Murder on the Eiffel Tower (Victor Legris, #1) by Claude Izner

Apr 20, 2010 Joyce Lagow rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

The debut novel of a projected series, the setting is 1889 Paris and the 4th Universal Exposition, in that city. Two of the main protagonists are Victor Legris and Kenji Mori, co-owners of the Elz

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Sep 06, 2012 Bogdan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

роман, который на самом деле «загадочная улица де сен-пер», является первым детективным романом из цикла о викторе легри, книготорговце, действи которого разворачивается в париже в конце 19 века, в частности данный роман – в 1889 году, во время мировой выставки с ее главной достопримечательностью – эйфелевой башней, на которую объявлена форменная охота вперемешку с паломничеством.

самого детектива здесь достаточно мало (приблизительно столько же, сколько в детективных романах сестер чан-нют, а «...more роман, который на самом деле «загадочная улица де сен-пер», является первым детективным романом из цикла о викторе легри, книготорговце, действи которого разворачивается в париже в конце 19 века, в частности данный роман – в 1889 году, во время мировой выставки с ее главной достопримечательностью – эйфелевой башней, на которую объявлена форменная охота вперемешку с паломничеством.

самого детектива здесь достаточно мало (приблизительно столько же, сколько в детективных романах сестер чан-нют, а «клод изнер» - такой же псевдоним двух сестер, торгующих книгами), да и оформлен он так, что проследить детективную линию практически невозможно; ее вычитываешь практически только в финальной сцене, где раскрывается личность убийцы, а и то – самим убийцей, после его несостоявшегося последнего покушения. словом, сюжет таков, что его проще воспринимать в полотне романа во время чтения самого романа, его фабульной составляющей, потому что основное внимание посвящено не детективу, а парижу. в частности – мировой выставке.

честь и хвала автору/авторам, которые, как это традиционно, снабдили книгу детальным послесловием, в котором описали атмосферу того времени и те реалии, которые являются основополагающими «столпами» романа. спасибо и переводчику, потрудившемуся более-менее точно воспроизвести и названия реалий, и имена эпохи, и дух именования, без упрощения (более, чем это делают сами авторы) – во всяком случае, явных проколов я вычитал только два: имя писателя люсьена декава (но с французской орфографией это и неудивительно) и название «кошиншин», в котором я не с первой секунды опознал французскую колонию «кохинхина», которой франция пыталась поводить германию за нос и оттяпать себе рурскую область, на что бисмарк, к счастью, не повёлся.

именно мировая выставка, столпотворение народу, новый вавилон, психология толпы и потихоньку нарождающееся «сознание масс» становится центром повествования, отображающего гонку за любыми новостями, сплетнями. модными поветриями, витавшими в воздухе. колонии как объект наблюдения, опробывания их эстетической (яванские танцовщицы) и кулинарной (арабский кофе) составляющих здесь не только принадлежат современности и франции, но и всему прошлому, всей истории культуры, которая становится объектом описания и покорения, ведь культуры и эпохи здесь – от современности до каменного века, один из персонажей, югослав, баритон, поклонник оперы «борис годунов», местающий попасть в парижскую оперу, от безденежья сидит, завернувшись в шкуру в доме а ля эпоха каменного века, и изображает первобытного человека.

роман – не только интересное полотно с точки зрения «предметности» той эпохи, но и как срез «культуры идей»: натурализм соседствует с импрессионизмом и синтетизмом; романы золя и гюисманса – с картинами гогена и сезанна. реальные и фиктивные фигуры истории соседствуют на равных правах как персонажи книги, апогей этого вавилонского смешения не только языков, но всех возможных правд неправд – лавочка торговца товарами для художников, который пытается втюхать главному герою либо небольшую картину ван гога, либо – сезанна, а зовут торговца – папаша танги (привет всем импрессионистам сразу).

