What do you think?
Rate this book
Aimee Leduc Investigations #2
Murder in Belleville
Parisian P.I. Aimée Leduc finds herself involved with a secretive North African radical group the French government would rather she didn’t investigate
Parisian P.I. Aimée Leduc finds herself involved with a secretive North African radical group the French government would rather she didn’t investigate
When Anaїs de Froissart calls private investigator Aimée begging for help, Aimée assumes her best friend's sister wants to hire her to do surveillance on her philandering husband again. Aimée's too busy right now to indulge her. But Anaїs, a politician's wife with an unhappy marriage and a young daughter, insists Aimée must come, that she is in trouble and scared. Aimée tracks Anaїs down just in time to see a car bomb explode, injuring Anaїs and killing the woman she was with.
Aimée, who saw her father die in a car bomb five years earlier, is shaken by the attack, but manages to escort Anaїs to safety. But Anaїs can't explain what Aimée just witnessed. The dead woman, Anaїs says, is Sylvie Coudray, her cheating husband's long-time mistress, but she has no idea who wanted her dead, and Anaїs officially hires Aimée to investigate.
As she digs into Sylvie Coudray's murky past, Aimée finds that the dead woman may not be who Anaїs thought she was. Her Belleville neighborhood, full of North African immigrants, may be hiding clues to who Sylvie really was. As a prominent Algerian rights activist stages a hunger protest against new immigration laws, Aimée begins to wonder whether Sylvie's death was an act of terrorism, and who else may be at risk. To make matters worse, Yves, Aimée's ex-boyfriend, a journalist who seems to appear in and disappear from Aimée's life without any regard for her feelings, is back in town. Just the kind of distraction she doesn't need right now.
Parisian P.I. Aimée Leduc finds herself involved with a secretive North African radical group the French government would rather she didn’t investigate
When Anaїs de Froissart calls private investigator Aimée begging for help, Aimée assumes her best friend's sister wants to hire her to do surveillance on her philandering husband again. Aimée's too busy right now to indulge her. But Anaїs, a politician's wife with an unhappy marriage and a young daughter, insists Aimée must come, that she is in trouble and scared. Aimée tracks Anaїs down just in time to see a car bomb explode, injuring Anaїs and killing the woman she was with.
Aimée, who saw her father die in a car bomb five years earlier, is shaken by the attack, but manages to escort Anaїs to safety. But Anaїs can't explain what Aimée just witnessed. The dead woman, Anaїs says, is Sylvie Coudray, her cheating husband's long-time mistress, but she has no idea who wanted her dead, and Anaїs officially hires Aimée to investigate.
As she digs into Sylvie Coudray's murky past, Aimée finds that the dead woman may not be who Anaїs thought she was. Her Belleville neighborhood, full of North African immigrants, may be hiding clues to who Sylvie really was. As a prominent Algerian rights activist stages a hunger protest against new immigration laws, Aimée begins to wonder whether Sylvie's death was an act of terrorism, and who else may be at risk. To make matters worse, Yves, Aimée's ex-boyfriend, a journalist who seems to appear in and disappear from Aimée's life without any regard for her feelings, is back in town. Just the kind of distraction she doesn't need right now.
341 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
447 people are currently reading
1249 people want to read
About the author
Cara Black
44 books1,349 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 265 reviews
August 3, 2009
I didn't even finish reading it. The pace is hectic, and not in a good, exciting way. The characters are too numerous to count and most of them are completely forgettable. Black weaves such a tangled up excuse for a detective novel that, by 3/4 of the way through, I found myself not giving one half a sh*t whodunit. Confusing, befuddled, poorly written and weakly held together. Big disappointment. I'm even going to take my rating of her previous book (3 stars) down to two because I'm so pissed off.
July 28, 2011
So every mystery author has a Raison d'être which I think is really important, and it's more important as a reader to recognize which raisins you appreciate and which raisins you think are stupid, and it is most important as an author that you make sure that the treatment of your raisins is ethical, interesting, and varies from book to book. But enough about raisins since I don't like them anyway.
