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Victor Legris #4
The Marais Assassin
Parisian bookseller Victor Legris finds a new case to investigate very close to home, when his business partner's apartment is burgled. Curiously the only item stolen is a decorative goblet of little value. But on learning that two people have been murdered who were connected to to the goblet, Victor becomes convinced of its secret significance. How quickly can he recover it and end the killing spree, in a city beset with terrorist activity? In this fourth case for the bookseller sleuth, Claude Izner offers a convincing portrait of a Paris shaken by anarchist bombings in the spring of 1892.
326 pages, Paperback
First published September 16, 2004
6 people are currently reading
332 people want to read
About the author
Claude Izner
64 books86 followersPseudonym of Liliane Korb (1940) and her sister Laurence Korb (1951) known as well as Laurence Lefèvre.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
June 18, 2021
The fourth book in the Victor Legris series. This time a murderer is on the track of those who have handled a decorative goblet of little value. It's bowl is in the shape of a monkey's head, it is incrusted with worthless jewels and has a cat's head attached to it. But a trail of death follows it wherever it goes. The first to die is the widow of the man who brought it back to England from Java. She, upon her husband's directions in his will, had sent it to Kenji, Victor Legris's mentor and partner at the bookshop. While Kenji is away from Paris, his apartments are burgled and the goblet is one of three things taken.* A mysterious man also visits the bookshop in Kenji's absence and Victor once again begins investigating. He, Joseph (the shop assistant), and Kenji follow the goblet's trail across Paris--from an apparently crazy old man to various curiosity dealers and barrow owners throughout the city. But the killer--who is obsessed with the goblet--manages to stay one step ahead of them. Will they be able to track the goblet and put a stop to the killing spree?
I wish I could say I recommend this series, but I honestly can't. The mystery ought to be gripping--some of the scenes are very apt and with the right treatment could have made the book as whole very appealing if the same level had been maintained. But it wasn't--and hasn't been in any of the books so far. I mentioned in my review of the last book that I thought I might enjoy the series more if Joseph were the main protagonist instead of Victor. That's still true. Victor behaves as if he's under some sort of obligation to dabble in amateur detection. There's no sense that he's really interested or that he has much aptitude for investigation. Joseph, on the other hand, is very interested in mysteries and investigates with enthusiasm (except when Victor fobs the interviews with the crazy old man on him...but I hardly blame him for being less than excited with that assignment). If you like a lot of background on the characters and a lot of their personal drama that has nothing to do with the mystery at all, then this will be right up your alley. I will rate this one a bit higher--at least at the end of this one Victor seems to be getting his jealousy under control.
Why, you may ask, do I continue to read these books then? Well...I took it into my head to buy up volumes 1-6 from our Friends of the Library Bookstore and then Rick Mills has his Six Shooter Reading Challenge which requires reading six books from the same author. So...I'm determined to knock out the rest of these for one of the requirements. Four down and only two more to go. ★★★
*It's never explained why the thief--who's only object was the goblet--bothered to steal two books as well. In fact after the details of what was stolen are given to the police, we never hear about the books again.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
I wish I could say I recommend this series, but I honestly can't. The mystery ought to be gripping--some of the scenes are very apt and with the right treatment could have made the book as whole very appealing if the same level had been maintained. But it wasn't--and hasn't been in any of the books so far. I mentioned in my review of the last book that I thought I might enjoy the series more if Joseph were the main protagonist instead of Victor. That's still true. Victor behaves as if he's under some sort of obligation to dabble in amateur detection. There's no sense that he's really interested or that he has much aptitude for investigation. Joseph, on the other hand, is very interested in mysteries and investigates with enthusiasm (except when Victor fobs the interviews with the crazy old man on him...but I hardly blame him for being less than excited with that assignment). If you like a lot of background on the characters and a lot of their personal drama that has nothing to do with the mystery at all, then this will be right up your alley. I will rate this one a bit higher--at least at the end of this one Victor seems to be getting his jealousy under control.
Why, you may ask, do I continue to read these books then? Well...I took it into my head to buy up volumes 1-6 from our Friends of the Library Bookstore and then Rick Mills has his Six Shooter Reading Challenge which requires reading six books from the same author. So...I'm determined to knock out the rest of these for one of the requirements. Four down and only two more to go. ★★★
*It's never explained why the thief--who's only object was the goblet--bothered to steal two books as well. In fact after the details of what was stolen are given to the police, we never hear about the books again.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
June 9, 2015
I have become fond of the Victor Legris mysteries by Claude Izner (who is actually two sister booksellers, Liliane Korb and Laurence Lefevre). At times, their plotting is a little overdone, but there are compensations:
* The characters of Victor, Joseph, and Kenji are likeable.
