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Hugo Marston #3
The Blood Promise
Hugo Marston must figure out what lies hidden inside an old sailor's chest before a 200-year-old blood promise is revealed and claims another life. In post-Revolution Paris, an old man signs a letter in blood, then hides it in a secret compartment in a sailor's chest. A messenger arrives to transport the chest and its hidden contents, but then the plague strikes and an untimely death changes history. Two hundred years later, Hugo Marston is safeguarding an unpredictable but popular senator who is in Paris negotiating a France/U.S. dispute. The talks, held at a country chateau, collapse when the senator accuses someone of breaking into his room. Theft becomes the least of Hugo's concerns when someone discovers a sailor's chest and the secrets hidden within, and decides that the power and money they promise are worth killing for. But when the darkness of history is unleashed, even the most ruthless and cunning are powerless to control it.
284 pages, Paperback
Published January 14, 2014
164 people are currently reading
1062 people want to read
About the author
Mark Pryor
32 books638 followersMark Pryor is a former newspaper reporter from England. He moved to the US in 1995 and subsequently spent 16 years working as a prosecutor with the Travis County District Attorney's Office, in Austin, Texas. He is now a partner at the law firm of Cofer & Connelly, in Austin.
His upcoming book DIE AROUND SUNDOWN is the first in a new series of historical mysteries set in Paris during WW2. It will be published August 16, 2022, by St. Martin's/Minotaur.
Mark is also the author of the Hugo Marston mystery series, set in Paris, London, and Barcelona. The first in the series, THE BOOKSELLER, was a Library Journal Debut of the Month, and called "unputdownable" by Oprah.com, and the series has been featured in the New York Times. Mark also wrote the psychological thrillers, HOLLOW MAN, and its sequel, DOMINIC. As a prosecutor, he has appeared on CBS News's 48 Hours and Discovery Channel's Discovery ID: Cold Blood.
Of his books, reviewers said:
"[G]ood character development, increasing levels of action and suspense, a complex and deranged antagonist, and--once again--appealing Paris settings. The Hugo Marston series now belongs on every espionage fan's watch list."
--Booklist
"Haunting imagery in Père La Chaise cemetery sets the stage for Pryor's chilling sophomore entry, and the City of Light becomes a backdrop for Marston's adventures. The clever antagonist leads him on a merry chase that will keep the reader entertained throughout."
--RT Book Reviews
"Two young lovers make the fatal mistake of sneaking into Paris's Père Lachaise Cemetery the same night as a bone-stealing psychopath in Pryor's propulsive second novel starring affable former FBI profiler Hugo Marston.... The engaging characters sweep readers into a suspenseful chase from Pigalle to the Pyrenées."
--Publishers Weekly
The third Hugo Marston novel, THE BLOOD PROMISE, was released in January 2014. It may be his best yet...
"Mark Pryor is one of the smartest new writers on the block. His new novel is a doozy."
--Philip Kerr, author of A Man Without Breath, a Bernie Gunther novel
"Pryor seems to have hit his stride in this series, as he adroitly juxtaposes the light banter between Marston and Green with some scenes of intense emotion.... And, all the while, the suspense ramps up. Top-notch mystery in a skillfully delineated Parisian setting."
--Booklist
Mark is also the author of the true crime book, AS SHE LAY SLEEPING, which is the account of a "cold" murder case he prosecuted. Published in January 2013, Publisher's Weekly gave it a starred review and called it "compelling" and "riveting."
His upcoming book DIE AROUND SUNDOWN is the first in a new series of historical mysteries set in Paris during WW2. It will be published August 16, 2022, by St. Martin's/Minotaur.
Mark is also the author of the Hugo Marston mystery series, set in Paris, London, and Barcelona. The first in the series, THE BOOKSELLER, was a Library Journal Debut of the Month, and called "unputdownable" by Oprah.com, and the series has been featured in the New York Times. Mark also wrote the psychological thrillers, HOLLOW MAN, and its sequel, DOMINIC. As a prosecutor, he has appeared on CBS News's 48 Hours and Discovery Channel's Discovery ID: Cold Blood.
Of his books, reviewers said:
"[G]ood character development, increasing levels of action and suspense, a complex and deranged antagonist, and--once again--appealing Paris settings. The Hugo Marston series now belongs on every espionage fan's watch list."
--Booklist
"Haunting imagery in Père La Chaise cemetery sets the stage for Pryor's chilling sophomore entry, and the City of Light becomes a backdrop for Marston's adventures. The clever antagonist leads him on a merry chase that will keep the reader entertained throughout."
--RT Book Reviews
"Two young lovers make the fatal mistake of sneaking into Paris's Père Lachaise Cemetery the same night as a bone-stealing psychopath in Pryor's propulsive second novel starring affable former FBI profiler Hugo Marston.... The engaging characters sweep readers into a suspenseful chase from Pigalle to the Pyrenées."
--Publishers Weekly
The third Hugo Marston novel, THE BLOOD PROMISE, was released in January 2014. It may be his best yet...
"Mark Pryor is one of the smartest new writers on the block. His new novel is a doozy."
--Philip Kerr, author of A Man Without Breath, a Bernie Gunther novel
"Pryor seems to have hit his stride in this series, as he adroitly juxtaposes the light banter between Marston and Green with some scenes of intense emotion.... And, all the while, the suspense ramps up. Top-notch mystery in a skillfully delineated Parisian setting."
--Booklist
Mark is also the author of the true crime book, AS SHE LAY SLEEPING, which is the account of a "cold" murder case he prosecuted. Published in January 2013, Publisher's Weekly gave it a starred review and called it "compelling" and "riveting."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews
February 16, 2014
The Blood Promise is the third book in the Hugo Marsten series and is probably my favourite of the three books so far. As always, I loved the banter and the wit between the characters, and definitely loved the atmosphere of one of my favourite cities in Europe, la belle Paris.