Cara Black's Raison d'être is racism specifically of the "first they came for the jews" variety. In this second book she talks about anti-muslim(*read algerians) anti immigrant racism, but she manages to do it without in anyway dehumanizing the muslims, she doesn't refer to religion or dress, she refers to the pursuit of dreams, she refers to algerians in high governmental positions, she refers to refugees, she talks extensively about the branch of islam that is pacifistic. All of this is important especially given the climate around muslims in america.
Let's talk about setting. Why france? I mean there are racists in america. Well americans like to think we are the best at everything: diversity, hatred, racism. But fact is we aren't, look at he european laws banning religious garb or offensive speech, the priority hierarchy is different, I don't know if it's better, but what black really does well is she writes europe playing to a very american idealism and through this really humanizes and sees through all lenses.
On that note lets talk plots, she juggles plot lines in a really interesting way were a hundred things are happening but it all feels like one thing. for so much of the book you are thinking these must all be connected but you can't see how it's a really nice thought embedded style.
erm. that's all
Cara Black's Raison d'être is racism specifically of the "first they came for the jews" variety. In this second book she talks about anti-muslim(*read algerians) anti immigrant racism, but she manages to do it without in anyway dehumanizing the muslims, she doesn't refer to religion or dress, she refers to the pursuit of dreams, she refers to algerians in high governmental positions, she refers to refugees, she talks extensively about the branch of islam that is pacifistic. All of this is important especially given the climate around muslims in america.
Let's talk about setting. Why france? I mean there are racists in america. Well americans like to think we are the best at everything: diversity, hatred, racism. But fact is we aren't, look at he european laws banning religious garb or offensive speech, the priority hierarchy is different, I don't know if it's better, but what black really does well is she writes europe playing to a very american idealism and through this really humanizes and sees through all lenses.
On that note lets talk plots, she juggles plot lines in a really interesting way were a hundred things are happening but it all feels like one thing. for so much of the book you are thinking these must all be connected but you can't see how it's a really nice thought embedded style.
erm. that's all
October 26, 2007
I think I may need to take a break from the Aimee Leduc mysteries. Perhaps it's Black's writing style, or the similarity of the plots of all her books, but I've begun to feel that Black needs to be reminded of what we learned back in freshman English: "show, don't tell."
For an American, Black has an impressive knowledge of the nuances of French culture and avoids stereotypes for the most part. I can appreciate how she delves into Belleville's multi-cultural fabric and France's sordid colonial history in Algeria, but once again, she creates far too many characters, many of whom do nothing but advance the plot after they are awkwardly introduced into the story.
The reasons behind Aimee's avoidance of(and simultaneous longing for) a real relationship are never meaningfully explored (she just "likes bad boys"), and Black's apparent lack of working knowledge of computer security and hacking is embarrassingly obvious.
We read that Aimee and her partner Rene are brilliant at cracking codes, but find no details of just how they do it. Most of their successful capers go something like this: "Aimee started to hack into the Bank of France...and two hours later, she figured out the passcode."
Perhaps Black is pressed for time or the book was not researched and edited thoroughly (I noticed several typos and odd mistakes, such as referring to a trio of people when immediately before, she referred to only two), but the book comes off as lazily and sloppily written, with a few too many coincidences to place it in the realm of believability.
For an American, Black has an impressive knowledge of the nuances of French culture and avoids stereotypes for the most part. I can appreciate how she delves into Belleville's multi-cultural fabric and France's sordid colonial history in Algeria, but once again, she creates far too many characters, many of whom do nothing but advance the plot after they are awkwardly introduced into the story.
The reasons behind Aimee's avoidance of(and simultaneous longing for) a real relationship are never meaningfully explored (she just "likes bad boys"), and Black's apparent lack of working knowledge of computer security and hacking is embarrassingly obvious.
We read that Aimee and her partner Rene are brilliant at cracking codes, but find no details of just how they do it. Most of their successful capers go something like this: "Aimee started to hack into the Bank of France...and two hours later, she figured out the passcode."
Perhaps Black is pressed for time or the book was not researched and edited thoroughly (I noticed several typos and odd mistakes, such as referring to a trio of people when immediately before, she referred to only two), but the book comes off as lazily and sloppily written, with a few too many coincidences to place it in the realm of believability.