* The stories are set in the Paris of the 1890s, which is a fascinating period about which the Izner pair know a great deal.
* The three heroes are booksllers (when they're not solving murders).
* The love interests are suitably luscious, even the potential ones.
The Assassin in the Marais is ostensibly about the search for a mysterious goblet that might be descended from the Templars, or from an Asian archaeological dig, or from something else. There is one unnamed (until the very end) character known only as The Emissary who is in hot pursuit of the goblet and who is willing to leave a trail of murdered bodies in its wake.
Izner has succeeded in making me want to read more about the background of the period. After all, it is also much the same background as Marcel Proust's world.
* The characters of Victor, Joseph, and Kenji are likeable.
* The stories are set in the Paris of the 1890s, which is a fascinating period about which the Izner pair know a great deal.
* The three heroes are booksllers (when they're not solving murders).
* The love interests are suitably luscious, even the potential ones.
The Assassin in the Marais is ostensibly about the search for a mysterious goblet that might be descended from the Templars, or from an Asian archaeological dig, or from something else. There is one unnamed (until the very end) character known only as The Emissary who is in hot pursuit of the goblet and who is willing to leave a trail of murdered bodies in its wake.
Izner has succeeded in making me want to read more about the background of the period. After all, it is also much the same background as Marcel Proust's world.
June 18, 2015
A disappointment. Not really crime solving; more like thief catching. Loose ends tied up in the end in something that resembles a fairy-like happy ending. But I read this with a group and this was quite a pleasant experience and it reduces any downward pointing feelings I had.
July 1, 2017
In questo nuovo caso, Joseph, Victor e Kenji formeranno una vera e propria squadra, e insieme seguiranno la coppa nei suoi vari cambi di padrone.
Anche questa volta l'ambientazione si è dimostrata delle più evocative.
Le autrici riescono a far sprofondare il Lettori tra i dedali della città ottocentesca, trasmettendo perfettamente la sensazione di star vivendo in prima persona quel peregrinare continuo.
Mi è piaciuto, poi, scoprire le varie curiosità storiche disseminate per il libro.
Anche questa volta l'ambientazione si è dimostrata delle più evocative.
Le autrici riescono a far sprofondare il Lettori tra i dedali della città ottocentesca, trasmettendo perfettamente la sensazione di star vivendo in prima persona quel peregrinare continuo.
Mi è piaciuto, poi, scoprire le varie curiosità storiche disseminate per il libro.
March 1, 2013
I thought that this mystery story was funny and it managed to be enjoyable throughtout the the entire novel. However. the story constantly switched from person to person which tripped me up a little. Also, I made the mistake of reading the fourth book before the first three so I was not familiar with the main characters.
The story begins with a crazed cynacle villain who thinks he is an emmissary for God. As he notices bombings he decides that the apocolypse is soon at hand and he must destroy a particular goblet. However the books ending explains that the combination of a tramatizing experience he had plus his deep religious studies that he had in the Lutheren church through him off the deep end making him not just satisfying with destroying the goblet but he also ends up murding anyone with the goblet. The story then jumps to the main characters being Kenji, Josua, Victor, and their associates as they are burglarized by the emmissary. Strangly, only the goblet and a few books are stolen.
Even though the goblet is worthless, Kenji decides that it would be worth a little bit of sleuthing to get it back but more dead bodies turn up as they try to ask people about the significance of the goblet. As it turns out, the emmissary had the goblet but lost it because his associate lucie decided she would resell it because she was tricked into thinking it was valuable. The emmissary then kills lucie and her body is found in the seine plus he goes onto a murder spree while searching for the goblet. However, the main characters finnally obtain the goblet after running around the entire town and after receiving helpful tips from a crazy old man named fortunat who mistakenly thinks that the goblet belonged to the order of the templars.
In the end they finally obtain the goblet but the emmissary snatches it and a violent fight breaks out between them. The the emissary falls to his death and they are questioned by an officer for interfering with police work. Then we learn that the girl that victor loves and is named tasha has to go away because her mom is sick. On the other hand, we find out that Iris and Josua decide to suddenly get married despite their only previous connection was them being flirtacious and affectionate behind the kenji's back. This turns out to be an interesting considering that kenji finally just accepts it despite how much it bothered him before since he was the overprotective father.
