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Aimee Leduc Investigations #15
Murder on the Champ de Mars
A dying woman has secret about the unsolved murder of Parisian P.I. Aimée Leduc’s father, but is kidnapped before she can reveal it
Paris, February 1998: Aimée Leduc has her work cut out for her—running her detective agency and fighting off sleep-deprivation as she tries to be a good single mother to her new bébé. The last thing she has time for now is to take on a personal investigation for a poor manouche (French Gypsy) boy. But he insists his dying mother has an important secret she needs to tell Aimée, something to do with Aimée’s father’s unsolved murder a decade ago. How can she say no?
The dying woman’s secret is even more dangerous than her son realized. When Aimée arrives at the hospital, the boy’s mother has disappeared. She was far to sick to leave on her own—she must have been abducted. What does she know that is so important it is worth killing for? And will Aimée be able to find her before it is too late and the medication keeping her alive runs out?
Set in the seventh arrondissment, the quartier of the Parisian elite, Murder on the Champ de Mars takes us from the highest seats of power in the Ministries and embassies through the city’s private gardens and the homes of France’s oldest aristocratic families. Aimée discovers more connections than she thought possible between the clandestine “Gypsy” world and the moneyed ancien régime, ultimately leading her to the truth behind her father’s death…After all, for Aimée, murder is never far from home.
Paris, February 1998: Aimée Leduc has her work cut out for her—running her detective agency and fighting off sleep-deprivation as she tries to be a good single mother to her new bébé. The last thing she has time for now is to take on a personal investigation for a poor manouche (French Gypsy) boy. But he insists his dying mother has an important secret she needs to tell Aimée, something to do with Aimée’s father’s unsolved murder a decade ago. How can she say no?
The dying woman’s secret is even more dangerous than her son realized. When Aimée arrives at the hospital, the boy’s mother has disappeared. She was far to sick to leave on her own—she must have been abducted. What does she know that is so important it is worth killing for? And will Aimée be able to find her before it is too late and the medication keeping her alive runs out?
Set in the seventh arrondissment, the quartier of the Parisian elite, Murder on the Champ de Mars takes us from the highest seats of power in the Ministries and embassies through the city’s private gardens and the homes of France’s oldest aristocratic families. Aimée discovers more connections than she thought possible between the clandestine “Gypsy” world and the moneyed ancien régime, ultimately leading her to the truth behind her father’s death…After all, for Aimée, murder is never far from home.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published March 3, 2015
About the author
Cara Black
56 books1,207 followersCara 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 award nominated Aimée Leduc Investigation series has been translated into French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, German and Hebrew. She received the Medaille de la Ville de Paris for services to French culture. She's included in the GREAT WOMEN MYSTERY WRITERS by Elizabeth Lindsay 2nd editon published in the UK. Her first three novels in the series MURDER IN THE MARAIS, MURDER IN BELLEVILLE AN MURDER IN THE SENTIER - nominated for an Anthony Award as Best Novel - were published in the UK in 2008 and MURDER IN THE LATIN QUARTER comes out in the UK in 2010. Several of her books have been chosen as BookSense Picks and INDIE NEXT choice by the Amerian Association of Independent Bookstores. The Washington Post listed MURDER IN THE RUE DE PARADIS in the Best Fiction Choices of 2008. MURDER IN THE LATIN QUARTER is a finalist for Best Novel Award from the NCIBA Northern California Independent Booksellers Association.
She is currently working on the next book in the Aimée Leduc series.
She is currently working on the next book in the Aimée Leduc series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
March 5, 2015
I have come to enjoy Cara Black's series. It's been a pleasure to get acquainted with Paris and its history district by district. In Murder on the Champ de Mars, we learn about the history of the gypsies, and it's a tragic one. I've also been looking forward to seeing how Aimée adapts to motherhood because I didn't think it would be an easy transition. I was right. In fact Aimée-as-parent is one of the things that bothered me in this book.
The parenting issue is clouded by the appearance of Chloë's father, and even with his presence in the background, Aimée's good intentions come to naught. In fact she seems to go out of her way to be away from her baby and to put herself in dangerous situations. This is a woman who needs a sharp jolt to force her to face reality. You can't speed like a maniac through Paris, break into buildings, and generally try to act as though you're a super hero when you have a baby depending on you. But Aimée does, simply because it's more important for her to find out who killed her father. She is a woman obsessed.
Another issue was the pacing of this book. At times it moves at breakneck speed, but there are slow intervals when nothing much seems to be going on. Aimée is a character I've never completely warmed up to. She's much more interested in fashion and makeup than I. My interest has always been more focused on her partner René, their part-time employees, and the stories the author weaves. These slow intervals when Aimée is basically spinning her wheels and grasping at straws affected my enjoyment of the book. By the end, I almost felt as though the mystery solved itself and Aimée just happened to be in the vicinity.
Something else that I noticed in Murder on the Champ de Mars is the prevalence of French words and phrases. Much more than I felt necessary. I certainly don't have a problem with it since I can read and speak French, but if other readers can't, they may find this to be distracting and annoying.