Hugo Marsten is a former FBI operative who now works at the U.S. Embassy in Paris. One of his jobs is to ensure the safety of visiting guests who may need some extra safeguarding during their visits. This time, his job is to safeguard a popular senator, Charles Lake, who is in France to resolve a dispute between the U.S. and France. Safeguarding Lake proves to be rather difficult as the senator is rather difficult and unpredictable and has a rather nasty habit of escaping his guards and roaming the city unguarded. Huge can sense major undercurrents going on at the chateau where the talks are being held, and despite himself, his curiosity is gets the better of himself and he gets involved in the events that unfold during his stay. This part of the novel was quite interesting as I liked the underlying political innuendos that were happening, and really enjoyed the discussions on the biases that exist between men and women in the political world. The events moved rather slowly for a Mark Pryor novel at this point, but the writing and the style were very interesting nonetheless.
When events do happen though, they happen with a bang and with a completely unexpected twist and I was very upset over this twist. It was something I was hoping would never happen, but it did. What was interesting was the effect it had on Hugo and Tom. A case that was just mildly interesting became quite personal and I was fascinated by how they would deal with a loss so personal. Both of these men, one being former FBI, and one being former CIA, are used to death and destruction, but neither one had really experienced a close death, and I was interested to see how it would be dealt with in this story, especially the more fragile Tom, who is a recovering alcoholic. And it is the bond between these two men that I really find interesting, and how they support and depend on each other. Many moments of laughter and comic relief available here. I love how the author incorporates these moments as it makes the novel so much more fun.
The historical twist was quite interesting as it pertains to a moment of history that is near and dear to me. I can't really mention too much more or I will certainly give it away and I don't want to give anything away. You will just have to read it to understand it. And, I love novels where I don't have a definite grasp as to who the killer was, and I am constantly second-guessing myself. Since it doesn't happen too often, I tend to drift towards those authors as I love those twists in the end where I go "How did I miss that?"
The Blood Promise has one of those plots that can be quite convoluted and does it mean that you have to kind of suspend some kind of belief once in a while? Oh, yes, as these men seem to do no wrong when it comes to chasing down the bad guys, and they seem to have contacts everywhere and in everything. However, there is true friendship between Tom and Hugo, and between Hugo and Raul and you can feel it through the pages. It makes you very sympathetic to all of the characters, even the ones who are not always cooperative. The descriptions of Paris are very well done and I can picture myself strolling down some of the streets or heading outside of Paris to the chateau. It just makes me want to fly there right now and sit in one of the cafes and have a tea and croissant. While there are definite weaknesses to this novel, the strengths outweigh them, and make this novel a very pleasant read. This book reads as a stand-alone, but reading the first two will help you understand the rich relationships between the characters and some of the events that are referenced.
Hugo Marsten is a former FBI operative who now works at the U.S. Embassy in Paris. One of his jobs is to ensure the safety of visiting guests who may need some extra safeguarding during their visits. This time, his job is to safeguard a popular senator, Charles Lake, who is in France to resolve a dispute between the U.S. and France. Safeguarding Lake proves to be rather difficult as the senator is rather difficult and unpredictable and has a rather nasty habit of escaping his guards and roaming the city unguarded. Huge can sense major undercurrents going on at the chateau where the talks are being held, and despite himself, his curiosity is gets the better of himself and he gets involved in the events that unfold during his stay. This part of the novel was quite interesting as I liked the underlying political innuendos that were happening, and really enjoyed the discussions on the biases that exist between men and women in the political world. The events moved rather slowly for a Mark Pryor novel at this point, but the writing and the style were very interesting nonetheless.
When events do happen though, they happen with a bang and with a completely unexpected twist and I was very upset over this twist. It was something I was hoping would never happen, but it did. What was interesting was the effect it had on Hugo and Tom. A case that was just mildly interesting became quite personal and I was fascinated by how they would deal with a loss so personal. Both of these men, one being former FBI, and one being former CIA, are used to death and destruction, but neither one had really experienced a close death, and I was interested to see how it would be dealt with in this story, especially the more fragile Tom, who is a recovering alcoholic. And it is the bond between these two men that I really find interesting, and how they support and depend on each other. Many moments of laughter and comic relief available here. I love how the author incorporates these moments as it makes the novel so much more fun.
The historical twist was quite interesting as it pertains to a moment of history that is near and dear to me. I can't really mention too much more or I will certainly give it away and I don't want to give anything away. You will just have to read it to understand it. And, I love novels where I don't have a definite grasp as to who the killer was, and I am constantly second-guessing myself. Since it doesn't happen too often, I tend to drift towards those authors as I love those twists in the end where I go "How did I miss that?"
The Blood Promise has one of those plots that can be quite convoluted and does it mean that you have to kind of suspend some kind of belief once in a while? Oh, yes, as these men seem to do no wrong when it comes to chasing down the bad guys, and they seem to have contacts everywhere and in everything. However, there is true friendship between Tom and Hugo, and between Hugo and Raul and you can feel it through the pages. It makes you very sympathetic to all of the characters, even the ones who are not always cooperative. The descriptions of Paris are very well done and I can picture myself strolling down some of the streets or heading outside of Paris to the chateau. It just makes me want to fly there right now and sit in one of the cafes and have a tea and croissant. While there are definite weaknesses to this novel, the strengths outweigh them, and make this novel a very pleasant read. This book reads as a stand-alone, but reading the first two will help you understand the rich relationships between the characters and some of the events that are referenced.
January 30, 2021
I did like this book but also had some misgivings with regard to the elaborate plot. It is certainly engaging with many extreme characters and also includes the sad loss of a favorite character.
The root cause for the murders in this book are found in the late 1700's or the time of the French Revolution.
Hugo is asked to babysit a US senator with presidential aspirations as he arrives in Paris for talks on Guadeloupe. Keeping up with the Senator presents a number of challenges for Hugo, and when he accompanies him to a chateau it becomes a police involved investigation preventing talks to go forward.
It gets complicated and deadly.
3.5 stars
Loan from Friend - thank you!
The root cause for the murders in this book are found in the late 1700's or the time of the French Revolution.
Hugo is asked to babysit a US senator with presidential aspirations as he arrives in Paris for talks on Guadeloupe. Keeping up with the Senator presents a number of challenges for Hugo, and when he accompanies him to a chateau it becomes a police involved investigation preventing talks to go forward.
It gets complicated and deadly.
3.5 stars
Loan from Friend - thank you!
February 2, 2017
I wish more books were like The Blood Promise. This book was surprising in so many ways. All the blurbs and accolades that accompany books are often so misleading and frankly, not true. This book had no blurbs, no pages of praise for it and yet it was more enjoyable than 90% of the books I read.
