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Inspector Mazarelle Mystery #1
The Paris Directive
In a Berlin hotel room in the late 1990s, two former French intelligence agents hire Klaus Reiner, a ruthlessly effective killer, to eliminate an American industrialist vacationing in southwestern France. Reiner easily locates his target in the small Dordogne village of Taziac, but the hit is compromised when three innocent people are in the wrong place at the wrong time. Enter Inspector Paul Mazarelle. Formerly of Paris but now living in Taziac, the inspector is charged with bringing his experience and record of success in the capital to bear on the gruesome quadruple homicide at the height of tourist season.
Both Mazarelle’s investigation and Reiner’s job become complicated when Molly, a New York City district attorney and daughter of two of the victims, arrives to identify the bodies and begins asking questions. All evidence points to Ali Sedak, a local Arab handyman, but Mazarelle and Molly have doubts, forcing Reiner to return to Taziac to ensure they see things as he arranged them. Little does anyone in the picturesque French countryside know how politically charged this crime is: its global ramifications, stemming from the NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, could overshadow everything.
Tailored in crisp prose, this tantalizing and skillfully written thriller possesses all the luxury refinements of the best international intrigue. Jay’s novel chills, excites, and engrosses, pitting a smooth, calculating villain against an earthy, sympathetic Frenchman whose twilight career is suddenly heating up.
"Jay’s entertaining first novel pays homage to George Simenon and his legendary detective, Inspector Maigret.... The main draw is the charming, indomitable Inspector Mazarelle, who enjoys puffing on his old pipe, stopping for cognac in the middle of the day, and dining on sausages and lentils or his favorite dish, duck confit, at the Café Valon. Mystery fans will look forward to seeing more of him in the promised sequel." —Publishers Weekly
"Gerald Jay has woven threads of police procedural, espionage, rural noir, ‘acts of barbarism,’ and Gallic charm into a story that will be a great fit for almost any crime fan." —Booklist, starred review
Both Mazarelle’s investigation and Reiner’s job become complicated when Molly, a New York City district attorney and daughter of two of the victims, arrives to identify the bodies and begins asking questions. All evidence points to Ali Sedak, a local Arab handyman, but Mazarelle and Molly have doubts, forcing Reiner to return to Taziac to ensure they see things as he arranged them. Little does anyone in the picturesque French countryside know how politically charged this crime is: its global ramifications, stemming from the NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, could overshadow everything.
Tailored in crisp prose, this tantalizing and skillfully written thriller possesses all the luxury refinements of the best international intrigue. Jay’s novel chills, excites, and engrosses, pitting a smooth, calculating villain against an earthy, sympathetic Frenchman whose twilight career is suddenly heating up.
"Jay’s entertaining first novel pays homage to George Simenon and his legendary detective, Inspector Maigret.... The main draw is the charming, indomitable Inspector Mazarelle, who enjoys puffing on his old pipe, stopping for cognac in the middle of the day, and dining on sausages and lentils or his favorite dish, duck confit, at the Café Valon. Mystery fans will look forward to seeing more of him in the promised sequel." —Publishers Weekly
"Gerald Jay has woven threads of police procedural, espionage, rural noir, ‘acts of barbarism,’ and Gallic charm into a story that will be a great fit for almost any crime fan." —Booklist, starred review
336 pages, Hardcover
First published June 19, 2012
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441 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
November 17, 2021
*3.5 stars.
An assassin known as Klaus Reiner is hired by two former French intelligence agents to kill an American industrialist currently vacationing with his wife and another couple in the small town of Taziac in southwestern France. Klaus botches the job and ends up killing all four people.
The ensuing homicide investigation is led by the pipe-smoking Inspector Paul Mazarelle, once known for his great successes in Paris. Their leading suspect is an Arab immigrant named Ali Sedak who has been working as a handyman on the grounds of the chateau where the murders occurred. Ali is a known thief but is he also a cold-blooded murderer?
Molly, the beautiful grieving daughter of two of the victims, arrives from NYC to make arrangements to bring home her parents' bodies and make sure justice is done. She is a smart district attorney and wants to involve herself in the investigation. She is appalled by the racism she discovers not only among the villagers but also among the police themselves. Her instincts tell her that Ali couldn't be the killer but how can she prove that in the face of all the circumstantial evidence? To Inspector Mazarelle, she is more of an annoyance than a help.
