At the age of fifty-seven, HR manager Alain Delambre finds himself more on less on life’s scrapheap: made redundant four years previously, Alain has struggled to find suitable work in an extremely competitive market, taking whatever work comes his way so that he and his wife can get by and pay the bills. When Alain finds what looks – on paper – like the perfect job, he decides to do everything in his power to load the dice in his favour: borrowing money from his children; lying to his wife; hiring a private investigator to get information on the people involved in the interview. The recruitment process is an unusual one: a role play that takes the form of a hostage taking. But when Alain learns that he’s been invited along to make up the numbers – that the job has already been promised to someone younger than him – things take a sinister turn, and those in charge soon discover that this role-playing scenario might be more realistic than anyone could have imagined.

Alain Delambre’s situation is one that we all know: if it hasn’t happened to us, it’s happened to someone close to us. As a man in his fifties with a background in human resources, Alain knows – at least on an intellectual level – that hiring him will always be a difficult proposition. When the perfect job comes along, he is blinded to this fact, and convinces himself that he is the most likely candidate, invited for interview due to his advanced age and the corresponding experience it brings. He sees it as a way out of the half-dozen part-time jobs that have kept his head above water for the past four years and, more importantly, as a way to become what he considers as a useful member of the family again: the breadwinner, the provider.

Pierre Lemaitre’s latest novel (or at least, the latest one to be translated into English) showcases an author at the height of his game. In story after story, Lemaitre takes us deep into the world that he has created and never fails to leave us slack-jawed with amazement as the story we think we’re reading turns out to be something completely different instead. Inhuman Resources is no exception, a simple story of one man’s search for employment becoming, after twist upon twist, a deadly game of cat and mouse where only the cleverest man is likely to come out on top.

Told initially from Alain’s point of view, we watch as the potential job fills him with purpose again, giving us a glimpse of the man he was before redundancy. But as the days pass, and the prospect of a new job looms ever closer we find ourselves questioning Alain’s actions: borrowing €25,000 from his eldest daughter’s house-buying fund, money that we all know he has no hope of paying back before his daughter and her husband are due to sign for their new flat; the lies to his wife that are slowly but surely driving a wedge between them, and which he has no chance of covering up for long, even if he does get the job; assaulting his son-in-law (although there’s a grey area here: if you ask me, Gregory deserved everything he got).

As the action moves to the fake hostage situation itself, Lemaitre switches focus to David Fontana, an ex-special forces soldier who has been tasked with organising the role play. Fontana is as surprised as everyone else when Alain takes charge of the proceedings, and takes Alain’s actions as a personal snub. A dangerous man, we are left in no doubt as to what happen to people who cross David Fontana. Reverting back to Alain Delambre for the final third of the book, Lemaitre takes great delight in piling layer upon layer onto this already complex story, as Alain and Fontana try to outsmart each other, the one trying to stay alive while the other tries to get his revenge. With each chapter, he ratchets up the tension until the edge-of-the-seat climax involving a high-speed car chase along the busy Parisian streets.

There is a light-heartedness to Inhuman Resources that is often used to direct our attention from whatever sleight of hand Lemaitre is attempting to pull. While we can empathise with Alain Delambre, it doesn’t take long for us to take a step back, to distance ourselves from this man who is clearly disturbed. Yet after spending time in David Fontana’s head, we can’t help rooting for Alain, regardless of what he has done, or on whom he has trampled in his quest for employment. As with much of Lemaitre’s work, there is much more to this story than meets the eye at first, and it is difficult not to admire the author for his ability to turn the world on its head, and make us question everything we think we’ve seen.

The latest in a long line of must-read novels from Pierre Lemaitre, Inhuman Resources shows a master storyteller at the top of his game. Surely France’s most exciting – not to mention most eloquent – author, Lemaitre continues to produce some of the finest crime fiction to appear in the past decade. Ably translated by the always-excellent Sam Gordon, this is the perfect read for the long nights ahead and one of the finest novels – of any genre – that you’ll surely see this year.