All in all, I did enjoy this book. No non-French crime writer can take you through Paris like Cara Black. It's the main reason why I keep coming back for more. However, it's certainly going to be interesting to see if Aimée's parenting skills have improved in the next book.
The parenting issue is clouded by the appearance of Chloë's father, and even with his presence in the background, Aimée's good intentions come to naught. In fact she seems to go out of her way to be away from her baby and to put herself in dangerous situations. This is a woman who needs a sharp jolt to force her to face reality. You can't speed like a maniac through Paris, break into buildings, and generally try to act as though you're a super hero when you have a baby depending on you. But Aimée does, simply because it's more important for her to find out who killed her father. She is a woman obsessed.
Another issue was the pacing of this book. At times it moves at breakneck speed, but there are slow intervals when nothing much seems to be going on. Aimée is a character I've never completely warmed up to. She's much more interested in fashion and makeup than I. My interest has always been more focused on her partner René, their part-time employees, and the stories the author weaves. These slow intervals when Aimée is basically spinning her wheels and grasping at straws affected my enjoyment of the book. By the end, I almost felt as though the mystery solved itself and Aimée just happened to be in the vicinity.
Something else that I noticed in Murder on the Champ de Mars is the prevalence of French words and phrases. Much more than I felt necessary. I certainly don't have a problem with it since I can read and speak French, but if other readers can't, they may find this to be distracting and annoying.
All in all, I did enjoy this book. No non-French crime writer can take you through Paris like Cara Black. It's the main reason why I keep coming back for more. However, it's certainly going to be interesting to see if Aimée's parenting skills have improved in the next book.
February 7, 2015
I always look forward to each Aimee Leduc novel from author Cara Black with sick feeling of delight and glee. No one --- absolutely no one --- has ever captured the depth, majesty and complexity of Paris and all its' many neighborhoods like Cara Black has.
MURDER ON THE CHAMP DE MARS is set in 1999 and a young Aimee Leduc --- recently having taken over her family investigative service --- just gave birth to her first daughter and is now facing a difficult custody battle against the absentee father and his new bride. While dealing with that she is approached by a young boy who appears to be a Gypsy or Manouche who claims that Aimee and her late father used to visit he and his mother years earlier. Even though Aimee's friends and family warn her of a potential Gypsy scam, she is drawn to this young man named Nicu --- especially when he indicates that his mother is dying and her final wish was to speak with Aimee to undo a past injustice.
Aimee and Nicu go to the hospital only to find that someone has literally stolen his mother. And thus --- down the rabbit hole we go. Things begin to spin wildly out of control and only get worse when Nicu is tragically killed in an alleged accident. As Aimee continues on with the search for Nicu's mother she uncovers old wounds relating not only to her late father but also the pain suffered by the Gypsy people during the Holocaust. The Gypsy Holocaust, which has all but gone unwritten, was referred to by the French as Porajmos, included horrors that have never been redeemed and crimes that some people will go to great lengths to keep covered up.
I could tell you more, but don't want to give anything away. My recommendation: read this book!
MURDER ON THE CHAMP DE MARS is set in 1999 and a young Aimee Leduc --- recently having taken over her family investigative service --- just gave birth to her first daughter and is now facing a difficult custody battle against the absentee father and his new bride. While dealing with that she is approached by a young boy who appears to be a Gypsy or Manouche who claims that Aimee and her late father used to visit he and his mother years earlier. Even though Aimee's friends and family warn her of a potential Gypsy scam, she is drawn to this young man named Nicu --- especially when he indicates that his mother is dying and her final wish was to speak with Aimee to undo a past injustice.
Aimee and Nicu go to the hospital only to find that someone has literally stolen his mother. And thus --- down the rabbit hole we go. Things begin to spin wildly out of control and only get worse when Nicu is tragically killed in an alleged accident. As Aimee continues on with the search for Nicu's mother she uncovers old wounds relating not only to her late father but also the pain suffered by the Gypsy people during the Holocaust. The Gypsy Holocaust, which has all but gone unwritten, was referred to by the French as Porajmos, included horrors that have never been redeemed and crimes that some people will go to great lengths to keep covered up.
I could tell you more, but don't want to give anything away. My recommendation: read this book!
March 4, 2015
Ah! the undercurrent of Parisian noir that is Aimee!
Talk about troubles piling up! Aimee Leduc is now mother to young Chloe. Melac, Chloe's father, reappears at the christening six moths after Chloe's birth, with never a word to Aimee in that time, and is talking joint custody. Complications indeed for Aimee. She is furious, I am furious!
No wonder she is contemplating, with the desperateness of an addict taking up smoking her beloved gaulois.
Aimee is confronted once more with her fathers death. This time a mysterious gypsy woman, possibly an informant of her father's, on her death bed has sent for Aimee. Aimee hurries to the hospital only to find the woman gone! Seemingly kidnapped from the ward.
History and hurts collide into an explosive conclusion!
Aimee as detective is managing to live alongside Aimee as mother. This dichotomy is about to be hampered by Aimee as daughter seeking answers to her father's death. Her split focus, the pressure this puts her under is an explosive undercurrent.
