Review - The Paris Affair

The Blog Carnival will be next Monday, so please send in your mystery book reviews this week (click here to submit an entry).  

I am new to the  Malcom & Suzanne Rannoch series, but I jumped at the chance to read it for the Historical Mystery Reading Challenge (click here.) 

Author: Teresa Grant

Copyright: March 2013 (Kensington) 436 pgs

Series: 3rd in Malcom & Suzanne Rannoch Historical Mysteries

Sensuality: Adult topics but no details

Mystery Sub-genre: Historical Intrigue

Main Characters: Suzanne Rannoch, Former spy for Napoleonic France

Setting: 1815 -- shortly after Waterloo, Paris France

Obtained Through: purchased

It has been two months since Napoleon's defeat  at Waterloo and Paris is a hot bed of unrest.  The old French royalty are being reinstated to the rule the country and British soldiers are everywhere.  It is a powder keg waiting for a spark.  Malcom and Suzanne meet in a public bar to meet Antoine Rivere, a french double agent and blackmailer.  He manages to share to tidbits of information before a brawl ensues and Rivere is killed without Malcom and Suzanne witnessing who did it.  They begin to investigate what little Rivere had told them and begin to uncover spies, double agents, falsely accused spies, indiscretions, and secrets. The path to the truth of who killed Rivere and why is a long road with several eventful twists.

Suzanne Rannock has some big secrets she is hiding from her husband, and throughout the investigation of Rivere's murder she worries about the fallout if they ever come to light. she manages to even smuggle an old spy friend out of the country before the new regime can arrest her, and without Malcom knowing.  Suzanne isn't a coddled society lady, she has an unreputable past that comes dangerously close to her new life in this novel.  Malcom is a British attache and intelligence officer who wonders at this wife's abilities by his side as they investigate.  One of Rivere's bits of information touches on Malcolm's personal life and he takes some risks and uncharacteristically must confide in friends to gain their aid.  He is a nicely complex character.  Raoul, a former lover and Suzanne's prior spymaster is a complication as well as an ally in an era of uncertainty.  He apparently has a history with Malcolm too.  Rupert Caruthers and his wife Gabrielle Caruthers are integral parts to the unwinding plot, and they are both tragic in their own ways.  They stand out in the whole of the story.  Colonel Harry Davenport and Cordelia Davenport assist in a bit of the investigation and some clandestine maneuvers too.

The atmosphere of post-war France, with the Allied Powers restoring the Royalists to the throne, and the conquered Bonapartists being imprisoned becomes a part of the plot as well.  The volatile atmosphere is vivid throughout the story.

The plot is gradually uncovered during the investigation with several twists and revelations.  The complexity and danger grows as the story develops and the characters face their own vulnerabilities.  The climax is riveting and the wrap-up answers many questions and provides a second chance in one case.

Overall, this is an excellent novel with intrigue, secrets, twists, danger, heroics, and fine characters set in a historical setting rife with human drama.

Near Perfect - Buy two copies: one for you and one for a friend. 


For an added summer treat, try this Watermelon and Strawberry Lemonade

Ingredients

makes 2 quarts

    8 cups cubed seeded watermelon

    1 cup fresh strawberries, halved

    1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

    1 cup white sugar (or equivalent substitute)

    2 cups water

Directions

    Combine the watermelon, strawberries, lemon juice, sugar, and water in a blender. Blend until smooth.

Review - Where Shadows Dance

Summer is finally here!  Oh happy day.  The bookmark swap is gathering participants steadily.  Don't wait, sign up now.  May 31 will be the last day to join the swap.

Today I review a fantastic historical suspense novel that I am excited to have discovered.  If you aren't already a fan of the Sebastian St. Cyr mysteries, it isn't too late to start.

Author:  C.S. Harris

Copyright:  March 2011 (NAL Hardcover) 352 pgs

Series:  6th in Sebastian St. Cyr Regency Mysteries

Sensuality:  Some strong sensual imagery at the end, a few fight scenes

Mystery Sub-genre:  Historical Suspense

Main Character:  Sebastian St. Cyr (Viscount Devlin) a veteran of the Peninsula wars with Napoleon and a nobleman with an ingrained sense of justice.

Setting:  1812 London England

Obtained Through:  Publisher for an honest review

Sebastian's friend, Paul Gibson, is an anatomist who gets dead bodies to learn from as a surgeon.  He specifically wants the body of a young man who was reported to die from a heart problem so he can further his knowledge of such problems.  What he finds is the man died of a knife to the back of the neck.  Mr. Gibson immediately goes to Sebastian who is known to solve such murders.  The young man worked at the foreign office and dealt with many international representatives which opens a world of political strategies and calculated moves. 