This is a smart international mystery with sharp characters and an interesting plot. There is some reaching, yes, but all in all I enjoyed it thoroughly. I did solve some of the mystery fairly early, which is a bit of a bummer but there are so many legitimate surprises and authentic twists that my guessing didn't affect my enjoyment of the novel. I didn't realize it was part of a series when I started it, but I will be starting book one of the series as soon as I can.
This is a smart international mystery with sharp characters and an interesting plot. There is some reaching, yes, but all in all I enjoyed it thoroughly. I did solve some of the mystery fairly early, which is a bit of a bummer but there are so many legitimate surprises and authentic twists that my guessing didn't affect my enjoyment of the novel. I didn't realize it was part of a series when I started it, but I will be starting book one of the series as soon as I can.
February 28, 2014
Hugo Marston has lost his joi de vivre. After the first two titles in the series (The Bookseller and the Crypt Thief), our former FBI profiler and now head of security of the US Embassy in Paris, gets embroiled in a so-so plot that lacks both the tension and full-on action that we have come to expect from author Mark Pryor.
In The Blood Promise, seemingly unrelated events converge into a convoluted plot. The story begins in Paris during the French Revolution in 1795 where a secret is locked into an old seaman’s chest. Forward to present-day France where two seemingly unrelated events are happening: an old woman is murdered; and negotiations are taking place between France and the US over the Guadeloupe Archipelago.
US Senator Charles Lake is an international isolationist, but agrees to work to further the negotiations. It seems the citizens there want to become a territory of the United States, and the Senator would like nothing better than to “stick it to the French.” Hugo is sent to accompany him when the negotiations move to Chateau Tourville in the French countryside. Sen. Lake soon becomes convinced that someone is threatening him, and heads back to Paris.
What follows is a ponderous and not very thrilling plot as Marston tries to unravel the connection (or improbable link) between the death of the old woman and the threats to Sen. Lake. Even the addition of a sexy French woman with a dubious past and keen genealogy skills fails to ignite the plot. The now-sober former-CIA friend Tom Green, whose clandestine skills made for great plot twists and killer chases in earlier Marston novels,adds little to this story. Worse, we lose a key supporter of Marston in a shocking moment that leaves us wondering how Hugo is going to work with the French police without an ally.
Even in the end when everything is revealed, and the connection between the events during the French Revolution and Sen. Lake are made, the wrap-up feels less than satisfactory. It would be like Hugo going for his morning café crème at McDonalds, not his favorite café.
September 1, 2021
I am so very angry with this author! I can’t go into details because it would be a spoiler. Even so, I liked this book very much. They seem to just keep getting better – and this is only the 3rd one I’ve read. I like the characters and feel like I’ve known them a long time. In spite of my anger issues, I fully intend to keep reading the series. Quick and easy to read, but by no means light or shallow.
August 18, 2019
I really like this series. That said, of the three so far, this one had a premise that was kind of thin. That didn't stop Mr. Pryor from writing a great plot, and of weaving the first two books into this one. I admit to crying during one part, and I am very sad that we have lost a character that I really liked. But we gained another for whom Hugo Marston has a great deal of regard, and I believe will turn out to be a great asset to the series going forward.
The returning characters of the ambassador, Tom, and Claudia continue to provide Hugo with the 'family' he needs to keep him grounded. He is a humble man, with a great deal of professionalism and attention to the law and ethics. As a character with a love of literature, books and Paris, he has the depth required to carry off the literary references that inspire him in his quest for the truth and the bad guys.
In this book, we see him sussing out clues that relate to an old sailor's chest with secret, secret-secret compartments. Flashbacks to 18th century France's political unrest come full circle to unravel the secret a U.S. Senator didn't know he had. As usual, Hugo's background as an FBI profiler helps him obtain a nugget of a clue, and from then, it's off to the races. Babysitting the Senator becomes problematic, but why? Hugo has to find out.
A method of murder tells him the gender of the murderer, but precious little else until he makes another connection.
All in all, it was a good read, and I'm ready for the next one!
The returning characters of the ambassador, Tom, and Claudia continue to provide Hugo with the 'family' he needs to keep him grounded. He is a humble man, with a great deal of professionalism and attention to the law and ethics. As a character with a love of literature, books and Paris, he has the depth required to carry off the literary references that inspire him in his quest for the truth and the bad guys.
In this book, we see him sussing out clues that relate to an old sailor's chest with secret, secret-secret compartments. Flashbacks to 18th century France's political unrest come full circle to unravel the secret a U.S. Senator didn't know he had. As usual, Hugo's background as an FBI profiler helps him obtain a nugget of a clue, and from then, it's off to the races. Babysitting the Senator becomes problematic, but why? Hugo has to find out.
A method of murder tells him the gender of the murderer, but precious little else until he makes another connection.
All in all, it was a good read, and I'm ready for the next one!
August 21, 2022
The best so far. 3.5
February 23, 2014
Beginning in Paris in the year 1795, readers are immediately drawn into this incredible tale as they watch a man sign a letter in blood and then hide the letter in a secret place inside a sailor’s chest. A man soon arrives to take the chest and its contents, leaving the reader to wonder what on earth is coming next.
Fast-forward two hundred years later… Hugo Marston, a Security Officer at the American Embassy in Paris, is asked to babysit a U.S. Senator who’s visiting Paris to attend a meeting. Senator Lake is a very popular politician in America but does not appreciate the French, and is not exactly the nicest or best choice to send in order to negotiate a deal in that country. Nonetheless, he is the chosen one and immediately becomes a thorn in the side of his protection detail.
At the meeting being held in a country chateau, the deal falls apart when the Senator accuses someone of sneaking into his room in the middle of the night and stealing. To top it all off, someone finds the aforementioned sailor’s chest and decides that the contents will provide a serious cache of wealth and power.
Hugo has enough problems dealing with the Senator who keeps disappearing, sending everyone into a tizzy thinking the man has been kidnapped, or worse. But when the theft of the chest comes into play, Hugo’s life goes from bad to worse. Calling in an old friend, Raul, who is a French police captain to help, Hugo must find a way to deal with the American and solve a crime that has everyone up in arms.