I do feel that this volume in the Aimee story is not a good place to start the series. But to any newcomers, don't be put off, start at the beginning of this fabulous series about this feisty, wonderful Parisian. Aimee is driven and edgy, torn between duties and loyalties, outrageous in her vintage courture clothing and Vespa, being a maman in the park, and completely wonderful! Another edgy work overlaid with a definitive Parisian noir mysteriousness.
Little informative gems abound. The mention of Pagoda sent me scurrying to find out more. I will certainly be visiting there!
Renee is as always supportive. His relationship with Aimee as ever on an edge.
Once more Aimee's story enthralled me. Really I adore Aimee! I know, I know some have given up, but Aimee is family.
A NetGalley ARC
Talk about troubles piling up! Aimee Leduc is now mother to young Chloe. Melac, Chloe's father, reappears at the christening six moths after Chloe's birth, with never a word to Aimee in that time, and is talking joint custody. Complications indeed for Aimee. She is furious, I am furious!
No wonder she is contemplating, with the desperateness of an addict taking up smoking her beloved gaulois.
Aimee is confronted once more with her fathers death. This time a mysterious gypsy woman, possibly an informant of her father's, on her death bed has sent for Aimee. Aimee hurries to the hospital only to find the woman gone! Seemingly kidnapped from the ward.
History and hurts collide into an explosive conclusion!
Aimee as detective is managing to live alongside Aimee as mother. This dichotomy is about to be hampered by Aimee as daughter seeking answers to her father's death. Her split focus, the pressure this puts her under is an explosive undercurrent.
I do feel that this volume in the Aimee story is not a good place to start the series. But to any newcomers, don't be put off, start at the beginning of this fabulous series about this feisty, wonderful Parisian. Aimee is driven and edgy, torn between duties and loyalties, outrageous in her vintage courture clothing and Vespa, being a maman in the park, and completely wonderful! Another edgy work overlaid with a definitive Parisian noir mysteriousness.
Little informative gems abound. The mention of Pagoda sent me scurrying to find out more. I will certainly be visiting there!
Renee is as always supportive. His relationship with Aimee as ever on an edge.
Once more Aimee's story enthralled me. Really I adore Aimee! I know, I know some have given up, but Aimee is family.
A NetGalley ARC
March 21, 2015
can't fit a trip to Paris into my life right now, but, I CAN read the latest adventures of Aimee Leduc, computer security specialist and detective. Set in 1999, many of the devices we now take for granted are still new, but corrupt government stories are as hold as time. Aimee's baby girl, Chloe, she had as a result of her affair with Medoc is now six months old. She hasn't heard from the father since her baby's birth and chose not to list him as father on the birth certificate. It is time for her to be baptized. Of course she is late. Isn't she always! A Romany boy knows her although she doesn't know him. He asks for her help in finding his mother who is dying and has disappeared from the hospital. She knows something about her father's assassination in a bombing. I won't say much more than this because it would risk giving away too much of the plot. As always, there are a lot of twists and turns and references to Aimee's designer wardrobe that is a result of shrewd flea market shopping. But this is Paris, n'est pas?
February 10, 2015
Love this series by Cara Black! Aimee Leduc is once again tracking down a murderer in the beautiful city of light, Paris. Murder in the Champ de Mars is set in the seventh arrondissment, the home of Paris's elite. Except that we don't see the light of Paris much in this latest addition. It is Paris of corruption and of darkness. It is a city of warnings and danger that once again our heroine will ignore.
Aimee's daughter Chloe is now six months old. Chloe's absent father shows up without warning at Chloe's christening with a new wife in tow. And all of a sudden he does not wish to be an absent father. Now Aimee is faced with an unexpected distraction as she heads back to work.
A young French Gypsy boy, a manouche, brings Aimee a message from his dying mother. Aimee is thrust into an investigation of her father's murder. His murder has always haunted her. She neglects everything to get to the bottom of this latest revelation. The mysterious world of the gypsies is not safe for outsiders. But could there be an even bigger threat.
I have read every book in this series. The ending of Murder in the Champ de Mars had me riveted to the story. Oh the revelations....you'll have to read it to find out!
Aimee's daughter Chloe is now six months old. Chloe's absent father shows up without warning at Chloe's christening with a new wife in tow. And all of a sudden he does not wish to be an absent father. Now Aimee is faced with an unexpected distraction as she heads back to work.
A young French Gypsy boy, a manouche, brings Aimee a message from his dying mother. Aimee is thrust into an investigation of her father's murder. His murder has always haunted her. She neglects everything to get to the bottom of this latest revelation. The mysterious world of the gypsies is not safe for outsiders. But could there be an even bigger threat.
I have read every book in this series. The ending of Murder in the Champ de Mars had me riveted to the story. Oh the revelations....you'll have to read it to find out!
January 1, 2016
This entry in the Leduc series is, like the previous ones, a little overwritten (can hearts please stop clenching? please!). Unlike the previous ones, the actual mystery part seems to be rivaled by Aimee's personal life, in this case her fight over custody of her daughter with Melac and his new partner. No matter how much this made her heart clench, and no matter how many times she's told to make this a priority, she seems to really not care. That part was very strange and didn't fit with what we've previously known about her. And really, given the area we're exploring, to never mention some of my favorite stores (a Black specialty in previous books)? Hmmm...
