Murder on the Ile Saint-Louis

Aimee Leduc Investigations #7

by Cara Black

Parisian P.I. Aimée Leduc finds herself caring for an abandoned infant while trying to track down the child’s missing mother

Facing a tight deadline on a computer security contract, Aimée responds to a telephone call from a stranger that leads her to an abandoned infant in a courtyard on the Ile Saint-Louis. She brings the baby home with her, calls her Stella, and awaits contact from the mother. But days pass, and no one reclaims the infant.

Meanwhile, a group of environmental protesters is trying to stop the government from entering into a contract with an oil company notorious for pollution. As Aimée attempts to identify the baby’s mother, two murders and an abortive bombing involving the protesters lead her—and little Stella—into danger.

On the run in the sewers beneath the Seine, Aimée finally finds the woman she has been looking for, only to discover that the man she has fallen in love with is not who she thought he was.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, France, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Thriller, International

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Cara Black frequents a Paris little known outside the beaten tourist track. A Paris she discovers on research trips and interviews with French police, private detectives and café owners. She lives in San Francisco with her husband, a bookseller, and their teenage son. She is a San Francisco Library Laureate and a member of the Paris Sociéte Historique in the Marais. Her nationally bestselling and 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.

Reviews

[Lewis Weinstein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Non-stop action; high intensity ... but ... virtually incomprehensible ... I could not keep track of the characters, and even more of the locations, even though I have spent quite a bit of time on the Ile Saint-Louis. Of course, much of Aimee's world is underground in tunnels and dark corners, not where my wife and I hung out. I did finish, and even enjoyed the read, so long as I did not push myself to understand too much.

[Elli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this as I have the whole series so far, but somehow I think the last two have been better. This one involves a baby left for her to care for while the endangered mother was in hiding. All the elements of action and suspense are there as well as her wonderful visits to Paris, this on an island right in the middle of town with a fabulous history and lots going on today. And of course, more vibists with her friends whom by now are my friends as well. Good series.

[Sammie Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sorry to say, but I was not a fan of this. The only reason I finished it was because I borrowed it from a friend and wanted to be honest when I said I read it and gave it a shot! There was just too much chaos happening, and not enough to keep me engaged and interested.

[Monty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book as I have the others I have read. There was an added twist in that Aimee Leduc had to take care of a newborn infant while maintaining her business and solving a murder and other crimes. The action was great as usual. I will keep reading more in this series.

[Julie H. Ernstein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Murder on the Ile Saint-Louis takes the reader into a sabotaged protest and media effort by a heretofore peaceful environmental group speaking out against an impending government contract with a notorious oil company. Unbeknownst to Aimee and Rene, they are doing computer security work for the PR firm representing said group of polluters. In the midst of all the craziness--and this one really takes the gateau in terms of its requirement of willing suspension of disbelief--a baby is left in Aimee's care as the newborn's mother, unknown to Aimee, flees her pursuers. Despite some over the top pyrotechnics, the ever-present WWII history of lost children, the retreating dreams of once-optimistic rebels, and the quirky City within the City's residents (some of whom sound a bit like residents of another island with which readers are familiar), readers learn a bit more about Aimee's mother, about Aimee's own hidden depths, and get just a bit more about Rene.

[Terri Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 7th in Cara Black's series of mysteries featuring private detective Aimee Leduc and her business partner Rene Friant, a dwarf who is a computer genius.

I loved it! Aimee Leduc is the last person I would think to leave a week and a half old baby girl with because she is constantly in danger and doing outrageous things but when you are a Sorbonne student involved in an environmental group protesting to stop the French government (the books are all set in Paris) from entering into a contract with an oil company that pollutes the environment and someone is trying to kill you, you do desperate things.

Aimee receives a mysterious call while she is trying hard to complete a task that she and Rene will get paid for in their computer security firm. The woman knows her name and sends her down to her courtyard where she finds a cute little baby girl- Stella (the name Aimee gives her)- who is less than 2 weeks old.

