Photos Denis Jouglet / NOW Geneva – Thanks to the Théâtre de Vidy
Religion as a starting point
It was in 1973 in Versoix that Marc was born to a German father and a Swedish mother, his first reader and probably his first source of inspiration. He studied theology for 6 years partly thanks to a meeting with a pastor who transmitted his passion and a certain form of allocentrism to him. Parallel to his studies, Marc worked for the YMCA, the student hostel of Georges Williams, who offered him the role of General Secretary as soon as he finished his studies. A position that will allow him to take on many roles and provide him with a very enriching first professional experience. Following this, he accepted to join a bank to do an internship that will quickly become a permanent position to integrate the Human Resources department, Marc moves a little further away from his pastorate.
Writer in spite of himself
In 2002, while still an employee, he and his companion decided to leave everything to go on a world tour. During this trip, Marc will take the time to devote himself to one of his passions, that of reading. He devours books but is particularly fond of black novels, which he is beginning to study in order to understand their inner workings. Back from their trip, they settle in Gryon. He discovers a small village which according to him looked a lot like the places described in the many thrillers he reads during his trip. A village where the inhabitants live behind closed doors, pass on stories and legends, and where the mountains bring a certain drama to the setting, the perfect place, he says, to write detective stories. One night, he picks up a pen and starts to write his first words on a blank piece of paper with a script in mind, he tells how he couldn’t stop as if everything had to come out.
An unexpected success
Not sure if anyone was going to read Le Dragon Du Muveran, let alone be published, he began to write his second story, a vocation had just been born. 60,000 copies were sold for the first book signed with Le Plaisir de Lire, a Swiss publishing house, a success he had not expected. Word-of-mouth will have done its job, as will a readership that has become loyal. The second book, Qui a tué Heidi, published by Slatkine & Cie, a set still planted in Gryon’s mind, will bring him recognition and establish his status as a talented author. For his third book, he decided to leave the inhabitants of Gryon alone and attack those of Gotland Island in Sweden.
The Blood Eagle
According to Norse mythology, it is a Viking torture which consists of opening the rib cage in the back, separating the ribs from the spine and thus extracting the lungs from the victim, who is supposed to be still alive. This sets the tone for Marc Voltenauer’s latest book. Inspector Auer leaves Gryon to take us this time in search of his origins on the island of Gotland in Sweden, only to find himself quickly caught up in a thrilling plot. Family secrets, Viking brotherhood and bloodthirsty rituals are the backdrop to this story where we are taken on board and tossed around by the suspense that the author never ceases to stir up by blurring the tracks.
We look forward to the next book but also to know the director who will dare to take on the film adaptations, the mystery remains.
https://www.marcvoltenauer.com/