The past few years, unemployment has become a huge issue in every country in this world, not only the poor ones. It is more so, that people of age are the ones to be fired first, because of all those years they have been working and the relatively large paycheck they may have. Younger employees tend to be cheaper for the companies.

One of those laid off people of age is Alain Delambre, a 57 year old man, former HR executive in a big company. It has been now four years in the unemployment state and it is geting worse by the minute. He is trying to find something, anything to occupy himself, but who would possibly hire someone of his age? He does find some low-level part time positions, but they are not enough to keep him going. He still needs to pay for the mortgage of his house. Thankfully his wife Nicole, still has a job, but it is not enough.

When a recruitment company finally invites him for a test and then an interview, Alain is determined to make this work. To use his experience in the Human Resources field and get this job. He will do whatever it take to be the first in the finish line of this somewhat peculiar interview. Because, the whole interview thing is going to be a role play game of a hostage taking situation and Alain and the other candidates are going to make the interrogations. Alain is determined to go beyond himself to get this job. He won’t deviate from his course. He will deceive his own family, only to take what he needs, what will help him reach his target. He will become estrange to his own wife and daughters, but he is only trying to make things better for all of them. How can they not see it?

The author creates true, authentic and relatable characters. People that could be your next door neighbors, people that suffered and then it all get’s so much different and so much crazy. From some point on, I could not understand why Alain was behaving in that specific way. What did he have to gain by hurting his own family. How could a job like that make everything be normal again. I understand that he felt humiliated from an incident in his part time job and he was so desperate to get a real job again, one that would make him once more the person he used to be. But he just crossed a line, I would not see possible for a normal person to cross. But then again he was so desperate, he was not thinking clearly.

That being said, the pacing of the story was fairly good for me. It would give both the psychological aspect the main character was on, as well as how his actions would affect his environment and first and foremost his relationship with his wife and daughters. Ever since he lost his job he is a different man and this is very clear from the narration. This is what he tries to recover. His own self.

I received a complimentary ecopy from the publisher via NetGalley. The views expressed are my personal and honest opinion.

Sorry but this book wasn’t for me. I really struggled through it and couldn’t wait for it to end. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

I received an eARC of Inhuman Resources via Netgalley a while ago, I requested this title based on my enjoyment of Lemaitre's detective series - Alex/Irene/Camille. I diligently made notes throughout reading and was sure to be posting my review on time to schedule.

I didn't.

Even now, months later, I can't bring myself to properly discuss what I consider to be an absolute train wreck of a novel. Instead I will leave you with my bullet points, make of them what you will!



Writing:

First 30% hopeless, dingy atmosphere

Way written made me feel pity (not sympathy) with the characters plight.

The plot veers extremely far from the blurb which accounts for only the first half of book.

Very hard to keep track of all the employees during hostage event, the names were similar and some characters felt pointless.

It was noticeable the author hadn't done enough research on financial market or lawsuits to carry parts of the story convincingly, a stark comparison to the level of insight into hostage scenarios. However the story is told from Delambre's perspective and so it could be argued that the character wouldn't have that knowledge.



Characters:

Disgraceful behaviour as a husband and father.

Has casual and bizarre sexual thoughts about his daughters and their appearance.

Felt no love between the main character and his family, they seemed like his possessions.

Wife was too idealistic in her views

Perhaps it was my own values that made the main character so unlikable, even in desperation I'd like to think I wouldn't be capable of the decisions Delambre made.

Charles is my favourite character in the book- he almost brings out the human in Delambre. Their journey of friendship was a wonderful light in an otherwise dark and desperate story.

Fontana made a fantastic foe, descriptive body language, I could picture him perfectly in my mind.

The chess game unfolding between Delambre and Fontana kept me reading.




Story:

Delambre plans were outrageous, unbelievable but clever, twisted and turned over the last half of the book.

Constant peril took away the edge of suspense, became a background hum which slowed the pacing considerably.