не без интересных и местами колких фразочек, не без толики эротики и каких-то даже постельных сцен (время натурализма, а что?), с рвущимся телеграфным стилем, завернутым в еще реалистическую и натуралистическую описательность и какими-то миленькими сентиментально-пошлыми розочками вкраплений, - роман очень живой, насыщенный и веселый несмотря на изобилие трупняка – но это тоже совершенно из той эпохи. конечно, ни «жерминаля», ни «жермини ласерте», ни «терезы ракен» здесь нет, все легче и развлекательней, напоминает огоньки вечернего парижа, вертящуюся мулен-руж и стада маленьких крейзи хорс, мчащихся по марсову полю. очень приятно читается!(less)

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Aug 04, 2012 Miss Anne Lynn rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: regalato-venduto

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Molto strano che, dopo la faticosa lettura dei gialli di Poe, mi sia arenata anche su questo libro. Forse ho sbagliato a pensare di poterlo leggere "a rate", perché ho avuto occasione di prenderlo in mano soprattutto la sera prima di addormentarmi e quindi ho interrotto la lettura più volte.
Purtroppo due stelline non gliele toglie nessuno, anche se l'avessi letto tutto d'un fiato l'avrei trovato illeggibile e noioso.
I casi che dovrebbero essere il fulcro delle indagini sono perennemente messi in...more Molto strano che, dopo la faticosa lettura dei gialli di Poe, mi sia arenata anche su questo libro. Forse ho sbagliato a pensare di poterlo leggere "a rate", perché ho avuto occasione di prenderlo in mano soprattutto la sera prima di addormentarmi e quindi ho interrotto la lettura più volte.
Purtroppo due stelline non gliele toglie nessuno, anche se l'avessi letto tutto d'un fiato l'avrei trovato illeggibile e noioso.
I casi che dovrebbero essere il fulcro delle indagini sono perennemente messi in secondo piano per le pare mentali del protagonista che occupano la quasi totalità della parte di libro che ho letto (sottolineo che mi sono fermata a pagina 169). Sinceramente non ho ben capito su cosa Victor voglia indagare fin dall'inizio: sul fatto che Kenji abbia una vita propria? Oppure sulla donna di cui è interessato?
Probabilmente andando avanti con la lettura l'avrei scoperto, ma leggere ancora non so quante pagine di "Mi attrae, ma lei è frivola come tutte le altre donne" o "Perché non vede che mi interessa?!" o "Come ha fatto a non parlarmene?" sarebbe stato altamente estenuante.

Victor, il protagonista e proprietario della libreria Elzévir, non ha il minimo di spina dorsale, è egoista e megalomane, pensa che tutto giri intorno a lui e se qualcuno prova a vivere la propria vita senza metterlo a parte di qualcosa, subito inizia a pensare che abbia voluto nascondergli la verità o che stia compiendo il più grande reato del mondo.
Kenji e Tasha (purtroppo non ho la "s" giusta e quindi devo scriverlo come lei si è firmata in un biglietto) sono: il primo una sorta di padre adottivo di Victor, perché è stato lui a istruirlo e a prendersene cura quando era piccolo, l'altra è la ragazza che fa battere il cuore del protagonista. Kenji è abbastanza solitario, non incline a spifferare ai quattro venti ciò che fa al di fuori della propria vita in libreria; Tasha è un'artista e lavora per un giornale il cui direttore è amico di Victor, è piuttosto indipendente e, forse, un po' troppo moderna per essere una donna del 1889.
Tutti gli altri personaggi sono solo accennati, un po' stereotipati (tranne Joseph, il commesso della libreria, unico personaggio degno di nota) e messi quasi a caso nel romanzo.
Come ho già detto ciò che mi ha dato più fastidio, oltre alla caratterizzazione del protagonista, è stato il fatto che gli omicidi sembrano relegati a un misero 10% del romanzo. Personalmente quando prendo in mano un romanzo giallo mi aspetto un minimo di linearità nella trama, originalità per il caso in esame e bravura da parte dell'autore nell'esporre i fatti e nella caratterizzazione dei vari personaggi. Qui non c'è nulla di tutto ciò, anzi, sembra che gli omicidi servano da sfondo, piuttosto sfuocato se proprio vogliamo essere pignoli, per delle indagini veramente ridicole del protagonista.

