Bibliography of Viviane Janouin-Benanti 
CRIME NOVELS
The Poitiers Affair:
A Harrowing True Crime Story
In 19th-century France, a society rocked by political instability as Royalists and Républicains battle for power, two young lovers are drawn together in spite of all. One is Protestant, the other Catholic; one raised in a liberal-minded middle-class family, the other from a conservative aristocratic family; both dream of a future together. It doesn’t take long for the drama to start, and it ends in one of the most sensational cases of psychological and physical abuse in French history.
A faithful and sensitive depiction of a true scandal resulting in a trial that continues to divide the population of Poitiers to this day. A solidly documented work of creative nonfiction. You will learn about the human dimension of historical events and never forget Blanche’s story. This best-selling book includes a “photo album” with dozens of vintage images related to the case.
Learn more: The Poitiers Affair: A Harrowing True Crime Story
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Criminal Couple: Ian Brady and Myra Hindley
Near Manchester, Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, a couple of serial killers in search of notoriety and fame, engage in some of the most atrocious and perverse activities imaginable.
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The Judge of God: Nicolas Rémy, his Witches and Sorcerers
In the 16th century, the plague wreaked havoc in France. Throughout the country, accusations of witchcraft would result in immediate arrests and often ended with the death penalty.
In Lorraine, a province in eastern France, Nicolas Rémy was one of the worst judges for those accused of witchcraft. This is the story of those he condemned to death.
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The Ogre of Hanover Station: The Haarmann Affair
In Hanover, disappearances multiplied at the end of the Great War. The rumor was that children’s bodies were piling up in the Leine River. Someone was on a killing spree, but no one suspected the kind and friendly Monsieur Haarmann.
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A Very Pious Marquis: The Marquis de Nayve Affair
At a time when illegitimate children had no place in the high society of French château life, secrets and lies protected reputations. Château de Sidiailles and Château de Presle are no exceptions—what really went on behind those walls? And what did the Marquis do about it?
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The Magic Attic
On the outskirts of the city of Chateauroux, in the Saint-Maur neighborhood, old Father Georges is in agony. Father Tissier is sent by the bishop to assist him. All of the parishioners like the new priest. The young Clemence Mesure is seduced. Thus begins a sensational crime that will end in criminal court.
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Little Girls from Angers in Danger
Marie, Pascaline, Jeannette, Yvonne, Anne-Marie, Simone: such sweet little girls’ names... Pierre Gueurie is fascinated by them. Obsessed with them. He will wreak havoc in the city of Angers for years.
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She Poisoned Them with Digitalin
In Bordeaux, the capital of the Aquitaine region, Élisabeth Ducourneau poisoned her victims with a toxin that barely leaves a trace. But why? What made such an ordinary, respectable woman become a ruthless killer?
This bewitching novel plunges us into the intense atmosphere in France leading up to the Second World War.
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The Assassin Was a Child
In Brittany, young François plans and carries out a murder. Is it possible to understand what would drive a 12-year-old child to such an act? This novel challenges us to do so. A chilling account that culminates in a spectacular trial.
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The Monsters of Waldighoffen
In the peaceful Alsatian village of Waldighoffen in Haut-Sundgau, all is not as it seems at one family estate. Family members are suspected of the most horrific murders, unthinkable crimes that stunned the entire region.
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The Killer on the Paris-Mulhouse Line: An Elusive Railway Murderer
A daring criminal terrorizes passengers on the Paris-Mulhouse railway line. Master of the art of disguise, he could appear as an attractive woman or an athletic man. Uncatchable, he repeatedly taunts the French detectives trying to stop him.
A dazzling life, fascinating characters…hop aboard and immerse yourself in this incredible true story.
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The Assassinated Virgin
Namur, Antwerp, Calais
A frail girl tries to escape the crazy love of her incestuous father…this unthinkable case takes us back and forth across the border between France and Belgium, taking place in the cities of Namur, Antwerp, and Calais.
The plot twists will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.
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Demonic Powers and Freemasons
On the coast near La Rochelle, in a community of prosperous mussel farmers just after the First World War, one wealthy man becomes the target of a mysterious sect bent on destroying Freemasonry in France.
His daughter, a girl with a disability, also attracts attention. This is her story as well, one that shows how love transcends difference.
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The Ascension Day Crime
The murders happened one after the other in a small village near Nantes, culminating on the Feast of the Ascension.
Is there any connection to the known incestuous passion of a mother for her son? Who committed the crimes? The village is full of suspects…
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The August Murderer
In the village of Niort, in western France, the torrid heat of August revives the sexual impulses of a serial killer…but how does he choose his victims? What is the link between them? This novel follows the killer’s each step as he tracks and kills his victims.
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The Devil's Billhook: The Life of Pierre Rivière
In the countryside near Caen, a peasant farmer kills his mother, his sister, and his young brother. The endearing protagonist of this shocking story is a young schizophrenic who dreamed of being God. His name is Pierre Rivière, and this is the story of his life.
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Henri Pranzini: The Splendid Darling
The “splendid darling,” a seducer with languorous eyes, a gambler, a wanderer, he was the type of man you didn’t want to cross paths with…but Marie Regnault did.
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HISTORICAL NOVELS
Three Seasons in Hell:
The Possessed of Loudun
God is demanding. All the heroes of this historical novel are fully aware of this. But what exactly is He asking them to do? For some, God's call will lead to torture and murder.
In 17th-century Loudun, whispers of witchcraft, evil spirits, and demonic possessions spread through the city. This tragic tale centers on the Saint-Pierre parish priest Urbain Grandier, and other fascinating figures, such as Jeanne des Anges, the superior mother of the Ursulines convent, an enlightened mystic named Father Surin, a calculating Capuchin friar called Father Joseph, and two conscientious exorcists.
This is one of the most fascinating cases of mass demonic possession in French history, culminating in one of the most well-known witchcraft trials.
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In the Name of Freedom: Joseph Boczov and Olga Bancic
In the 1930s chemical engineer Joseph Boczov (whose real name was Ferenc Wolf) and factory worker Olga Bancic each traveled to France on foot from Romania. Both would end up on the infamous Affiche rouge (Red Poster) published in 1944 by the German and Vichy authorities to locate and punish immigrant resistance fighters. Why did Joseph and Olga come to France, how did they end up on the poster, and what became of them? This novel tells their stories, ones that should not be forgotten.
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The Double Face of Dr. Karl Roos: A Spy Nest in Alsace-Lorraine
A thrilling dive into the shadow struggle between Nazis and Resistance fighters in the Alsace-Lorraine region on the eve of the World War II. Very intelligent, more cunning and manipulative than even his like-minded compatriots, separatist Karl Roos would become a National Socialist and the secret weapon of the Third Reich in eastern France. But with Nazism on the rise, the Alsatian Jewish community decided to put their own secret plans into action: a little-known counter-espionage mission to reveal the true faces of those in the Nazi spy ring.
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ESSAYS
Suicide: Modes of Prevention
Preface by Prof. Pierre Cüer
One in ten people think of suicide. Prevent suicide, know how to intervene.
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AIDS, Family, and Society
Fundamental ethical issues
Preface by Prof. Jean-Marc Alby
AIDS doesn't just happen to others. How do you handle a diagnosis of AIDS when it’s your son, husband, sister or father? What new relationships are formed inside families and in society?
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