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151st out of 292 books
—
973 voters
Murder in Passy (Aimee Leduc Investigations #11)
by
Cara Black (Goodreads Author)
The village-like neighborhood of Passy, home to many of Paris’s wealthiest residents, is the last place one would expect a murder. But when Aimée Leduc’s godfather, Morbier, a police commissaire, asks her to check on his girlfriend at her home there, that’s exactly what Aimée finds. Xavierre, a haut bourgeois matron of Basque origin, is strangled in her garden while Aimée...more
Hardcover, 288 pages
Published
March 1st 2011
by Soho Crime
(first published February 1st 2011)
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“Murder in Passy” by Cara Black
Passy, the sixteenth arrondissement, or district, of Paris is the setting for the action in Cara Black’s recent novel featuring private investigator Aimée Leduc. Astride her vintage Vespa scooter and armed with not much more than her Prada boots, designer scarf, and no nonsense attitude, Aimée takes on a tough case…that of clearing her mentor’s name of murder.
Cara Black’s novels, each set in a different arrondissement of Paris, are compelling explorations of the Ci...more
Passy, the sixteenth arrondissement, or district, of Paris is the setting for the action in Cara Black’s recent novel featuring private investigator Aimée Leduc. Astride her vintage Vespa scooter and armed with not much more than her Prada boots, designer scarf, and no nonsense attitude, Aimée takes on a tough case…that of clearing her mentor’s name of murder.
Cara Black’s novels, each set in a different arrondissement of Paris, are compelling explorations of the Ci...more
Jul 12, 2011
Vsbooks
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
mystery series fanatics
Shelves:
mystery-series
I love this mystery series set in Paris of the mid-90's. Passy is one of several villages in the very fancy 16th arrondissement. Aimee Leduc is supposed to be working on techie projects to earn money for Leduc , but she always gets involved in solving murders. There's a good cast of supporting character to follow through the series and lots of Parisian scenery and neighborhood ideosyncracies to learn about in the series. Much like Lisbeth Salander in the "Girl with a Dragon Tattoo" series, Aimee...more
Murder in Passy interwove some really interesting elements, most notably the Basque piece (both peaceful and decidedly less so), the payback delivered to Aimee's godfather Morbier, still more levels of intrigue and possible corruption within the French police, and the ever-present "ghosts" from Occupied Paris' past. All told, the book read more as set-up for what will be future events (e.g., how/when will Morbier share with Aimee what he knows about her mother, the extent to which the French gov...more
Well, didn't we just know that eventually in this series Aimee would have to rescue her godfather the flic (cop) Morbier?
This is book 11 in the Aimee Leduc series and the 11th one I have read. They have been published at the rate of 1 per year and when I read the 12th one next, I will be caught up and have to wait until next year for another one.
Aimee Leduc is a private detective in Paris who has a computer genius partner Rene Friant , a dwarf who studies the martial arts and is secretly in lo...more
This is book 11 in the Aimee Leduc series and the 11th one I have read. They have been published at the rate of 1 per year and when I read the 12th one next, I will be caught up and have to wait until next year for another one.
Aimee Leduc is a private detective in Paris who has a computer genius partner Rene Friant , a dwarf who studies the martial arts and is secretly in lo...more
This time out, Aimee Leduc finds herself involved in a case in Passy, one of the many neighborhoods which make up the city of Paris (although arrondissements sounds classier than neighborhoods). Her godfather, Commissaire Morbier, is worried about the new woman in his life, a person who has made him feel young again. Xavierre d’Eslay is a member of the uppermost level of the bourgeoisie although her roots are in the Basque region between Spain and France. Xavierre isn’t taking or returning any o...more
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Murder in Passy is my first Cara Black's story and I'm sure not my last. It's is a good mystery/thriller with interesting characters (a big plus for me) with a good plot. There were times I became confused with the amount of characters and stories within stories but moving right along found I continued to be intrigued. Like most fast paced stories, I wonder in a few short days how the hero or in this case, Aimee can accomplish all they do and stay alive from all the bad guys. But it is fiction a...more
Aug 15, 2011
Sara
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Francophiles, fans of woman detectives, fashion junkies
Recommended to Sara by:
latest in a series
This series has improved tremendously from its beginning, when it was mostly travelogue and improbable chases over the roofs of Paris. However, I'm not sure a reader unfamiliar with Aimée Leduc and her godfather the police detective Morbier will get into this plot as much as one who has followed the series from the start.