Previous experience of Lemaitre was fast paced and tense, got a glimpse of this towards the end of Inhuman Resources but far more ostentatious and therefore less enveloping.

The ending was deflated and empty- an all for nothing kind of deal.

Inhuman Resources forces you to consider the lengths you'd go to for money, what really makes you happy.



Conclusion:

That friends, is all I have to say about that! I was sorely disappointed and I'm left unsure as to whether I will pick up any future releases by this author.
But don't let this hodge-podge review put you off Lemaitre entirely, I can vouch for his Detective Camille series!

I couldn’t take anyone serious after the first quarter of the book. The unlikely change in character and capability for the lead character Alain who quickly alters from being a mild mannered hard working manager who would idolises his wife into the type of hero/villain capable of pursuading everyone to help him out or simply turning violent. Really not for me...

Inhuman Resources is a thriller about Alain Delambre, a middle-aged man who has been unemployed for so long he has become desperate. Once an HR high-flyer, Alain now works in a dead-end job from which he is unjustly sacked and then sued for damages. As he approaches a crisis he sees an ad for an HR executive. The role is very different - to run a simulated hostage situation to determine which of the anonymous company's executives functions best under extreme pressure. In an ironic twist, the job candidate who does best at pressuring the executives will get the job of heading up a major downsizing initiative.

Shades of the Stanford Experiments. Alain's partner certainly thinks so and vehemently opposes him getting involved, but he thinks that she doesn't understand how desperate things are and contrives to get involved while keeping her in the dark. But Alain does a lot more than just get involved, and is determined to ensure that he beats out his competitors for this role.

Lemaitre starts springing plot surprises once the simulation starts and you realise that there is a lot more going on than you thought. The tension builds and Alain gets in deeper and deeper. The plot unwinds at a cracking pace in the latter half, much more worthy of the author of Alex than the early parts of the book are. Towards the climax it did get a bit too unlikely and I found the ending somewhat unsatisfactory. I also would say that I never really warmed to Alain as a character; he seemed neither hero nor anti-hero really, just a bit too ineffectual and out-of-control.

I had no knowledge of this author before I read this book, so was pleased to find it very fast paced and a real page turner.

A man down on his luck makes some rash and ill-judged decisions that seem to come thick and fast, seemingly spiralling out of control. I wasn't sure which way it would turn next, but there is a surprise in store that I really didn't see coming!

It's a clever read, definitely a book for a long and otherwise dull journey. I guarantee it will become the highlight of your day!

Inhuman Resources

I make no excuses for unequivocally stating at the onset that having read several Pierre LeMaitre novels he is one of my all time favourite authors. This new novel Inhuman Resources certainly does not disappoint. Firstly, the title. Previously personnel manager was the title given by organisations to manage staff. Major downsizing and cutbacks necessitated treating staff as a piece of equipment or machinery when no longer useful or necessary. The job title became Human Resources Manager, duplicitous in the extreme. Inhuman Resources, the clever title of this book, nails to the mast the actions taken to discard unwanted employees. This story details the effect on our main character of losing his job and his journey through the various stages of shock, grief, hope and finally rage and anger at finding himself unemployed and virtually unemployable. The lengths of humiliation inflicted by prospective employers on our protagonist resulting in the clever and magnificently thought out retribution by a man who feels he has nothing left to lose. The storyline is sharply observed, cleverly introducing secondary characters, family, friends and associates all instrumental in, or damaged by the shocking retribution taken by the main character. Then, when we feel the story has nowhere left to go and has reached its conclusion the final chapter delivers an ending worthy of this enthralling thought provoking novel. Not a word, a line, a page or a chapter is wasted. A clever storyline of our times. A magnificently believable lead character with all the human frailties of Mr Average. The latter part of the book deals with the catastrophic decent into despair and the turbulent actions he feels are forced upon him resulting in the magnitude of the ultimate conclusion. Pure magic from start to finish. Bereft I have now finished one of the best novels I have read in the last year.