ARC provided by publisher.
ARC provided by publisher.
March 29, 2015
This latest book is a must read. Aimee faces a multitude of challenges and unravels crucial mysteries. I will not elaborate since I do not wish to spoil enjoyment of the book, but if you have read this series there have been many foreshadowing hints along the trail. I have come to appreciate the series more over time for love of Paris, as she adds rich detail to neighborhoods, monuments, and building history.
April 9, 2015
Closed out nicely. Rereading helps.
Will the next story leap forward a number of years?
Will the next story leap forward a number of years?
June 29, 2019
This series in on an upward swing. Glad I didn’t abandon it. Yet another cliffhanger ending, which I’m not sure I like. I feel so manipulated and cheap. Lol.
February 3, 2015
Murder on the Champ de Mars by Clara Black is the fifteenth book in her Aimée Leduc Investigation series, and the first I have read. Normally it would be daunting to enter a series this far in, naturally I have missed character growth and development, however, I was quickly drawn into the mystery and now have a new series to read, Black’s protagonist, Aimée Leduc, is fascinating and one I look forward to knowing better by beginning with book one of the series. Murder on the Champs de Mars takes place in 1999, Aimée is not only a new mother, but also running her detective service, exhausted from the demands of work and single motherhood Aimée is at first not certain she wants to know what a poor manouche boy’s dying mother has to say, but soon learns it involves the murder of her father a decade ago. When Aimée and the boy reach the woman’s hospital room, she has vanished. Will Aimée be able to find the woman in time and what secrets could be so dangerous that someone would kidnap a dying woman? Murder on the Champ de Mars is a fast-paced suspense thriller with the added human dimension of the investigator, Aimée, who feels guilty for spending so much time away from her son, and the father of her child and his new wife wanting joint custody, in my opinion added elements of humanity and reality to the single working woman torn between work and family and desperately trying to do it all. Black has crafted a well thought out suspense thriller that keeps the reader turning the pages trying to guess what will happen next. Murder on the Champ de Mars was a quick read for me and one I thoroughly enjoyed, which is why I am not only going back to the beginning to start the series, but also why I recommend Murder on the Champ de Mars to readers who enjoy suspense thrillers with a strong female main character.
November 26, 2015
Returning to work after a maternity leave, Amy LeDuc becomes too busy to really care for her six-month old daughter. To begin with, she undertakes a surveillance occupying her evenings. Then she becomes involved in a personal investigation involving gypsies in the belief she can discover the murderer of her father 10 years before. And to top it off, she has to fend off her former lover who, with his new wife, is attempting to wrest possession of her baby from her.
As in all the novels in the series, this one takes place in one area of Paris, the seventh arrondissnent, home to the Parisian elite, the Eiffel Tower and Les Invalides. Such a setting gives the author an opportunity to give the reader a glimpse into the seats of power in the ministries and embassies, the upper crust’s homes and gardens as she pursues her quest to uncover the facts surrounding her father’s death.
One criticism: the reader is swamped with too much in the way of couture, lipstick applications and other frilly descriptions which slow down the progress in what is a first-rate mystery. Also the surveillance seems to be an afterthought, just to prove the LeDuc Detective Agency actually exists and is never really developed. That notwithstanding, the novel is recommended.
As in all the novels in the series, this one takes place in one area of Paris, the seventh arrondissnent, home to the Parisian elite, the Eiffel Tower and Les Invalides. Such a setting gives the author an opportunity to give the reader a glimpse into the seats of power in the ministries and embassies, the upper crust’s homes and gardens as she pursues her quest to uncover the facts surrounding her father’s death.
One criticism: the reader is swamped with too much in the way of couture, lipstick applications and other frilly descriptions which slow down the progress in what is a first-rate mystery. Also the surveillance seems to be an afterthought, just to prove the LeDuc Detective Agency actually exists and is never really developed. That notwithstanding, the novel is recommended.
January 30, 2016
I’m pretty sure I discovered this series through the recent ‘Paris sweepstakes’ set up for this book. I eventually found out the author will be at the San Francisco Writer’s Conference in 2016, so I decided to read this latest of hers; the crime/mystery genre being one I haven’t read in ages.
The story was fast-paced and gave enough background info so that you didn’t feel too lost if you haven’t read previous volumes (like me). An initial draw for me was that this Paris neighborhood—Champ de Mars—is the one I lived in during my year abroad, and I enjoyed seeing familiar places (even the street I lived on!) mentioned several times. However, unfortunately (and also, sadly, semi-expectedly) I did get the vibe that Aimée doesn’t spend nearly as much time with her newborn daughter as she should; which only underlined the chaotic pace.
The useful various historical references—which are bound to happen when you’re in a place with such deep history—reminded me how much stuff I still want (need?!) to do when I go back to Paris!
In addition to being a quick read, the book wrapped up pretty quickly; complete with cliffhangers to make you wonder what will happen in the next installment(s).
