This, the third 'By the Lake' series, sees protagonists Lise Stocker and Clovis Bouvier investigating when a man crashes a speedboat into a jetty. He is dead and appears to have been suffering from an unknown disease. Shortly afterwards Clovis gets a call from his ex... her new boyfriend is ill. It is the same deadly disease. It is soon identified as a strain of Ebola; not wanting to cause a panic the authorities attempt to find the source of the disease and any connection between the two men without alerting the public. At the same time a mother reports that her ex-husband has failed to return their daughter after a routine visit and she is unable to contact either of them.
I enjoyed this series; its theme of a virus outbreak is perfectly timed for these times... and the fact that Covid-19 is far less serious than Ebola should leave viewers feeling relieved that we aren't dealing with such a deadly outbreak! The story is well told with a sense of mystery about how the disease appeared in this relatively quiet corner of France as well as the drama of seeing who will succumb to the disease and how it will ultimately be brought under control. It does of course rely on some convenient coincidences but that can be excused as they help drive the plot and add to the tension. Similarly things do get quite melodramatic towards the end and the resolution seems rather fast. Overall a solid thriller.
These comments are based on watching the series in French with English subtitles.