That said, it's a gripping book, clearly written, which resolves satisfactorily (with the usual narrow escapes and nick-of-time rescues, but hey, that's the genre). We learn a...more
That said, it's a gripping book, clearly written, which resolves satisfactorily (with the usual narrow escapes and nick-of-time rescues, but hey, that's the genre). We learn a...more
2 likes · like · see review
When Aimée Leduc’s godfather, Morbier, a police commissaire, asks her to check on his lover Xavierre in the upscale neighborhood of Passy, Aimée has only a few moments to speak with her before she is strangled in her garden. Circumstantial evidence makes Morbier the prime suspect, and to vindicate him, Aimée must identify the real killer. Her investigation quickly leads her to the Parisian Basque community. With Morbier out of the picture and almost everyone else who might help distancing themse...more
I was delighted to be transported once again to Aimee Leduc's Paris in Murder in Passy. Each of Cara Black's books are focused upon a different area of Paris. Aimee Leduc is a private investigator who with her partner Rene own the Leduc Detective Agency which is located on the rue du Louvre in the heart of Paris. Aimee is tres chic running around Paris in couture and designer high heels and of course always wearing Chanel lipstick. In this book, the eleventh Aimee Leduc adventure our heroine is...more
I know this is a popular series for Francophiles who adore discovering the not so touristy areas of Paris. That definitely would not be me. I do remember reading an earlier book in this series and not reacting quite as negatively. Giving the author the benefit of the doubt, whatever she normally does to keep her fans happy, she didn't do here. The book had an interesting start that almost immediately slowed to one of the most boring bits of detecting I've ever read. Then, possibly one third from...more
I'm an addict for some crime writers. I like Black because she takes me back to my favorite city --Paris. And she's pretty good with the atmospherics of the City of Light. Her detective, Aimee, is clearly an attractive young lady with lots of intuitive brainpower and glamorous looks (sometimes there's a bit of chic lit that rears its ugly head). This latest effort is a bit heavy on the machine-gun rat-tat-tat prose which Black seems to have pioneered. But it's a quick read with, I hope, a surpri...more
This is the sort of insubstantial genre book that gives genre books a bad name. I like genre books, gobble up mystery series like crazy. Book #11, having not read #1-10, has no redeeming characters and seems like the sort of book meant for people who will read *anything*. Although described as noir, the only thing noir is the author's name, 'Black.' Chock full of product placements, I had more of an attachment to the main character's clothing than the main character. If my to-be-read stack had a...more
It's always hard to start in the middle of a series-- and I was constantly feeling like I was missing something and/or being set up for the next book to come along. Let's just say I wouldn't want to be friends with Aimee-- not good for your health and the favors all seem to flow in one direction. She's pretty convinced she's the good guy, but I thought I might not have come to that conclusion myself based on this book. Lots of detail and descriptions, but it just didn't flow well for me and I'll...more
In the eleventh Aimée Leduc investigation, Aimée's crotchety godfather, Morbier, is suspected of the murder of his fiancee, a wealthy dowager of Basque extraction, who was strangled on the eve of her daughter's wedding. Aimée is heartbroken for Morbier, and is determined to help him clear his name--although the circumstances don't look great. She and her partner, René, try to get to the bottom of the murder--was it linked to the Basque separatist movement, who have been in the headlines lately?...more
This is the book in the series that I have liked the least. I just don't like the characters, and Aimee herself acts much more like a dingbat in her decision making (and this isn't her greatest forte anyhow) than is usual. The characters are 3 dimensional, but all have tunnel vision about themselves and the world they live in. They are quite ineffective as people and repeatedly cause real damage to others. They don't give you anything to really like or respect. Possibly the daughter of the ambas...more
I haven't read a murder mystery in YEARS, and this one is the newest in a series of 11. It is a quick read, and a little predictable...the heroine saves the day, of course. But, I was not prepared for HOW she would save it, even though I thought I was figuring it out along the way.
I enjoyed the decriptions of Paris, and references to historical influences on the city, and therefore on the story being told.
I found the story interesting enough to read at least one more from the series.
I enjoyed the decriptions of Paris, and references to historical influences on the city, and therefore on the story being told.
I found the story interesting enough to read at least one more from the series.
This was my first Aimee Leduc book. I enjoyed the cast of characters and Aimee's relationships with them. I also liked the political tensions of the Basque terrorists which seemed very realistic. In this book, Aimee is working on clearing the name of her godfather who is suspected of murder. How she goes about doing this and how all the threads are tied up at the end made for a great mystery. ( Somehow, the writing for me had the same sensibility as Benjamin Black.)
My favorite and also the current newest book in theAimee Leduc Investigation series, dealing with Basque terrorists and the murder of Aimee's godfather's old friend who also happens to be his newly found love. Several indications that the series will be continuing. Thedescriptionof various Paris neighborhoods, and Aimee's spunky stylish style and ability to solve mysteries are the highlights of this series.