A devious plot, readers must pay strict attention to the story in order to enjoy every nuance that the author has provided. And when the secret is revealed…it’s a good one!
Until Next Time, Everybody,
Amy
Fast-forward two hundred years later… Hugo Marston, a Security Officer at the American Embassy in Paris, is asked to babysit a U.S. Senator who’s visiting Paris to attend a meeting. Senator Lake is a very popular politician in America but does not appreciate the French, and is not exactly the nicest or best choice to send in order to negotiate a deal in that country. Nonetheless, he is the chosen one and immediately becomes a thorn in the side of his protection detail.
At the meeting being held in a country chateau, the deal falls apart when the Senator accuses someone of sneaking into his room in the middle of the night and stealing. To top it all off, someone finds the aforementioned sailor’s chest and decides that the contents will provide a serious cache of wealth and power.
Hugo has enough problems dealing with the Senator who keeps disappearing, sending everyone into a tizzy thinking the man has been kidnapped, or worse. But when the theft of the chest comes into play, Hugo’s life goes from bad to worse. Calling in an old friend, Raul, who is a French police captain to help, Hugo must find a way to deal with the American and solve a crime that has everyone up in arms.
A devious plot, readers must pay strict attention to the story in order to enjoy every nuance that the author has provided. And when the secret is revealed…it’s a good one!
Until Next Time, Everybody,
Amy
February 19, 2014
“The Blood Promise” by Mark Pryor. Mark Pryor is a very busy and fascinating man. He grew up in England where he was a newspaper reporter. After he moved to Texas, he became an assistant district attorney and writes a true crime blog called D.A. Confidential. His first book came out as recently as 2012, but this September his fifth book in the Hugo Marston series comes out and he also has a nonfiction true crime book out. “The Blood Promise”continues the Hugo Marston series. As the head of security at the U.S. embassy in Paris, Marston is in the position to run into a lot of bad guys and he does. If you haven’t already discovered this series, you should run to your library to find the first book in the series which is “The Bookseller.”
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June 10, 2016
Just stellar. I'm almost tempted to rate this 5 stars because it's just that good. Very strong protagonist in Hugo Marston, former FBI profiler and now head of security at the U.S. embassy, compelling and funny best friend Tom who's a CIA profiler, a suspenseful plot with several twists and turns and plenty of stakes and violence, and an atmospheric and convincing sense of place that winds in and out of the novel - the author clearly *knows* Paris, and it shines through.
April 21, 2014
I picked up this book in a SC bookstore while looking for something for the long ride home to Michigan. I found the protagonist charming, the supporting characters well-drawn, and the story engaging. It's hard to find all that with good writing as well, but this book delivered. I'll look for more of Mr. Pryor's work.
August 21, 2015
I love this Hugo Marston series. Here's another set in France. In this mystery, Hugo has to work out what lies hidden inside an old sailor's chest before an ancient blood promise is revealed and therefore claiming another life. There's snapshots of post-Revolution Paris which I enjoyed. Politics, a visit to a country chateau...read to find out more.
A powerful story.
A powerful story.
July 5, 2015
I'm afraid this formerly sparkling series has lost most of its fizz.
May 18, 2024
Poorly developed storyline. Plus didn’t need the transgender agenda !
April 3, 2020
Another solid, if not spectacular, mystery in this series. Despite having read books 1, 2, and 4 in this series, I somehow skipped this third entry, so I'm finding it a bit out of order, but I'm pretty sure that most of the comments I've had for the other books in this series also apply to this one (and since #4 is a prequel set before Marston gets to Paris, I think I'm still reading things in roughly chronological order). This was a decent read for fans of standard police-procedural stories set in foreign countries, but not a stellar example of the genre.
The third in the Hugo Marston series finds the main character, the Chief of Security at the US Embassy in Paris, having to chaperone a US Senator (with aspirations for the Presidency) in France to attend summit talks with French officials on the minor subject of the possible change of allegiance of the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe from France to the USA, an odd task for the isolationist conservative politician only there as a last-minute replacement for a more senior Senator who was threatened into cancelling his trip. The talks begin with a formal dinner at a country estate outside Paris owned by a noble and politically connected French family, and the Senator wakes up the next morning feeling that he had been drugged and that someone had entered his room the night before. No one is certain whether it is just the Senator's paranoia and mistrust of foreigners, or whether there was an actual intruder, so Marston engages his friends on the Parisian police force to assist him with a good show of an investigation to allay everyone's fears. The investigation uncovers property stolen at another family's country estate, sparking a more official inquiry from the American and French authorities. When multiple murders occur, including that of a friend of Marston, he enlists the help of his CIA agent friend, Tom, and finds additional help from Parisian police and maybe an old love interest. The investigation explores American and French politics, the history of France dating to before the Revolution, genealogy, and the extent to which people will go to avoid scandal.
As I noted above, I have similar comments about the plot of this book as I had for the others in this series, first among them being that the pacing is so slow in the middle third that the author often appears more interested in describing restaurants, cafes, and historical sites of Paris than he is in advancing the plot. This leads to a complete lack of urgency in the main characters to move forward in the investigation, who suffer setbacks, then instead of immediately redoubling their efforts, take a few hours to have a relaxed meal and wallow in their morose situations. I'm pretty sure you could take the middle 90 pages out of this book without much damage to the actual plot of the novel, other than avoiding some emotional exposition. Second among the running complaints in this series is the fact that Marston regularly does things that seem like bad ideas for experienced law enforcement officers, like telling the cop he's with that he won't touch anything at a crime scene, then literally in the next paragraph riffling through the entire crime scene; or identifying suspects early on that aren't followed or otherwise monitored; or walking everywhere (instead of taking a car or a taxi, in a big city like Paris) in the middle of an active and time-sensitive investigation. While the plot had some satisfying waypoints with clues that advanced the search for whodunit, there weren't a ton of them, and when they did come they weren't horribly surprising. As I've noted before in this series, it's like a regular episode of a solid cop show on TV -- nothing terribly inventive or filled with twists, but nothing that was horribly wrong, either (other than the pacing). It was just sort of "OK."
