Book Review: Murder in the Marais

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Murder in the Marais     Amazon US TPB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada TPB Amazon Canada HC
Cara Black
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Woman Main Character
Series: Aimee Leduc # 1
Soho, Dec 1999, $13.00, 354 pp.

In November 1993 Paris, elderly Nazi Hunter Soli Hecht invokes his friendship with her dead father in appealing to computer forensic expert Aimee Leduc for her help. Reluctantly, she agrees to decipher the encrypted code that gives the appearance of the Cold War and to deliver the results into the hands of Lili Stein only.

After quite a difficult time, Aimee breaks the code revealing an old World War II black and white photograph without any accompanying text. She heads to the Jewish section of Paris, Marais, to deliver her results to Lili. However, placing the photo in Lili's hand makes no sense any longer, as Aimee finds the body of the murdered elderly Jewish woman. Aimee is found at the scene and quickly concludes she might have problems as honor in the name of her father refuses to allow her to reveal her alibi to Inspector Morbier. Outside of her expertise, Aimee begins investigating the homicide on her own to clear her name.

This reviewer actually read the superb MURDER IN BELLEVILLE book (second Leduc novel), which led to reading the debut Leduc tale, MURDER IN THE MARAIS. This novel is excellent, extremely complex, and filled with action and tension. The story line links historical hatred to 1993 prejudices in a frightfully realistic depiction that counterbalances the image of Gay Paree with that of the ethnic bleakness of the World War II era and of the early nineties through a great private sleuth.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner