Ghost

In Ghost, Hamon de Quillan delivers a contemporary crime thriller that brilliantly blends classic procedural investigation with the challenges of the modern cyber threat.

The plot begins at the heart of power, at 36 Quai des Orfèvres, when a cyberattack, orchestrated by an autonomous programme named 'Ghost', takes the Ministry of Justice's archives hostage. Inspector Matthieu Verne finds himself at the centre of the storm when forensic analysis of the malware reveals the intellectual signature of his twin brother, Étienne Verne, who officially died fifteen years earlier.

This 'dead man's switch' mechanism forces Matthieu to revisit the tragic events of November 2011, a night when police corruption and personal tragedy became intertwined.

Ghost stands out for its technical precision and emotional depth. Beyond the suspense of the countdown, the novel explores the persistence of memory in the digital age and the weight of remorse. It is a work about resilience, driven by nuanced characters: Matthieu, the cop worn down by compromise; Nina, the idealistic hacker; and the ghost of Étienne, an omniscient presence who guides and judges the living.

As much a thriller of memory as it is a thriller of action, Ghost combines procedural precision, political tension and intimate emotion. Hamon de Quillan brings to life haunted characters, a magnetic city and a plot where the digital never replaces the human: it extends it, exposes it and sometimes condemns it.

A novel for readers of contemporary suspense, ambitious French crime fiction and dark, sophisticated techno-political fiction.