The first novel of the trilogy about the Marseille police inspector Fabio Montale. Once they were friends, boys who grew up in the criminal neighborhoods of Marseille - Manyu, Hugo and Fabio. Now Manyu is killed, and Hugo returns to Marseille to avenge the death of his friend to the head local mafia clan, and he himself dies. And Fabio, who has become a policeman, begins an investigation... Who killed Manya? Who dealt with Hugo? Who brutally killed Fabio's girlfriend, the beautiful gypsy Leila? Who is the true owner of the city? And to find the truth, Inspector Fabio Montale will have to overcome the resistance of the mafia, corrupt colleagues, corrupt politicians, cold-blooded killers and extremist nationalists. “Dead Men Live in Paradise” is a real French detective story with a special, purely French flavor, where the main emphasis is placed on the character of the characters, their inner world and the psychology of relationships. In 1996, the novel was awarded the prestigious Trophy 813 award. The film adaptation of the novel, created by director José Pineiro in 2001 with Alain Delon in the title role, was shown repeatedly and successfully on Russian television (under the name “The Awakening of Cheops”). The first edition is in Russian.