Ambitious and well-written, Véronique Biefnot's first novel, Comme des larmes sous la pluie, is a beautiful story that deserves to be told.

—Le Soir

With this ambivalent but romantic love story, [the author] mixes realism and fantasy, proving that self-renewal is always possible. Emotions guaranteed!

—Page des Libraires

Like Tears in the Rain, a confident debut novel by Véronique Biefnot, is part love story, part thriller, and completely engrossing. The intriguing story, which unfolds in Brussels, echoes the infamous kidnappings of Jaycee Dugard and Austrian schoolgirl Natascha Kampusch.

Naëlle is a beautiful, quiet, and mysterious young woman working in a fabric store in Brussels. Her work brings her into contact with Celine, an interior decorator, who befriends her and helps her broaden her life.

Celine and her husband are also friends with Simon Bersic, a successful writer and a single father. Simon lost his wife over a decade before, but until he meets Naëlle he has not yet been able to love again. Their growing love turns both of their lives around. Life seems quite wonderful . . . until the lovers become entangled in a sordid kidnapping that shakes Belgium and seems likely to pull them apart. Simon, however, finds the courage to confront an unbearable situation in order to save Naëlle and their love.

Like Tears in the Rain is a tale of loss, survival, and love. It is also an intense thriller whose forward movement is punctuated by the voice of a child, whose story unfolds as a sequence of narratives woven from the tales of others. The chemistry between the players creates a gem of a novel that will haunt readers long after the story's end.