand, a self-confident journalist with velvet eyes and a smooth voice that’s just what’s needed? PPDA, of course. Especially since, like his “model”, Daki-Ferrand has his own conception of male-female relationships in the world of work…
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If the line is sometimes strong, this dive into the great media circus is extremely realistic. Throughout the pages – as over the course of a day in a newsroom, particularly on television – the tension rises, the highest level being reached when Daki-Ferrand’s family is, in turn, taken hostage in his large suburban house.
As comfortable alongside GIGN agents as behind the scenes at MD1, Maxime Chattam knows his subject and this is the key to his freedom as a writer. The journalists’ little foibles are put under the microscope, their egos highlighted. Same price for channel bosses, chefs of all kinds and ministers devastated by this live drama. He signs, with Prime Timea jubilant novel, whether or not one is in the seraglio.
⇒ Prime Time | Novel | Maxime Chattam | Albin Michel, 560 pp., €22.90, digital €16
EXTRACT
“At her level, information, Charlène had taken reality head on. Her first years as a journalist, she had flourished in providing content, tracking down the fact, the singularity, the right angle, the right interview, find a tone. But what appealed was the sordidness. It was what his writing demanded, always darker, always more raw.
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