I have to say that baby Stella really steals the show in this book and I love that!!!! I adore babies and can fully understand why Aimee and Rene fall for her too. In fact, Rene starts nesting (as Aimee's journalist friend Martine tells her) as he helps care for the little pink-toed bundle. What Aimee and Martine do not know is that Rene is in love with Aimee and wants to be more than her business partner.

So, how does a woman who has to track down killers manage with a new baby (she was asked to NOT call the flics-cops- but to keep the baby safe until the mom can come get her) in the house? It is a lot of fun to watch Aimee worry and wonder about everything baby and her efforts to care for the baby. In her first shopping trip to a baby store, she follows one mom and just buys whatever that mom buys even though it is for both a newborn and a 10 month old. She buys jars of baby food not realizing (until a cross dresser male friend explains it to her) that the baby will not eat solids for months.

The story is filled with the same unique characters and situations I have come to expect from this series. There is a lot of running, hiding, explosions, and generally odd people and situations including a fancy Polish expatriate still living in the days of royalty, his Sorbonne student nephew who is set up to take the fall for the government attacking peaceful protesters, a killer who Aimee sleeps with the day she meets him because he seems to be a bad boy and that's what she does, a homeless bag lady who talks to her sister (who was carried away by Nazis to Auschwitz in 1942 though she was not Jewish because she had returned to school to get the bag lady's forgotten book) , and more. Of course, Aimee has to track down a woman bashed on the head and tossed into the Seine who might or might not be the baby's mom, is chased by a tire iron carrying maniac, must kill a hit man, and finds the older man who loves the bag lady half dead. She also gets to run through a sewer full of cat-sized rats.

When the bag lady takes off with the baby, things are thrown into a panic.Throw a bomb into the Seine and lose a baby, all in a day's work.

I am rather irritated by those characters who constantly tell Aimee she ought to find a man and have babies rather than do the work she does. That is patronizing, sexist, and offensive of them! It was refreshing how she really wanted to keep Stella and thought that having a baby in her life could be workable. I think at her core, she wanted to be the mom that her mom wasn't (when she was 8, her mother left while she was at school to run with 1970's radicals and never returned).

The ending brought a tear of sadness and then a tear of gladness to my eyes. Those two tears are due to Stella and to Aimee's mom. Read and see why. This one was good!!

[Colin Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

A familiar pattern in this Audible Book. Aimee is working away at her computer software security programme when she receives a mysterious telephone call which leads her to find a newly born baby in her courtyard, and a mystery in the world of big business and oil contracts. The protesters are set up and the pretender to the Polish crown is wanted by police. Meanwhile, Aimee is left with the baby but still has time to rush about Paris in her high heels and designer dress. A good listen.

3 stars.

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Intrigued by the title, I picked up this book for some light reading. For a couple of reasons, I stopped about halfway through to read Murder in the Bastille, an earlier novel in the series. In my opinion the Bastille book is a much better book.

Plot is not Cara Black's strength, and the various pieces of the "mystery" in this book do not ever really come together. She does have a knack for creating vivid characters quickly, and several who make brief appearances in this book are particularly memorable. Unfortunately, the key relationship between Aimee LeDuc and her partner Rene, so important in Bastille, is not developed here. In fact, Aimee herself is not particularly likable.

The joy here is the location. Ms. Black is not particularly gifted at conveying the ambiance of Paris, but her geography is so precise that anyone who knows the city can easily supply it.
I won't go seeking out any more of this series until I'm in need of a quick virtual trip to my favorite city.

[Catherine Mustread · Rating 3 out of 5]

The baby abandoned in the courtyard of Aimee's building adds an interesting element to this mystery involved with a family with Polish royal connections and environmental protests over an oil company's proposed deal with France.

As usual Aimee functions on high energy levels investigating leads despite efforts of the police to keep her out. Being a non-parent she also functions way too well with the unexpected addition of a newborn baby in her life. Character list is also lengthy.

First mention that I can remember of a previous boyfriend, Yves, an investigative journalist, who plays a bigger role in the next book in the series, Murder in the Rue de Paradis.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Cara Black makes me want to go back to Paris!