As for the edit on the book, I'm afraid it hit many of my personal pet peeves. The author seems to use commas in every possible place (even when not needed), except when there's a change of subject between two independent clauses in a sentence (when they're actually needed). The syntax was not monitored well, as there were a few "who's/whose" mistakes or similar misspellings or misuses of words. And, for the nails down the chalkboard of my inner grammarian, Pryor uses "try and" EVERY SINGLE TIME he means "try to" (as in "let's try and find out who the killer is"), even when a French person is talking (who would never think of translating the infinitives that way). Like the plot, the edit is not the worst I've seen, but far from the best.
So, in sum, I give this a mild recommendation for fans of standard cop stories set in foreign countries, but not a resounding "read this now" yawp over the rooftops of the world.
Thanks to Seventh Street Books (and my Queen of the Book Fairies) for either providing me a copy of this book, or providing me copies of enough of the others in this series that I feel compelled to finish the missing ones.
The third in the Hugo Marston series finds the main character, the Chief of Security at the US Embassy in Paris, having to chaperone a US Senator (with aspirations for the Presidency) in France to attend summit talks with French officials on the minor subject of the possible change of allegiance of the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe from France to the USA, an odd task for the isolationist conservative politician only there as a last-minute replacement for a more senior Senator who was threatened into cancelling his trip. The talks begin with a formal dinner at a country estate outside Paris owned by a noble and politically connected French family, and the Senator wakes up the next morning feeling that he had been drugged and that someone had entered his room the night before. No one is certain whether it is just the Senator's paranoia and mistrust of foreigners, or whether there was an actual intruder, so Marston engages his friends on the Parisian police force to assist him with a good show of an investigation to allay everyone's fears. The investigation uncovers property stolen at another family's country estate, sparking a more official inquiry from the American and French authorities. When multiple murders occur, including that of a friend of Marston, he enlists the help of his CIA agent friend, Tom, and finds additional help from Parisian police and maybe an old love interest. The investigation explores American and French politics, the history of France dating to before the Revolution, genealogy, and the extent to which people will go to avoid scandal.
As I noted above, I have similar comments about the plot of this book as I had for the others in this series, first among them being that the pacing is so slow in the middle third that the author often appears more interested in describing restaurants, cafes, and historical sites of Paris than he is in advancing the plot. This leads to a complete lack of urgency in the main characters to move forward in the investigation, who suffer setbacks, then instead of immediately redoubling their efforts, take a few hours to have a relaxed meal and wallow in their morose situations. I'm pretty sure you could take the middle 90 pages out of this book without much damage to the actual plot of the novel, other than avoiding some emotional exposition. Second among the running complaints in this series is the fact that Marston regularly does things that seem like bad ideas for experienced law enforcement officers, like telling the cop he's with that he won't touch anything at a crime scene, then literally in the next paragraph riffling through the entire crime scene; or identifying suspects early on that aren't followed or otherwise monitored; or walking everywhere (instead of taking a car or a taxi, in a big city like Paris) in the middle of an active and time-sensitive investigation. While the plot had some satisfying waypoints with clues that advanced the search for whodunit, there weren't a ton of them, and when they did come they weren't horribly surprising. As I've noted before in this series, it's like a regular episode of a solid cop show on TV -- nothing terribly inventive or filled with twists, but nothing that was horribly wrong, either (other than the pacing). It was just sort of "OK."
As for the edit on the book, I'm afraid it hit many of my personal pet peeves. The author seems to use commas in every possible place (even when not needed), except when there's a change of subject between two independent clauses in a sentence (when they're actually needed). The syntax was not monitored well, as there were a few "who's/whose" mistakes or similar misspellings or misuses of words. And, for the nails down the chalkboard of my inner grammarian, Pryor uses "try and" EVERY SINGLE TIME he means "try to" (as in "let's try and find out who the killer is"), even when a French person is talking (who would never think of translating the infinitives that way). Like the plot, the edit is not the worst I've seen, but far from the best.
So, in sum, I give this a mild recommendation for fans of standard cop stories set in foreign countries, but not a resounding "read this now" yawp over the rooftops of the world.
Thanks to Seventh Street Books (and my Queen of the Book Fairies) for either providing me a copy of this book, or providing me copies of enough of the others in this series that I feel compelled to finish the missing ones.
October 21, 2024
**Spoiler Alert**
What a disappointment. This book starts out so great that I read almost half of it in a day; I could not put it down. I was excited that Mark Pryor was weaving some juicy historical twist into his narrative. But then, beyond 11 pages in the first few chapters, everything is in the present, and the 1790s storyline is never fleshed out. That felt like a tremendous opportunity wasted. Instead, we get more of the sappy, unnatural banter between Hugo and Tom. And page after superfluous page detailing Raul Garcia’s funeral, which is not only boring but irrelevant. And then a level of grief from Hugo and Tom that seems over the top, given that Pryor never establishes a close enough bond between Raul and the other characters. (And before you bring up “The Bookseller” and “The Crypt Thief,” I’ve read them, too. I don’t think we see Hugo or Tom being BFFs with Raul there either.)
But wait, there’s more.
How on earth did Hugo decide that the secret involved the Dauphen of Marie Antoinette? And how on earth did he decide that Charles Lake was related? I’m not saying it wasn’t possible to deduce these points, but take the reader through it!
That isn’t even the worst of the plot. Are we honestly supposed to believe that a woman who has recently gotten into genealogy has decided that the lost Dauphin was actually spirited out of France and into the United States as the son of a family originally named Bassin? And that there’s a box in the home of their descendents that will prove it? So she has to steal the box, even at the risk of murdering a woman? And she does all this because SOMEHOW she’s decided that the Dauphin was related to an Anerican senator named Charles Lake, cause, you know, Lake/Bassin/Fountaine, and Lake is such an unusual surname. So she finagles Lake coming to her home where she can surreptitiously test his DNA in the night, to make sure? Even Pryor knows this is crazy; hence, he never really spells all of it out in the book.
I blame not only the author for his sophomoric writing but his editors, too. These are changes they should have suggested, strongly. And while I’m on the subject of editors, won’t somebody please PUNCTUATE this book? I can put up with Pryor’s run-on sentences and lack of commas when he’s spinning a good yarn. But in this case, the bad grammar was hard to put aside.