Libro sconsigliato a tutti gli amanti del genere giallo, e penso che non leggerò altro di Claude Izner (nome di piuma di Liliane Korb e Laurence Lefèvre), perché se queste sono le premesse anche per i prossimi libri su Victor Legris, beh, è meglio che rimangano in libreria. Mi dispiace solo per le copertine dei libri, perché sono veramente belle.
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Recensione scritta per il blog Veiled Mirror (less)

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Jul 07, 2012 Marty82 rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Il termine più appropriato pensando alla lettura di questo romanzo è "sbiadito".
Tutto è un pò monotono: trama, caratterizzazione dei personaggi, affresco storico, nulla rimane impresso o appare degno di nota.
Il protagonista principale, il libraio Victor Legris, risulta inoltre decisamente antipatico e poco adatto a rivestire il ruolo dell'investigatore dilettante, mentre gli altri personaggi della vicenda appaiono evanescenti e quasi "di passaggio". Anche la trama "gialla" vera e propria è in...more

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Dec 14, 2011 Losososdiane rated it 2 of 5 stars

Maybe it is that I read much of this little mystery on Amtrak buses and trains but I had a hard time following the plot. I did not think the characters were very interesting or even understandable. Also, I felt like there was some cultural veil (or poor translation) between me and the writers. The premise was interesting, the setting was wonderful (of course) and I did learn something about the exposition of 1879. I always find it interesting and somewhat surprising that there was such diversity...more

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Jan 31, 2010 Aleisha Z Coleman rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: some people

Recommended to Aleisha Z by: travis

this is a series that my husband found for me at christmas time. it was originally written in french but has been translated into english and is story that was set in the late 1800's. because of the combination of translation and setting, the language was difficult for me to get into.

for example: this paragraph, "..A cab drew up on Rue des Saints-Peres, in front of the Hopital de la Charite. A middle-aged man alighted in a dark frock coat and a top hat. He crossed the road, stopped for a few mom...more

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Dec 14, 2009 Lydia Presley rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, france, mystery

Murder on the Eiffel Tower was written by Claude Izner, who is actually two sisters who are French booksellers based in Paris and, as the jacket describes, "experts on 19th century Paris".

This is the story of Victor, a bookseller in Paris during the early 19th century and the famous exhibition showcasing the Eiffel Tower. A series of "bee stings" prompts a local paper to start calling them murders and sets Victor off on a path to find out "who done it".

This is one of those old fashioned mysterie...more

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Jan 04, 2012 Cameron rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-reads

This first foray in the city of Paris is a hit. It's the summer of 1889 and there are two important things happening in Paris, first and foremost is the World Exposition which brought people from all over the world and there were exhibits including Buffalo Cody's Wild West Show which came from America with real Indians and the other was the unveiling of the Eiffel Tower, of which the jury was out whether Paris loved it or hated it. In all this, Victor Legris is a young man who with his partner K...more

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Jul 22, 2009 Bonny rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: cultures, mysteries, historical-fiction

I just finished this book, the first of a series by Claude Izner. I spotted these books on a recent trip to Paris and really wanted them, but I had no more room to bring them home in my carry-on luggage. So I ordered one book from Amazon and the other two books from a book seller in the UK.
This first one is set in Paris at the time of the Universal Exposition (1889) when all of Paris and half the world travelled to see the tower built by Gustave Eiffel. Many characters of International realms fi...more

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Jun 28, 2009 Paula rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, series, crime

This is the first of a series of books, translated from the French, featuring Parisian bookseller Victor Legris.

It's 1889, the year of the Universal Exposition, and Paris is stuffed full of people from all over the place, including Buffalo Bill and various natives of the French Colonies. The Eiffel Tower is the place to be, at least until a death occurs - initially this is blamed on a bee sting, but when there are more deaths, that explanation suddenly sounds less and less convincing.

Victor Legr...more

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Apr 11, 2012 Gina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, french-fiction

As a Francophile who once sold antiquarian books, I was probably predisposed to like this one, but even I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did.

