Book Review --January 24, 2007

Murder on the Marais by Cara Black

In Paris, private investigator, Aimee Leduc, goes it alone. Computer forensics are her specialty, but Ms. Leduc is drawn into a case with its roots in the Nazi-occupied Paris of 1942. This woman has an intriguing past, which the author leaves murky, though we learn her father was killed by terrorists and her mother disappeared early in Aimee's life. Aimee wears disguises, joins a Neo-Nazi meeting, hides out in Victor Hugo's bedroom, and scrambles over rooftops as she eludes the police. She is a tough girl with smarts and heart. Each character is given a past and depth, making the plot richer. I sympathized with a young SS officer as he falls in love with a Jewish girl while he is sending her neighbors to the death camps, while still agonizing over a description of a crematorium photo of a child's foot. Our heroine keeps digging into the past to deliver justice for a few survivors of a horrific catastrophe. I got a real sense of Paris--the smell of croissants, sirens blaring, street side cafes. Its a tour of Paris you don't want to miss. First novel of the series, 1998.

Cara Black will be speaking at Maidu Library on April 20, 2007 during National Library Week.
If you have questions, please email me at library@roseville.ca.us.