I didn’t realise until I had finished reading this book that it’s actually number 13 in a long series centred around the main protagonist Aimee Leduc; and now I’ve read this one I will be visiting some of the others in the series to see if they live up to this novel.

I thoroughly enjoyed the way the main protagonist was written; she is intelligent, creative, has a certain effortless French chic and is filled with vitality, oh and did I mention she zips around Paris on a bright pink version of my favourite mode of transport – the Vespa. This character is so well-rounded and developed that it makes it easy for the reader to connect with them and actually enjoy reading about them as they move from one chapter to the next. However, she is not perfect and spends this novel blundering from one situation to the next, and has to be the most incompetent Private Detective in fiction. But the incompetence makes her endearing in an odd sort of way, and there are certain personality traits that appear that make the reader wonder if there might be a deeper reasoning for her actions and, sometimes thoughtlessness, in the way she treats those around her. The ‘life’ that the Author has written into their main character is not just served for them however, all the characters are filled with the same love for life and energy that she gives the main; this is one of the reasons anyone picking up this series this far into it, would want to go back and read the earlier books, to gain more knowledge and understanding of the players by reading their backstories. Although this book worked well for me as a standalone novel, I will be reading others from earlier in the series to see if I can gain anymore insight into the characters.

The insiders’ background view to life in Paris is very well detailed in this novel ranging from the busy street cafes, which are a big part of life in this city, to the hidden gems you can often discover as you wander off the beaten track; the surprise gardens, hidden statues and beautifully ornate buildings. Through their descriptions, the Author really brings this city to life and the reader can almost hear the mix of French and other languages coming out of the pages as they read. The plot can be slow at times, but I felt that this was a deliberate move on the part of the Author to fit in with the Parisian, and European, way of life; nothing is rushed and time is taken over everything. The speed the storyline moved made this book, for me, one to be enjoyed at a leisurely pace instead of turning the pages quickly in order to keep up with the action.

I would recommend this book to people who enjoy novels set in France, particularly Paris; lovers of the mystery genre and anyone who is looking for a leisurely but enjoyable read.

Originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.com/2013/10/24/review-murder-below-montparnasse-aimee-led...



This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. ( )

This book is set in Paris in February of 1998. Since I spent some time in Paris in 1994 I felt some familiarity but it certainly opened my eyes to lots of new spots. I was very grateful for the map of Paris on the inner front cover. That being said I just didn't warm up to the detective and I found the plot unnecessarily complex.

Aimee Leduc is a private investigator heading up Leduc Investigations which has been in her family for three generations. They specialize now in cybersecurity for clients but Aimee still takes on some PI work. She is even called in on some occasions to help the Paris police with their cases as her godfather is a Commissaire. That's what she is doing as the book opens. She is also trying to keep the other side of her business running despite the fact that her partner Rene has taken a very lucrative job in California's Silicon Valley. Their part-time assistant was helping until he got arrested as he and Aimee went to meet a private client and ended up hitting a man with Rene's vehicle on loan. The next day the man they were on their way to meet, Yuri Volodya, is found dead after being tortured. It all appears to be linked to a mysterious painting by Modigliani of Lenin which Volodya found in his deceased father's storage locker. Aimee has to find the painting in order to find who killed Volodya who hinted that he had been in touch with Aimee's mother recently and Aimee wonders if her mother killed Volodya. See what I mean about complex?

The other problem I had with this book is Aimee's obsession with her weight which has increased by one kilogram. At times she refers to herself as a fat pig and says she will never be able to fit into a dress she is supposed to wear to a wedding. Please! As if one kilogram spread over a normal woman's frame could make that kind of difference. Talk about catering to poor body image problems. ( )

I didn’t realise until I had finished reading this book that it’s actually number 13 in a long series centred around the main protagonist Aimee Leduc; and now I’ve read this one I will be visiting some of the others in the series to see if they live up to this novel.

I thoroughly enjoyed the way the main protagonist was written; she is intelligent, creative, has a certain effortless French chic and is filled with vitality, oh and did I mention she zips around Paris on a bright pink version of my favourite mode of transport – the Vespa. This character is so well-rounded and developed that it makes it easy for the reader to connect with them and actually enjoy reading about them as they move from one chapter to the next. However, she is not perfect and spends this novel blundering from one situation to the next, and has to be the most incompetent Private Detective in fiction. But the incompetence makes her endearing in an odd sort of way, and there are certain personality traits that appear that make the reader wonder if there might be a deeper reasoning for her actions and, sometimes thoughtlessness, in the way she treats those around her. The ‘life’ that the Author has written into their main character is not just served for them however, all the characters are filled with the same love for life and energy that she gives the main; this is one of the reasons anyone picking up this series this far into it, would want to go back and read the earlier books, to gain more knowledge and understanding of the players by reading their backstories. Although this book worked well for me as a standalone novel, I will be reading others from earlier in the series to see if I can gain anymore insight into the characters.

The insiders’ background view to life in Paris is very well detailed in this novel ranging from the busy street cafes, which are a big part of life in this city, to the hidden gems you can often discover as you wander off the beaten track; the surprise gardens, hidden statues and beautifully ornate buildings. Through their descriptions, the Author really brings this city to life and the reader can almost hear the mix of French and other languages coming out of the pages as they read. The plot can be slow at times, but I felt that this was a deliberate move on the part of the Author to fit in with the Parisian, and European, way of life; nothing is rushed and time is taken over everything. The speed the storyline moved made this book, for me, one to be enjoyed at a leisurely pace instead of turning the pages quickly in order to keep up with the action.

I would recommend this book to people who enjoy novels set in France, particularly Paris; lovers of the mystery genre and anyone who is looking for a leisurely but enjoyable read.

Originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.com/2013/10/24/review-murder-below-montparnasse-aimee-led...



This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. ( )

I couldn't finish this one. I found it pretty boring and didn't care about any of the characters. The book was my mother's first and she didn't finish it, either. Neither of us got halfway through it. ( )

Sometimes the story line and characters in this series are confusing (and I'm not interested in and don't understand the French political undercurrents), but I keep coming back because I like the recurring main characters and I like the setting--Paris. ( )