Murder in Passy

From Publishers WeeklyFull of French political intrigue, Black's atmospheric 11th Aimée Leduc investigation (after 2010's Murder in the Palais Royal) finds the Paris PI's world turned upside down with the arrest of her godfather and longtime mentor, Commissaire Morbier, for murder. Worse yet, the victim—Morbier's inamorata, Xavierre d'Eslay—was with Aimée minutes before her death by strangulation. To clear Morbier, Aimée must dig deep as his fellow officers close rank and refuse to cooperate. Helping Aimée are her detective agency partner, René; her cousin, Sebastian; and her former policeman lover, Melac, who may or may not have an agenda of his own during the investigation. Though Xavierre lived a life of privilege in the posh suburb of Passy, Aimée discovers her past is shrouded in secrecy, linked to Basque separatists and terrorist acts. While the characters and their motivations can sometimes be hard to follow, the plot builds to a satisfying conclusion. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. ReviewPraise for the Aimée Leduc series: “No contemporary writer of noir mysteries evokes the spirit of Paris more than Cara Black in her atmospheric series starring P.I. Aimée Leduc.... Fearless, risk-taking Aimée is constantly running, hiding, fighting and risking her life—all while dressed in vintage Chanel and Dior and Louboutin heels.”—_USA Today_ “If you’ve never been to Paris, or you’d like to go back soon, let Cara Black transport you there.”—Linda Fairstein “Black does for Paris what Dashiell Hammett did for San Francisco. She makes the city shimmer.”—_Plain Dealer_ (Cleveland) “Charming.... Aimée is one of those blithe spirits who can walk you through the city’s historical streets and byways with their eyes closed.”—_The New York Times Book Review_ “Leduc has such a thorough grasp of the practicalities of investigation, plus a penchant for undercover work that will have readers on pins and needles.”—_San Francisco Chronicle_