What a disappointment. This book starts out so great that I read almost half of it in a day; I could not put it down. I was excited that Mark Pryor was weaving some juicy historical twist into his narrative. But then, beyond 11 pages in the first few chapters, everything is in the present, and the 1790s storyline is never fleshed out. That felt like a tremendous opportunity wasted. Instead, we get more of the sappy, unnatural banter between Hugo and Tom. And page after superfluous page detailing Raul Garcia’s funeral, which is not only boring but irrelevant. And then a level of grief from Hugo and Tom that seems over the top, given that Pryor never establishes a close enough bond between Raul and the other characters. (And before you bring up “The Bookseller” and “The Crypt Thief,” I’ve read them, too. I don’t think we see Hugo or Tom being BFFs with Raul there either.)
But wait, there’s more.
How on earth did Hugo decide that the secret involved the Dauphen of Marie Antoinette? And how on earth did he decide that Charles Lake was related? I’m not saying it wasn’t possible to deduce these points, but take the reader through it!
That isn’t even the worst of the plot. Are we honestly supposed to believe that a woman who has recently gotten into genealogy has decided that the lost Dauphin was actually spirited out of France and into the United States as the son of a family originally named Bassin? And that there’s a box in the home of their descendents that will prove it? So she has to steal the box, even at the risk of murdering a woman? And she does all this because SOMEHOW she’s decided that the Dauphin was related to an Anerican senator named Charles Lake, cause, you know, Lake/Bassin/Fountaine, and Lake is such an unusual surname. So she finagles Lake coming to her home where she can surreptitiously test his DNA in the night, to make sure? Even Pryor knows this is crazy; hence, he never really spells all of it out in the book.
I blame not only the author for his sophomoric writing but his editors, too. These are changes they should have suggested, strongly. And while I’m on the subject of editors, won’t somebody please PUNCTUATE this book? I can put up with Pryor’s run-on sentences and lack of commas when he’s spinning a good yarn. But in this case, the bad grammar was hard to put aside.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2023
“History will judge these days, monsieur, it is not for us to do so. We must only live them the best we can.” (Quotation page 3)
Content
An old man in Paris writes a letter and puts it together with something special, he calls “le cadeau”, in a small box, hidden in a wooden chest, a kind of sailor’s chest, but solid, made from walnut, and more ornate. More than two hundred years later, this long forgotten chest is somehow connected to to an American senator’s visit a Paris. A visit at very short notice from Charles Lake, senator and presidential candidate. Hugo Marston has to be a kind of personal bodyguard, he calls it “babysitter”, of the senator, who will attend negotiations and talks about the Guadeloupe Islands, held for two days at Chateau Tourville near Paris. The morning after the first night at the Chateau, Senator Lake declares that he woke up during the night because somebody was in his room and even leaned over him, touching his face. An intruder in his room means clearly a security breach and Senator Lake asks Hugo Marston to begin immediately with his investigations. As this has to be done with discretion, Hugo calls his friend Capitaine Raul Garcia. Everything changes, when one of the prints found is connected o an unsolved murder, a burglary in the old country house of the Bassin family.
Theme and genre
This crime novel is about secrets, hidden deep in the past. There is somebody, who finds out and tries to reveal it and somebody, who just wants to avoid this, at any price.
Characters
Time again to investigate and try to solve a case like a tricky puzzle for Hugo Marston and Paul Greene.
Plot and writing
This book three of the Hugo Marston series begins with a letter in the past, but passes immediately into the present time and develops around Hugo Marston. The investigations and events are told chronologically, without giving to many details too early. Therefore, and together with unforeseeable twists, the guessing of the readers remains interesting and gripping.
Conclusion
An interesting story with some unforeseeable twists, gripping and entertaining to read.
Content
An old man in Paris writes a letter and puts it together with something special, he calls “le cadeau”, in a small box, hidden in a wooden chest, a kind of sailor’s chest, but solid, made from walnut, and more ornate. More than two hundred years later, this long forgotten chest is somehow connected to to an American senator’s visit a Paris. A visit at very short notice from Charles Lake, senator and presidential candidate. Hugo Marston has to be a kind of personal bodyguard, he calls it “babysitter”, of the senator, who will attend negotiations and talks about the Guadeloupe Islands, held for two days at Chateau Tourville near Paris. The morning after the first night at the Chateau, Senator Lake declares that he woke up during the night because somebody was in his room and even leaned over him, touching his face. An intruder in his room means clearly a security breach and Senator Lake asks Hugo Marston to begin immediately with his investigations. As this has to be done with discretion, Hugo calls his friend Capitaine Raul Garcia. Everything changes, when one of the prints found is connected o an unsolved murder, a burglary in the old country house of the Bassin family.
Theme and genre
This crime novel is about secrets, hidden deep in the past. There is somebody, who finds out and tries to reveal it and somebody, who just wants to avoid this, at any price.
Characters
Time again to investigate and try to solve a case like a tricky puzzle for Hugo Marston and Paul Greene.
Plot and writing
This book three of the Hugo Marston series begins with a letter in the past, but passes immediately into the present time and develops around Hugo Marston. The investigations and events are told chronologically, without giving to many details too early. Therefore, and together with unforeseeable twists, the guessing of the readers remains interesting and gripping.
Conclusion
An interesting story with some unforeseeable twists, gripping and entertaining to read.
April 21, 2022
Narrator note: Todd has Tom talking with a weird NY accent - in upcoming books he switches it to a drawl which is much better.
This book goes back to 1785 Paris when a small gift is being taken by messenger in another box with secret compartments. It goes between the secret of the box - which turns out to be a secret of the death of a boy who is switched with another boy.
In the present, Hugo has to play babysitter to an unpredictable (I would say annoying) US Senator -Charles Lake - who has come to France to work on negotiations with France about the island of Guadeloupe at a country estate. He plans to run for President, and wants some international work on his resume. At the same time (or a little before) an old woman is murdered by “the professor” in her house when someone comes to steal something - she isn’t supposed to be there and is killed.
The Senator is immediately a problem, Saying someone was leaning over him in the night. The hosts at the estate is a wealthy family with all kinds of background story. Henri Tourville is the weather owner. His sister Alexandra, has a speckled past, but has acquired multiple academic degrees. Her assistant, Natalia, and Felix Vibert a friend and fellow negotiator.
Claudia appears periodically in the book, but she has put there relationship on hold.