September 6, 2012
I wanted to like Murder in Belleville. I really did. I love female heroines. I love Paris. I love murder mysteries.
There are just so many things wrong with this book that it's disappointingly bad. Where to begin? The writing is disjointed and confusing. Ms. Black chops events randomly, making the story a bit hard to follow. She introduces too many extraneous characters. (Who the hell cares about this person? In fact, who is this person?) There is far too much naive political ranting, unspeakable dialogue, a corny love interest, wholly implausible technology, absurd coincidences, talky explanations of the detective's thought processes, the total incompetence and corruption of the police, a main character who is devoid of any interesting character...I can't go on! Ugh! At the end, I wasn't even sure I understood who did what. The book is hackneyed and poorly written, and that's all there is to it.
There are just so many things wrong with this book that it's disappointingly bad. Where to begin? The writing is disjointed and confusing. Ms. Black chops events randomly, making the story a bit hard to follow. She introduces too many extraneous characters. (Who the hell cares about this person? In fact, who is this person?) There is far too much naive political ranting, unspeakable dialogue, a corny love interest, wholly implausible technology, absurd coincidences, talky explanations of the detective's thought processes, the total incompetence and corruption of the police, a main character who is devoid of any interesting character...I can't go on! Ugh! At the end, I wasn't even sure I understood who did what. The book is hackneyed and poorly written, and that's all there is to it.
December 20, 2015
I had the first book in this series on my Wish List for months on end. I couldn't borrow it from my local library so I started with the second in the series. To say that I was disappointed is putting it mildly. I have read rave reviews of Ms. Black's books on several mystery forum sites, but found Murder in Bellevile to be dull and boring despite the Paris setting. I quit after 100 or so pages and removed the rest of her books from my Wish List. What a pity, I had such high hopes.
October 16, 2011
Celeste's review, below, pretty much sums up how I feel about this book. This is my second try reading the Aimee Leduc mysteries. The first one was so awkwardly written in some spots that I found myself thinking, "Wow, they should have hired a better translator." Then I found out it had been written in English. Here on Goodreads some readers say that as you go through the series Black's writing improves. Not sure I can hold my breath that long.
March 16, 2017
A bit overly convoluted, but interested enough to continue the series.
July 16, 2019
Aimee Leduc is thrust into an investigation involving North African and Muslim terrorists in France.
The first thing to keep in mind is that this book takes place before the refugee "crisis." Refugee "activists" are running a hunger strike, and terrorists are running around France, and the son of a North African immigrant is working for France's version of ICE.
Not bad, a little scrambled and dated.
The first thing to keep in mind is that this book takes place before the refugee "crisis." Refugee "activists" are running a hunger strike, and terrorists are running around France, and the son of a North African immigrant is working for France's version of ICE.
Not bad, a little scrambled and dated.
February 16, 2012
A casual but enjoyable spin through the richly mixed culture of Parisian streets and comically bureaucratic French institutions. The reader rides on the back of the moped of an unfortunately cliched heroine whose regular gig as a computer systems security analyst promises an interesting high-tech dimension but too often, for the tech-savvy reader, serves up implausible hand waving and applied phlebotinum. What kept me turning the pages were the lively descriptions of Paris and the weaving of its history and unique flavor into the plot. But the protagonist is so close in every way but geography to those of other mystery series (e.g., Evanovich's or Grafton's spunky, single female detective with a troubled childhood, poor eating habits, and commitment issues, and who, propelled by her own pluck, tends to turn herself into the Designated Victim) that it was hard not to compare them at every chapter and have Cara Black come out the lesser writer. This one is for fans of French culture, light mysteries, and nervy women who pick locks, lose the tailing car, and can't decide if they prefer sleeping alone or not.
March 1, 2024
What a let down! I own three more of these books, one of which was purchased IN Paris. I'll keep going, but I hope Cara Black gets better. This book was incredibly confusing.
April 24, 2021
Murder in Belleville is the 2nd Aimee Leduc mystery / thriller by Cara Black. It had been 5ish years since I read the 1st book in the series. Looking at my review of the 1st book, even though I enjoyed it, I felt that Black was trying a bit too hard; too much action, too much tension and a bit all over the place. That may be why it took me this long to try the series again.
