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Aimee Leduc Investigations #12
Murder at the Lanterne Rouge:
Aimée Leduc is happy her long-time business partner René has found a girlfriend. Really, she is. It’s not her fault if she can’t suppress her doubts about the relationship; René is moving way too fast, and Aimée’s instincts tell her Meizi, this supposed love of René’s life, isn’t trustworthy. And her misgivings may not be far off the Meizi disappears during a Chinatown dinner to take a phone call and never comes back to the restaurant. Minutes later, the body of a young man, a science prodigy and volunteer at the nearby Musée, is found shrink-wrapped in an alleyway—with Meizi’s photo in his wallet.
Aimée does not like this scenario one bit, but she can’t figure out how the murder is connected to Meizi’s disappearance. The dead genius was sitting on a discovery that has France’s secret service keeping tabs on him. Now they’re keeping tabs on Aimée. A missing young woman, an illegal immigrant raid in progress, botched affairs of the heart, dirty policemen, the French secret service, cutting-edge science secrets and a murderer on the loose—what has she gotten herself into? And can she get herself—and her friends—back out of it all alive?
Aimée does not like this scenario one bit, but she can’t figure out how the murder is connected to Meizi’s disappearance. The dead genius was sitting on a discovery that has France’s secret service keeping tabs on him. Now they’re keeping tabs on Aimée. A missing young woman, an illegal immigrant raid in progress, botched affairs of the heart, dirty policemen, the French secret service, cutting-edge science secrets and a murderer on the loose—what has she gotten herself into? And can she get herself—and her friends—back out of it all alive?
315 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
165 people are currently reading
790 people want to read
About the author
Cara Black
45 books1,356 followersCara Black frequents a Paris little known outside the beaten tourist track. A Paris she discovers on research trips and interviews with French police, private detectives and café owners. She lives in San Francisco with her husband, a bookseller, and their teenage son. She is a San Francisco Library Laureate and a member of the Paris Sociéte Historique in the Marais. Her nationally bestselling and award nominated Aimée Leduc Investigation series has been translated into French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, German and Hebrew. She received the Medaille de la Ville de Paris for services to French culture. She's included in the GREAT WOMEN MYSTERY WRITERS by Elizabeth Lindsay 2nd editon published in the UK. Her first three novels in the series MURDER IN THE MARAIS, MURDER IN BELLEVILLE AN MURDER IN THE SENTIER - nominated for an Anthony Award as Best Novel - were published in the UK in 2008 and MURDER IN THE LATIN QUARTER comes out in the UK in 2010. Several of her books have been chosen as BookSense Picks and INDIE NEXT choice by the Amerian Association of Independent Bookstores. The Washington Post listed MURDER IN THE RUE DE PARADIS in the Best Fiction Choices of 2008. MURDER IN THE LATIN QUARTER is a finalist for Best Novel Award from the NCIBA Northern California Independent Booksellers Association.
She is currently working on the next book in the Aimée Leduc series.
She is currently working on the next book in the Aimée Leduc series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews
April 1, 2012
I think I've phased out of Aimee...désolé...I have a fine collection of the paperbacks but have gotten the this and the previous book from the library and don't intend to add them to my 'collection'. I'm sure its me - or the 'formula' is getting tired; but then, I'm still very happy w/ Sara Paretsky's V.I. Warshawski...!!
If I have to be specific - which I might as well be for my own reference - there are too many threads trying to be woven here and we return, AGAIN - to 'poor' Rene - his hips, his karate, his unrequited love (for goodness sakes, man, to West already); to Aimee's haunting mother; fights w/ Morbier & his flics...and on and on. Oh yes, THEN there is a mystery. The superfluous takes us too much space, lately.
If I have to be specific - which I might as well be for my own reference - there are too many threads trying to be woven here and we return, AGAIN - to 'poor' Rene - his hips, his karate, his unrequited love (for goodness sakes, man, to West already); to Aimee's haunting mother; fights w/ Morbier & his flics...and on and on. Oh yes, THEN there is a mystery. The superfluous takes us too much space, lately.
January 28, 2012
Remember all that brouhaha a number of years ago, when some people were trumpeting the wholesale abandonment of French cheese and telling us we should avoid Paris as a tourist destination?
Ya know what?
I have a suspicion that the people behind it secretly wore hair shirts and beat themselves with flails.
I mean, avoid Paris? Give me a break! If you aren’t a masochist, why would you want to torture yourself like that?
Okay, maybe you don’t like cheese, but surely you wouldn’t disagree with the immortal Ernest about Paris. Remember what he called it?
That’s right: a moveable feast – a feast that Cara Black, in her Aimée Leduc series, serves up with all the quality of three-star Michelin.
If you’ve read just one of Ms. Black’s books, you know what I’m talking about.
What follows, is meant for the rest of you, those who have yet to meet Aimée Leduc.
Aimée is the daughter of an American mother, who took charge of her French father’s detective business after his death.
She’s a high-heeled, Gallic Kinsey Millhone with the fashion sense of a Parisienne and a penchant for bad boys.
And Cara Black, her creator, is the Sue Grafton of the City of Light.
Ms. Black’s latest, the fifteenth in the series, is a mere 320 pages long, but it’s as replete with action as a Romanée-Conti with bouquet.
In Murder at the Lanterne Rouge, Aimée links a manuscript half-a-millennium old to a modern murder, is pressured by two rival French security services, visits Paris’s Chinese underworld and, twice, narrowly escapes being murdered.