The brand new Eiffel Tower, standing 300 metres high, towers above the many pavilions of the fourth Paris Universal Exposition, which opened on 6th May 1889. People are flocking to it in their droves, eager to sign the visitors' Golden Book and to visit the Le Figaro Pavilion on the second platform to collect their personalised copy of the special e...more As a Francophile who once sold antiquarian books, I was probably predisposed to like this one, but even I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did.

The brand new Eiffel Tower, standing 300 metres high, towers above the many pavilions of the fourth Paris Universal Exposition, which opened on 6th May 1889. People are flocking to it in their droves, eager to sign the visitors' Golden Book and to visit the Le Figaro Pavilion on the second platform to collect their personalised copy of the special edition of the newspaper. Among them is Eugénie Patinot who, one sunny afternoon in June, in the company of her niece and two nephews, collapses on the second platform of the tower and dies.

Also on the tower is Monsieur Victor Legris, Parisian bookseller and photographer, who is there to meet Marius Bonnet, a friend who wants him to contribute a column to the newspaper he has just started - Le Passe-partout. The police are satisfied that Eugénie Patinot has died as the result of being stung by a bee, but Victor and his newspaper friends are not so convinced and, as the death count subsequently rises, the bookseller-turned-amateur-sleuth finds himself searching for clues all over Paris in a bid to uncover the truth and identify the man or woman responsible for what he comes to believe are murders.

The period is conjured up wonderfully. From the moment I began reading, I felt I had been transported back in time to the cobbled streets of nineteenth century Paris in the middle of summer; its heady air filled with the smell of honeysuckle and horse dung and the overwhelming buzz of excitement of thousands of men, women and children as they flocked to climb the towering iron structure and visit the numerous pavilions, with their displays of cameras, printing machines, anatomical mouldings, and curiosities from all over the world.

I did manage to solve the case before Victor, using the snippets of information included strategically throughout the book that the bookseller seemed to miss as a result of being too closely involved with the case. Victor's anxiety, as he pursues his suspects and manages to get things completely wrong a number of times, pushes the story along at quite a pace, and consistently so; I found it very difficult to put the book down as I was so eager to find out what was going to happen next, and there was no part of the book that allowed for a brief respite.

This one left me wanting to hop on a flight to Paris the moment I put it down, to climb the Eiffel Tower, and sit in a café sipping something cold before rummaging amongst the dusty tomes of the city's second-hand bookshops. It also left me wanting to read the next in the series as soon as possible. (less)

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Jul 11, 2011 Jim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mysteries, france

Actual rating: 3 and 1/2 stars

"Claude Izner" is the pseudonym of two French sisters named Liliane Korb and Laurance Lefevre, both booksellers. And the protagonist in this first of their mystery collaborations -- Murder on the Eiffel Tower -- is the 19th century bookseller Victor Legris. Except he does far more detection than bookselling in this novel about the opening of the Eiffel Tower in 1889.

I enjoyed the book despite being startled by sudden changes of point of view and a plethora of suspe...more

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Feb 18, 2010 Sophia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, france, paris, mystery, historical-fiction

A woman dies on the Eiffel Tower during the 1889 Paris World Exposition, supposedly of a bee sting. I would have presumed it was an anaphylactic reaction, but not Victor Legris, a young used bookstore owner who follows lead after lead as more bee-sting deaths pile up. Is he attempting to clear the name of Kenji Mori, his surrogate father and bookstore business partner, or that of his new love interest Tasha, illustrator at his friend's new sensationalist newspaper, Le Passepartout? It's sometime...more

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Jan 23, 2010 Ty rated it 2 of 5 stars

i found this book to be sadly disappointing. part of the problem is that the translation from the original French is choppy and difficult in many places. i could imagine the phrasing in French and guess how it would have flowed better in the original. seems like the translator was a bit too faithful to the source material, without regard to the sound and feeling of the resulting English words. i enjoyed the concept of the story more than the work itself. set during the Paris World Expo in 1889 w...more

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Aug 18, 2011 Milli Linnea rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I wish I could have read this book in French instead of Swedish, but I suspect it wouldn't have made much difference in the end. Not as far as my enjoyment of the book is concerned. I liked the setting: Paris in the late 19 century and the great Expo. The characters weren't likeable and the plot wasn't anything special, but still, historic and French - that helps. So I'll probably read the next book in the series, preferably in French, but I'll settle for a translation if that's more convenient....more

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Mar 01, 2012 Sam rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

I just never really got into the groove of this mystery. I enjoyed reading about 1800's Paris and the opening of the Eiffel Tower, but the voice was just a bit forced. Maybe it's because the authors are French and there is a translation issue or just their writing style but I most likely will not go on to read the next 7 books in this series, as they come out.

