La fée carabine was a critical success, winning three literary awards in 1988: the Trophée 813 for best novel, the Grenoble polar (whodunnit) prize, and that of the city of Mans.

Three other investigations follow: one into the attempted murder of a young woman, another into the serial killings of small old women in the district, and a third into drug trafficking by old men.

Benjamin Malaussènne, professional scapegoat, quickly becomes suspect number one of all four investigations, owing to the numerous children of his prolific mother he lives with, the various old men with obsolete talents that he shelters, and his repeated abortive romantic affairs.

Like all novels in the Malaussène saga, the setting is anything but conventional, the streets of Paris brimming with immigrants in open celebration of their diversity, the situations rarely Gallic yet authentically Parisian.

La fée carabine was adapted for television in 1988 by Yves Boisset, starring Tom Novembre as Malaussène, Fabrice Luchini, Anna Galiena, Daniel Emilfork and Hubert Deschamps.