On the more personal level, René, her partner, has fallen head-over-heels in love with Meizi, a girl he’s just met. But she mysteriously disappears.
Aimée suspects there is something strange about Meizi’s parents – and there is.
Aimée’s mother, whom she’s been trying to track down for years, comes closer.
Her best friend involves her in a car wreck.
Her Godfather reveals additional secrets.
Her current boyfriend promises to spirit her away for a vacation in Martinique – and doesn’t.
And all of it is served up garnished by the sights, and sounds, and smells of one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
What’s not to like? Murder at the Lanterne Rouge is a feast indeed.
And you’re invited.
Ya know what?
I have a suspicion that the people behind it secretly wore hair shirts and beat themselves with flails.
I mean, avoid Paris? Give me a break! If you aren’t a masochist, why would you want to torture yourself like that?
Okay, maybe you don’t like cheese, but surely you wouldn’t disagree with the immortal Ernest about Paris. Remember what he called it?
That’s right: a moveable feast – a feast that Cara Black, in her Aimée Leduc series, serves up with all the quality of three-star Michelin.
If you’ve read just one of Ms. Black’s books, you know what I’m talking about.
What follows, is meant for the rest of you, those who have yet to meet Aimée Leduc.
Aimée is the daughter of an American mother, who took charge of her French father’s detective business after his death.
She’s a high-heeled, Gallic Kinsey Millhone with the fashion sense of a Parisienne and a penchant for bad boys.
And Cara Black, her creator, is the Sue Grafton of the City of Light.
Ms. Black’s latest, the fifteenth in the series, is a mere 320 pages long, but it’s as replete with action as a Romanée-Conti with bouquet.
In Murder at the Lanterne Rouge, Aimée links a manuscript half-a-millennium old to a modern murder, is pressured by two rival French security services, visits Paris’s Chinese underworld and, twice, narrowly escapes being murdered.
On the more personal level, René, her partner, has fallen head-over-heels in love with Meizi, a girl he’s just met. But she mysteriously disappears.
Aimée suspects there is something strange about Meizi’s parents – and there is.
Aimée’s mother, whom she’s been trying to track down for years, comes closer.
Her best friend involves her in a car wreck.
Her Godfather reveals additional secrets.
Her current boyfriend promises to spirit her away for a vacation in Martinique – and doesn’t.
And all of it is served up garnished by the sights, and sounds, and smells of one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
What’s not to like? Murder at the Lanterne Rouge is a feast indeed.
And you’re invited.
June 24, 2016
So, this book sucks. Another impulsive buy I regret. What’s funny is I bought Murder at the Lanterne Rouge because the book I had brought with me on vacation sucked so much I couldn’t finish it. I managed to finish this one, but by skimming through the last one hundred pages of the incredibly retarded and unconvincing plot. Why did this book suck? Oh, so many reasons.
Aimée Leduc is a private investigator of sorts (although I wasn’t impressed with her skills) and runs a security firm with her partner René Something (I’m sure he has a last name but damned if I remember the author mentioning it). He has quickly fallen in love with a Chinese girl named Meizi Wu. During dinner at a restaurant in Paris’s Chinatown, Meizi receives a phone call and leaves, never to return. Soon after, a dead man is discovered nearby with a photograph of Meizi in his wallet. While trying to find Meizi and how she is connected to the dead man, Aimée and René uncover Chinese sweatshops and a forgotten super-secret ancient formula worth killing for. *Eye roll*
First, what the fuck Publisher’s Weekly. I rely on this trade journal of the publishing world to give me decent recommendations. Most of the time, I agree with them. However, there’s a quote on the cover of this paperback attributed to PW: “Outstanding…begs for a trip to the City of Lights.” Now, this quote could have been about any of the books set in the Leduc series, but I’m going to say that for this book, no, author Cara Black’s descriptions (such that they are) do nothing to entice me to Paris. There’s very little description of Paris at all. In fact, other than mentioning specific landmarks and the Metro, this book could be placed in any city. It’s not atmospheric and not enticing. I’ve been to Paris and even though I did mostly tourist stuff, I’d still say Black captured nothing of the feeling of Paris for me. As for being “outstanding”…yeah, no. Not even close.
Murder at the Lanterne Rouge is the twelfth book in the series. The characters and their back stories are already established and long-time readers are probably familiar with them. Since I picked this book to read (I would have bought the first book if the store had had it), it’s my fault that I don’t have a complete understanding of the main characters’ lives. There’s apparently a whole lot of family drama with Aimée and her parents and Morbier, her godfather. Also, obviously, René is in love with Aimée but keeps quiet about his feelings. I can’t fault Black for my confusion. However, I will fault her for writing characters who are so damn lacking in personality and interior lives that I don’t actually give a shit about those backstories. By the time the mysterious mother (who is apparently wanted by the CIA, MI6, KGB, etc. because she’s a terrorist [wtf?!]) appears and Aimée has some sort of missing-mommy freakout, I’ve given up. I don’t care. I just want to finish this book. It’s also my experience that the longer a series lasts, the shittier it gets. Don’t believe me? Read Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse), Laurell K. Hamilton (Anita Blake), and J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter), among others. So it’s possible that the first five books or so in the Leduc series are fairly decent but went to crap due to author burnout, boredom, whatever. But, based on the bland writing style and uninteresting characters of this book, I can’t imagine even the first book was a sparkling work of literary genius. Even the dog (with the odd name of Miles Davis) is so bland that I don’t even know what it looks like. The author never describes it (him?) once.