During the opening of the Eiffel Tower a young Woman in found dead. While the initial reports are that she died of a bee sting, Victor Leg...more

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Apr 27, 2013 M M rated it 2 of 5 stars

Set in 19th century Paris at the time of the Exhibition and the installation of the eponymous tower, this breezy book deals excellently with the history of the period. The murders that occur are not as fascinating. The main protagonist, Victor Legris, is a bookseller who lives with the (Japanese) man who brought him up. Victor is puzzled by the deaths of several people in the lead up to the grand opening of the Eiffel Tower (and indeed on it), supposedly attributed to bee-stings. From then on, i...more

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May 13, 2012 Sherry rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, cultural-political, historical-fiction, mystery

This book takes place in Paris, 1889, at the opening of the Eiffel Tower and the world exposition. A random group of individuals die from an apparent bee sting. Victor Legris, book seller and sometime journalist is suspicious, and starts to investigate. He is asked by the editor of the newly launched paper, Passepartout, to write an article. The Passepartout seems to get an exclusive on all the victims. A romance develops between Victor and the beautiful red-headed russian illustrator of the Pap...more

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Oct 12, 2011 Roberta rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009

Nella Parigi della Torre Eiffel e dell'Esposizione Universale una serie di bizzarri decessi a opera di api sconvolge l'opinione pubblica.
Victor Legris, libraio, da poco innamorato della bella artista russa Tasa, comincia a nutrire dei dubbi su alcune persone a lui molto vicine, e comincia a investigare.

Coinvolgente e di lettura veloce, Il mistero di rue de Saints-Pères è forse un po' confusionario nelle investigazioni di Victor, ma avvince pur senza essere un capolavoro.

« Sesso debole? E cosa...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Nancy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: mysteries

If an armchair visit to the Paris Exposition of 1889 sounds like fun, that might be enough to recommend this novel to you.

I picked up the book because I love period stories set in Paris and thought it would be interesting to learn a bit about the grand opening of the Eiffel Tower. It was all there, but barely sufficed to make this a good historic mystery novel.

The solution to the mystery was obvious to me from the beginning---and, that is quite an endictment of the author because I don't have an...more

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Dec 05, 2009 Bettie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: one-penny-wonder, published-2003, france, mystery-thriller, books-about-books-and-book-shops, books-with-a-passport

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 13, 2012 Phèdre rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Questo giallo è il primo della saga riguardante le indagini di Victor Legris, libraio di Parigi.
I personaggi vengono ben caratterizzati nel corso della narrazione e risulta facile calarsi nei panni di Legris e risolvere con lui il mistero.
La vicenda si apre con una serie di strane morti dovute -apparentemente- a punture di api: i giornali competono per sensazionalizzare fin da subito la notizia, creando così attesa nei lettori.
Parallelamente allo svolgimento delle indagini, si può infatti assist...more

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Dec 04, 2012 Izzylf rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 21st-century

I bought this book on the basis of my being a fan of the Nicolas le Floch series of books and had hoped Izner would be to the 19th century what Parot brought to the 18th, but unfortunately felt consistently underwhelmed. The accounts of the Universal Exhibition are interesting in parts, as are some other late 19th century references but the story is difficult to follow despite the few characters and the relatively short length. Also, if you want to read about a second-hand bookseller and mysteri...more

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Sep 02, 2012 Tricia rated it 1 of 5 stars

International bestseller... REALLY?
Maybe it was a bad translation, or maybe the characters were a tad flat (cardboard), possibly the story didn't flow, and just maybe it wasn't worth reading.
I like to finish what I start, so if the story isn't nasty, dirty or yucky, I try to finish it. I should have made an exception and just stopped reading. It was really tough to get through, and when I was done, I wasn't pleased that I stuck with it, I was mad that I would never get the time that I spent read...more

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Aug 04, 2012 Cheryl A rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-mystery

Having read the second in the series for a mystery bookclub, I wanted to start at the beginning to see if my first impressions were correct. Written by two French sisters, these mysteries are set in Paris in the late 1880's and feature Victor Legris, a used bookseller in his late 20's and his friend and mentor, Kenji Mori.