This is how the story begins and it is full of suspense and intrigue.  There are two women important in his life: Kat Boleyn, an actress and love of his youth and Hero Jarvis, the intelligent and fearless activist daughter of Sebastian's powerful enemy Lord Jarvis.  Fans have apparently formed Team Kat and Team Hero factions rooting for their favorite with sentiments running hot.  

This is my first book in the series but it is obvious how easy it is to become a big fan and jump into the debate.  Dare I say it...it seemed that Hero is more of a capable woman to match Sebastian's lifestyle and interests.

There are many strong characters from Paul Gibson, Hero's father, Sebastian's father, even the police constable.  They all make an impression in their own ways.  

This book was a wonderful surprise for I did not expect the level of suspense that the story displays.  I felt the plot had just enough twists without being too much.  There are several murders with an impressive line up of international suspects.  I had figured out the killer(s) but couldn't be positive and the motive was wrapped in international maneuvering.  I was impressed by the level of polish I felt the plot and the characters displayed.  The historical details are lush and vivid topping off the whole.

The only drawback is some leaps of believability.  Sebastian is a Regency hero of almost modern stature (one of the book trailers says "think Mr. Darcy with a James Bond edge") with uncanny hearing ability and Hero Jarvis proves herself nearly as lethal in a significant scene where her life is threatened -  but she doesn't have any post traumatic stress at all.  I can't get too worked up about these since the rest is so well written. 

There are several nail-biting scenes, but the climatic confrontation with the killer is first rate.  The wrap up was equally as superb.  The biggest problem I have is now I just have to get the prior five books to read. Is there such a category as historical suspense?

Review - The Paris Vendetta

It has been awhile since I have reviewed a hard core suspense novel. I purchased this when I was in Paris and the places and sites in the book where more alive to me for just having visited them. Join me in this fast paced ride combining contemporary suspense and historical mystery.

Author: Steve Berry

Copyright: July 2010 (Ballantine Books) 496 pgs

Series: 5th in The Cotton Malone Adventures

Sensuality: adult references

Mystery Sub-genre: Suspense

Main Character:  Cotton Malone, a former U.S. Justice Department operative now owner of a used book store in Copenhagen

Setting: Modern day Paris primarily

Obtained book: Personal Purchase

The prologue takes the reader to the Giza Plaza in Egypt, 1799 to join Napoleon at the Great Pyramid.  Chapter one jumps us to current day Copenhagen with Cotton Malone waking in his apartment to the realization somebody is there sneaking around.  He finds a young conspiracy theorist (Sam Collins) asking for his help.  Sam, an agent fired because of his conspiracy website, was sent by the Danish billionaire Henrik Thorvaldsen, who had set Malone up with his used book store.   

Henrik Thorvaldsen had befriended Malone five years earlier when Malone had taken out several terrorists in Mexico city who had killed Henrik's son in the incident.  Henrik has tracked down the two men responsible and one of them was about to attack Henrik.  The instant Malone rushes to Henrik's aid he steps into a whirlwind of Disaster Capitalism conspiracy (via the financial cartel "the Paris Club"), two vendettas, a hunt for Napoleon's mythic treasure, and a reunion with his Justice Dept. boss. 

It was my first Steve Berry novel and it was easy enough to catch up on the back story.  There are several instances of back flashes for several of the characters filling in histories.  At times the flashbacks hindered the flow a bit.  Also the story would occasionally alternate between Napoleonic times and modern day.  I didn't mind this technique but some dislike it - so fair warning. 

There are two real villains but one rises above the other as being the most dangerous that must be stopped at all costs.  This is suspenseful with plenty of danger and improbable stunts.  Cotton Malone is supposed to be middle aged and yet carries off "Jason Bourne" style rescues - which is a great thought and makes those "of a certain age" hoot and holler but stretches the believability a bit thin.  Never-the-less it is like junk food in its appeal.

Henrik's obsession with killing the last man who was behind his son's death got old later in the book.  I wanted to like Henrik and this was difficult for me.  

Sam was introduced and I got the impression that he may be featured more in future books of the series - but that made this book suffer.  I felt as though Malone's spotlight was being shared to setup Sam and I wanted to stay focused on Malone.  That along with the character flashbacks, several subplots and reverting back to Napoleon occasionally left the book feeling a bit unfocused.

There is plenty of history about Napoleon in this book which I found fascinating but not everybody will enjoy since it slows down the action.  The Disaster Capitalism conspiracy seemed to take the book "Shock Doctrine" and utilize it in the plot which actually gave a great demonstration of how powerful people make fortunes from disasters.  I found that a selling point for the book alone.

I enjoyed it overall, despite the few detractors.  If you enjoy history and suspense this may be a new series to indulge in.

Here is a video of Steve Berry and James Rollins discussing the book.  This is a short video but I think you will enjoy it.