Hugo calls an old friend from London (we’ll meet her in the prequel book) Merlyn, who does a great deal of genealogical research and learns that there is a connection to Marie Antionette. Senator Lake was being blackmailed by Alexandra because he is Marie Antoinette’s descendent which is problematic because he is anti-royalty. He ends up killing her. And then he jumps off the boat headed for America (which is turning back to France, so he can face charges) and down he goes as well.
The most devastating part of the book is the death of Raul Garcia - Hugo’s good friend in the French police. After making it look like Garcia died in the last book, I thought maybe she’d save him, but no. Raul is gone.
Hugo meets Camille Loren’s, a Lt. in the police force that Raul had spoken highly of. Camille is a transgender woman, and will be an important character going forward. She takes the place of Raul in the books
This book goes back to 1785 Paris when a small gift is being taken by messenger in another box with secret compartments. It goes between the secret of the box - which turns out to be a secret of the death of a boy who is switched with another boy.
In the present, Hugo has to play babysitter to an unpredictable (I would say annoying) US Senator -Charles Lake - who has come to France to work on negotiations with France about the island of Guadeloupe at a country estate. He plans to run for President, and wants some international work on his resume. At the same time (or a little before) an old woman is murdered by “the professor” in her house when someone comes to steal something - she isn’t supposed to be there and is killed.
The Senator is immediately a problem, Saying someone was leaning over him in the night. The hosts at the estate is a wealthy family with all kinds of background story. Henri Tourville is the weather owner. His sister Alexandra, has a speckled past, but has acquired multiple academic degrees. Her assistant, Natalia, and Felix Vibert a friend and fellow negotiator.
Claudia appears periodically in the book, but she has put there relationship on hold.
Hugo calls an old friend from London (we’ll meet her in the prequel book) Merlyn, who does a great deal of genealogical research and learns that there is a connection to Marie Antionette. Senator Lake was being blackmailed by Alexandra because he is Marie Antoinette’s descendent which is problematic because he is anti-royalty. He ends up killing her. And then he jumps off the boat headed for America (which is turning back to France, so he can face charges) and down he goes as well.
The most devastating part of the book is the death of Raul Garcia - Hugo’s good friend in the French police. After making it look like Garcia died in the last book, I thought maybe she’d save him, but no. Raul is gone.
Hugo meets Camille Loren’s, a Lt. in the police force that Raul had spoken highly of. Camille is a transgender woman, and will be an important character going forward. She takes the place of Raul in the books
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2017
Even the blurb on the back cover is misleading.
I don't get it?
"A messenger arrives to transport the chest and its hidden contents, but then the plague strikes and an untimely death changes history." When the messenger arrives, the untimely death has already happened and the messenger has already made his decision.
I enjoyed reading this book with its Paris setting and I think the writing is excellent, but at the end, I was scratching my head. The wrap up reveal was simply not believable on multiple levels.
For a French woman to discover that a descendant of Louis and Marie Antoinette was alive and well in America, which would bring her more money: blackmailing the xenophobic descendant or selling her story/discovery to the world? As for the xenophobic descendant, his character was more murky than mystery. Even for a politician, his actions/character were just not realistic.
And how was history changed? The saved Dauphin was never meant to grow up and reclaim his throne, right? The whole idea was to show Jefferson that the French had left the monarchy and the guillotine behind? Again, I'm just really confused here as to all the suspense built up at the start of the book that just fizzles.
So ... in the end, I found the novel quite anti-climatic.
I don't get it?
"A messenger arrives to transport the chest and its hidden contents, but then the plague strikes and an untimely death changes history." When the messenger arrives, the untimely death has already happened and the messenger has already made his decision.
I enjoyed reading this book with its Paris setting and I think the writing is excellent, but at the end, I was scratching my head. The wrap up reveal was simply not believable on multiple levels.
For a French woman to discover that a descendant of Louis and Marie Antoinette was alive and well in America, which would bring her more money: blackmailing the xenophobic descendant or selling her story/discovery to the world? As for the xenophobic descendant, his character was more murky than mystery. Even for a politician, his actions/character were just not realistic.
And how was history changed? The saved Dauphin was never meant to grow up and reclaim his throne, right? The whole idea was to show Jefferson that the French had left the monarchy and the guillotine behind? Again, I'm just really confused here as to all the suspense built up at the start of the book that just fizzles.
So ... in the end, I found the novel quite anti-climatic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2022
Hugo Marston is a very likeable and relatable protagonist. The book opens with an old man writing a letter with a goose feather, signing his name in blood, to be sent with a small item placed in a secret compartment in a sailor's box. Back to modern Paris, Hugo is assigned to 'babysit' a US Senator who is to negotiate with the French Government at a meeting held in the chateau of a noblemen and French Minister, Henri Tourville. While there, Hugo meets Henri's sister, Alexi, who had fallen from grace through a past incident. They discuss books and antiques and Alexi raises her new interest in genealogy. Before dinner, Hugo notes an old chest which, he is told, is a 200 year old sailor's chest. The Senator becomes ill during the dinner and Hugo escorts him to his room. The Senator wakens during the night an sees someone leaning over him in the dark. He complains to Henri and urges Hugo to investigate but Henri tries to trivialise it, saying he had drunk too much wine. The Senator then leaves and they go back to Paris where Hugo contacts Captain Raul Garcia and asks him to discreetly to investigate. This is an interesting thriller with well-created characters and plenty of twists. Love Hugo's walks around Paris with its buildings, cafes and patisseries.
October 22, 2019
As head of security for the American Embassy in Paris, Hugo Marston is charged with babysitting Charles Lake, a US Senator who is in Paris to negotiate a dispute about ownership of Guadeloupe. Lake is an isolationist who has little use for France - "the wine's okay, but the breakfasts suck" - so does not endear himself to his hosts at Chateau Tourville which is owned by a wealthy and influential family by that name. Then Lake accuses someone of being in his room while he was sleeping. Evidence suggests that someone was there indeed, and that someone was a murderer, and the talks break down.
Marston (former FBI), aided by his friend Tom (former CIA), the recovering alcoholic; his old friend Capitaine Raul Garcia, and Garcia's new recruit policewoman Camille Lerens, who had a sex change operation to become a woman take on the hunt.