The story begins with a crazed cynacle villain who thinks he is an emmissary for God. As he notices bombings he decides that the apocolypse is soon at hand and he must destroy a particular goblet. However the books ending explains that the combination of a tramatizing experience he had plus his deep religious studies that he had in the Lutheren church through him off the deep end making him not just satisfying with destroying the goblet but he also ends up murding anyone with the goblet. The story then jumps to the main characters being Kenji, Josua, Victor, and their associates as they are burglarized by the emmissary. Strangly, only the goblet and a few books are stolen.
Even though the goblet is worthless, Kenji decides that it would be worth a little bit of sleuthing to get it back but more dead bodies turn up as they try to ask people about the significance of the goblet. As it turns out, the emmissary had the goblet but lost it because his associate lucie decided she would resell it because she was tricked into thinking it was valuable. The emmissary then kills lucie and her body is found in the seine plus he goes onto a murder spree while searching for the goblet. However, the main characters finnally obtain the goblet after running around the entire town and after receiving helpful tips from a crazy old man named fortunat who mistakenly thinks that the goblet belonged to the order of the templars.
In the end they finally obtain the goblet but the emmissary snatches it and a violent fight breaks out between them. The the emissary falls to his death and they are questioned by an officer for interfering with police work. Then we learn that the girl that victor loves and is named tasha has to go away because her mom is sick. On the other hand, we find out that Iris and Josua decide to suddenly get married despite their only previous connection was them being flirtacious and affectionate behind the kenji's back. This turns out to be an interesting considering that kenji finally just accepts it despite how much it bothered him before since he was the overprotective father.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2015
I very much enjoyed The Marais Assassin, which has a different title in the U.S.; I read a British edition that I bought in Paris at Shakespeare & Company bookstore. I was looking for a book set in Paris and chose this one, fourth in the series, over earlier volumes in the series because we stayed in an apartment near The Marais and I wanted to read about that part of the city. I was somewhat confused because I plopped myself into the middle of a series, but it wasn't a major problem. Yes, there are lots of characters and I probably don't understand the nuances of their past relationships, but I still really liked the book. I'm also going to read some of the earlier volumes and the two most recent volumes in the series.
The Victor Legris series brings together a number of elements that resonate with me. These are historical mysteries set in the late 1900s in Paris; I love that time period, so that's a plus for me before I even start reading. The amateur detective is a bookseller; I'm a librarian and I love bookstores and book culture, so again, I'm feeling warm and fuzzy. The authors (two women booksellers, sisters, who write under the pseudonym Claude Izner) are expert in the cultural and social life of late-19th century Paris. Much of the action took place in parts of the city where the impoverished and dispossessed lived and worked. I very much wanted to know more about the lives of these people. I also found the core characters to be intriguing, especially Victor -- bookseller and amateur detective -- and his Japanese partner, Kenji Mori. I'm also dying to know more about Tasha, a Russian emigre painter and Victor's lover. Her style is compared to that of Berthe Morisot, one of my favorite Impressionist painters (although the death date for her in the endnote is incorrect; it's 1895 not 1865).
Anyway, the mystery in this book is simply a device for the authors to plunge the reader into life in Paris in 1892. I loved the historical notes and the short essay in the back on the context for some of the events in the novel. I also loved the little hand-drawn map in the front of the book, highlighting important locations in the novel. The mystery was far-fetched and I pretty much solved it by the end, but honestly, I didn't care. I wanted to spend more time in Paris, in The Marais, and this book took me there. All of the details about publishing and bookselling in Paris were frosting on the cake!
The Victor Legris series brings together a number of elements that resonate with me. These are historical mysteries set in the late 1900s in Paris; I love that time period, so that's a plus for me before I even start reading. The amateur detective is a bookseller; I'm a librarian and I love bookstores and book culture, so again, I'm feeling warm and fuzzy. The authors (two women booksellers, sisters, who write under the pseudonym Claude Izner) are expert in the cultural and social life of late-19th century Paris. Much of the action took place in parts of the city where the impoverished and dispossessed lived and worked. I very much wanted to know more about the lives of these people. I also found the core characters to be intriguing, especially Victor -- bookseller and amateur detective -- and his Japanese partner, Kenji Mori. I'm also dying to know more about Tasha, a Russian emigre painter and Victor's lover. Her style is compared to that of Berthe Morisot, one of my favorite Impressionist painters (although the death date for her in the endnote is incorrect; it's 1895 not 1865).