René has no personality whatsoever and other than moaning about his missing girlfriend (who is also so insubstantial that I don’t care about her fate), he barely makes an impression. When reading this book, I did picture Peter Dinklage (because René is a dwarf). My apologies to Peter Dinklage. You are a way cooler dude than René. Like Aimée, he is a not a person but a collection of mannerisms (his aching hip) and clothing descriptions (he wears “handmade Lobb shoes”). The constant descriptions of Aimée’s clothing is so annoying. Stereotypical too. The author wants us to know that her detective is a fashion-conscious, attractive Parisian woman. Okay, yeah, but can we keep the couture references to a minimum? Fendi boots, ostrich-skin Vuitton travel bag, Chanel “little black dress,” Le Clerc compact, Chanel No. 5 perfume, Chanel red lipstick. All the clothes are vintage. But of course. Aimée is fashionable on a budget, and it’s more impressive to wear “vintage” clothes. She and her friend Martine go couture shopping and unfortunately the author felt the need to list her purchases: Agnés b. dress, vintage YSL beaded turquoise bikini, strappy sandals (what, no designer name?). It’s not possible for me to care any less about her fashion choices. Oh, and her damn Tintin watch. It’s always, “Aimée looked at her Tintin watch” not “she looked at her watch.” Again, overkill. We got it. She knows how to dress herself and has the figure and money to do it. No need to beat the reader over the head with a vintage Gucci handbag. However, I’d prefer reading about a detective with more brains and less fashionable boots.
Sometimes this book is inadvertently amusing. One page 133, Aimée is breaking into someone’s office and looking through his papers and installing spy software on his computer. She states she doesn’t have much time to snoop around, then two paragraphs later is complaining about how sleepy she is and bemoaning the fact that the office doesn’t have an espresso machine because she really needs an espresso right now. By all means, Aimée, pop out for an espresso and come back to finish ransacking the office. Idiot. The author also writes that she glances “at the time.” Really? How does one “glance” at time? Isn’t “time” an abstract notion? Maybe “she glanced at her Tintin watch” would have been better. Seriously, Black. You missed an opportunity to remind readers once again of her damn Tintin watch. And if Aimée isn’t yammering on about her vintage clothing, she’s thinking about her appearance. When she finally finds Meizi (chained to a sink), she rescues her and stashes her in a hotel. In the hotel room, Aimée is horrified by her “mascara mess,” washes her face and reapplies her makeup. Then, and only then, does she bother to remove the chain from Meizi’s ankle. Beauty first, chains second. I love it.
The plot of this book is unfocused and ridiculous. I gave up trying to make any sense of it early on because it’s a mess of illegal Chinese immigrants, sweatshops, Chinese criminals, and Knights of Templar stained glass lost arts. It’s just…huh? And these are all related how? If Black had limited her plot to Meizi and her ties to illegal immigration and sweatshops, it would have been manageable. Bringing in super-secret lost ancient arts was complete bullshit and needlessly complicated an already incoherent story. The addition of Morbier and Aimée’s mommy drama didn’t help. The amazing cornucopia of police forces involved confused me, as did all the acronyms: DGSE, DST, RG. Who the hell are all these guys? Who the hell cares? The villain is fairly easy to guess and the ending is predictable and stupid and somewhat bizarre:
Lastly, too much French. If Black had wanted to write the damn book in French, she should have. These are French characters speaking French. I don’t need to be reminded of this with a barrage of French words. Plus, the words are common: “complet,” “le dentiste,” “bonjour,” “n’est-ce pas,” “ma chère,” and “excusez-moi.” Stop. The only words that should be in French are the proper names of places (the Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers) and characters’ titles (such as the police officers, the Prévost). That’s it. Anything else is unnecessary.
Desolée, Cara Black. This is a silly novel. The characters have no personalities nor much in the way of inner thoughts. The writing is so void of any descriptive style and lacking in suspense that it could be a manual for assembling your Ikea bookshelf. The couture name-dropping is excessive and distracting, as is all the damn French words. The plot is an unbelievable, uninteresting mess. I don’t recommend this book and I won’t read any others in the series.
Aimée Leduc is a private investigator of sorts (although I wasn’t impressed with her skills) and runs a security firm with her partner René Something (I’m sure he has a last name but damned if I remember the author mentioning it). He has quickly fallen in love with a Chinese girl named Meizi Wu. During dinner at a restaurant in Paris’s Chinatown, Meizi receives a phone call and leaves, never to return. Soon after, a dead man is discovered nearby with a photograph of Meizi in his wallet. While trying to find Meizi and how she is connected to the dead man, Aimée and René uncover Chinese sweatshops and a forgotten super-secret ancient formula worth killing for. *Eye roll*
First, what the fuck Publisher’s Weekly. I rely on this trade journal of the publishing world to give me decent recommendations. Most of the time, I agree with them. However, there’s a quote on the cover of this paperback attributed to PW: “Outstanding…begs for a trip to the City of Lights.” Now, this quote could have been about any of the books set in the Leduc series, but I’m going to say that for this book, no, author Cara Black’s descriptions (such that they are) do nothing to entice me to Paris. There’s very little description of Paris at all. In fact, other than mentioning specific landmarks and the Metro, this book could be placed in any city. It’s not atmospheric and not enticing. I’ve been to Paris and even though I did mostly tourist stuff, I’d still say Black captured nothing of the feeling of Paris for me. As for being “outstanding”…yeah, no. Not even close.
