Le Parfum Disparu

Agence Hardy #1

by Pierre Christin, Annie Goetzinger

Années 50. Dans le 12e arrondissement, Edith, belle femme, la quarantaine, dirige l'agence Hardy, problèmes d'héritage, etc. Gaston Lecauchois, industriel, lui demande de retrouver un de ses jeunes chimistes disparus. Antoine Dubreuil travaillait sur un parfum destiné à masquer l'odeur repoussante d'une nouvelle pommade antiseptique. Edith et son secrétaire, Victor Mazero, vont enquêter des entrepôts de Bercy aux guinguettes de la Marne. Pour commencer... Car leurs investigations les mèneront sur la piste de produits révolutionnaires : les antibiotiques qui font saliver toutes les grandes puissances. Edith et Victor rencontreront, entre autres, des syndicalistes CGT pas commodes, une baronne frayant avec le Kominform soviétique et un Américain trop tranquille pour être honnête.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Bande Dessinée, Fiction, Mystery

48 pages, Hardcover

First published June 10, 2013

About the author

Pierre Christin was a French comics creator and writer.

Reviews

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great period for a detective series.
This comic book captures that sense of time and place. It also has a female protagonist which mirrors the courage shown just years before during France’s Occupation during World War II.
This is a good introduction to the detective agency and the characters involved. I will enjoy learning more in forthcoming chapters.
In this initial episode a scientist has gone missing. Edith Hardy shows great intuitive skills and with her unusual, youthful, helper Vittorio, they fearlessly investigate all traces of the chemist.
I am a great fan of Maigret and love this period of French culture and society.
I look forward to reading more and seeing the delightful illustrations that bring this world alive.

[Ravenclaw Library Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

A beautiful lady detective in the 1950's who chain smokes, like s good whiskey and doesn't take any crap from anyone is a great premise. but didn't really feel like it lived up to the hype.

I find graphic novels or comics a bit hit or miss for me moremiss if I am being completely honest.

Others may enjoy this graphic novel.

#TheHardyAgency #NetGalley

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

'The Hardy Agency 1: The Vanished Perfume' by Pierre Christin with art by Annie Goetzinger is a reprint of a classic French graphic novel series.

Edith Hardy lives in post-war France. Her husband is missing, so she starts a detective agency to make ends meet. This volume tells the story of a missing chemist who was developing perfume, but as Edith digs in to the story, she uncovers a plot involving shady suspects and covert KGB operatives who show that the perfumier might have been in to more than it seems.

I liked this story that felt nostalgic. The characters and place feel very genuine. I really liked Annie Goetzinger's art. It has a classic comics feel in the lines.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Europe Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

A European comic about a woman in 1950's Paris who starts up a detective agency after her husband goes missing. She's looking for a missing chemist from a perfume company who has designed something that may have other more lucrative capabilities. This was fine and the art is very good. It can be a little obtuse towards the end though. I'd probably check out the next volume though.

[Nomad nimrod · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and good.

[StrictlySequential · Rating 3 out of 5]

D.L. = July 2008

[Jessi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know if a book less than twenty years old can rightly be called a classic but this is certainly a reissue of a book that originally came out in 2001 -- one that has the gritty appeal of a 1950s hardboiled detecitive mystery with some twists that I haven't read before (though I expect they may be more common that I believe): the detective in this case is a female, a widow to be exact, and it's set in Paris.
In this book, Episode One (of three), Edith Hardy takes on the case of of a parfumier who has lost his lead scientist. Along the way, her young assistant Vittorio, now in France known as Victor, is caught up in a round of socialist workers. There's a run-in with the KGB, a prescient dream, and.. just a lot going on. Very French.
If you like the Inspector Maigret mysteries, this may trip your trigger.

[Elia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was with this one until around the last chapter... I really was.
A beautiful lady detective in the 1950's who chain smokes, like s good whiskey and doesn't take any crap from anyone is a great premise... but then the story got convoluted with the KGB and the Americans and backstabbing... and it just got to be too much and too muddy. Then you throw in a prophetic dream for no real reason... and just nope. It could have been good but it went south fast.

[Aileen (Ailz) Grist · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good comic book of the period. The story is interesting - a missing scientist - with the usual spies of the days after the second world war. Both the KGB and the Americans are interested in the formula the scientist had developed before he went missing. Edith Hardy is intuitive and resourceful.

I read a free advance review copy from Netgalley. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

[Ali Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable graphic novel/mystery. I enjoyed the fact that the lead character was a strong woman who worked hard to uncover mysteries. I liked some of the supporting characters, such as Victor and his mother.

I preferred the plot to the illustrations but the illustrations are still interesting, although in a more classic comic style than I usually like.

Thanks Netgalley and Europe Comics for this advanced copy.

[Leona · Rating 4 out of 5]

This had all the right elements for an entertaining story and it didn’t disappoint. I liked the style of the artwork which fitted in perfectly with the time period. I would be keen to read more volumes of Hardy’s investigations.

I received an early copy from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

[Cori // ghostlightbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this for it's vintage style and setting. I thought that it was a wonderful look into the time period and a different Paris than I normally get to see. I think Edith is such strong character and I can't wait to see how she grows. I think that this was equal parts intriguing as funny and I'm interested to see where this story takes me. I'll definitely try to find the next one!

[Marilyn Raquel ❤✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was not a fan of this. The pacing is just awfull, though I was a fan of the setting.
There were times that the author focus on irrelevant characters...
The good thing was the strong female character.

[Theediscerning · Rating 1 out of 5]

A mediocre mystery, where the token new private investigator is chasing after a missing chemist. Apparently this is the first third of a trilogy that ultimately launched a seven-book cycle; I doubt I'd be back, for it verges on the lifeless at times. One and a half stars.