Anyway, the mystery in this book is simply a device for the authors to plunge the reader into life in Paris in 1892. I loved the historical notes and the short essay in the back on the context for some of the events in the novel. I also loved the little hand-drawn map in the front of the book, highlighting important locations in the novel. The mystery was far-fetched and I pretty much solved it by the end, but honestly, I didn't care. I wanted to spend more time in Paris, in The Marais, and this book took me there. All of the details about publishing and bookselling in Paris were frosting on the cake!
September 6, 2011
In the first few pages of The Assassin in the Marais a dizzying array of characters are introduced. It soon becomes clear, however, that here in Paris, in 1892, there's a murderer who thinks he is God's emissary hunting for a strange goblet and that the staff of a small bookstore may be the only people able to stop him.
The goblet was stolen from Mr. Kenji Mori, the business partner of bookseller and amateur photographer Victor Legris. Then Antoine du Houssaye, a noted naturalist who had recently stopped by the bookstore asking for Mori, turns up dead.
Victor is now certain that something is afoot and that the missing goblet must be linked to the death of du Houssaye. Victor and bookshop assistant Joseph Pignot set off to find the object--a task that requires them to crisscross Paris interviewing wealthy aristocrats, rag and bone men, antiques dealers and bartenders alike. What they don't notice is that the emissary, astride a newfangled bicycle, is following them wherever they go. Each of them are distracted by complications in their love lives, but as the bodies keep piling up, Victor, Kenji and Joseph realize they must hurry to unmask the killer before they themselves are at risk.
Claude Izner (a pseudonym used by bookseller sisters Liliane Korb and Laurence Lefèvre) has written a quick-paced, historically authentic mystery with engaging and believable characters. It will leave readers waiting with anticipation for the fifth in the series to be translated into English.
The goblet was stolen from Mr. Kenji Mori, the business partner of bookseller and amateur photographer Victor Legris. Then Antoine du Houssaye, a noted naturalist who had recently stopped by the bookstore asking for Mori, turns up dead.
Victor is now certain that something is afoot and that the missing goblet must be linked to the death of du Houssaye. Victor and bookshop assistant Joseph Pignot set off to find the object--a task that requires them to crisscross Paris interviewing wealthy aristocrats, rag and bone men, antiques dealers and bartenders alike. What they don't notice is that the emissary, astride a newfangled bicycle, is following them wherever they go. Each of them are distracted by complications in their love lives, but as the bodies keep piling up, Victor, Kenji and Joseph realize they must hurry to unmask the killer before they themselves are at risk.
Claude Izner (a pseudonym used by bookseller sisters Liliane Korb and Laurence Lefèvre) has written a quick-paced, historically authentic mystery with engaging and believable characters. It will leave readers waiting with anticipation for the fifth in the series to be translated into English.
December 4, 2014
I liked this much more - characters deepened, there was suspense from the very beginning, & the exotic mystery was well worked out. The historical setting was fascinating - 1892 anarchist bombings & an early controversy over évolution. I like also their portrayal of the grittiness of Paris & the intermingling of different social classes. Seems I am hooked on these for light reading now!
June 30, 2018
From Goodreads: "Parisian bookseller Victor Legris finds a new case to investigate very close to home, when his business partner's apartment is burgled. Curiously the only item stolen is a decorative goblet of little value. But on learning that two people have been murdered who were connected to to the goblet, Victor becomes convinced of its secret significance. How quickly can he recover it and end the killing spree, in a city beset with terrorist activity? In this fourth case for the bookseller sleuth, Claude Izner offers a convincing portrait of a Paris shaken by anarchist bombings in the spring of 1892."
I want to tell you, that I didn't understand this book, nope not at all.... It was all very mysterious, by that I mean: some guy (we don't know who) goes to visit an old lady, he asks her for something (we don't know what), but she has given it away so he leaves... The next paragraph has someone climb in her window & kill her: BANG! Shot dead!
So then there are some men talking about bombs.... Meanwhile some weird guy writing in a journal, and we're told that another person is found dead in connection to the missing item (?)...
It was just too weird & jumped around... As I said, the author was trying too hard to be mysterious & it got to be annoying & too jumpy.
Also, there was a poem in the beginning of the book, in French & then it was translated into English, but I know for a fact that it was not translated exactly, because I can read a tiny bit of French....
