Murder in Pigalle by Cara Black

Reviewed by Kristin

Aimee Leduc Investigation series spoiler alert—Aimee had a major life circumstance change at the end of Murder Below Montparnasse.  Murder in Pigalle (and any single title in this series) could be read as a stand-alone, but if you prefer to read series in order, don’t read this review!  (Review of Murder Below Montparnasse here:  http://bristol-library-bookblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/murder-below-montparnasse-by-cara-black.html )

Private Investigator Aimee Leduc is back in Murder in Pigalle.  With her life changing circumstances revealed at the end of the last book, Aimee is trying to adapt her fast paced career to the physical limitation of being five months pregnant.  Aimee is drawn into an investigation through her young friend Zazie when a series of young girls are attacked.  Zazie wants to imitate Aimee by investigating the crimes, even at the risk of peril to herself.  When Zazie disappears, her frantic parents implore Aimee to help, even as the police refuse to consider the 13-year-old a missing person before 24 hours have passed.  Because a child is involved, Aimee cannot say no.

While searching for Zazie, Aimee takes more risks than she should.  Not only does she have to be concerned with her own safety, but with that of her unborn child.  Nevertheless, Aimee is compelled by her budding maternal instinct to do whatever she can to find Zazie.  Between morning sickness, worrying about fitting into her clothes and the bad guys with guns, Aimee has her hands full.

Aimee’s business partner Rene is more than willing to do whatever he can to keep Aimee out of danger.  Rene shows his devotion by printing baby information and accompanying Aimee to her doctor’s appointments.  Of course Rene pushes past the physical discomfort of his disabilities to be there for Aimee, no matter the cost.  Despite the repetitive nature of Rene’s mooning over Aimee, I think that most readers will feel sympathy for him as he pursues what may be an impossible dream; I just can’t imagine a scenario where Aimee actually falls in love with him.

Aimee also must deal with the father of her child, Melac, whom she has been ignoring for months as he continues to deal with his ex-wife and ill daughter.  Once he does discover that Aimee is carrying his child, Melac believes that he can whisk Aimee away to the countryside and live a fairytale life.  Aimee, however, chafes at the thought of leaving Paris and her detective agency.  One of Aimee’s most delightful qualities is her independence amidst the beauty and the grittiness of Paris, so I cannot see her settling down to a quiet life in the country.

This is a fast moving tale with the story spread over only a few days.  Black has once again written a captivating story that draws in the reader and pulls them along through the adventure.  I always enjoy seeing the neighborhoods of Paris through Aimee’s eyes, and can almost feel the cobblestones under my feet and smell the pleasant odors wafting out of the cafes.  I’m not sure that Pigalle would be on the top of my list for scenic Parisian locales, because it has a bit of a dangerous reputation as an edgy area, perhaps a place where tourists might take in a risqué show.  I was surprised that the parents of the young girls in this book allowed their children to walk in this district at night, therefore putting them in danger.  I will just have to put my American cultural differences aside and sigh “c’est la vie” theatrically, and continue reading the Aimee Leduc adventures as soon as each one is published.

Nevermore: Murder, Mystery, War, and Death in General

Reported by Kristin

Stiff by Mary Roach was the first book mentioned in Nevermore this week.  This book has been read by several book club members, and the current reader is enjoying Roach’s wit.  The introduction begins: “The way I see it, being dead is not terribly far off from being on a cruise ship. Most of your time is spent lying on your back. The brain has shut down. The flesh begins to soften. Nothing much new happens, and nothing is expected of you.”  Our reader had also just finished Bonk by the same author, and passed it on to someone else.  More comments on Roach’s writing will surely be forthcoming.

Next up was Missing You by Harlan Coben.  NYPD detective Kat Donovan is confronted with her past, including finding her ex-fiancee on a dating site and revisiting the unsolved murder of her father which happened twenty-five years earlier.  Unfortunately, our reader said that this book does not live up to Coben’s earlier books, and in fact she questions whether or not the author has suddenly become brain dead.  (Perhaps Coben will be the subject of the next Mary Roach book?)

A Circle of Wives by Alice LaPlante surfaced next.  Popular and successful plastic surgeon Dr. John Taylor was found dead in a hotel room.  Suspicious?  At first not, but then it was discovered that he had multiple wives, thus the title of the book.  It wasn’t surprising that a circle of motives arose from all directions.  Our reader enjoyed this book.

Murder in Pigalle by Cara Black was promoted as a very enjoyable book.  Private investigator Aimee Leduc is back in the latest of her Parisian adventures.  Searching for a pedophile who possibly abducted a friend’s teenage daughter, Aimee finds herself in danger of losing life and limb.  The author sets this series in a variety of Paris neighborhoods, giving readers a glimpse into many areas of the City of Light.

Last discussed was Five Came Back: A Story of Hollywood and the Second World War by Mark Harris.  In the time before the United States became involved in World War II, it wasn’t popular to make war movies, as many people wanted to keep the country out of the war.  But with the wave of patriotism that was sparked by the bombing of Pearl Harbor, five legendary Hollywood directors enlisted in the United States military and documented the war from the front lines.  John Ford, George Stevens, John Huston, William Wyler and Frank Capra were there for many of the major events of the war, and made films that brought it home to the American people.  Our reader mentioned that all five survived, but were changed as moviemakers by the horrors of war.

Murder Below Montparnasse by Cara Black

Reviewed by Kristin

Set in Paris in 1998, Murder Below Montparnasse is the thirteenth installment in the Aimee Leduc series.  Private investigator Aimee Leduc carries on the detecting family tradition, as did her father and grandfather before her.  The series is sprinkled with French phrases and flavors of particular Parisian neighborhoods.  Loyal readers can always count on Aimee to throw on a little black dress, a Hermes scarf, or disguising sunglasses, hop on her Vespa, and zip down the cobblestones of centuries-old Paris streets.

Russian Yuri Volodya calls Aimee to ask for protection for what may be a priceless Modigliani painting.  Before she can see him, Yuri is dead and the painting is missing.  Aimee embarks on an investigation to see if the painting actually exists, and what its significance may be.  Just a little hint: the Modigliani represents a bit of Soviet history that some Russians might prefer forgotten.

Aimee’s business partner and best friend, Rene Friant, has jetted off to Silicon Valley riding on the excitement of the dot com explosion.  Rene quickly finds out that America is a strange and different country, from their eating habits to the long distances that Americans are accustomed to navigating.  Rene has a little excitement himself, departing America in an unexpected manner and returning to Paris to set right what he had unknowingly set amiss.

As always, Aimee is tracking down hints of her long-gone mother, who left when Aimee was only eight years old.  Aimee is continually drawn into investigations throughout the series where she hopes to find her American-born mother.

Online reviews of Murder Below Montparnasse were mixed. Some reviewers felt that the first half of the book dragged on but was redeemed by the faster moving second half.  I enjoyed the story and figured out bits and pieces of the coming revelations.  Because the story is set in the not-too-distant past, it was interesting to read references to cutting edge technology, such as a prototype flash drive.

Although a bit predictable, the ending of the book reveals a story arc twist that will probably change Aimee’s life.

If you’re new to Cara Black’s books and would like to start at the beginning of the Aimee Leduc series, Murder in the Marais is the first title.