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The French Vendetta

A holiday in Europe turns deadly... (Charles Holborne Legal Thrillers, Book 11)

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The French Vendetta

By: Simon Michael
Narrated by: Colin Mace
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Summary

A honeymoon turns into a nightmare for Charles Holborne! Perfect for fans of John Grisham, Robert Bailey, Michael Connelly and Robert Dugoni.

Who will pay for the sins of the past…?

France, 1969

When a rare gap opens in barrister Charles Holborne's court diary, he and Sally seize the chance for their long-postponed honeymoon. With baby Leia in tow, they seek peace in a friend's farmhouse deep in the rural heart of Gascony — a picturesque land of vineyards, sleepy village squares and distant Pyrenean peaks.

But Charles soon discovers that the village's charm hides something much darker. Beneath the quiet seethes a poisonous web of old grudges and betrayals — a community still fighting the Second World War, where old crimes refuse to stay buried.

Drawn into a simmering vendetta between those who collaborated with the Nazis and those who resisted, Charles has no choice but to defend a client in a place with no judge, no rules, and no law.

With a firing squad waiting for the verdict, his defendant's life is on the line…

THE FRENCH VENDETTA is the eleventh crime novel in an exciting historical series, the Charles Holborne Legal Thrillers — gritty, hard-boiled mysteries set in 1960s London.

'A masterfully plotted blend of historical intrigue and legal thriller, drawing back the curtain on the day-to-day horrors of rural Vichy France. A wonderfully compelling historical mystery.' — Vaseem Khan Winner of the Shamus Award, Eastern Eye's Arts Culture & Theatre Awards for Literature and the CWA Historical Dagger Award

THE CHARLES HOLBORNE LEGAL THRILLERS SERIES

  • BOOK ONE: The Brief
  • BOOK TWO: An Honest Man
  • BOOK THREE: The Lighterman
  • BOOK FOUR: Corrupted
  • BOOK FIVE: The Waxwork Corpse
  • BOOK SIX: Force of Evil
  • BOOK SEVEN: The Final Shot
  • BOOK EIGHT: Nothing But The Truth
  • BOOK NINE: Death, Adjourned
  • BOOK TEN: The Fall Guy
©2026 Sapere Books (P)2026 Simon Michael
Historical Thriller & Suspense
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I enjoyed this book enormously as I have all the Charles Holborn books. All beautifully written, great plots, the audio books are so very well narrated. I hope for more from Simon Michael.

brilliant

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Excellent story and narration
Really worth wait
Each character easily identifiable by the voice
Thank you again Simon Michael

Different to the usual Charles Holborne

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I am a Keen follower of everything that Simon writes. I was therefore delighted to see that another book had been published. I was struck by the difference between this and previous novels. Simon clearly has experience of the bar and of course being Jewish he is very familiar with all that that brings with it. This is an excellent story and conjures up a wonderful picture of 1940s and 1970s France. I thoroughly recommend it. If anything, I believe that this was the best book of the series so far. It is a long way from the dusty holes of the inner temple. The characterisation is brilliant. And it has the ring of truth about it. I was pleased to see in the authors notes that it is based partly on people in the authors past. I love this book and cannot wait for the next one.

The difference from earlier books and the sheer class of the story telling

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I love Simon Michael’s books and this is another great story in a new setting. Brilliant narration as always by Colin Mace.

Charles in France!

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I really enjoyed this new setting for Charles and Sal, and loved the way Simon put it into context at the end. It's a truly sad and shocking episode of history that is rarely publicised, and the idea of putting Charles right in the middle of the crisis is inventive and feels authentic. Can't wait for the next in the series. I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who loves an intriguing novel that has a point to it.

Simon Michael never disappoints

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