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I wonder why I bother reading this series. Aimee Leduc's adventures and her interaction with the Paris police is not realistic or beleivable. Still, I got engrossed in the plot. Her godfather, Commissaire Morbier is framed for the murder of his girlfirend, Xavierre d'Eslay.
Basque terrorists ultimately are found to be the culprits. At the rate that the author, Cara Black, kills off the main characters family and friends, Aimee and gang should be on heavy anti depresssants.
First Aimee Leduc novel I've read. Not really my cup of tea. Leduc's father was a flic who died under suspicious circumstances. Her mother had left long before. Police commissioner Morbier is Aimeé's godfather. The plot hinges on people in the police wanting to pin the murder of his lover on him, possibly because of an investigation he is conducting. I found the revelation of the real killer to be basically unbelievable.
The last half of this book had some tense and exciting action scenes. The first half seemed mundane as the plots and subplots were set up. This is the first book in this series that I have read, and I think I am missing some nuances in characters by not reading the series in order. So I will read the first in the series before I decide whether this is series for me to read or not. Seriously. :)
Is it wrong if your favorite thing about a mystery is hearing French pronounced well? I enjoyed the audio version a lot. This was a thriller/mystery with lots of back story (it's #11 in a series--of course I would start there). Aimee LeDuc is either fearless or foolish and charges in where even angels would hesitate to tread, when it means possibly clearing the name of her godfather.
I read the first in this series several years ago, and I liked it. I'm often a sucker for stories set in France anyway; add a detective heroine and things are good. I intended to read them in order, of course, but this was the only one available for loan via ebook, so here I am going from 1 to 11. It's as good as I remember: somewhat predictable but still exciting with bits and pieces about Paris along the way. I didn't remember much about her father/mother (and now brother?) storyline so it sho...more
Another satisfying francophiliac fix with this #11 book in the Aimée Leduc mystery series. Almost as good as a visit to Paris! I love the way she is so chic with her designer clothing, but she's also such a tomboy, climbing over walls and using her silk scarves to tie up the bad guys. You learn a lot about the history of Basque separatist groups and the Passy quartier in Paris.
Quite good. Perhaps the best in the series recently. While the plot twists are often familiar after all of the books in the series. However, the characters continue to grow and I am still invested. The plot here was actually a fair bit tighter than some of the other more recent books in the series.
It's a great Cara Black read. Sometimes I wish she'd take just a little more time with connecting the dots...I confess I get lost at times with who is who.
Her ability to set you in place with a few beautifully written lines is magnificent!
If you can see her do a reading, go -- she's full of fascinating information!
Her ability to set you in place with a few beautifully written lines is magnificent!
If you can see her do a reading, go -- she's full of fascinating information!
Jun 23, 2011
Deborah
added it
I loved this book because it is a mystery which is a genre that always seems to hook me. I read this after my visit to Paris so it was fun to revisit the city through a novel. The Aimee Leduc series is also something I would continue to read because the characters are vibrant.
Jul 29, 2011
Zella
added it
I cannot tell a lie; I didn't actually finish this one. It was due back at the library and it just wasn't grabbing me like earlier books in this series with Aimee LeDuc, so I returned it half-read. The murder was tied into the Basque separatist movement in France, and I just didn't care about it.
New author for me.
Intrigued by the Parisian setting.
Feel like I need to read some more to fairly judge, especially since I jumped in in media res.
I am definitely interested enough to read more...always happy to find a new, strong-minded female sleuth!
Intrigued by the Parisian setting.
Feel like I need to read some more to fairly judge, especially since I jumped in in media res.
I am definitely interested enough to read more...always happy to find a new, strong-minded female sleuth!
Finally, Aimee Leduc is in the 16th, and even more specifically, Place Victor Hugo and Passy. In 2000, I lived just off Place Victor Huge on rue Mesnil, where Aimee runs past the wonder Marche St. Didier, and hides out in a cafe on the Place. The usual cliff-hanging (literally-- Aimee is usually hanging off something or other) conclusion is at the sinister-looking Lauriston reservoir, which I walked by many, many times. Aimee is her usual interpid self and the situations she gets in and out of a...more
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Cara Black frequents a Paris little known outside the beaten tourist track. A Paris she discovers on research trips and interviews with French police, private detectives and café owners. She lives in San Francisco with her husband, a bookseller, and their teenage son. She is a San Francisco Library Laureate and a member of the Paris Sociéte Historique in the Marais. Her nationally bestselling and...more
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