Well, I'm glad that I did. While still not perfect, Murder in Belleville was a most enjoyable thriller. Aimee and her partner Rene are trying to get a security consulting job with a large corporation. A friend of Aimee, Martine, asks her to check on Martine's sister, Anais. A subplot wending its way through the story is the a group of immigrants hiding out in a church, negotiating with the French government to be allowed to stay in the country.
The story does start with a bang. When Aimee goes to meet Anais in the Belleville district, one populated with immigrants from all countries, they are both injured in a car bomb, that appears to have been aimed at Anais and another woman. A group of armed men (thugs?) approach and Aimee and Anais must hightail it and try to escape. Anais' husband is a government minister and he tries to brush Aimee off, telling her he will handle everything himself.
Aimee, suspicious as to what is going on, decides, with the help of her capable partner, Rene, to continue investigation. It is an exciting entertaining story, enough action to satisfy you, tenuous threads that will come together and lead to a fascinating, satisfying conclusion. There are Algerian fundamentalists, government intrigue, money laundering, all sorts of neat conspiracies, but not so overloaded as in the first book. I like Aimee and her dog, Miles Davis. I also like her technical expert partner, Rene, a dwarf who can hold his own in a confrontation and can find access to any government information repository.
The whole story held my interest, flowed along at a nice clip, and highlighted the intriguing city of Paris, filled with so many varied cultures. I enjoyed this second story very much and look forward to reading the 3rd book in the near future. (4 stars)
Well, I'm glad that I did. While still not perfect, Murder in Belleville was a most enjoyable thriller. Aimee and her partner Rene are trying to get a security consulting job with a large corporation. A friend of Aimee, Martine, asks her to check on Martine's sister, Anais. A subplot wending its way through the story is the a group of immigrants hiding out in a church, negotiating with the French government to be allowed to stay in the country.
The story does start with a bang. When Aimee goes to meet Anais in the Belleville district, one populated with immigrants from all countries, they are both injured in a car bomb, that appears to have been aimed at Anais and another woman. A group of armed men (thugs?) approach and Aimee and Anais must hightail it and try to escape. Anais' husband is a government minister and he tries to brush Aimee off, telling her he will handle everything himself.
Aimee, suspicious as to what is going on, decides, with the help of her capable partner, Rene, to continue investigation. It is an exciting entertaining story, enough action to satisfy you, tenuous threads that will come together and lead to a fascinating, satisfying conclusion. There are Algerian fundamentalists, government intrigue, money laundering, all sorts of neat conspiracies, but not so overloaded as in the first book. I like Aimee and her dog, Miles Davis. I also like her technical expert partner, Rene, a dwarf who can hold his own in a confrontation and can find access to any government information repository.
The whole story held my interest, flowed along at a nice clip, and highlighted the intriguing city of Paris, filled with so many varied cultures. I enjoyed this second story very much and look forward to reading the 3rd book in the near future. (4 stars)
August 13, 2016
2.5**
Private Investigator Aimée Leduc is asked to help the sister of her friend, who suspects her husband of having an affair. The meeting takes place in an unusual setting for a powerful minister’s wife; Bellevillle is a working class neighborhood that is home to many Algerian immigrants. Aimée arrives just in time to witness a car bombing and barely gets the woman out and back to her husband’s mansion. But the woman wants to hire Leduc to investigate the car bombing, and she is quickly embroiled in a situation that has international ramifications.
This is the second book in the series, and I find that I like the premise of the series, better than I like the books so far. Aimée Leduc is a strong, intelligent, capable woman who doesn’t rely on a convenient strong man to help her (most of the time). I like her partner, Rene, a dwarf with a gift for computer science and surveillance, and I wish Black would give him more to do in the books. I also really enjoy learning about the various neighborhoods of Paris – the chic, and not-so-chic.
But Black seems to get lost in her intricate plots. There are so many threads to follow, so many suspects, so many different dangerous situations, and somehow they don’t really mesh well. Still, I see promise. This second book was a bit better than the first (though I still rate it only 2.5*), and I’d be willing to read another.
