Apr 15, 2010

Book Review: Murder in the Palais Royal by Cara Black

 Murder in the Palais Royal (Aimee Leduc Investigations, No. 10)
"Who the hell shot Rene, and why does everyone think it's me?" She tried to slow down, control the rising panic in her voice. "I want to give my statement and move on to more important things. Like finding who did this." (p. 21)
Aimee Leduc is accused of shooting her business partner, Rene, who is undergoing surgery in a Paris hospital. She tracks down possible suspects who might want to frame her and harm her friend and partner in the business.

From Goodreads: Eyewitnesses have identified Aimée as the culprit. A mysterious deposit has been made to their firm's bank account, interesting the taxman in their affairs. Someone seems to be impersonating Aimée; someone wants revenge. Two murders ensue. How do they relate to the youth whom Aimée's testimony sent to jail in the very first Aimée Leduc investigation, Murder in the Marais ?
My comments:
I like the free-spirited heroine of the series, her flair for fashion, her doggedness in tracking down clues in a mystery, and her faithfulness to her friends. She is especially good at getting the right information from reluctant witnesses or even unreliable sources. And she is one of the best guides to Paris there is.

In previous books, she has taken us into the catacombs underneath the city of Paris, into the various arrondissements of Paris, the neighborhoods full of history which author Cara Black has imbued with mystery in her ten novels. In Murder in the Palais Royale, Aimee ventures into the underground tunnels in the arrondissement, adding to the intrigue and suspense of the plot, and giving us more of the flavor and past of Paris.

I recommend reading the first and best novel in the series, Murder in the Marais, along with this latest book, as the people and plots are linked, though they are both excellent as stand-alone reads. I'm looking forward to more in the series, too. Each of her books is set in a different neighborhood of Paris. There are 20 arrondissements in the city and she her books are set in 10 of them!

Cara Black is the author of nine previous books in the best-selling Aimée Leduc mystery series. She has been nominated twice for an Anthony Award. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and son and visits Paris frequently.(Goodreads)

Soho Press, Inc. provided a copy of this book for my objective review.

Challenges: Thriller & Suspense Reading Challenge, 100 + Reading Challenge

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10 comments:

  1. Love the review. Definitely catch my attention. This sounds like a very intriguing book. I'll have to add it to my wish list. Thanks.

    Mason
    Thoughts in Progress

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  2. I've only read two of this series, but I really like it. It is one that I keep track of, here on Rose City Reader. But I think my list is a little out of date. I need to add this one.

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  3. You might like to try this novel, tho it's not in sequence. I enjoyed it. I really don't think you have to read them in sequence, in case you are worried about that. Murder on the Ile St. Louis

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  4. Thanks for the review on this author --- I love any thing Paris - especially interested in the underground catacombs and the different settings in the arrondissements. Looks promising.

    Joanny

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  5. good,
    you are smarter when reading these.
    Happy Friday!

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  6. Great review! Thanks for stopping by Willow Manor. Have a super weekend!

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  7. I just spotted this book at the local bookstore the other nignt. I'm glad they are stand alone novels because there are already 10 books! But I will take your recommendation to read Murder in the Marais first because the plots are linked! Thanks for the review and the recommendations!

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  8. http://jingleyanqiu.wordpress.com/2010/04/18/follow-jingle-to-make-your-blog-twinkle-awards/

    awards for you.

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  9. Ji:
    Thank you for the award! Very nice of you to think of me.

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  10. I met her today at the LA book fair-this is going on my wish list.

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I appreciate your comments and thoughts...

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