I really enjoy this series but this storyline was one of the weaker ones, It would be a poor choice as a first book of Ms Black’s to read. The usual history/facts about the area each book takes place in was a bit rushed. The end seemed abrupt, too quick, and a lazy setup for the next book. I will continue with the series but this was one of the clunkers in an otherwise solid set of mysteries. ( )

Storyline got lost in the superfluous dialog about location, backstory and history. The end moved fast and tied up all the open questions. ( )

What a convoluted mess of a plot this installment of Aimee is. ( )

MURDER IN THE PALAIS ROYAL begins when Aimee Leduc, sharing some quiet moments with her newest boyfriend, Mathieu, receives a call from her partner, Rene Friant. One hundred thousand francs have been deposited into the Leduc Detective Agency bank account. Regrettably, no one owes them so much money and Rene is afraid Aimee has done something less than legal. A short time later, Rene is shot and Aimee is the principal suspect.

Using her connections at the Surete, Aimee escapes arrest and begins her own investigation, a move that requires she cancel her trip to New York City where she is expecting to meet the brother she never knew she had.

Fans of the series know that, with Aimee, nothing is simple or straightforward, and this adventure is no different. There is another large deposit of money into the Leduc Agency bank account leaving the Agency to be investigated for money laundering, Rene is taken to an undisclosed location to protect him from Aimee, Aimee receives a pass to visit a man who is in prison as a result of Aimee’s testimony about the burning of a synagogue, a contact is murdered seconds before she and Aimee meet, and a man with a brilliant future in politics finds that future in jeopardy. There is some blackmail thrown in to make sure readers aren’t bored and, just maybe, Aimee’s long missing mother might have a hand in her problems.

Readers are never bored by Cara Black’s series. Aimee lives a charmed life in so many ways. She invariably finds herself in tunnels or on rooftops but she is rarely out of breath and she has enviable good luck in finding couture fashions in rummage sales. The stories move as fast as Aimee and each book offers the reader a taste of the arrondissements (sounds so much better than zip codes) that make up the city of Paris.

Rene Friant, her business partner, Commissaire Morbier, her godfather, and a few girlfriends are the constants in Aimee’s life as they are constants in the 10 books of the series. I always think that it is best to start a series at the beginning but the author has constructed the series so well that new readers can jump in anywhere and enjoy the story to the full.

Those who are familiar with Cara Black’s series already know they are in for another treat. Those who haven’t yet met Aimee should hurry to do so. ( )

Aimee Leduc is an interesting and likable character - a tough but vulnerable woman who is trying to uncover family secrets when she's framed for the attempted murder of her partner. Some knowledge of Paris and/or French politics in the 1990s would have been helpful in understanding the setting. This entry harkens back to a previous case and Cara Black seamlessly reveals details from the first book in the series that relate to the plot. But the book would have been more enjoyable with a better understanding of the relationships between recurring characters (which I did not have since this is the only book in the series that I've read). Black's storytelling is subtle rather than explicit and her writing flows well. ( )