[Cynthia · Rating 2 out of 5]

i just finished another of her books, Murder in the Marais, and was disappointed by it. But here I am reading another of her books, so I guess I must have liked it well enough... Her descriptions are vivid, but they often read as though they were inserted after the fact (an impression that is intensified by all the copy editing errors in this book, which make me think this book was rewritten a lot even at the late stages of the editing process). Her descriptions of what it's like to spend time with a new baby are perfection, though, and (almost) make up for the rather scatty plot and the very rough transitions she makes as she jumps from one thought to another.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Aimee Leduc! Not as dark as Lisbeth Salander, but very feisty. She lives on the Ile Saint-Louis in Paris. Cara Black does such a great job taking the reader with her as she walks the streets of Paris. Reading the book I feel in love with Ile Saint-Louis so when we were there last month I HAD to go walk around where Aimee lives. And it's even better in person and I didnt witness any murders but had a great time snooping around the island and had a lovely dinner as well!!

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

ok to read on noisy airplane and hospital waiting rooms, but I do not take this series seriously for certain. A bunch were available from library for download before a trip so I am skimming through them as distraction from many disturbances.

[Abby · Rating 2 out of 5]

One star for Paris, one for...can't think of anything else. Make that two stars for Paris. Otherwise as formulaic and ridiculous a mystery as I've read in a long time. Setting only gets you so far.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Cara Black's 7th in the Aimee LeDuc mystery series. In this episode, Aimee comes upon an abandoned infant in her own courtyard with a note asking that she take care of her. She,hereafter, follows a jagged path to help determine the mother of the child propelled by the death of a demonstrator (Orla) against Allstrom oil drilling company who is linked to the missing mother Nellie. The link is uncovered as Aimee does undercover work ( of which she seems to be quite the expert by now) in a photograph found in the abode of Krysztof an engineering student with Polish credentials and ties to Polish aristocracy of times past. She is torn away from her as a computer security specialist assignment per contract with Monsieur Vavin owner of Regnault which she ultimately finds linked to the oil refinery polluter Allstrom. Aimee infiltrates MondeFocus a student-run organization set up to protest and counter activities of Allstrom, in this case, the anticipated agreement with the city Ministries giving them extended rights to continue their abuse of laws governing use of toxic chemicals. The author's opening quote truly fits what follows: "It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong. Voltaire."

One would hardly imagine the transformation of Aimee from technology specialist to "Wonder Woman" as her partner Renee has called her but her escapades (almost drowning and 2 gun fights and I thought not even the police were allowed to carry ?) and always coming out on top makes her a candidate. Working mother takes on a whole new dimension. The child care back up she receives from those near her is astounding but enables the reader to see a new side of her beloved business partner and Aimee's "rock" Renee as he successfully juggles home and work. Who would not want such a partner in their life?

Aimee was very reminiscent of Janet Evanovich's creation Stephanie Plum who also finds herself in physically challenging situations on a regular basis but does not always rise above it all without a lots of pain and suffering unlike Aimee. Likewise Aimee's attraction to motorcycle riding documentary film maker "bad boy" Krysztrof reminds me of Stephanie's ties to Ranger.

Like my impression from my first read of a Cara Black novel the credibility of Aimee's abilities are questionable but the fast moving story line, details on French culture, Parisian layout, and in this novel Polish history courtesy of the links to aristocracy via Krysztof and his uncle make this a fun read plus a mysterious gift at the end of the book makes one curious for the possibility of a Stella and Aimee future reunion. I think it would be hard for anyone to resist book 8.

[Susan Oleksiw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aimee Leduc is drawn to the courtyard late at night while she's trying to meet a deadline. There she finds a baby wrapped and hidden. A note begs her to take care of the infant, so she carries it up to her apartment and tries to continue working while caring for the child. So begins a frantic search for the mother, an explanation of how the child arrived there, and for time to finish her client's project. Around her is swirling the protests against a proposed government contract with an allegedly corrupt oil company. It all comes together in one of Cara Black's tales of deceit, corruption, and the support of friends.