The story was fast-paced and gave enough background info so that you didn’t feel too lost if you haven’t read previous volumes (like me). An initial draw for me was that this Paris neighborhood—Champ de Mars—is the one I lived in during my year abroad, and I enjoyed seeing familiar places (even the street I lived on!) mentioned several times. However, unfortunately (and also, sadly, semi-expectedly) I did get the vibe that Aimée doesn’t spend nearly as much time with her newborn daughter as she should; which only underlined the chaotic pace.
The useful various historical references—which are bound to happen when you’re in a place with such deep history—reminded me how much stuff I still want (need?!) to do when I go back to Paris!
In addition to being a quick read, the book wrapped up pretty quickly; complete with cliffhangers to make you wonder what will happen in the next installment(s).
December 21, 2014
Aimee Leduc returns after her maternity leave and promptly gets caught up in s custody battle with Melac, the disappearance of a Romany woman who has information about her father's death, and post-partum guilt over the time she is spending away from her baby. Cara Black has created another high energy investigation that probes Parisian history and deepens reader's understanding of Aimee's story. This one has some significant twists at the end that will leave readers anxious for the nest installment. Thanks to Soho Press and Edelweiss for the preview copy.
March 29, 2015
4.5/5 - wonderful as always, a trip through another part of Paris with private detective Aimee Leduc as she tries to find out about her past while helping Gypsies in the Champ de Mars. I am eager to read the next in the series as there are questions I still had at the end of the book, regarding some of the people Aimee has known and trusted her entire life. Are they friends or foe? A good read even if you have not read the previous books in the series.
September 30, 2020
Murder on the Champ de Mars is part of Cara Black's long-running mystery series set in Paris, featuring Aimée Leduc, a private detective in an agency she inherited from her father, and which she shares with her business partner, René, a dwarf, who suffers from unrequited love for Aimée and who is a much better man than any of Aimée's boyfriends, including Melac, the father of her baby. As the book begins, Aimée is returning to work after maternity leave and trying her best to balance her work with being a good mother to her baby, Chloé, and fighting off sleep deprivation in the process. A young Romany (Gypsy) man, Nicu, approaches her and tells her that his mother Drina, who lies dying in the hospital, has information for Aimée about the death of Aimée's father in an explosion. As readers of the Aimée Leduc books know, Aimée's attempt to solve the murder of her father is a thread that runs throughout the series. Usually it is secondary to the main mystery in each book, but here it takes center stage.
When Aimée arrives at the hospital, Drina has disappeared. Since Drina is too sick to walk on her own, Aimée realizes she must have been kidnapped. She cannot survive long without her treatment, so Aimée must find her before it's too late. Then, when Nicu is about to give Aimée a notebook containing information on what Drina knew about her father, he is killed in front of her eyes, and the notebook stolen, but it happens so quickly that Aimée never gets a look at the killer. All Nicu can tell her before he dies is that Drina is not really his mother. Instead, he is the son of Drina's sister, who was murdered twenty years before, and Drina raised him as her own son. As Aimée soon finds out, Nicu's father was a rising politician who died on the same day as Nicu's birth mother. His death was ruled a suicide, but Aimée is certain he was murdered, even if she cannot prove it. Her father, who was in the police at the time, investigated the case and then was suddenly taken off it because the police wanted to cover it up. He pursued it on his own after being thrown out of the police on false charges of corruption, and Drina became his informer. Aimée is certain her father's death was connected to his investigation of this case.
Aimée speaks to Nicu's uncle Radu, who runs a circus, but he is not very helpful. Nicu and his mother were shunned by the family because his father was not Romany. Instead, Aimée has to rely on her father's old colleagues from the police. As she delves more deeply into the case, Aimée begins to wonder if these men she'd always trusted might have betrayed her father. As it turns out, the coverup extends into the high ranks of French politics, and some very powerful people are involved--people who want to silence Aimée. Will she find the answer before she becomes the next victim?
On top of everything, Melac, the father of Aimée's baby Chloé, is newly married, and he and his wife are demanding joint custody of Chloé, even though he had never wanted anything to do with the baby before, and had not spoken to Aimée for six months. Aimée is furious, of course, and fights to keep her baby, but at the same time she wonders how good a mother she can be, with her life always in danger, and she thinks of her own mother, a political activist, who abandoned her when she was a child.
As always with Black's series, this book is very suspenseful and the plot takes many twists and turns before Aimée arrives at the truth. Black does an excellent job depicting the Romany community in France and the ethnic biases they face. Even Aimée's partner, René, who is basically a good man and who has experienced much prejudice in his life because he is a dwarf, has his own biases. At first he thinks the Romany are all thieves and scam artists, but soon he comes to realize his own biases. Black tells of the tragedy experienced by the Romany people during the Holocaust, when an enormous number of them were killed by the Nazis. Black often includes a subplot that has to do with the Holocaust, and she has also written an excellent World War II thriller, Three Hours in Paris.
The Aimée Leduc series takes place in the 1990s, this one in 1999, at a time when much of the technology we know today, such as cell phones and GPS, was new. René, in particular, is always enthusiastic about new technology. Aimée is a great character, fashionable in designer clothes, and capable of performing physical feats that remind the reader of a superhero. But she is always believable, and there are plenty of poignant moments when she is struggling with balancing work and motherhood, and when she is remembering her own childhood with her father.