I want to tell you, that I didn't understand this book, nope not at all.... It was all very mysterious, by that I mean: some guy (we don't know who) goes to visit an old lady, he asks her for something (we don't know what), but she has given it away so he leaves... The next paragraph has someone climb in her window & kill her: BANG! Shot dead!
So then there are some men talking about bombs.... Meanwhile some weird guy writing in a journal, and we're told that another person is found dead in connection to the missing item (?)...
It was just too weird & jumped around... As I said, the author was trying too hard to be mysterious & it got to be annoying & too jumpy.
Also, there was a poem in the beginning of the book, in French & then it was translated into English, but I know for a fact that it was not translated exactly, because I can read a tiny bit of French....
March 7, 2019
Overall this book was okay. It was more of a slice of life with crime on the side and romance .This book followed Victor,Kenji,and joseph trying to find the missing goblet and the murders that may be linked to it.It also has some romance with Victor and Tasha,Joseph and Iris, and Kenji and Eudoxie. At first this book started with a murder scene that dragged me in.Other than that the book never really described murders with much detail.Even though the Author’s writing was very detailed and caught aspects of the scene, at times it can get boring and get lengthen a scene that doesn’t really need to be in detail.I thought I was going to get an action packed book with a lot of confliction and dout. All I really got was slice of life with a little of crime.The only scene that really got good was when Victor got shot by Charles Doles (the man who was behind the murders chasing after the goblet) and Joseph pushed him off the balcony because he was about to shoot Kenji as well.This scene was well detailed but it could of used a bit more to make the reader more invested into it.After the fact they put the missing pieces together and solved the mystery.I would also liked if the author could have explored the character’s emotions more besides in the romance aspect.The book dipped it’s toe in the emotion when Joseph blamed himself for killing someone but that was it,never really explored it more than that. This book had potential but it just turned out to be okay.
August 22, 2021
The Marais Assassin by Claude Izner - OK
I've reached the point, with this series, where if I hadn't bought the first five as a job lot from a charity shop, I'd stop. The stories are well thought through and the setting (1890s Paris - la belle epoque) is interesting, but I'm not engaging with the characters and I find the prose/translation a bit clunky - doesn't flow for me.
So the usual folk are there: Victor, Kenji, Joseph, Tasha (although she barely features in this one) and, of course, the bookshop. This time the story revolves round a grotesque goblet made from a monkey skull - bejewelled and gilded. Kenji has inherited it in mysterious circumstances and, almost immediately, it is stolen. As it passes from hand to hand, those that have possessed it, albeit briefly, are murdered. Victor is on the trail to recover it for Kenji and solve the murders.
There's a lot of running about Paris searching for the goblet and the current possessor but it only really gets going in the last few chapters when we find out who is behind it all and why.
I have one more on my tbr, I'm not going to be rushing to read it anytime soon and I probably won't buy anymore unless the 5th proves to be vastly superior.
I've reached the point, with this series, where if I hadn't bought the first five as a job lot from a charity shop, I'd stop. The stories are well thought through and the setting (1890s Paris - la belle epoque) is interesting, but I'm not engaging with the characters and I find the prose/translation a bit clunky - doesn't flow for me.
So the usual folk are there: Victor, Kenji, Joseph, Tasha (although she barely features in this one) and, of course, the bookshop. This time the story revolves round a grotesque goblet made from a monkey skull - bejewelled and gilded. Kenji has inherited it in mysterious circumstances and, almost immediately, it is stolen. As it passes from hand to hand, those that have possessed it, albeit briefly, are murdered. Victor is on the trail to recover it for Kenji and solve the murders.
There's a lot of running about Paris searching for the goblet and the current possessor but it only really gets going in the last few chapters when we find out who is behind it all and why.
I have one more on my tbr, I'm not going to be rushing to read it anytime soon and I probably won't buy anymore unless the 5th proves to be vastly superior.
March 12, 2020
The book is a mystery plot that has many things going on that you forget what is really happening. It was confusing to read and not very interesting since the book is the 4th in a series. I haven't read any of the other books so it was confusing to follow along. After reading the book I was still confused as to what happened.
The books has the characters Victor, Joseph, and Kenji try to figure out what went missing after the robbery at their store. They see that the only thing missing is a globet. Then they hear that there has been 2 murderings. They are convinced that the stolen globet is related to the murders. Victor, Joseph, and Kenji try to figure out how it is connected and who has been doing all of this. Will they solve this mystery or get to close to the murderer.