Much of the story concerns Aimee's growing maternal feelings for the infant she names Stella, and how this brings up her feelings about her own mother and her abandonment of her as a child. The adults in her life from that time flow in and out of the story as the danger tightens around her.

The author knows Paris, and in this one we get a guided tour of sewers and underground tunnels, a history of those deported during World War II, and the painful life of survivors. The reader moves from the glowing world of galas for the Paris elite to the world of the homeless and forgotten, passing through layers of society along the way. The mystery is easy to figure out but the sewers are a challenge. Highly recommended.

[Marsha Valance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parisian PI Aimée Leduc is working on a tight deadline for a cybersecurity contract when she gets a phone call that disrupts all her progress. The female voice on the other end begs Aimée to go out into her courtyard, insists that her life is in danger, that Aimée must not call the police, then hangs up. Aimée’s project is in jeopardy, and her partner, René, will be furious if she botches this assignment, but she can’t ignore the distress in the mysterious caller’s voice. That doesn’t mean she’s prepared for what she finds in the courtyard, though: a newborn baby, wrapped in a blood-stained beaded jacket. When a young woman’s body washes up in the Seine on the shores of the Ile Saint-Louis, where Aimée herself lives, she realizes the situation is very dangerous. Paris has been rife with bomb threats linked to protesting environmental groups, and Aimée becomes convinced the baby, the body in the Seine, and the protests are somehow linked. Protecting the infant girl from whoever hurt or killed her missing mother must take priority over their computer security contract with a big publicity firm.

[Timothy Merrill · Rating 2 out of 5]

Since I had come to a new section of The Last Lion by William Manchester, I interrupted my reading of it to read a murder mystery by Cara Black, Murder on the Ile Saint-Louis. This book is about the fifth or sixth book in a series featuring Aimée Leduc, a private detective in Paris. In this story, a baby is left in her care, a woman pleads for help, a couple of people are murdered and it’s tied to an eco-group trying to stop the signing of an accord between the government and an oil company that would pollute the North Sea. The group is set up, and there are bombings, dark operatives, corrupt CEOs, a blond killer, book-sellers, Polish aristocrats, hit men, and a homeless woman who talks to her long-lost daughter, Paulette, who was put on a train for Auschwitz in 1942. In fact, there are a lot of characters, including her business partner, a dwarf, René. The whole thing was dense, with the specific gravity of lead, and fast — careening toward a conclusion, difficult to see signposts along the way since the reader is suffering from whiplash. This is one case in which the movie will no doubt be better than the book.

[Pauline · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do you do when you have the summer off, you've just returned from a month long trip to Europe including a week of exploring your favorite city, Paris, and miss it terribly? You start planning your next trip and stop by your library where you just happen to see an Aimée Leduc mystery.

How is it I'd never heard of these books before? I've been to all these locations and reading them would take me back (at least mentally) to some of my favorite Parisian haunts. The semester doesn't start until August--how many of these can I read? Getting caught up in this story, I finished it in less than 24 hours--and am heading out to get more! Maybe I'll read the whole series before I go back to work.

Great read. If you love mysteries and Paris--do what I'm doing--working my way through this series. On top of a great mystery, I looked up her author bio. It was interesting to see that Cara Black is originally from IL--like I am--and lives in the SF Bay Area--like I do. I was meant to read this series. I'm going back to start at the beginning right now!

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aimee Leduc, electronic security expert, finds herself intimately connected to a murder. She receives a mysterious phone call telling her where to discover a surprise, and that surprise is a baby, almost on her doorstep. In trying to track down the mother, Aimee learns of the death of a young woman not far from her home, and finds herself mixed up with a group of protestors.

The protestors are trying to get the French government to not accept a contract with a company responsible for environmental destruction. Aimee names the baby Stella and does her best to keep her safe while she digs further into the environmental group in hopes of locating the mother - or confirming that the mother is the dead woman. Aimee's professional duties mix with personal as she finds herself falling in love.