In this debut novel, Paris is all a-buzz about the opening of the World Exposition and Eiffel's tower. When a woman collapses and dies on the tower, her death is ruled an acci...more

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Mar 24, 2012 rabbitprincess rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: perhaps those with a special interest in the time/place

Shelves: cadeau, 2012

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. If I were to go strictly by the written descriptions of my ratings, this book would likely rate a 1.5, "There may have been promise in pockets, but overall I can't say this was a particularly good book." However, because this was the first novel in a mystery series and so I came into it expecting it to be a bit hinky in places, I decided to upgrade to a 2-star rating (which is about where I was expecting it to fall anyway).

The premise does indeed have promise: it's the Paris Exposition (where th...more If I were to go strictly by the written descriptions of my ratings, this book would likely rate a 1.5, "There may have been promise in pockets, but overall I can't say this was a particularly good book." However, because this was the first novel in a mystery series and so I came into it expecting it to be a bit hinky in places, I decided to upgrade to a 2-star rating (which is about where I was expecting it to fall anyway).

The premise does indeed have promise: it's the Paris Exposition (where the Eiffel Tower first came into being) and a middle-aged woman dies of what appears to be a bee sting. But when other visitors to the Exposition start turning up dead in the same manner, bookseller Victor Legris has to wonder whether there is some other explanation. Could it be murder? He therefore decides to investigate on his own, in the process discovering more about his own past and testing his friendship with his business partner, Kenji Mori, who is almost a surrogate father to him.

I do quite enjoy history-based mysteries, and Paris in the late 19th century is a new destination for me, so that was interesting. The scenes in the bookshop, alas rather fleeting as Victor's investigations picked up steam, were probably the best part, but that's no surprise for me. His assistant, Joseph, provided quite a bit of humour with his commentary on the literature of the day, including early crime novels, which may prompt a couple of additions to the TBR.

However, there are parts that could have stood for some improvement. I thought the ending was a bit of a cop-out, with the killer publishing an extended confession in the newspaper that covered the murders. Or rather I thought it was a cop-out that the article was reproduced in its entirety, because it ran to about three pages or so, and that became tiresome. I mean, Victor had figured out most of it anyway, so perhaps it could have been written so that he reads the article to himself and then quotes relevant bits aloud, like "Oh, so THAT was the motive! I see! But yes I was right about the method." Also I found it a bit strange that, for someone who has lived in Paris long enough to open a bookshop which has evidently been running for a while, Victor kept having to ask for directions to various places. Of course there is probably a perfectly logical explanation, but I did find myself rolling my eyes starting at the third instance. "Asking for directions AGAIN? Can't you get a street map or something?"

And because this was translated from French to English, my "work radar" was on for most of the book, trying to imagine what the French looked like, and wondering whether some of the word choice/style was down to the source text or if it was an issue with the translator. Sometimes your translation is only as good as the source text, especially if you're concerned with preserving the style and "feel" of the original as opposed to making the translation sound like native English. I may try a later book in the series, in French, to see how much my mental back-translation was a factor in my reaction to the book.

In sum, I would say if you are mildly interested in this can read this in French, do so. If not, you are probably safe in giving it a miss unless you have a special interest in the time and place where the book is set.(less)

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Mar 10, 2013 Alma rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Meh. Not bad, but not brilliant.

SOME SPOILERS AHEAD

I had a hard time getting into this book from the beginning. Part of this may be b/c I didn't read this book in the original language. I kinda had a feeling from the beginning that the translation was a bit...off. It didn't seem to lend itself to creating the right atmosphere because the translator uses wrong phrases, like "old chap," instead of something more French, like "mon ami." That kind of oddity created a bit of a disconnect from the...more Meh. Not bad, but not brilliant.