Multi award winning author Pierre Lemaitre has been a feature of my bookshelf for more years than I care to remember. Always a sucker for a well told tale, I also admired that he followed his own direction rather than the ones demanded of him. The pun in the title had me thinking this would have a satirical slant, and I wasn't far wrong, but it is also so much more! Heartbreak and personal struggle is lightened by some excellent black humour. This is very different from any of his previous books, but equally as compelling. Quirky, odd and strange would all be suitably accurate adjectives to describe it. There is familiarity in the plot devices/twists and turns used, the wholly engaging narrative and the characterisation. Each of the characters are completely believable and developed really well. With so many crime fiction books falling drastically short of the mark in terms of unpredictability, Lemaitre makes it seem very easy to provide readers with a story that can leave a reader in shock and awe! I'm sure it's not, but what is it they say... there is no reality only perception.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of 'Inhuman Resources' was how the author creates characters you feel for and can relate to, although Alain did start to frustrate me as he was constantly making, not simply bad decisions, but terrible ones. Intelligent, perceptive to the stark reality many face in terms of lack of work opportunities that is just as true today as it was when it was first published in French in 2010 and in the last third of the book the story transforms from a suspenseful, social commentary into a fully fledged, fast paced and high stakes thriller! I must mention Sam Gordon's wonderful translation - it's an important job as it can make or break a book. You know the jobs been exceptionally done when you cannot tell it's a translated work.

Many thanks to MacLehose Press for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Inhuman Resources is very different from 'Alex' and 'Camille', Pierre Lemaitre's previous books that I have read. Like them, though, it is immediately engaging and the entirely unexpected twists and turns of the unusual and intriguing plot kept me on the edge of my seat. The interesting characters are well developed and completely believable. Highly recommended. Thanks to Quercus Books MacLehose Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

Pierre Lemaitre never fails to impress and surprise me. All his books are brilliantly different, never predictable and always gripping. Inhuman Resources (what a great title!) exceeded all my expectations: intelligent, perceptive and heartbreakingly real, it gave me the biggest 'book hangover'. I'd struggle to name many contemporary thriller writers that could rival Pierre Lemaitre. He is in a different league. I loved this latest offering and can't stop recommend it to everyone I know. Bravo Monsieur Lemaitre!
I must also mention the excellent translation by Sam Gordon.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Quercus for the ARC.

Pierre Lemaitre’s Inhuman Resources was originally published in France in 2010 just two years after the financial crash but its story, of a man driven to extreme measures by lack of work opportunity, resonates just as well today. Alain Delambre, a fifty-seven year old former Human Resources Manager, was made redundant four years previously and works in menial, part-time jobs to survive. When an altercation with his superior in a packing depot leads to his dismissal, Alain becomes increasingly desperate. So, when a potential opportunity with a huge company presents itself, Alain jumps at the chance to take part in the recruitment exercise, and looks for any advantage, fair or otherwise, which might bring the role his way.

The story is told in three sections, before, during, and after the recruitment exercise, a high pressure ‘role-playing’ hostage situation in which Alain and another HR professional will help choose from the candidates, none of whom know that they are role-playing, while simultaneously competing for the permanent HR role. The novel is satirical and full of implicit criticisms of Big Business, where people are ‘resources’ and senior management earn huge salaries and bonuses while low-paid workers are reduced to living in cars on Paris streets.

To be honest, while I initially sympathised with Alain, who narrates the first section, I became increasingly frustrated with him as a character. He constantly makes ‘wrong’ decisions, driven no doubt by his frantic search for work, but, despite his situation, he seems to believe still in the capitalism which has put him where he now is, constantly quoting management theories. His aim appears to be to get back his position in the system rather than to change it. His self-pity means that the latter chapters of this section start to drag. But then the book jumps into life.

The second and third sections of the novel are excellent. The book transforms into a high paced thriller, the narrative increasingly breathless and difficult to predict. I enjoyed it a lot - there are enough twists to keep the reader guessing, many echoes of the current unbalanced system and uncertain future especially in post-Brexit Europe. A worthwhile read.