The books has the characters Victor, Joseph, and Kenji try to figure out what went missing after the robbery at their store. They see that the only thing missing is a globet. Then they hear that there has been 2 murderings. They are convinced that the stolen globet is related to the murders. Victor, Joseph, and Kenji try to figure out how it is connected and who has been doing all of this. Will they solve this mystery or get to close to the murderer.
May 24, 2024
Mi sono innamorata di questa saga e ho deciso che mestiere farò da "grande": aprirò una libreria sulla rive gauche della Senna e nel tempo libero mi diletterò a scovare gli autori di efferati crimini, come Vicor Legris, il protagonista di questa delizia letteraria.
L'affascinante libraio- con la sua combriccola di amici/amanti/padri putative/sorelle acquisite- si trova ad indagare sulla scomparsa di una misteriosa coppa a forma di cranio di scimmia (???) che porta con sé delitti a non finire. Il tutto nella Parigi di fine XIX secolo il cui tram tram e la cui miseria sono ricostruite veramente bene da questa coppia di sorelle che firmano con lo pseudonimo di Claude Iznar..
L'affascinante libraio- con la sua combriccola di amici/amanti/padri putative/sorelle acquisite- si trova ad indagare sulla scomparsa di una misteriosa coppa a forma di cranio di scimmia (???) che porta con sé delitti a non finire. Il tutto nella Parigi di fine XIX secolo il cui tram tram e la cui miseria sono ricostruite veramente bene da questa coppia di sorelle che firmano con lo pseudonimo di Claude Iznar..
April 29, 2017
Compared to the previous instalments, it took about 30-40 pages to get into the story. Also those first pages assume that the reader already knows all the main characters. They are not really introduced as in the previous books. I really liked to mystery plot that linked to the Paris Natural History Museum and some exotic trip in Asia. However, I would have expected more on that side. Still a very good read!
April 26, 2020
Izner has long specialized in these historic thrillers set in Paris at the time of Touluse Lautrec, whose protagonists are an extended family of booksellers with a Japanese component.
Like the other with the same protagonists, this one,is pleasing, with a well-treated setting and a fair amount of depth to the characters, despite the fact that some of them are very unbelievable.
A pleasant book, with which to intermingle more serious readings.
Like the other with the same protagonists, this one,is pleasing, with a well-treated setting and a fair amount of depth to the characters, despite the fact that some of them are very unbelievable.
A pleasant book, with which to intermingle more serious readings.
April 9, 2020
Fjärde Victor Legris-mysteriet, utspelar sig 1892. Rädslan för anarkister sprider sig som en löpeld. Denna är åter lika bra som del 1 och 2, inte så överdrivet detaljrik som del 3. Mer Thriller-artad denna gång, många mord och ständigt skuggande av misstänkta personer. Villospår förekommer.
August 25, 2017
Though I read all of this book, I found it difficult to do so. Being a mystery, I didn't really care who the murderer was, or why he did it. There are too many characters who serve no real purpose.
November 15, 2024
DNF. Odd, disjointed.
January 25, 2016
Firstly I would like to thank Netgalley and Gallic Books for a copy of The Marais Assassin which is a mystery set in 1890s Paris. I have not read this series before having only recently acquired an interest in historical fiction, and I felt at a bit of a loss initially trying to identify the characters and their relationships, so it is probably best to start at the beginning of the series.
The novel starts with a murder in Scotland and then the theft of a curiosity from Kenji Mori's apartment. His business partner and stepson, Victor Legris, and his assistant, Joseph, chase the artefact all round Paris and watch the bodies of anyone who has dealings with it pile up, without knowing why.
I found this novel difficult to read and it took me days, rather than my usual one day, to finish. It didn't hold my attention as it seems overly descriptive and populated and unnecessarily convoluted. It seems to round in the same circle for chapter upon chapter - someone takes possession of the artefact but passes it on before the emissary can get hold of it so he kills that someone and goes in search of the next possessor etc.. I lost track of all the bit players and got the stage that I just wanted it end. Oh and did I mention all the literary allusions and characters that the French love and went over my head as all the notes are at the end of the book (too much hassle on a Kindle to look them up).
I did, however, like the feel the authors give you of 1890s Paris which seems realistic to me.
I don't think The Marais Assassin is a bad novel as it has a good, atmospheric setting and a good plot premise but the writing drags it down. I'm not sure how much of that is down to the translation, but I don't think it helps as it is quite clunky in places. I'm glad I tried the series but I won't be rushing out to try another.