Private Investigator Aimée Leduc is asked to help the sister of her friend, who suspects her husband of having an affair. The meeting takes place in an unusual setting for a powerful minister’s wife; Bellevillle is a working class neighborhood that is home to many Algerian immigrants. Aimée arrives just in time to witness a car bombing and barely gets the woman out and back to her husband’s mansion. But the woman wants to hire Leduc to investigate the car bombing, and she is quickly embroiled in a situation that has international ramifications.
This is the second book in the series, and I find that I like the premise of the series, better than I like the books so far. Aimée Leduc is a strong, intelligent, capable woman who doesn’t rely on a convenient strong man to help her (most of the time). I like her partner, Rene, a dwarf with a gift for computer science and surveillance, and I wish Black would give him more to do in the books. I also really enjoy learning about the various neighborhoods of Paris – the chic, and not-so-chic.
But Black seems to get lost in her intricate plots. There are so many threads to follow, so many suspects, so many different dangerous situations, and somehow they don’t really mesh well. Still, I see promise. This second book was a bit better than the first (though I still rate it only 2.5*), and I’d be willing to read another.
May 17, 2009
I read Cara Black because I enjoy reading about Paris. have been there a few times but I know very little about it except the tourist spots and Black certainly knows Paris! Her novels explore the neighborhoods that tourists like me never see and she puts the reader in the Paris atmosphere.
Aimee Leduc, however, is a little too stereotypical. In general, I like her character but there are moments when I get a little frustrated with her becuase she's too perfect. Even when she screws up, she's too perfect. She's alway broke but she always has the perfect outfit. She makes mistakes but always ends up being right and she always manages to find the right contact in a wine bar or coffee house to help her get the information that she needs. It's just not that easy to solve crimes.
Okay, I know it's a story and that we all have to expect some fantasy in out stories but sometimes, Aimee's just too perfect for me. However, I have read four of Black's novels and I will keep reading them because her stories are enjoyable and her knowledge of Paris is extensive. Also, her books are action packed and full of intrigue.
Aimee Leduc, however, is a little too stereotypical. In general, I like her character but there are moments when I get a little frustrated with her becuase she's too perfect. Even when she screws up, she's too perfect. She's alway broke but she always has the perfect outfit. She makes mistakes but always ends up being right and she always manages to find the right contact in a wine bar or coffee house to help her get the information that she needs. It's just not that easy to solve crimes.
Okay, I know it's a story and that we all have to expect some fantasy in out stories but sometimes, Aimee's just too perfect for me. However, I have read four of Black's novels and I will keep reading them because her stories are enjoyable and her knowledge of Paris is extensive. Also, her books are action packed and full of intrigue.
May 13, 2015
the first page had promise. After that everything went downhill. Then she switches to that police station where the mother is berating her son for being anti-immigrant. Nothing remotely engaging.
I really wanted to like a book set in France; get involved in the richness, the detail. It was trite, nothing new; nothing interesting.
I marvel this is getting high reviews. And the blurbs on the book jacket – evidently she's owed a lot of favors.
I really wanted to like a book set in France; get involved in the richness, the detail. It was trite, nothing new; nothing interesting.
I marvel this is getting high reviews. And the blurbs on the book jacket – evidently she's owed a lot of favors.
April 24, 2021
Enjoyable mystery. Atmospherics are great and the protagonist is a very positive character. The narrative is fair to the reader and gives one an opportunity to solve. I started this series down the road, with Murder in Montmartre, which I have resolved never to do again. That being said, I am continuing on with Ms. Black in order and look forward to it.
April 6, 2017
At a time when the current refugee crisis dominates the headlines in Europe (though only when the Greek financial debacle doesn’t crowd it out), it’s fascinating to read about an earlier time in European history when the French people, in particular, seemed just as obsessed with refugees as they are now. Murder in Belleville, set in 1994, revolves around the lingering fallout from the French-Algerian War of 1954 to 1962 — one of those tragic events that continues to reverberate in French society today in the Parisian suburbs crowded with Muslim refugees.