Of course, much of the appeal of the series lies in Black's descriptions of Paris. She brings the city to life, and you can almost taste the food and smell the coffee. Each book takes place in a different part of Paris, this one in the seventh arrondissement, a wealthy neighborhood where many embassies and government buildings are located. The Romany people live in an encampment nearby, and politically active students lead protests on their behalf. Black's descriptions make you want to visit Paris. I highly recommend this book. It can be read on its own, but it helps to have read at least some of the others, to be familiar with the ongoing story of Aimée's attempt to solve her father's murder.
When Aimée arrives at the hospital, Drina has disappeared. Since Drina is too sick to walk on her own, Aimée realizes she must have been kidnapped. She cannot survive long without her treatment, so Aimée must find her before it's too late. Then, when Nicu is about to give Aimée a notebook containing information on what Drina knew about her father, he is killed in front of her eyes, and the notebook stolen, but it happens so quickly that Aimée never gets a look at the killer. All Nicu can tell her before he dies is that Drina is not really his mother. Instead, he is the son of Drina's sister, who was murdered twenty years before, and Drina raised him as her own son. As Aimée soon finds out, Nicu's father was a rising politician who died on the same day as Nicu's birth mother. His death was ruled a suicide, but Aimée is certain he was murdered, even if she cannot prove it. Her father, who was in the police at the time, investigated the case and then was suddenly taken off it because the police wanted to cover it up. He pursued it on his own after being thrown out of the police on false charges of corruption, and Drina became his informer. Aimée is certain her father's death was connected to his investigation of this case.
Aimée speaks to Nicu's uncle Radu, who runs a circus, but he is not very helpful. Nicu and his mother were shunned by the family because his father was not Romany. Instead, Aimée has to rely on her father's old colleagues from the police. As she delves more deeply into the case, Aimée begins to wonder if these men she'd always trusted might have betrayed her father. As it turns out, the coverup extends into the high ranks of French politics, and some very powerful people are involved--people who want to silence Aimée. Will she find the answer before she becomes the next victim?
On top of everything, Melac, the father of Aimée's baby Chloé, is newly married, and he and his wife are demanding joint custody of Chloé, even though he had never wanted anything to do with the baby before, and had not spoken to Aimée for six months. Aimée is furious, of course, and fights to keep her baby, but at the same time she wonders how good a mother she can be, with her life always in danger, and she thinks of her own mother, a political activist, who abandoned her when she was a child.
As always with Black's series, this book is very suspenseful and the plot takes many twists and turns before Aimée arrives at the truth. Black does an excellent job depicting the Romany community in France and the ethnic biases they face. Even Aimée's partner, René, who is basically a good man and who has experienced much prejudice in his life because he is a dwarf, has his own biases. At first he thinks the Romany are all thieves and scam artists, but soon he comes to realize his own biases. Black tells of the tragedy experienced by the Romany people during the Holocaust, when an enormous number of them were killed by the Nazis. Black often includes a subplot that has to do with the Holocaust, and she has also written an excellent World War II thriller, Three Hours in Paris.
The Aimée Leduc series takes place in the 1990s, this one in 1999, at a time when much of the technology we know today, such as cell phones and GPS, was new. René, in particular, is always enthusiastic about new technology. Aimée is a great character, fashionable in designer clothes, and capable of performing physical feats that remind the reader of a superhero. But she is always believable, and there are plenty of poignant moments when she is struggling with balancing work and motherhood, and when she is remembering her own childhood with her father.
Of course, much of the appeal of the series lies in Black's descriptions of Paris. She brings the city to life, and you can almost taste the food and smell the coffee. Each book takes place in a different part of Paris, this one in the seventh arrondissement, a wealthy neighborhood where many embassies and government buildings are located. The Romany people live in an encampment nearby, and politically active students lead protests on their behalf. Black's descriptions make you want to visit Paris. I highly recommend this book. It can be read on its own, but it helps to have read at least some of the others, to be familiar with the ongoing story of Aimée's attempt to solve her father's murder.
October 29, 2015
This is the newest Aimee LeDuc and she's in top form. She's just had a baby and managing to juggle it all. The story involves the mystery of her father's murder and a Roma woman and her son. Fans won't be disappointed and though I've read a couple in the series, this book can be read out of order.
September 12, 2015
As usual, Cara Black zeroes in on Paris with razor-sharp accuracy. I wouldn't want to BE Aimee LeDuc -- but I certainly enjoy reading about her!
August 5, 2018
(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)
Paris, April 1999: Aimée Leduc has her work cut out for her—running her detective agency and fighting off sleep deprivation as she tries to be a good single mother to her new bébé. The last thing she has time for now is to take on a personal investigation for a poor manouche (Gypsy) boy. But he insists his dying mother has an important secret she needs to tell Aimée, something to do with Aimée's father's unsolved murder a decade ago. How can she say no?
The dying woman's secret is even more dangerous than her son realized. When Aimée arrives at the hospital, the boy's mother has disappeared. She was far too sick to leave on her own—she must have been abducted. What does she know that's so important it's worth killing for? And will Aimée be able to find her before it's too late and the medication keeping her alive runs out?