Murder at the Lanterne Rouge is the twelfth book in the series. The characters and their back stories are already established and long-time readers are probably familiar with them. Since I picked this book to read (I would have bought the first book if the store had had it), it’s my fault that I don’t have a complete understanding of the main characters’ lives. There’s apparently a whole lot of family drama with Aimée and her parents and Morbier, her godfather. Also, obviously, René is in love with Aimée but keeps quiet about his feelings. I can’t fault Black for my confusion. However, I will fault her for writing characters who are so damn lacking in personality and interior lives that I don’t actually give a shit about those backstories. By the time the mysterious mother (who is apparently wanted by the CIA, MI6, KGB, etc. because she’s a terrorist [wtf?!]) appears and Aimée has some sort of missing-mommy freakout, I’ve given up. I don’t care. I just want to finish this book. It’s also my experience that the longer a series lasts, the shittier it gets. Don’t believe me? Read Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse), Laurell K. Hamilton (Anita Blake), and J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter), among others. So it’s possible that the first five books or so in the Leduc series are fairly decent but went to crap due to author burnout, boredom, whatever. But, based on the bland writing style and uninteresting characters of this book, I can’t imagine even the first book was a sparkling work of literary genius. Even the dog (with the odd name of Miles Davis) is so bland that I don’t even know what it looks like. The author never describes it (him?) once.
René has no personality whatsoever and other than moaning about his missing girlfriend (who is also so insubstantial that I don’t care about her fate), he barely makes an impression. When reading this book, I did picture Peter Dinklage (because René is a dwarf). My apologies to Peter Dinklage. You are a way cooler dude than René. Like Aimée, he is a not a person but a collection of mannerisms (his aching hip) and clothing descriptions (he wears “handmade Lobb shoes”). The constant descriptions of Aimée’s clothing is so annoying. Stereotypical too. The author wants us to know that her detective is a fashion-conscious, attractive Parisian woman. Okay, yeah, but can we keep the couture references to a minimum? Fendi boots, ostrich-skin Vuitton travel bag, Chanel “little black dress,” Le Clerc compact, Chanel No. 5 perfume, Chanel red lipstick. All the clothes are vintage. But of course. Aimée is fashionable on a budget, and it’s more impressive to wear “vintage” clothes. She and her friend Martine go couture shopping and unfortunately the author felt the need to list her purchases: Agnés b. dress, vintage YSL beaded turquoise bikini, strappy sandals (what, no designer name?). It’s not possible for me to care any less about her fashion choices. Oh, and her damn Tintin watch. It’s always, “Aimée looked at her Tintin watch” not “she looked at her watch.” Again, overkill. We got it. She knows how to dress herself and has the figure and money to do it. No need to beat the reader over the head with a vintage Gucci handbag. However, I’d prefer reading about a detective with more brains and less fashionable boots.
Sometimes this book is inadvertently amusing. One page 133, Aimée is breaking into someone’s office and looking through his papers and installing spy software on his computer. She states she doesn’t have much time to snoop around, then two paragraphs later is complaining about how sleepy she is and bemoaning the fact that the office doesn’t have an espresso machine because she really needs an espresso right now. By all means, Aimée, pop out for an espresso and come back to finish ransacking the office. Idiot. The author also writes that she glances “at the time.” Really? How does one “glance” at time? Isn’t “time” an abstract notion? Maybe “she glanced at her Tintin watch” would have been better. Seriously, Black. You missed an opportunity to remind readers once again of her damn Tintin watch. And if Aimée isn’t yammering on about her vintage clothing, she’s thinking about her appearance. When she finally finds Meizi (chained to a sink), she rescues her and stashes her in a hotel. In the hotel room, Aimée is horrified by her “mascara mess,” washes her face and reapplies her makeup. Then, and only then, does she bother to remove the chain from Meizi’s ankle. Beauty first, chains second. I love it.
The plot of this book is unfocused and ridiculous. I gave up trying to make any sense of it early on because it’s a mess of illegal Chinese immigrants, sweatshops, Chinese criminals, and Knights of Templar stained glass lost arts. It’s just…huh? And these are all related how? If Black had limited her plot to Meizi and her ties to illegal immigration and sweatshops, it would have been manageable. Bringing in super-secret lost ancient arts was complete bullshit and needlessly complicated an already incoherent story. The addition of Morbier and Aimée’s mommy drama didn’t help. The amazing cornucopia of police forces involved confused me, as did all the acronyms: DGSE, DST, RG. Who the hell are all these guys? Who the hell cares? The villain is fairly easy to guess and the ending is predictable and stupid and somewhat bizarre:
Lastly, too much French. If Black had wanted to write the damn book in French, she should have. These are French characters speaking French. I don’t need to be reminded of this with a barrage of French words. Plus, the words are common: “complet,” “le dentiste,” “bonjour,” “n’est-ce pas,” “ma chère,” and “excusez-moi.” Stop. The only words that should be in French are the proper names of places (the Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers) and characters’ titles (such as the police officers, the Prévost). That’s it. Anything else is unnecessary.
