Bertrand Ballesta
Originally from Cahors, Bertrand Ballesta has worked in communication and journalism for over twenty years, particularly in the fields of wine, gastronomy, and heritage. He is the editor-in-chief of Périgord Attitude le Mag magazine. Writing, however, has never left him. At fifty, during a personal turning point, the author felt the need to question his trajectory and choices, and to reconnect, through fiction, with a hidden part of himself. The psychological thriller then emerged as the obvious choice: a privileged territory for exploring human vulnerabilities and using narrative tension to reveal the innermost self.
Three destinies, three lost souls… A village clinging to the Causses du Quercy, ready to bring them together for better or for worse. Three paths, three existential questions: Who do we become when we renounce what we thought we were? Does revenge extinguish pain or rekindle it? What price does redemption demand? Vincent Mercier, a brilliant Parisian business lawyer, is at his wit's end. His career is faltering, his marriage is falling apart, and his certainties are crumbling. On the verge of collapse, he chooses to leave everything behind and exile himself to Saint-Martin-de-Vers, a remote village in the Lot region, convinced he will find the strength to rebuild his life. In this timeless place, Vincent crosses paths with an enigmatic old man, whose gaze hints at a secret too heavy to bear alone. The Village of Lost Souls is an intense psychological thriller that explores the limits of humanity when confronted with its deepest truths. Knowing how to get lost is sometimes the only way to find yourself… Publication date: February 2, 2026 Order Press release