They eventually discover the existence of a sailor's chest with a secret compartment and a letter written in blood (the eponymous one of the title) from the late 1700's. That historic connection establishes motive and eventually exposes the interloper in Lake's room who by now has become a double murderer.
Marston (former FBI), aided by his friend Tom (former CIA), the recovering alcoholic; his old friend Capitaine Raul Garcia, and Garcia's new recruit policewoman Camille Lerens, who had a sex change operation to become a woman take on the hunt.
They eventually discover the existence of a sailor's chest with a secret compartment and a letter written in blood (the eponymous one of the title) from the late 1700's. That historic connection establishes motive and eventually exposes the interloper in Lake's room who by now has become a double murderer.
September 6, 2018
Hugo Marston is asked to help protect US Senator Lake, who was expected to become a candidate for President and was in Paris to attend Guadeloupe. Lake was known to be an isolationist. Hugo takes him to the first meeting at the chateau of Toutville, a wealthy Frenchman with a sister, Alexie, who was trying to improve her reputation. At dinner that night, Lake appears to be loosing it, and Hugo takes him up to bed. In the morning Lake claims someone was leaning over him during the night, and he wants it investigated, and he leaves the house. Hugo calls in Capitaine Garcia to investigate. Garcia takes prints, and then finds out some are the same as found in a robbery/murder. Soon, Alexie's assistant, Natalia, is found dead, and then Garcia is shot in the head (this time he is immediately dead! Alexie becomes a suspect. Hugo is gradually figuring out that all the problems are related to geneology studies that Alexie has been doing; perhaps she is blackmailing Lake. Lots happens in the second half of the book, but I don't want to spoil the ending!
February 15, 2022
The American Ambassador to France calls Hugo Marston into his office to assign him the task of looking after Senator Charles Lake who has arrived in France to negotiate a treaty. Lake is a staunch advocate of isolationism and sees no reason America needs any help from any other country, let alone France. Marston travels to the chateau where the negotiations are taking place. The Senator accuses someone of breaking into his room at night and abruptly ends the discussion and returns to Paris. Marston is assigned to investigate the mystery (discreetly) so he calls in his crew: Claudia, his on-again-off-again lady; Raul Garcia, a captain in the Paris police force, and Tom Green, who works best undercover. Terrible things happen and many bodies drop before Hugo is able to connect a long-lost sailor's chest, a letter written in blood during the French Revolution and a single lock of hair.
August 15, 2017
The setting is Post Revolution Paris and an old man is desperate to write a letter in blood with a quill and hide it in a secret compartment of a Sailor's chest. The novel is the third in a series by Mark Pryor. The main character is Hugo Marston and he is assigned to negotiate a Treaty with France. They are taking place in the county house of a noble minister. When the Senator claims someone has been inside his room, the police investigate and find a finger print that matches one found at a murder scene six months earlier. Hugo looks at another case where jewelry had also been stolen. Great descriptions of Paris and the friendship between Hugo and his best friend, a former member of the CIA, Tom.
October 24, 2017
#3 in the Hugo Marston series. Based in Paris, Hugo serves as head of security at the American embassy and is charged with escorting a visiting American senator, who periodically eludes his secret service guards. A murder at an estate near were the senator is attending a diplomatic gathering becomes linked because of a fingerprint. Ultimately threads of the mystery get untangled. In the process one favorite character ends and Pryor introduces a new one, a transgender police detective. It's kind of a police procedural, kind of a mystery, kind of a thriller. Whatever label is applied, it's a good read.
January 2, 2022
This is the 3rd installment in the series and the 2nd one I've read. I enjoyed this one a lot. I find the characters to be realistic and interesting.
The mystery involved with this one was layered and had enough twists to make the reader keep going.
The setting in Paris I find enjoyable as I am learning more about the layout of the city and the individuality of the arrondissements.
Hugh, the main character, is intelligent without being obnoxious and Pryor has made him multi-layered rather than the plain old detective.
I especially like the surrounding players who have been in both mysteries I've read so far. I look forward to the next installment.
The mystery involved with this one was layered and had enough twists to make the reader keep going.
The setting in Paris I find enjoyable as I am learning more about the layout of the city and the individuality of the arrondissements.
Hugh, the main character, is intelligent without being obnoxious and Pryor has made him multi-layered rather than the plain old detective.
I especially like the surrounding players who have been in both mysteries I've read so far. I look forward to the next installment.
January 7, 2018
Hugo is given an assignment of “body guard“ to a United States senator that is visiting in Paris. While attending a negotiation meeting at a country estate with the senator and other diplomats, The senator believes someone entered his bedroom during the night and wants it investigated. This investigation leads to a murder of a 90-year-old woman in another country estate. Hugo, Tom, Raul and Claudia get on the case, step on a lot of people’s toes, more murders happen and they manage to get to the heart of the matter and solve the case.
June 30, 2018
Another enjoyable Hugo Marston mystery. This one had a premise that was maybe less believable than others I've read, but still an enjoyable read. Tom Green, Claudia and other regulars are back, and we are briefly introduced to the delightful Merlyn, who figures prominently in the prequel written after this book.
A U.S. Senator known for isolationist views ends up in Europe as a negotiator for the U.S. in a dispute with France over an unimportant island. The premise is a little weak but the writing and character development are good. Worth a look.
A U.S. Senator known for isolationist views ends up in Europe as a negotiator for the U.S. in a dispute with France over an unimportant island. The premise is a little weak but the writing and character development are good. Worth a look.
September 30, 2019
The first two Hugo Marston novels were thoroughly enjoyable, but this one fell flat. The story line was just too thin. An old, wealthy woman is murdered in her centuries-old home on the outskirts of Paris and her antique jewelry is stolen. Hugo is assigned to mind a US senator with presidential aspirations and nationalistic views visits Paris, and things start to get complicated when Hugo and the senator attend a dinner at the home of the Tourvilles, another old, moneyed and connected Parisian family. The stories weave together but the plot is just too unbelievable, even for a mystery.
August 14, 2022
The third in the Hugo Marston series, this book is as good as the previous two, if not better. When Hugo goes to a country house for a political gathering with an American candidate, there are strange things happening, including murder. Family secrets involving the family that owns the house we well as the American make things even more complicated. But eventually Hugo figures it out, but not without danger to himself and others around him. This is another satisfying mystery from a great author.
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