Desolée, Cara Black. This is a silly novel. The characters have no personalities nor much in the way of inner thoughts. The writing is so void of any descriptive style and lacking in suspense that it could be a manual for assembling your Ikea bookshelf. The couture name-dropping is excessive and distracting, as is all the damn French words. The plot is an unbelievable, uninteresting mess. I don’t recommend this book and I won’t read any others in the series.
May 19, 2013
I am not sure how I came across this book; I think someone recommended it to me, possibly because I am originally from France.
I really disliked the novel because of the overabundance of cliches about France, Paris, French people etc... I am sure that Cara Black loves France, no doubt about it, and that she knows it well enough. However, too many details are off for me to be able to buy into the story. In addition, I became rapidly irritated by all those French words peppered throughout the text for effect since there is clearly a word in the English language for each of them.
I wonder whether I would have proved more tolerant of those unfortunate affectations if the plot had been robust and rich... Maybe Cara Black should have stayed clear of the whole Arts et Metiers culture. It is much too risky a choice after Ecco's "Foucault's Pendulum" unless, of course, one has major literary "chops".
I really disliked the novel because of the overabundance of cliches about France, Paris, French people etc... I am sure that Cara Black loves France, no doubt about it, and that she knows it well enough. However, too many details are off for me to be able to buy into the story. In addition, I became rapidly irritated by all those French words peppered throughout the text for effect since there is clearly a word in the English language for each of them.
I wonder whether I would have proved more tolerant of those unfortunate affectations if the plot had been robust and rich... Maybe Cara Black should have stayed clear of the whole Arts et Metiers culture. It is much too risky a choice after Ecco's "Foucault's Pendulum" unless, of course, one has major literary "chops".
August 21, 2012
Barely enough story to keep me awake. I know a bit of french, but the french words and phrases interjected into every other sentence is annoying. This was my first and last attempt with this author.
June 29, 2015
Cliche ridden, convoluted plots that made little sense. Gratuitous French words sprinkled inanely throughout the text for an effect that just doesn't work when English words are more appropriate. Trite dialogue with a clumsy prose style that had me wondering if this book had in reality been written by a high school sophomore. I have the sense that Ms. Black wrote this book with both her French-English dictionary and a stack of Templar histories by her side. I found myself scornful of Aimee Leduc's character and abilities. If I was ever in serious trouble and had my choice of fictional detectives to help me, Aimee wouldn't even be on the list. What a completely incompetent, clothing obsessed boob! Fortunately my very first Cara Black novel was a library copy and will be my very last. Désolé!
July 6, 2012
The latest Aimee Leduc mystery. As always, I enjoyed them, but felt the plot was a bit forced and slightly unoriginal: another mystery involving ancient Templar secrets...really? I am also starting to tire of Aimee's lack of wardrobe preparation for detective work: why she consistently wears stilettos or expensive vintage coutoure when she must know she'll be running all over the city is beginning to wear on me. On the other hand, in this mystery, we learn (finally) something about her mysterious mother and why she left, and there is a lot more focus on her partner, Rene.
July 9, 2021
An enjoyable page-turner. I'll definitely try a few more in this series!
July 31, 2012
I feel terrible giving this book a low score. I was sort of "assigned" this book to read for an event I'm going to, and I really wish we'd been "assigned" the first book in the series. I floundered a bit trying to get a grip on the characters and the settings. I think if I had read the entire series, this entry would have meant much more to me. The main characters have lots of promise. I also wasn't crazy about all the French. It's set in Paris, everyone in it is speaking French, yet not all of the French is translated. I do not speak a lick of French, so for phrases like "pas de probleme" and "desolee" and "et alors"... Well, it was a problem. Also, why "translate" (although it's an American writer, so translate isn't the correct word) 98% of the French but not these little words and phrases? It gave me fits. BUT, if you've read the rest of the series AND are adept at French, this book could be for you!
August 8, 2012
Seems to me I tried an earlier title in this series and had the same reaction. The Paris is great and I enjoy learning about it. However, the title character is annoying and dresses all wrong for running around investigating (high-heeled boots? miniskirts?). Her partner, Rene, gets to be the noble lonely one, heart of gold, impulsive. If I don't like at least one of the main characters, I don't want to spend time with them. So I don't.
June 9, 2017
We have a complex mystery with Aimee's friend Rene in love with a young asian girl. There are all kinds of sweat shops and illegal workers in Paris. There is protection racquets operating. Then there is a whole other mystery about stain glass and some ancient society of the Templars. I never did figure out what the guild of Templars had to do with the research of the young man who got murdered. I did understand that he had found some ancient process for making better glass which could have been used to fiber optics and therefore very important. Don't forget that there has to be an element in the story about Aimee's looking for her mother, and there has to be some male suitor, lover, or convenient bed partner for Aimee. Those are all there. If you know Paris it might make reading all of these mysteries more fun. I do not know anything about Paris and its sections. So all the details and streets are meaningless to me. But it makes a better story.
June 6, 2012
What am I going to do now? I discovered Cara Blacks's series about Paris private detective Aimee Leduc and now have just read the 12th book which was recently published (they come out one per year) and now will have to wait a year to read more.
In this book, Aimee is planning to go away on a vacation with the flic (cop) she is dating Melac to Martinique when Rene invites her to a Chinese restaurant for dinner with the Asian girl he has fallen in love with- Meizi. She is only slightly taller than the computer genius dwarf and she has made him feel alive. At the dinner, her frowning parents who doesn't speak English seem cool and distant , Meizi seems nervous, and Rene is happy to be giving her a ring for her birthday. Suddenly Meizi gets a call on her cell phone and leaves in a hurry without the ring. An old Chinese woman comes in shortly and announces there has been a murder. Everyone runs out including Aimee and Rene.