The novel starts with a murder in Scotland and then the theft of a curiosity from Kenji Mori's apartment. His business partner and stepson, Victor Legris, and his assistant, Joseph, chase the artefact all round Paris and watch the bodies of anyone who has dealings with it pile up, without knowing why.
I found this novel difficult to read and it took me days, rather than my usual one day, to finish. It didn't hold my attention as it seems overly descriptive and populated and unnecessarily convoluted. It seems to round in the same circle for chapter upon chapter - someone takes possession of the artefact but passes it on before the emissary can get hold of it so he kills that someone and goes in search of the next possessor etc.. I lost track of all the bit players and got the stage that I just wanted it end. Oh and did I mention all the literary allusions and characters that the French love and went over my head as all the notes are at the end of the book (too much hassle on a Kindle to look them up).
I did, however, like the feel the authors give you of 1890s Paris which seems realistic to me.
I don't think The Marais Assassin is a bad novel as it has a good, atmospheric setting and a good plot premise but the writing drags it down. I'm not sure how much of that is down to the translation, but I don't think it helps as it is quite clunky in places. I'm glad I tried the series but I won't be rushing out to try another.
July 24, 2016
This book is the fourth in a continuing series but one doesn't have to read the preceding three to follow the story and the characters of Kenji, Victor, and Joseph. They are well known and respected book sellers in the latter part of the 19th century in Paris who do a little detecting on the side. I read this book in English and found that there was some problems with the translation of the colloquialisms of 19th century France. This sometimes led to awkward sentence structure but that was a minor problem as the story, although confusing at times, was interesting and, to say the least, unusual.
A man, unknown until the end of the book, sees himself as an emissary of God, and is in search of a goblet which he believes must be destroyed in order to save the world from the Devil. This leads to theft and several murders and our protagonists are hot on the trail The character development and the ambiance of 19th century Paris is one of the strengths of the story and will hold the reader's attention throughout. I intend to search out other works by this author, who in reality are two sisters who are also booksellers in Paris. Recommended.
A man, unknown until the end of the book, sees himself as an emissary of God, and is in search of a goblet which he believes must be destroyed in order to save the world from the Devil. This leads to theft and several murders and our protagonists are hot on the trail The character development and the ambiance of 19th century Paris is one of the strengths of the story and will hold the reader's attention throughout. I intend to search out other works by this author, who in reality are two sisters who are also booksellers in Paris. Recommended.
September 13, 2016
Slogging through this series and it can be a slog but there's a lot of character in this late 19th century Paris romp, spun around 2 booksellers, but told through many narrators, including the unknown murderer. The authors clearly know their city and take the reader through the city neighborhoods at sometimes light speed -- weaving through rag pickers, costermongers, beggars, thieves, artists, poets and the well-to-do; riding an omnibus, eating at cafes and walking by the Seine. The story can be hard to follow sometimes and reading this series in order is a must (why anyone wouldn't do that anyway?). But the mystery is always good, it just takes a while to tell it. The author is never afraid to kill off sympathetic characters. Wonderful sense of place: Paris just before turn of the century is a dangerous yet fascinating city. Lots of historical references to writers and places, helped by footnotes. Yes, footnotes in a mystery novel!
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November 10, 2013I read the first book of this series and cannot remember one single thing about it except a vague recollection of meh. I picked this up at the library and found it choppy and slow going at first - but perhaps it's the translation. About halfway through, I found myself becoming more interested and zoomed through in one sitting. That being said, I found the mystery aspect boring and totally uneventful, but I really enjoyed the setting and the description of the time period. Also, I kept envisioning Tom Hiddleston as Mathurin, which made the whole thing a lot nicer and gave me the idea for a new series featuring Loki, a struggling playwright who solves mysteries in Belle Époque France.
March 23, 2016
Thank you to Netgalley and Gallic Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I liked this book, it was entertaining and the setting being the XIXth century Paris added value to it, as I love that city. Even though this was the fourth book in a series I didn’t find it hard to follow, and the characters were well described and put together. Unfortunately the plot was a bit confusing and I was lost several times trying to understand what was really happening. It didn't help that it wasn't easy to check the notes, so I was also lost in the real historical characters.
The end was also disappointing and I expected more.
Recommended to Paris and mystery lovers.