Let me start by saying that this is a good story - the mystery is really well constructed. It had me trying to guess the ending all the way through and that is no mean feat for me, having read hundreds of mysteries over the years. Also, the development of Aimee's personal story has come a long way from those early novels and there is some real depth to her character now.
Two things, however, spoiled this somewhat for me. One, the endless monologue of Aimee's about how bad a mother she is and her concern about what would happen to the baby if something were to happen to her...and she does nothing about it. For the first few times I understood how she felt - I'm a parent, too - but it was incessant and very frustrating. The other thing was the attempts at throwing in French language to prove hat we were in Paris? I think the author could have shown some more respect to the reader and acknowledged that we are aware of the setting - the language, especially if you don't know French - can be off-putting.
Even so, as far as a mystery (which is what I came for) was pretty good and there is some real reward when you get to the end. And I liked that.
Paul
ARH
Paris, April 1999: Aimée Leduc has her work cut out for her—running her detective agency and fighting off sleep deprivation as she tries to be a good single mother to her new bébé. The last thing she has time for now is to take on a personal investigation for a poor manouche (Gypsy) boy. But he insists his dying mother has an important secret she needs to tell Aimée, something to do with Aimée's father's unsolved murder a decade ago. How can she say no?
The dying woman's secret is even more dangerous than her son realized. When Aimée arrives at the hospital, the boy's mother has disappeared. She was far too sick to leave on her own—she must have been abducted. What does she know that's so important it's worth killing for? And will Aimée be able to find her before it's too late and the medication keeping her alive runs out?
Let me start by saying that this is a good story - the mystery is really well constructed. It had me trying to guess the ending all the way through and that is no mean feat for me, having read hundreds of mysteries over the years. Also, the development of Aimee's personal story has come a long way from those early novels and there is some real depth to her character now.
Two things, however, spoiled this somewhat for me. One, the endless monologue of Aimee's about how bad a mother she is and her concern about what would happen to the baby if something were to happen to her...and she does nothing about it. For the first few times I understood how she felt - I'm a parent, too - but it was incessant and very frustrating. The other thing was the attempts at throwing in French language to prove hat we were in Paris? I think the author could have shown some more respect to the reader and acknowledged that we are aware of the setting - the language, especially if you don't know French - can be off-putting.
Even so, as far as a mystery (which is what I came for) was pretty good and there is some real reward when you get to the end. And I liked that.
Paul
ARH
October 2, 2020
Number Fifteen in the Aimee Leduc Detective series, this chapter provides insight to the heretofore unexplained death of Aimee's father Jean-Claude when his van exploded at the Place Vendone and MORE. Aimee continues her mode of operation being diverted from her official duties this time to answer a plea of a poor manouche (Gypsy) boy (Nicu Constantin) outside of her apartment. He states he has come in behalf of his dying mother (Drina Constantin) who reports having vital information about her father for her. It turns out she had been her father's informer during his work for the Brigade Criminelle. She is abducted from the hospital before her message can be delivered. Uncovering the guilty party and trying to understand why it happened absorb Aimee's every waking moment with an unexpected surprise at the very end which put into question the worthiness of her pursuit and being pursued. Is she truly any happier being " in the know"? I will let you judge for yourself. This edition will only have the impact intended if the reader reads the fourteen before it. Obviously, I am a fan or would not have made it this far along. I appreciated learning of the manouche and Romany population in the city of Paris and its surrounds.
November 26, 2022
“Always start from the target’s last know location’ – a dictum drilled into her by her father”(56).
A friend and I share a love a mysteries of a certain type – “Aimée Leduc Investigations” is one of these, and we have been sharing the books for years. Back and forth. I carry them up our street, and she carries them back down to her house. Or, vice versa. Unfortunately during the past few years, we have become increasingly dissatisfied with the stories. I can only speak to my own disaffection, on this occasion.
When I begin one of these titles, I become Aimée. Trashy chic. Cool. Barely sleeping, smoking, downing espresso one after another at a corner dive. Living the bohemian life with my business partner René, I face down everything that comes my way – thugs, aristocrats, and sexy men. Scared? Yes. Brave. Certainly.
Yet, recently my alter ego has started to grow-up. Dare I say it? Mature. Tant pis. A baby? Leaky breasts? Having gone through this in my own life, reading about it from a favorite character chosen to transport me from my American working, librarian-life to a European hip one…well, I just can’t hang out with this wild child any longer.
Aimee would say, “Je suis desole.”
A friend and I share a love a mysteries of a certain type – “Aimée Leduc Investigations” is one of these, and we have been sharing the books for years. Back and forth. I carry them up our street, and she carries them back down to her house. Or, vice versa. Unfortunately during the past few years, we have become increasingly dissatisfied with the stories. I can only speak to my own disaffection, on this occasion.
When I begin one of these titles, I become Aimée. Trashy chic. Cool. Barely sleeping, smoking, downing espresso one after another at a corner dive. Living the bohemian life with my business partner René, I face down everything that comes my way – thugs, aristocrats, and sexy men. Scared? Yes. Brave. Certainly.