And so we go on another adventure involving illegal Chinese immigrants being taken advantage of by Chinese criminal lords, the secret forces tracking Aimee and trying to both spy on her and offer her info on her mom (her mother ran out to be a terrorist in the 1970's when Aimee was 8) in exchange for her help, a rogue group of scholars obsessed with the Knights Templar and medieval craft guilds, smelly homeless guys who offer clues, a missing Meizi, and of course Aimee gets to find more dead bodies and get both shot and stabbed.
The ending is gloomy this time. Morbier's confession cuts to the heart and may render her relationship with her godfather ended forever. Rene, well, there is a question of whether he will stay in her life either. Tune in a year from now to find out what will happen.I'll be biting my nails till then.
In this book, Aimee is planning to go away on a vacation with the flic (cop) she is dating Melac to Martinique when Rene invites her to a Chinese restaurant for dinner with the Asian girl he has fallen in love with- Meizi. She is only slightly taller than the computer genius dwarf and she has made him feel alive. At the dinner, her frowning parents who doesn't speak English seem cool and distant , Meizi seems nervous, and Rene is happy to be giving her a ring for her birthday. Suddenly Meizi gets a call on her cell phone and leaves in a hurry without the ring. An old Chinese woman comes in shortly and announces there has been a murder. Everyone runs out including Aimee and Rene.
And so we go on another adventure involving illegal Chinese immigrants being taken advantage of by Chinese criminal lords, the secret forces tracking Aimee and trying to both spy on her and offer her info on her mom (her mother ran out to be a terrorist in the 1970's when Aimee was 8) in exchange for her help, a rogue group of scholars obsessed with the Knights Templar and medieval craft guilds, smelly homeless guys who offer clues, a missing Meizi, and of course Aimee gets to find more dead bodies and get both shot and stabbed.
The ending is gloomy this time. Morbier's confession cuts to the heart and may render her relationship with her godfather ended forever. Rene, well, there is a question of whether he will stay in her life either. Tune in a year from now to find out what will happen.I'll be biting my nails till then.
March 25, 2012
I read one mystery novel per year, in March. That yearly mystery novel is the latest installment of Aimee Leduc's detective adventures in Paris.
As usual in this series, the plot is fast-paced, complex, and involves a number of subplots. While reading this book, I found myself more than usually aware of Aimee's bag. Always with her, it is a never-ending source of just what she needs to solve a problem, whether it be her lock-picking tools, a computer disc, an extra cell phone, or just her red lipstick.
While the detective story is going on, a bit more of Aimee's personal backstory is revealed, as it is in each book. In contrast to the fast-moving mystery stories in this series, the backstory is parceled out slowly and deliberately.
While there were a few editing errors, as might be expected in any first printed edition, overall the editing has improved over time in this series.
I was sorry that the type of map provided was different than in the past. It was not as useful as the others had been. I kept hoping, while reading, that I might be able to use Soho's downloadable series "companion" to look at a better map online after I had read the book -- since I am not set up to read and go online at the same time -- but, alas, the companion only goes through "Murder in Passy."
So, my main suggestion to Soho would be to -- next time -- use some of those extra blank pages at the end of the book to include a better, larger, and more readable map.
As usual in this series, the plot is fast-paced, complex, and involves a number of subplots. While reading this book, I found myself more than usually aware of Aimee's bag. Always with her, it is a never-ending source of just what she needs to solve a problem, whether it be her lock-picking tools, a computer disc, an extra cell phone, or just her red lipstick.
While the detective story is going on, a bit more of Aimee's personal backstory is revealed, as it is in each book. In contrast to the fast-moving mystery stories in this series, the backstory is parceled out slowly and deliberately.
While there were a few editing errors, as might be expected in any first printed edition, overall the editing has improved over time in this series.
I was sorry that the type of map provided was different than in the past. It was not as useful as the others had been. I kept hoping, while reading, that I might be able to use Soho's downloadable series "companion" to look at a better map online after I had read the book -- since I am not set up to read and go online at the same time -- but, alas, the companion only goes through "Murder in Passy."
So, my main suggestion to Soho would be to -- next time -- use some of those extra blank pages at the end of the book to include a better, larger, and more readable map.
June 18, 2012
The latest Aimee LeDuc mystery has one plot intertwined with two themes. To begin with, we are introduced to a young Chinese woman, Meizi, with whom Aimee’s business partner, Rene, is deeply infatuated. She turns out to be an illegal immigrant, and Aimee determines to find out more about the woman to protect Rene before it might be too late. At the same time, a young Frenchman is found murdered just outside the restaurant where Aimee, Rene and Meizi and her parents were dining.
During the dinner Meizi receives a phone call and abruptly leaves, disappearing, immediately becoming a suspect in the murder. The victim it develops has made a unique discovery, and Aimee, together with Rene and their part-time geek, Saj, have to somehow find out what it was, while Aimee attempts to protect Meizi from an impending sweep of Chinatown by the police and find the killer.
Once again the author provides a sweeping panorama of the City of Lights, and perhaps a lot of Aimee’s fashion acquisitions (but after all, isn’t that what Paris, to some degree, is all about?). Smoothly written and tightly plotted, the novel once again raises the question of whether Aimee will ever meet her mother, who is a wanted woman. Good reading, and recommended.