A complex tale of an executive long out of work taking on a somewhat unlikely task as a test for employment. I found it difficult to feel any sympathy for anyone in this yarn and struggled at times to keep going. Still managed it in the end but was left underwhelmed sadly.

As well as producing one of the finest crime series, and a collection of unique standalones, Lemaitre once again demonstrates the reach and depth of his literary skill in this dark, cynical and twisted tale, which provides a perfect allegory of the daily struggle of the downtrodden individual against the power of the few…

Quickly, I was struck by how Lemaitre’s use of the absurd in the book, mirroring in style the venerable Pascal Garnier, becomes a powerful literary tool to cast an unflinching glare on the world of work, business and exploitation in French society, but by extension in every culture. By focussing on an older protagonist such as Alain Delambre, we feel the frustration and subjugation that he experiences, nearing the twilight years of his working life, and the disempowerment he rages against as he is unceremoniously thrown on the employment scrapheap. This is the cue for Lemaitre himself to rail against the exclusion of older workers, and the hugely depressing statistics concerning employees and unemployment, which pepper the book. Delambre is an angry man and incensed by the demeaning of his worth, so he formulates a plan: a plan that has severe implications for himself and his loving family. The extreme measures that Delambre undertakes, that dishonour both him and his family are shown to be symptomatic of a larger problem in society and Lemaitre addresses these with a razor sharp and cynical eye.

However, before you begin to think that this sounds like a fairly linear tale of a desperate man taking desperate measures to gain a foothold back in the world of employment, Lemaitre turns the tables on us, and in no short order we have a hostage crisis, embezzlement, computer fraud, a seriously ticked off security operative, violence, a family in disarray, a car chase, a court case and more. Taken in its entirety, Lemaitre beautifully paces moments of extreme pathos, and a general headshaking at the world of big business, with episodes of such verve and tension that add an energy and vigour to this seemingly mundane tale of the little man’s struggle in the face of unrelenting financial and emotional pressure. I loved the increasing confidence of Delambre as he formulates his plan to turn the tables, and the gradual shedding of his previously held morality to achieve his aim, despite the extraordinary sense of betrayal experienced by his wife and daughters. He proves with every fibre of his being that you can teach an old dog new tricks, and if these tricks happen to land him in a whole heap of trouble, he proves himself unafraid to take the chance, despite some unwelcome consequences.

Once again the seamless translation by Sam Gordon, picks up all the elasticity of Lemaitre’s manipulation and use of language, and heightens the perfect structuring and narrative pace that builds tension, and ratchets up the sense of human frailty and newly acquired resilience that Delambre embodies. I found this a hugely satisfying read, for not only the cynical yet pertinent appraisal of the exploitative world of business and its effect on older workers, but also as a genuinely pacey and endlessly surprising thriller as Delambre’s life appears to descend into violent freefall. Smartly done, and as a thriller with a difference, highly recommended,

5* Excellent read!

Gosh, but, I really fell into this book. What I mean is, it sucked me in and hauled me along and I loved it, every chapter.

I'm the same age as the lead character, as well as having a similar career background and, although that's obviously not a pre requisite for enjoying it, I empathised with him, enjoyed his humour and his values and just really got hooked on the writing style and ingenious storyline.

Alain is 57 years old, married with 2 grown daughters and who is at the end of his tether due to having been made redundant at a time in his career when he felt secure. This redundancy shakes his belief system and affects his relationships. His work ethic keeps him earning, but, his position in any company is so different to his previous status that this too affects his self belief. Until, a possibility opens up, but, what is being asked of him? And, what are the consequences?

The second part of the book is partly written in the first person, but, from another character's perspective, which I wasn't expecting, but, it really worked.
I understand that this book has been translated from French, it's based in Paris, but that translation in no way detracts from the style or flow of writing.