SOME SPOILERS AHEAD

I had a hard time getting into this book from the beginning. Part of this may be b/c I didn't read this book in the original language. I kinda had a feeling from the beginning that the translation was a bit...off. It didn't seem to lend itself to creating the right atmosphere because the translator uses wrong phrases, like "old chap," instead of something more French, like "mon ami." That kind of oddity created a bit of a disconnect from the beginning.

Towards the middle/end-ish part, I got curious as to the end, but I never really felt the anticipation and excitement of the mysteries written by Agatha Christie or M.C. Beaton. The ending was a bit blah anyway, both the climax as well as the denouement. The explanation behind everything is too much in your face, and the last scene is sort of sudden and abrupt (could've used a bit more lead-up to it and some more development in the characters' interaction) .

Also, I just didn't really connect with the characters. I don't know why, but the main character, Victor Legris, is just not horribly interesting. He seems to only half-a** the conclusions, false and correct ones, and there is, like I said, no thrill in following him as he attempts to unravel the mystery. Yet he seems to have the wherewithal to make up stuff to get the information he needs, which kind of lead me to the really weird feeling that there are two sides of his personality, the smart guy and the bumbling, boring idiot. His interaction with his love interest, Tasha Kherson, is especially annoying, as he again goes between the extreme of acting like a school boy and being all temperamental, and that without knowing the woman. Oh, and he went from just wanting to jump her bones to falling in love with her just like that at the end. No relationship development, really.

The supporting characters are ok, tho most of them don't get nearly enough 'screen time', so to speak. His partner and father-figure, Kenji Mori, a Japanese man who lived many years in England with Victor and his late mother, seems to have sooooo much potential in terms of character development and just exploring the character's background story, and he seems waaaaay better equipped to solve the mystery, too, yet for most of the book he's either not around as Victor is attempting to solve the mystery by himself (tho why he doesn't include Kenji whom he seems to trust above all others in his life from the beginning is beyond me) or he's hating that Victor has fallen for Tasha (tho no real reason is given except that they have a verbal spat at the beginning where she - arguably - bests him, hinting at some misogynistic tendencies, tho he seems to have been greatly attached to Victor's mother). A bit of a disappointment in terms of Kenji, then.

The only character I enjoyed was Victor and Kenji's assistant Joseph. He is a lovable kid, who reads a ton, eats plenty of apples, and seems to be the only one who really fits into a mystery story. He doesn't try to hide things, he's not dense one moment, then smart the other, and he is just perfect for the part assigned to him in this story. It's a shame that the authors didn't give him more of a detective trait, since he's the only one who's interested in the mystery from the beginning, and if he were the main character, I bet he'd have been immensely fun to follow on the Parisian streets.

I'm not sure I'll be reading the rest. I've checked out the second and third book from the library, but for now they're gonna sit on the shelf. I'm off to read some enjoyable mysteries first.(less)

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Apr 07, 2011 Karen rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime, european

I suspect we all pick up a book looking forward to what is going to happen. So normally around page 50 a reader will be getting twitchy if nothing much has happened. Get to the end of the book and it still seems like you're waiting for something to happen and it's a very frustrating experience.

Set during the 1889 World Expo in Paris, the Eiffel Tower has just been officially opened and is a massive attraction. When a woman dies on one of the Tower's platforms, officially she died from a bee sti...more I suspect we all pick up a book looking forward to what is going to happen. So normally around page 50 a reader will be getting twitchy if nothing much has happened. Get to the end of the book and it still seems like you're waiting for something to happen and it's a very frustrating experience.

Set during the 1889 World Expo in Paris, the Eiffel Tower has just been officially opened and is a massive attraction. When a woman dies on one of the Tower's platforms, officially she died from a bee sting. As other people also die supposedly from bee stings, the police are not particularly interested, but Victor Legris, local bookseller and man about town type, is convinced that there is something sinister to these deaths.