During the dinner Meizi receives a phone call and abruptly leaves, disappearing, immediately becoming a suspect in the murder. The victim it develops has made a unique discovery, and Aimee, together with Rene and their part-time geek, Saj, have to somehow find out what it was, while Aimee attempts to protect Meizi from an impending sweep of Chinatown by the police and find the killer.
Once again the author provides a sweeping panorama of the City of Lights, and perhaps a lot of Aimee’s fashion acquisitions (but after all, isn’t that what Paris, to some degree, is all about?). Smoothly written and tightly plotted, the novel once again raises the question of whether Aimee will ever meet her mother, who is a wanted woman. Good reading, and recommended.
March 12, 2012
I love being transported to Paris in each Aimee Leduc Investigation novel by Cara Black. Cara explores a different neighbourhood of Paris in each novel. In Murder at the Lanterne Rouge we are transported to one of Paris's Chinatowns. Very illuminating as I had no idea that illegal Chinese immigrants who were virtual slaves to those who brought them into the country.
I have read this entire series and this latest book is an excellent example of what makes this series by Cara Black exceptional. The reader is transported to 1998 Paris. It is a special author who can make a novel's setting come alive to the reader.
We are given more hints in this novel about Aimee's mother. I love how Cara has provided hints in each of her novels. And I hope that Aimee is finally reunited with her mother one day. This time out Rene has a new love who is at the center of this Chinatown based novel. Of course he still has feelings for Aimee which she is clueless about. Loved the Google reference.
Excellent story that brings together fourteenth century discoveries with cutting edge modern technology. Must read for mystery lovers. I cannot wait for the next one.
I have read this entire series and this latest book is an excellent example of what makes this series by Cara Black exceptional. The reader is transported to 1998 Paris. It is a special author who can make a novel's setting come alive to the reader.
We are given more hints in this novel about Aimee's mother. I love how Cara has provided hints in each of her novels. And I hope that Aimee is finally reunited with her mother one day. This time out Rene has a new love who is at the center of this Chinatown based novel. Of course he still has feelings for Aimee which she is clueless about. Loved the Google reference.
Excellent story that brings together fourteenth century discoveries with cutting edge modern technology. Must read for mystery lovers. I cannot wait for the next one.
May 15, 2017
Aimee Leduc's business partner, Rene Friant, has a new lady friend whom he wants to introduce -- a lady friend about whom he is very serious indeed. So, Aimee meets Rene, Meizi Wu (the lady friend) and her very strict parents at Chez Chun for dinner in one of Paris' four Chinatowns. During dinner, Meizi gets a phone call, runs out of the restaurant ... and disappears. Aimee follows her, only to find the dead body of a man -- a man who has Meizi's photo in his wallet.
So, once again Aimee's determination to stick to computer security goes out the window as she tries to find out more about the dead man and Meizi.
As is so often the case in these books, no one is quite what they seem Aimee once again winds up in the midst of problems involving human trafficking, high-level crime and corruption, and a medieval puzzle (yes, you read that correctly) with bearing on the modern day.
Once again, Cara Black got the "whodunnit" past me until the reveal, despite dangling the character in and out of the story many times.
Highly recommended.
So, once again Aimee's determination to stick to computer security goes out the window as she tries to find out more about the dead man and Meizi.
As is so often the case in these books, no one is quite what they seem Aimee once again winds up in the midst of problems involving human trafficking, high-level crime and corruption, and a medieval puzzle (yes, you read that correctly) with bearing on the modern day.
Once again, Cara Black got the "whodunnit" past me until the reveal, despite dangling the character in and out of the story many times.
Highly recommended.
July 20, 2012
I thought this could have, and perhaps should have, been two books. I was involved at the beginning with the Meiji plot, but it then took second place to the fiber optic/stained glass/Templar thread. Connecting these two by means of one fascinating dead guy was ok, in theory, but so many characters and details were interwoven that by the end, I just got sick of it and kept reading just to be done. Interesting characters surfaced along the way (Pascal's mother) but they were never developed because Black loves to throw in TOO MUCH STUFF. Yes, Paris is cool and gritty, but this series is becoming as formulaic as Aimée's stilettos and Tintin watch. Too bad.
March 25, 2012
Because I love mystery novels and Paris I heard that the Leduc series was a must. It was very reminiscent of the Da Vinci Code - Paris, secret societies and a murder mystery. I wasn't thrilled with how many times Aimee's "heeled boots" and "Tintin" watch were mentioned - it got pretty old reading about her wardrobe, almost like Black tried too hard at the descriptions. But, it was an entertaining read and I would probably read another in the series.
October 8, 2012
Cara Black has the ability to pull you into Aimee Leduc's world within the first page. I loved the chance to see Aimee again and spend time with her in a different part of Paris-- in this case, one of the city's four Chinatowns. The attention to detail is so terrific that you feel you're right there with Aimee. The plot was intricate and yet believable, too. Can't wait for the next book!
July 21, 2018
I read about half of this book. I read about this series with a female detective--Aimee Leduc--set in Paris, and thought it would be good. Definitely not! The characters aren't developed, and the language is simple. The plot isn't well developed. Just bad. Maybe the author figured that she didn't need to flesh out characters because it was done early in the series.