What follows is a fabulous tale of moral dilemma, relationships, personal struggles with age and unemployment and how far one person will go in order to achieve the status and income of full time employment at an age where it's incredibly difficult.
That might make it sound boring and it's anything but. It's a really, really great read, heart rending at times, funny at times, but, always engaging.

Thanks so much to Netgalley, Quercus books and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for this honest review.

This is the first novel I have read by this author and it will not be the Last.
Alaine Delambre is fifty seven years old and once upon a time he was an HE Executive. Now he has been unemployed for four years. When he does get work it is menial and low paid. It is putting a strain on his marriage and family.
He feels useless, over the hill, no self worth, he just wants a decent job. Alaine has applied for so many jobs and is always refused. One day he recieves a letter, when he opens it he cannot believe what he is reading. He has an interview. Alain is on the up. He sails through the first interview, then the tests one more stage to go the role playing then the job is his.
Imagine if you were unemployed for a long period of time what would you do to make sure you stand out? How far would you go?
The premise of this book is believable and terrifying and the situations Alain found himself in. There is black and gallows humour and I really felt sorry for Alain.
The story was original and I found this refreshing. The translation from French is very good and flows very well which is a credit to both author and translator. I really enjoyed this book and I definitely will recommend it.
I would like to thank the author Pierre Lemaitre, Quercus Books and Net.galley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for giving an honest review.

As much of a fan as I am having read all of Lemaitre's other translated works, this one fell short of his usual high standard for me. I think it boils down to just not being invested in the characters, Alain in particular, and in his fate. That plus a weaker than usual plot made the whole thing fall a little flat, although won't put me off reading his future books.

This was an interesting and entertaining novel by the French author Pierre Lemaitre, whom I know from the Camille Verhœven series. This book is a lot different and in my opinion, it transcends genre categorization as it can be seen as a social commentary on unemployment, a political thriller, a dark comedy or simply a crime novel as every other. The story is absorbing and the story unfolds while the reader follows multiple points a view in different time spaces (before, during, after), the defining event being a hostage-taking role-play, organized by a big firm in order to recruit the new human resources manager. The protagonist, Alain, is four years without a job and his life is in its totality affected by the inaction and the poverty, spreading to his relationship with his wife and two daughters as well as friends and ex-colleagues. Due to his desperate position, he decides to do something drastic and violent in order to secure a financially stable future, causing a series of devastating consequences for him and his loved ones. This book brought somehow to my mind the French film ''Le Couperet'', directed by the Greek auteur Costas Gavras and his storyline was based on the anguish of unemployment and its effects to people. Actually, ''Inhuman Resources'' is a rather dark and depressing story with splashes of black humor and lots of sharp twists in its plot. If you expect another Camille Verhœven book you will get disappointed but otherwise, this is a novel worthy of adding on your to-read list.

*I would like to thank Pierre Lemaitre, Quercus Books and Netgalley for generously providing me with ARC in exchange for my honest review.*
This is a story of a man, Alain Delambre, who is in his late fifties, an ex-HR specialist, who, after losing his position, works for peanuts doing some menial jobs, gets fired after an incident with his supervisor and seeks to find employment in the field he worked previously. Very intelligent and desperate, Alain applies for a job and he does everything he can to secure it and get his dignity back by taking some stepy which are not always lawful. The book reads very well, there are some tragic-comic moments, black humour and a lot of insight into the corporate life. Alain is a likeable character with whom I fully sympathize and whose sins I entirely absolve.

This is the first thriller I have read by this author who is well established in France but less well known in the UK.

It will not be the last and I well suspect that he will become a major author over here very soon given the quality and excitement of this exceptionally clever thriller.

I will not spoil things by revealing the storyline but the plot and premise are topical, credible and draw the reader into the book.

I empathised with the plight of the hero although some of his actions did not bare close scrutiny but he was desperate to find fresh employment and regain his sense of pride and self-worth.

The writing was crisp, clear and lucid which bears testimony to the quality of the translation from the French.

It is a highly original book and one that deserves a lot of attention.

Highly recommended.