Enjoyable mystery with a bit of a surprise ending, memorable characters, straightforward writing. The author is a Francophile who lives in San Francisco. We can deduce that she is not French from the descriptions of French customs and locations, clearly meant for those unfamiliar.

[Patrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had heard a lot about this series, and have to say I am disappointed. The action moves long well enough, although the writing details Paris, more than bringing it alive. The real problem is that the characters are really thin, and not very believable. Her depiction of Leduc's supposed tech skills is just embarrassingly off-base, bearing no relation to the reality of the IT security domain. The odd conceit of more or less contemporary France using Francs is distracting, and inconsistent. She bribes someone with only 20 Francs (about 3 dollars when they were still in use), and yet is excited to explain that she found some designer dress used for only 5000 Francs (almost $900)! Maybe other readers find the endless descriptions of fashion brands fun - to me, it just plays to the sexist stereotypes of women. I won't be reading more in this series - there are others (e.g., Bruno series by Martin Walker) that are so much better.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

An abandoned baby left on her doorstep with a note, environmental sabotage, a young Polish aristocract protester, a young protesters murder and Aimee Leduc faces a mystery of the young mother's return for the baby and the high-level corruption of oil companies in the French government.

A darn good read and enchanting how Aimee's care and love for the baby she names Stella grows as she tries to identify and then find the mother. In reading the series, it's engaging to follow Aimee's growth as a young adult still trying to make peace with a absent mother that she is not sure is dead or not. Her American radical wanted by governments mom... I believe her mom is watching over Aimee from afar.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful! This may be my favorite in the series to date. The author very effectively maintains the series arc without it predominating, making the series inviting wherever you begin. I read two or three out of order and then picked up from the beginning. The author remains true to her characters throughout and the mysteries are pleasures to read, always giving the reader a fair chance to solve them, without ever making the reader feel he or she is responsible to do that. You can just go along for the ride.

[Tom Stadler · Rating 3 out of 5]

First read of this series, feels like I'm missing a lot of back story. Pretty good though there are several points of action when the writing is so unclear you can't tell what's happening and plot points depending on people not listening to each other. The final wrap up feels rushed with the bad guy summarily defeated and and everybody rescued with no explanation of how that's achieved. Another female lead who's always teetering on emotional breakdown.

[MD · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the bits of information about the Ile Saint-Louis and its history, but over all, the book didn’t feel very well-researched so I’m not confident that was either. I liked that there was a differently-abled main character. But over all, neither the characters nor the plot grabbed me and I struggled to finish this book.

[Paulette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this mystery series set in Paris with the author Cara Black setting each novel in a different arrondissement (or district) in the city. In this novel, private investigator Aimee Leduc receives a mysterious phone call from a distraught mother and then finds a baby on her doorstep. Enjoy this non-stop action plot. New to the series? Start with Murder in the Marais. Highly recommended!

[Kathryn Burwash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another entertaining mystery set in delightful Paris, in Aimee's beloved neighbourhood. You get to see another side of Aimee as she continues to juggle work, mystery, a new man, and a foray into motherhood. As always an issue of the day is interwoven into the plot with high stakes.

If you can't visit Paris this is the next best thing.

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The telephone rings. Aimee answers it. She is asked to go to a place to pick up a package. She goes. The package ends up being a baby. What is Aimee going to do? She assumes that the mom will come pick the baby up the next day. Instead, Aimee finds herself involved in an investigation. Lots of action. Lots of drama. very entertaining.

[Genevieve · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 7th book(in order) in the Aimee LeDuc mysteries and thus far my favorite. Black's character development in this book was wonderful. I don't wish to spoil the story. I felt more connected to the character of Aimee on many levels in this. I will likely move on to the 8th novel, as I can say I am finally engaged with the heroine.

[David L · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aimee and the baby

Aimee Leduc tries to discover who left a newborn on her hands and finds herself inbetween environmentalists and a corrupt petroleum company. I enjoyed the note of sweetness provided by Aimee's maternal instincts in an otherwise tense thriller.