Though appealing as much for its historical and geographical detail, Murder in Belleville is, at heart, a detective story. The book features the Parisian P.I. Aimee Leduc and her brilliant sidekick, Rene Friant, a computer-hacking wizard who is described as a “handsome dwarf.” As the novel opens, Leduc is drawn into the troubled life of an acquaintance, Anais de Froissart, the wife of the French Minister of War. In short order, Leduc and Anais witness the murder of the minister’s mistress in the fiery explosion of her car. Hired by the wife, Leduc must now attempt to learn the identity of the car-bomber and to unravel the mystery surrounding the minister and his mistress, meanwhile saving his wife and small daughter.
Leduc and Friant, we’re told, are not eager to become involved in such violent episodes. They are attempting to specialize in corporate security — Leduc, like her partner, is adept with computers — but inevitably, it seems, they’re drawn into complex, high-profile police dramas, exposing themselves to great danger in the process.
Murder in Belleville was the second of the fourteen Aimee Leduc novels by Cara Black. (I’m slowly making my way through the series.) Each of these ably-written stories is based in a different neighborhood in Paris.
My only complaint about Black’s novels is what is, in my not so humble opinion, her overindulgence in the use of French, which I do not speak. I’m well aware that a great many Americans are enamored of France, the French, and the French language, but I’m not among them. If you’re not willing to stumble through frequent passages in a language you don’t understand (and, like me, refuse to buy a French dictionary to translate them), you may want to avoid the Aimee Leduc series. I’ll stick with it, though, because the writing is very good.
Though appealing as much for its historical and geographical detail, Murder in Belleville is, at heart, a detective story. The book features the Parisian P.I. Aimee Leduc and her brilliant sidekick, Rene Friant, a computer-hacking wizard who is described as a “handsome dwarf.” As the novel opens, Leduc is drawn into the troubled life of an acquaintance, Anais de Froissart, the wife of the French Minister of War. In short order, Leduc and Anais witness the murder of the minister’s mistress in the fiery explosion of her car. Hired by the wife, Leduc must now attempt to learn the identity of the car-bomber and to unravel the mystery surrounding the minister and his mistress, meanwhile saving his wife and small daughter.
Leduc and Friant, we’re told, are not eager to become involved in such violent episodes. They are attempting to specialize in corporate security — Leduc, like her partner, is adept with computers — but inevitably, it seems, they’re drawn into complex, high-profile police dramas, exposing themselves to great danger in the process.
Murder in Belleville was the second of the fourteen Aimee Leduc novels by Cara Black. (I’m slowly making my way through the series.) Each of these ably-written stories is based in a different neighborhood in Paris.
My only complaint about Black’s novels is what is, in my not so humble opinion, her overindulgence in the use of French, which I do not speak. I’m well aware that a great many Americans are enamored of France, the French, and the French language, but I’m not among them. If you’re not willing to stumble through frequent passages in a language you don’t understand (and, like me, refuse to buy a French dictionary to translate them), you may want to avoid the Aimee Leduc series. I’ll stick with it, though, because the writing is very good.
May 7, 2012
In this second book in Cara Black's Aimee Leduc series set in Paris in the 1990's, private detective Aimee receives an urgent call from Anais, the sister of her journalist friend Martine. By the time she gets to where Anais is, she finds her receiving an envelope from the mistress of Anais' husband . When the mistress- Sylvie/Eugenie- gets in her car, it blows up. Aimee manages to rescue Anais but the two then have to run for their lives and escape the men pursuing Anais.
This is a complicated mystery involving Algerian hunger strikers who seek to force the French government to allow illegal aliens to stay in the country (sort of like the USA with illegal hispanics) and a secret plot to steal their money for the personal profit of some very unsavory characters. As usual, Aimee and her partner Rene (a dwarf who is a computer genius) must unravel the mystery, save Anais and her little daughter Simone from death from a suicide bomber, and try to keep from being killed themselves by a variety of bad guys all while no one with information seems willing to help. A mean clown is also involved.
While I disagree with any country allowing illegal aliens to stay or receive any benefits because it is disrespectful to the country, its laws, and its taxpayers as well as a slap in the face of those who followed the rules and immigrated legally (I am all for legal immigration) , I didn't care at all for the callous way one of the ministers sacrificed another minister's life who did not want to be involved just because he had been born in Algeria.