October 3, 2011
Another fabulous book of the adventures of Aimee LeDuc. Very intense, and I was always kept guessing. Some nibblings of facts here and there, and I eagerly anticipate the next installment. I love how Cara's writing immediately takes me back to Paris. Le sigh...
May 25, 2015
Interesting profiles of illegal workers in the garment and accessory trade in Paris. One set of "papers" being used by many people to provide legitimacy to workers and hide the identity of characters in the story. Lots of ineptitude by police and oppression by traffickers in counterfeit goods.
lookedinto-decidedagainst
March 6, 2014August 8, 2019
Obvious plot clues missed by clueless millennial type.
February 29, 2020
Didn’t finish. Found it whiney and none of the characters appealing this time around. Even Paris couldn’t save it....
July 25, 2020
Aimee Leduc carries on as she has in the past climbing fences, creating back exits from a side to side array of rooftops to which she once again accesses and successfully maneuvers, stumbling on the cities cobblestones with her Prado boot heels or getting her Loubtins stuck in the cracks between while in pursuit. She is even more Wonder Woman like in this edition- managing to free her saran wrapped body and shackled wrists from left behind glass shards where she has been left to die and sawing the rope against the stone wall protrusions all in a mere three minutes but who is around to time? Sadly, this is not her only adventure along the way to tracking the criminal she is in pursuit of ending up in the ER not once and twice in one day. Extra-strength Doliprane coupled with a jolt of nicotine gives her adrenalin the boost it needs to keep her on target on her unending mission. It is comforting to see that she attempts to treat some of her maladies ie anrica to her wrist for muscle injurie and bruises. Still stylish carefully selecting her Vintage Channel jacket-a bazaar find- on more than one occasion, favorite Prado boots -a hand-me-down from best school friend Martine Sitbon-and yet we find her exchanging coats with a homeless man (Hippolyte that she has come to know and pay for information) to camouflage her appearance as she becomes cognizant she is being followed.
As usual Aimee's passion to help others undercuts her time in the running of her business Leduc Detective Agency but her co-worker and partner Rene does not complain this time as it is his new- found love- of- his- life (Meizi) who disappears after excusing herself from dinner with Renee (and Aimee) and "parents" in a Chinatown restaurant to take a phone call outside the establishment who becomes the pursued by Aimee and friend.
As usual Aimee's passion to help others undercuts her time in the running of her business Leduc Detective Agency but her co-worker and partner Rene does not complain this time as it is his new- found love- of- his- life (Meizi) who disappears after excusing herself from dinner with Renee (and Aimee) and "parents" in a Chinatown restaurant to take a phone call outside the establishment who becomes the pursued by Aimee and friend.
December 1, 2017
More mayhem in Paris with Cara Black's 12th Aimée Leduc mystery, Murder at the Lanterne Rouge. Each of these nice mysteries takes the reader through Paris in ways even those like me who know that city so well are charmed by new discoveries. Aimée's partner René has finally fallen in love, with a Chinese girl named Meizi, and that leads to a convoluted story involving illegal Chinese immigrants, sweatshops, a murder that sweeps Meizi up in its path, the victim a brilliant but somewhat isolated Arts et Sciences student who seems to have stumbled across an alchemy formula from the 14th century which applies to modern fiber optics. How it all comes together of course is how Cara Black is so successful in weaving her various murder stories. We know Aimée will survive.... but who might not? And how close will she come to not making it, and how? And what if anything does she learn about the mother who abandoned her? We learn a lot about the area around rue Saint Martin and a small section within it which is a mini Chinatown, not the large one in the 13th arrondissement. One more delight before I plunge back into the books for my two upcoming book group meetings!
January 23, 2022
This story was exhausting. I understand that Aimee is the stereotypical French woman, at least as Americans see French women, but her inappropriate wardrobe for investigations at this point gets on my nerves and distracts from the story and the emotional mess that is Rene is getting old. The story had a lot going on but was timely as it was set in the Year of the Tiger and here we are again, the year of the tiger and a focus on Chinese immigrants and people living in the shadows of a new country just trying to survive.
The Murder mystery was a bit lame, Knights Templar, an ancient formula connected to current technology, secret society or club, not sure what to call it. Not bad but I must admit that finishing it was a struggle because I didn’t care and reached a point where I was hoping the bad guys would win because I was done with everyone.
The Murder mystery was a bit lame, Knights Templar, an ancient formula connected to current technology, secret society or club, not sure what to call it. Not bad but I must admit that finishing it was a struggle because I didn’t care and reached a point where I was hoping the bad guys would win because I was done with everyone.
January 30, 2021
Too many street, restaurant, business, church, and government building names in French. Too many spy and police organizations identified only by initials and implied rather than expressed purposes. Too many descriptions of coffee and wine varieties consumed. Too many characters at odds with each other. Distracting side stories of unbelievable romantic and also 50 year old WW2-related entanglements. Not enough clarity in describing the “big clue” as to why the murders happened. Tedious commentary on old buildings’ original purpose and contemporary uses as well as long-dead heroes, none of which related to the story line. So much work to read this book... I didn’t like it at all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 10, 2021
The irrepressible Aimee is back. This time helping her partner Rene when his Chinese girlfriend goes missing as is a suspect in a murder. The usual fast moving plot with twists and turns, in another district of Paris with it's own secrets. The world of illegal Chinese immigrants, science experiments linked to the fourteenth century and high levels of government involvement. Can Aimee solve this in time and also keep Rene's heart intact?
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