Part of the reason that the book seems to go nowhere is that very early on the reader will find themselves being dragged down all sorts of cul-de-sacs, and dead-end alleyways into some, albeit fascinating historical aspects. What the book does particularly well is give you a great sense of the place and time - with some of those cul-de-sacs quite interesting in their own right. If only they hadn't dragged the focus away from the main plot point just once too often.

None of that meandering around was much helped by the investigation style of Legris. Which seemed to amount to a lot of leaping and posturing, and very little in the way of fact gathering - or disclosure to the reader for that matter.

The other problem with the book was some seriously poor character development, particularly that of Legris and his love interest, Tasha the Russian artist. He was very flat, and strangely one-dimensional and I did wonder how much the background of the author (actually two Parisian bookselling sisters) informed their view of their central protagonist. Perhaps they were aiming for dramatic and interesting, but alas ended up with melodramatic and a bit silly. Tasha didn't fare much better, as if being an artist in 1880's Paris wasn't enough of a cliché, she was Russian, she started out with a bit of potential, but quickly faded to bland.

I will dip into the next book in the series, as it's here, and first books are often not a good indicator of the potential of a series, but to be honest, I had to bribe myself with a chocolate for every 20 pages read to finish this one. I hope my doctor's not going to get all over-excited about my blood sugar levels after the next one.(less)

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Mar 22, 2012 Danielle Louise rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: france, french, mystery, nookbook, 20th-century, historical-fiction

It took me a while to get into this book. Unfortunately, I feel like there are just some cultural elements that get lost in translation (not literally the fault of the translator, of course, although there were places where I suspected that the translation was a bit odd). Once I finally got into the mindset of 1890s Paris, it went fairly quickly.

I tend to shy away from mysteries because they often introduce far too many characters (to have as many red herrings as possible!) and I lose track of t...more

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Dec 28, 2008 ted strutz rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was first attracted to the lurid title 'Murder on the Eiffel Tower', ala Agatha Christy, and indeed, the book reads a little like her mysteries. I found that I had to go back and reread parts because I felt they contained clues and knew that I had to start reading more carefully. Sometimes they did and sometimes they didn't. It was a good mystery with a good cast of characters that I found interesting without feeling contrived. I did think the ending was a little weak however, since there were...more I was first attracted to the lurid title 'Murder on the Eiffel Tower', ala Agatha Christy, and indeed, the book reads a little like her mysteries. I found that I had to go back and reread parts because I felt they contained clues and knew that I had to start reading more carefully. Sometimes they did and sometimes they didn't. It was a good mystery with a good cast of characters that I found interesting without feeling contrived. I did think the ending was a little weak however, since there were no clues in that direction. I did like the protagonist Victor very much and also found myself being seduced by Tasha! I think the character I liked the most was JoJo the shop clerk. I do hope, and think, that this will be a successful Mystery Series.

I must say, that one reason that I liked the book is that one of my interests is World Fairs and Expositions. I have a number of books printed during the Pan-Pacific Expo in 1915 in San Francisco and a few on the Chicago Worlds Fair of 1893. Of course, the fair in Chicago was going to show up the French, with the Ferris Wheel being the answer to the Eiffel Tower. I had read a little about the French Exposition and thought that Claude did an excellent job in describing the Fair and Paris of 1889. I felt them coming alive without being put through a history lesson. One of my great passions is the wonderful painting of Madame X by John Singer Sargent, and I can just picture Madame Gautreau as she visits the Exposition and ascends the Tower with her admirers in tow.

Lastly I must comment on the author Monsieur Izner. I cracked up when I read on the back cover that Claude is really two sisters who own a bookstore in Paris. I had a mental picture of two little old ladies in the rear of a dusty bookstore inventing these characters over a cup of tea. I realize that this is probably far from the truth. I enjoyed their work and thought they did an excellent job portraying this period. I liked that they included artists, authors and other prominent people from the period. Also, I think kudos should go to Isabel Reid for an excellent translation. Well told for this American ear.

Looking forward to the next installment of Victor Legris. I'm sure that Kenji and JoJo will be there, but what about Tasha...(less)

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Murder on the Eiffel Tower (Victor Legris #1)

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