Cara Black captures the moods, sights, and scents of the Algerian/Muslim side of Paris beautifully. There is outrage to be felt at the idea of women treated like doormats but then there is also a longer to visit to get at the food and beverages.
Aimee is a complicated woman, not perfect, but she has her own standards and you just can't keep her down. If I were a hostage or had just been in a car explosion, I would definitely want to call on Aimee Leduc and Rene for help. They've got your back and you can depend on it even if you don't have a penny to pay them.
This is a complicated mystery involving Algerian hunger strikers who seek to force the French government to allow illegal aliens to stay in the country (sort of like the USA with illegal hispanics) and a secret plot to steal their money for the personal profit of some very unsavory characters. As usual, Aimee and her partner Rene (a dwarf who is a computer genius) must unravel the mystery, save Anais and her little daughter Simone from death from a suicide bomber, and try to keep from being killed themselves by a variety of bad guys all while no one with information seems willing to help. A mean clown is also involved.
While I disagree with any country allowing illegal aliens to stay or receive any benefits because it is disrespectful to the country, its laws, and its taxpayers as well as a slap in the face of those who followed the rules and immigrated legally (I am all for legal immigration) , I didn't care at all for the callous way one of the ministers sacrificed another minister's life who did not want to be involved just because he had been born in Algeria.
Cara Black captures the moods, sights, and scents of the Algerian/Muslim side of Paris beautifully. There is outrage to be felt at the idea of women treated like doormats but then there is also a longer to visit to get at the food and beverages.
Aimee is a complicated woman, not perfect, but she has her own standards and you just can't keep her down. If I were a hostage or had just been in a car explosion, I would definitely want to call on Aimee Leduc and Rene for help. They've got your back and you can depend on it even if you don't have a penny to pay them.
April 13, 2011
Paris is the starring character in this (at least for me). The mystery-novel cliches are hard for me: hard-working female detective, odd male helper-friend whose flaw makes him a non-candidate as her love interest, mysterious past with one dead parent and one absent parent, the on-again/off-again love interest, etc. etc. The views of real Paris, set in 1994, with tensions of sans papiers, Arabes, neo-colonialist tensions...all that rings true and matches the Paris which is beyond the tourist ring. Not sure if I can make it through all the series, but I will try.
June 13, 2015
[Kindle.]
Okay, I officially give up on this series. The brand name-dropping feels weird and lazy; the writing isn't so hot, but the elaborations and details of facts of life (immigration, neighborhoods) are worthwhile for me. But I don't think I'll continue… And I am also thinking my opinion / reading of this might be influenced by reading it on a Kindle—don't take it quite as seriously? or something…
Okay, I officially give up on this series. The brand name-dropping feels weird and lazy; the writing isn't so hot, but the elaborations and details of facts of life (immigration, neighborhoods) are worthwhile for me. But I don't think I'll continue… And I am also thinking my opinion / reading of this might be influenced by reading it on a Kindle—don't take it quite as seriously? or something…
May 23, 2010
This is my second try at this series and will be my last. With all the French references it seemed like I was missing so much of the story especially when they were talking in slang. I do wonder about Aimee as a private investigator she seems to have better success than the police and the police seem to give her any info she wants and even ask her for help. That does seem really odd for me.
January 15, 2009
Cara Black creates very dense somwhat hard to decipher plots. She produces an interesting set of characters.
November 3, 2011
Poorly written, poorly edited and confusing to follow. I liked the story and locale, though.
July 20, 2018
Cara Black’s second Aimée Leduc novel continues from the first, leading fashionably chic protagonist Aimée into the dark streets of downtrodden Belleville, aiming to meet with her good friend, wife of a French Minister. Hauntingly evocative of time, place and politics, the story combines European terrorism, colonial misdemeanors, and financial and political greed into a tale of danger, mystery and suspense. The novel starts and ends with fast dramatic action, but slows for introspection, investigation and intrigue in the middle—with touches of sheer terror interspersed. The storyline is scarily relevant to the present day, proving there’s nothing new under the French or American suns. And Aimée continues to be a complex protagonist, resourceful, foolish, passionate and loyal to the end. Together with great side characters—especially Renée—she helps the helpless, loves loyally, and longs to learn what happened to her father. A slow, complex and rewarding read.