I liked this book, it was entertaining and the setting being the XIXth century Paris added value to it, as I love that city. Even though this was the fourth book in a series I didn’t find it hard to follow, and the characters were well described and put together. Unfortunately the plot was a bit confusing and I was lost several times trying to understand what was really happening. It didn't help that it wasn't easy to check the notes, so I was also lost in the real historical characters.
The end was also disappointing and I expected more.
Recommended to Paris and mystery lovers.
January 4, 2010
I have a soft spot for the Claude Izner novels. I love Paris and cheesy mysteries stories, especially those set in the late 19th century (eg. Boris Akunin), so the Victor Legris stories are a lot of fun for me. The Marais Assassin is no better or worse than the others in this series, but the relationships between various characters continue to evolve so I would recommend that an interested reader start with the first (Murder on the Eiffel Tower) and read them in order. I don't think that The Marais Assassin has been published in the US yet. My daughter sent me a copy from England.
June 23, 2012
I thought that I would like this book because it is a murder mystery and historical fiction set in 19th century Paris, but the story is cluttered with too many unnecessary characters and an unwieldy plot. Plus, the writing is poor and the terrible translation from French made me cringe. I never even finished the book. But, I was intrigued enough to go to the library and get the first novel in the Victor Legris series and read it to see if the author started out well and then went downhill. The first book was a little better, but not much. Overall, a huge disappointment!
August 25, 2012
I picked this book up on a whim as I love a mystery, Paris, and the Marais.
Unfortunately, I did not love this mystery. Not even sure why not......it never engaged me, I was often uncertain of relationships between/among characters. Basically, I never cared about any of the victims or the motive and identity of the murderer. Unheard of for me. I kept on reading it, thinking that at some point the book would "gel" for me or that there would be a shocking ending. No.
The book gets good reviews on Amazon.....but it definitely wasn't for me.
Unfortunately, I did not love this mystery. Not even sure why not......it never engaged me, I was often uncertain of relationships between/among characters. Basically, I never cared about any of the victims or the motive and identity of the murderer. Unheard of for me. I kept on reading it, thinking that at some point the book would "gel" for me or that there would be a shocking ending. No.
The book gets good reviews on Amazon.....but it definitely wasn't for me.
April 1, 2015
Nous sommes à Paris en 1892.
On retrouve avec plaisir nos protagonistes (Victor Legris, Kenji Mori, Joseph Pignot).
Le roman est structuré comme les trois précédents.
Il a les mêmes travers, à savoir sauter du coq à l'âne "brutalement" d'un paragraphe à l'autre (je ne suis pas fan!).
Au debout, on peine à rentrer dans l'histoire car les éléments sont donnés au compte goutte.
La recherche historique est très poussée, tant au niveau du vocabulaire que du mode de vie de l'époque.
Encore un trois étoiles..
On retrouve avec plaisir nos protagonistes (Victor Legris, Kenji Mori, Joseph Pignot).
Le roman est structuré comme les trois précédents.
Il a les mêmes travers, à savoir sauter du coq à l'âne "brutalement" d'un paragraphe à l'autre (je ne suis pas fan!).
Au debout, on peine à rentrer dans l'histoire car les éléments sont donnés au compte goutte.
La recherche historique est très poussée, tant au niveau du vocabulaire que du mode de vie de l'époque.
Encore un trois étoiles..
May 8, 2013
The more I read from the books about Legris I like the characters less. They're mean to not only each other (their comrades!) but also to everyone else. Not very enjoyable since everyone's like this. I can't appreciate any of them anymore and it's somewhat annoying because I like the mysteries and the style of writing. I suppose I'll read the next one as a last chance to the series but after that? I don't know.
August 11, 2017
Izner evoked the ambiance of belle-epoque Paris quite well. The relationships between Victor and Tasha, Kenji and Eudoxie, and Joseph and Iris, were well developed.
The identity of the anonymous "emissary" and his motive was not revealed until the last couple of chapters. And Monsieur Mori never did receive the goblet, which was a bequest from his late friend.
The identity of the anonymous "emissary" and his motive was not revealed until the last couple of chapters. And Monsieur Mori never did receive the goblet, which was a bequest from his late friend.
January 20, 2013
Another enjoyable book in the series. As some other reviewers noted there are a lot of characters so it is probably less confusing if you read the previous books first. I also think it was written in French and translated to English which sometimes impacts the narrative. The plot was intriguing and you can imagine the characters as they lived at the end of the 19th century in Paris
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