Yet, recently my alter ego has started to grow-up. Dare I say it? Mature. Tant pis. A baby? Leaky breasts? Having gone through this in my own life, reading about it from a favorite character chosen to transport me from my American working, librarian-life to a European hip one…well, I just can’t hang out with this wild child any longer.
Aimee would say, “Je suis desole.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2018
Totally icy outside and me waiting inside for the repairmen to arrive to figure out the problem with the hot water heater.... so reading was easy to do! Finally finished the latest in the Aimée Leduc series by Cara Black: Murder on the Champs de Mars. Very complicated as the author is tying together lots of old threads. Aimée, now a mom, has her usual personal crises (the father of Chloé making a bid for custody after no contact for six months... ) and inability to keep herself out of danger. It all hinges on her wish to understand her father's murder a decade ago, the key to which seems to be a dying Gypsy woman who was once an informer for him. All the places in Paris she uses in this book brought very clear images to my mind, so that was a pleasure. For once, though, I am not quite certain the ending was successful, but still, it is a lovely series.
January 25, 2019
It’s kind of unfair to write a review of the 15th book in the Aimee Leduc, private detective, series when I haven’t read any of the others. There are many references to characters and events of previous books that confused me, but I did like all the Paris locale references, the topical murder mystery involving Gypsy/Romany characters, some corrupt police officers, and Parisian aristocracy going to criminal lengths to preserve their reputations.
I also liked the way the author throws in lots of French words throughout: Desolee, c’est incroyable, parfait, simplement, ma puce, etc.
What I thought was a bit over the top were the constant references to fashion - as Aimee is getting ready to do her detecting, we’re told about her outfit: YSL, Louboutin, cashmere, Versace and on and on.
I also liked the way the author throws in lots of French words throughout: Desolee, c’est incroyable, parfait, simplement, ma puce, etc.
What I thought was a bit over the top were the constant references to fashion - as Aimee is getting ready to do her detecting, we’re told about her outfit: YSL, Louboutin, cashmere, Versace and on and on.
June 16, 2017
the tone of this book was set for me on page 1 when I read "piece of gateau". Really??? The expression is piece of cake. Either translate it all, or none of it. There were lots of places throughout the novel where a French word was "thrown in". It felt like, "see, I know some French" rather than authentic.
Can you tell that annoyed me?? =)
Otherwise, I found this novel, meh. It probably doesn't help that I have not read the previous 14 books in the series, but I find myself in no hurry to do so.
Can you tell that annoyed me?? =)
Otherwise, I found this novel, meh. It probably doesn't help that I have not read the previous 14 books in the series, but I find myself in no hurry to do so.
June 30, 2022
I enjoyed this book less than all the other Aimee Leduc adventures. Normally I love the active, impulsive, tenacious, and chic Aimee. This time I found her impulsivity to be reckless, her tenacity a little selfish as she pursued the truth regardless of the cost to her baby daughter. Perhaps my expectations of how motherhood would have softened Aimee were a little high.
I love how Cara weaves in the social issues and it was interesting to read more about the Roma and see links to how they were also victims of genocide from the Nazis.
I'll keep reading as I love to visit Paris even if only from my armchair.
I love how Cara weaves in the social issues and it was interesting to read more about the Roma and see links to how they were also victims of genocide from the Nazis.
I'll keep reading as I love to visit Paris even if only from my armchair.
August 6, 2017
Aimee is raising her new baby and fighting off the absentee father's legal efforts for custody when Nicu, a young gypsy tells her that his dying mother needs to tell her an important secret. It appears that the woman may, have information that would lead to Aimee's finally understanding who killed her father, but she dies before she can share it. Then Nicu is killed, and her renewed interest in her father's death endangers her life as well.
June 28, 2018
Hmmmm. I’m confused by this latest installment. The year is 1999 and the connection between Aimee and her new born Chloe is not as solid as I would have hoped. Other that the baby “smells”, I’m not sure Aimee has adapted to motherhood as much as she thinks. It’s almost as if the baby was an accessory in her glamorous life, to be worn in a sling as Aimee coverts abt. And why does she feel more guilt over her fathers murder then she does over leaving Chloe throughout the entire story?
November 22, 2019
This was the first book I've read in the Aimee Luduc Investigations series. The book has a fast pace and quite a few characters. I loved the constant interjection of French words and phrases and Cara Black's detailed descriptions of Paris streets and architecture, which helped me feel as if I was walking around the 7th Arrondissement.
April 14, 2023
This got a bit complicated, maybe a little unbelievable. Seemed like even more characters than normal. It was also annoying how she painted Rene as a bit desperate and obsessed in this one. But overall decent, just maybe not as good as her others. I was hoping the story of her father would make more sense to be honest but at least we finally got it.
July 26, 2018
Another typical Aimee Leduc saga with the usual cast of characters, pink Vespa and bargain shop designer clothes. Her baby arrives, that Aimee treats about the same way as she treats her bichon pet. Same plot lines but at least after fifteen books, voilà, finally a twist and a good cliffhanger.
October 12, 2018
I love the Aimée Leduc series, and love the pleasure of learning more about my beloved Paris and about hidden corners of history--in this case of the Romany, the gypsies, in the city. Such an intriguing story, unexpected twists, and one of my favorites of the series!
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