Disclosure: I got several of these on a deal and look forward to reading more.
Disclosure: I got several of these on a deal and look forward to reading more.
June 22, 2021
Confusing, unrealistic, contrived. Could not finish.
February 6, 2017
Published in 2000, set in 1994, this book about undocumented immigrants hunger striking in a church, holding out for legal documentation, echoes life in the USA in 2017 and is just as upsetting and sad and violent and without solutions then as now. I remember reading this, may have been my first or second Aimée Leduc, and being confused and lost in dark streets I nearly gave up on the 17 books + prequel in the series. Glad I didn't and have read them all and just greatly enjoyed that prequel, newly published in 2016. This re-read gave me a chance to understand the story better, but a story larded with details, complicated characters, twisty skeins of situations layered with complexity in the telling, myriad stories interweaving, and I knew I'd need to pay attention to get whole picture. I found that yes, this is an important look at a huge first-world situation that seems unresolvable--undocumented immigrants fleeing terror and war. Bravo to Cara Black for tackling it!! For telling stories of some of the pieds noirs and former-colony Algerian immigrants. For painting deeply toned pictures of all the people involved, even the little girl. And keep Aimée Leduc books coming!
August 8, 2016
Aimee Leduc is a character I wan to run through the streets of this beautiful historic city solving crimes and smoking cigarettes til the wee hours of the night! Again rich detail of the different arrondissement's takes one back while leaving you taking notes on new things to see the next time you are there. Also, like the first book in the series, Cara Black does a nice job of working some Paris history into the storyline. It may not always be wholly accurate but it brings to light some of the struggles & horrors Paris has dealt with in its past. I will certainly continue reading her entertaining series
December 8, 2019
If you are going to write a book about Paris and parisiennes 'dans leur jus' the first thing you want to think about is making sure your numerous inserted words in French are spelled correctly.
Unfortunately this is not the case for Ms. Black
She seems to mis-spell almost every word in French (in italics so you cannot miss them) and carrément invents words that do not exist ('salop' comes to mind - the word is 'salaud'). Come on, Cara ! Get somebody to spell check for you. Stop pretending you speak French or at least stop pretending you can write French.
I can't enjoy a book that is sloppily written and even more sloppily edited.
Unfortunately this is not the case for Ms. Black
She seems to mis-spell almost every word in French (in italics so you cannot miss them) and carrément invents words that do not exist ('salop' comes to mind - the word is 'salaud'). Come on, Cara ! Get somebody to spell check for you. Stop pretending you speak French or at least stop pretending you can write French.
I can't enjoy a book that is sloppily written and even more sloppily edited.
July 3, 2022
To those readers who see the plots as too complex and too many characters, have you ever read a Russian novel? No, I am not placing this work anywhere near the literary level of a Russian novel. Rather I am stating that complexity is not all bad. I suspect that Black must flowchart her mystery before writing in order to keep everything straight but that’s what I intend to do for the next one as I read it.
The settings of her mysteries in Paris are superb and accurate. And she includes a map of the relevant arrondissement! I appreciate authors who address social, political, and cultural issues in their works.
I will keep reading the series.
The settings of her mysteries in Paris are superb and accurate. And she includes a map of the relevant arrondissement! I appreciate authors who address social, political, and cultural issues in their works.
I will keep reading the series.
June 1, 2011
This is the second in the series about Aimee Leduc, a private detective in Paris. Aimee is one determined investigator who does whatever she can to solve the mysteries presented to her, even it means getting injured, stalked, put down, disbelieved, making mistakes, and so on. I am really beginning to like this series. However, it is not for those who don't like violence. These book dealt with issues around Algerian immigration problems.
April 25, 2020
Pretty terrible. The first book (Murder in the Marais) was cliche-filled but engaging, good ending. Murder in Belleville had only the cliches. The plot was both incredibly dumbed-down (the narrator stating thoughts in case you missed the point in the just-exchanged, not-so-subtle dialogue) and overly complicated (six degrees of separation to the Algerian military). The ending made me feel like, That was the ending? Why have I been reading this story?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 265 reviews