Maxime KLEIN

An author of psychological thrillers, I have always needed to create. I have painted, composed music, filled entire notebooks with songs. And today, I write novels.

A passionate reader since childhood, I spent years starting stories without finishing them. For lack of patience, of courage, and perhaps of confidence. Then came the urge to close circles that were only arcs. So I closed them.

One question from my high school philosophy exam has never left me: “Is man naturally good?” I am still searching for the answer, observing the strengths and weaknesses of the human soul. In my novels, I explore the gray areas where chance and fate blur together, wrapped in suspense. I want readers to think without realizing it.

Sound and film editing, my first trades, taught me rhythm and the art of cutting. I keep only the lifeblood: what makes the heart beat imperceptibly faster.

My stories are rooted in places I know: Annecy for Les Pantins humains, Clairvaux-les-Lacs, in the Jura, for Elena. And Nice for the next one.

My influences include Jean-Baptiste Andrea, Joël Dicker, Paul Auster, David Foenkinos, Douglas Kennedy, Blake Crouch, Marcel Pagnol and Guy de Maupassant.

Second prize, CCLA short story competition (2025).

Jury’s favorite, Rivages littéraires short story competition (2026).