Book Review: Murder in the Sentier

Reviewed By: Hurricane7 - RAM

Murder in the Sentier     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Cara Black
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Woman Main Character
Series: Aimee Leduc # 3

Aimee Leduc is single, mid to late thirties and along with Rene runs the Leduc Detective Agency. Her faithful companion is Miles Davis a bichon frise puppy who eats out of a chipped Limoges bowl. Aimee is model slim with short spiky dark hair and is in the process of quitting smoking...yet again. By her own admission she attracts the wrong sort of men so is therefore single. Her residence is in a beautiful old apartment overlooking the Seine in a neighbourhood once desirable but is now home to the fashion trade, sleazy night-clubs and up and coming dot.com businesses.

As the story opens a woman shows up at Aimee's door claiming to have information about her mother who Aimee has not seen or heard from since her disappearance when Aimee was a young girl. Aimee's mother was reputed to have been linked to a 70's terrorist group and who had done time in Fresnes prison. Aimee's deceased father a former police officer staunchly refused to speak about her mother from the day she vanished from the family home and now that Aimee's father has passed on, secrets of her mothers life followed him to the grave.

The story unfolds with a murder and a suspicious suicide both of which seems to have a long lost connection to Aimee finding out the real truth about her mother. The characters are numerous and at first seem not to have a strong link to the original murders but with careful plotting Ms. Black weaves a tale that takes us back to the 70's for a glimpse into the life of a group of young idealistic revolutionaries and gently weaves them all into the present again all while giving us a taste of day to day life in a seedy Paris suburb. Ms Black's sense of place makes us feel like we are right beside Aimee as she wheels about on her moped or stops at a smoky cafe or tabac shop.

I look forward to reading the two previous books in the series.

Hurricane7 - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Hurricane7 - RAM