Global Phenomenon The Story of Marceau Miller Arrives Stateside — Read an Excerpt! (Exclusive)

The Story of Marceau Miller is reaching a new audience!

Perhaps best known as its French iteration Le Roman de Marceau Miller, the novel has captivated (and confounded) readers around the globe, for both its contents and mysterious author. The thriller is the debut effort of an author who goes by the pseudonym “Marceau Miller” — the novel’s title character, “who may or may not be the man at the center of the novel itself,” an official synopsis teases.

Now, the story, which has already been translated into 12 languages, is getting an English language translation via Blackstone Publishing — and PEOPLE has an exclusive first look. 

The “action-packed, sophisticated thriller” will be available to read in English on March 3, 2026, according to the publisher, which bills it as perfect for fans of Laura Dave (The Last Thing He Told Me) and Paula Hawkins (The Girl on the Train).

The Story of Marceau Miller, publisher Blackstone says, is “certain to make its mark as a masterpiece of psychological suspense that grips readers from the start.” It has also captivated book lovers worldwide, inspiring numerous theories about the identity of its mysterious author.

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“Born sometime around 1978, Marceau Miller is said to be a screenwriter,” the author’s bio reads. “This is the first time he has written under this pseudonym, which also happens to be the name of the author at the center of this novel.”

The author lives in France, according to his bio, and “returns regularly to the forests and mountains surrounding Lake Geneva, a region that exerts a powerful hold on his imagination.” That very same region serves as the setting for The Story of Marceau Miller.

“In the beautiful and dangerous landscape of Lake Geneva, in the shadow of the Swiss Alps, renowned writer Marceau Miller is found dead,” an official synopsis reads. “In the wake of the tragedy, his wife Sarah discovers a manuscript he’s left behind, entitled The Story of Marceau Miller.”

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“With the support of close friends, Sarah struggles to hold herself together while caring for her two children and coping with the mounting questions surrounding her famous husband’s death. Was it an accident or part of some darker game?” the synopsis continues. “Compelled to find the truth, Sarah unravels secrets that make her question everything — and everyone — around her. Who can she possibly trust? Her journey from grief to revelation captures the nuance of marriage to a man who remains an enigma.”

And the final question on Sarah’s mind, the synopsis says, is the same one fans of the thriller have been asking since its release: “Who is Marceau Miller, really?”

Below, read an exclusive excerpt from the English translation of The Story of Marceau Miller.

Like a flash of lightning zigzagging through my brain, a violent blow to my head knocks me off balance. I’m 600 feet above the void, climbing a rock face I know well. My nails scratch the granite, my hands lose their grip. I realize it’s all over. Because I love a challenge, and maybe out of pride, I’ve always climbed with my bare hands, without a rope. I knew I would pay the price one of these days. First, I see the sky. Then 300 feet of rock rush past in a blink of an eye. I catch a glimpse of a figure disappearing behind the summit I’d almost reached. I recognize that figure. It’s because of that figure that I’m going to die. One thing is strangely comforting: I’m going to join my sister. She’s been gone for 20 years, and when I got up this morning, the last thing I imagined was that I’d be meeting her again today.

My name is Marceau Miller, and I’m a bestselling novelist. Tomorrow, you’ll be able to read on my Wikipedia page, just below the line “Born”: “Died: 16 May 2021 (aged 40).” I’ve spent years writing as if each day might be my last. As if part of me foresaw this moment, I’m leaving behind the most important manuscript of my life. It is for Sarah and the others. I owe them the truth.

The ground is approaching at a terrifying speed. My heart breaks for my children, Hermione and Benjamin, my wife Sarah, and the life we built together.

We’ve all had the horrible nightmare of falling into blackness with nothing to stop us. We wake up bathed in sweat, our hearts about to burst.

I’ve always wondered if the brain switches off before the final impact. In a few hundredths of a second, I’ll know for sure.

150 feet.

30 feet.

Darkness.

***

Saturday May 15, 2021

The day before Marceau Miller’s death

Sitting in the rocking chair on the terrace of the house, I look up from my reading. This is where I like to be, looking out over Lake Geneva, my lake — as if it belongs to me. In my husband’s novels, there’s never anything to prepare you for the storm that’s about to break over his characters. It often starts insidiously, then strikes with full force. This is his twentieth book, and he still manages to surprise me. There are things about Marceau I’ve never been able to figure out, but there’s one thing I must admit: he deserves his success. He handles suspense better than anybody. Maybe even too well. It’s everywhere, all the time.

The throb of a motor catches my attention. A boat is approaching the dock at the bottom of the garden. Benjamin is at the helm. He’s only 10 but already maneuvers well. All the same, he’s approaching the dock a little too fast. Marceau is waving his arms, asking him to slow down. They’ve noticed I’m watching. All three wave to me. I smile and wave back. Hermione, our eldest, who’s been standing in the bow of the boat, leaps onto the dock and catches the rope her father throws to her. Benjamin cuts the motor.

I put down the book. I don’t even have to mark the page, I can remember it easily: 40. Marceau’s age, and mine too. By page 40, things are already starting to look bad for the characters. And I suspect that’s just the start.

I stand up, stretch. The shade under the pergola is cool. The wooden exterior of the house, partly covered with flowering vines, gives the place the feel of a vacation getaway.

I walk toward the children. Benjamin is already starting to tell me about his adventures as he runs toward me. Hermione is coming up with her father, both carrying the diving gear.

“Dad and I went 15 feet down! I saw a fish as big as this!”

Even stretched to their full width, my son’s arms seem too short for the huge fish he saw in the lake. Marceau comes close and kisses me on the forehead. His lips are still cool from the lake. Benjamin pulls him by the sleeve, wanting him to confirm his story about the giant fish. Hermione creeps up behind him with the cap he dropped and pulls it down over his head, taking him by surprise.

For a moment, I feel the fragility of happiness — as fleeting as a fish disappearing into the depths. I become aware of all the things I hold most dear and realize how bad I’d feel if I lost any of them. Happiness comes to us without warning. It can withdraw just as quickly.

Excerpted from The Story of Marceau Miller by Marceau Miller, reprinted with permission by Blackstone Publishing. Copyright © 2025 by Éditions de La Martinière. Une marque de la société EDLM. English language translation copyright ©️ 2026 by Blackstone Publishing. Originally published in French in 2025 by Éditions de La Martinière as Le Roman de Marceau Miller. All rights reserved.

The English translation of The Story of Marceau Miller hits shelves on March 3, 2026 and is available now for preorder, wherever books are sold.