This story is the first in a police procedural series by an author using the pen name Gerald Jay and was written in 2012, although the story itself is set in the late 1990s. His inspector Mazarelle is unabashedly reminiscent of George Simenon's Inspector Maigret with several references to that literary character in this story. Mazarelle is older, experienced, clever, feisty, and a bit of charmer, at least in his own eyes, when it comes to beautiful young women.
I found the plot exciting and intriguing with the little bit of international espionage that is part of the story. My only quibble is with the character Molly, who seems to get dumber and more helpless as the story unfolds. I prefer strong female characters myself.
I came to read this book because I was offered an arc of book two, The Hanged Man's Tale which is publishing on 12/7/21. One wonders why it took so long for the author to resume writing more in this series but I'm looking forward to beginning the new book now.
An assassin known as Klaus Reiner is hired by two former French intelligence agents to kill an American industrialist currently vacationing with his wife and another couple in the small town of Taziac in southwestern France. Klaus botches the job and ends up killing all four people.
The ensuing homicide investigation is led by the pipe-smoking Inspector Paul Mazarelle, once known for his great successes in Paris. Their leading suspect is an Arab immigrant named Ali Sedak who has been working as a handyman on the grounds of the chateau where the murders occurred. Ali is a known thief but is he also a cold-blooded murderer?
Molly, the beautiful grieving daughter of two of the victims, arrives from NYC to make arrangements to bring home her parents' bodies and make sure justice is done. She is a smart district attorney and wants to involve herself in the investigation. She is appalled by the racism she discovers not only among the villagers but also among the police themselves. Her instincts tell her that Ali couldn't be the killer but how can she prove that in the face of all the circumstantial evidence? To Inspector Mazarelle, she is more of an annoyance than a help.
This story is the first in a police procedural series by an author using the pen name Gerald Jay and was written in 2012, although the story itself is set in the late 1990s. His inspector Mazarelle is unabashedly reminiscent of George Simenon's Inspector Maigret with several references to that literary character in this story. Mazarelle is older, experienced, clever, feisty, and a bit of charmer, at least in his own eyes, when it comes to beautiful young women.
I found the plot exciting and intriguing with the little bit of international espionage that is part of the story. My only quibble is with the character Molly, who seems to get dumber and more helpless as the story unfolds. I prefer strong female characters myself.
I came to read this book because I was offered an arc of book two, The Hanged Man's Tale which is publishing on 12/7/21. One wonders why it took so long for the author to resume writing more in this series but I'm looking forward to beginning the new book now.
April 29, 2013
I was very disappointed by this book. Foreign based mysteries are among my favorite reads and I was thus excited to receive a copy of this to review. By the end, I was struggling with whether the book deserved any of my attention. The writing is mediocre. The narration shifts too often and is sloppily done. The characters are not well drawn and they wind up generating little emotional response.
However, the biggest problems for me were the moral failings of the detective that were treated with disturbing flippancy. First, a suspect that the detective, who theoretically prizes his gut instinct, thinks probably did not commit the crime is locked up without being charged for several days. During this time the suspect is subjected to light 24 hours a day and is kept in handcuffs the entire time. This is tantamount to torture. Yet, there is never even a whiff of discussion that this might be wrong. In the end this character dies in prison and yet the detective feels no remorse for putting him in that situation. He has no qualms about the fact he has dispensed the death penalty upon this man.
Secondly, and more damningly, the detective's second in command attempts to rape a woman. The response to this is anger that the investigation may have been compromised. This is despicable. The police officer should be arrested and brought up on charges but this is never even contemplated. These failings of the detective make me question the standing of the author. How can he think that he has created a character that we want to invest in when this character reacts to rape in this way? This is a police officer, the very people intended to protect us. Rape victims is being systematically marginalized by certain parts of our society. It should never be discussed flippantly or without deep compassion. In this case rape has been decriminalized and turned into merely a potential procedural sticking point. I wish to tell Gerald Jay that this is unacceptable.
The plot itself was far fetched even by Ludlumesque standards. There are many great French detectives but they are let down here. Maigret and Adamsberg would find Jay's detective ill-imagined and immoral. I would not recommend this to anyone and am disappointed to hear another volume is already in the works.
However, the biggest problems for me were the moral failings of the detective that were treated with disturbing flippancy. First, a suspect that the detective, who theoretically prizes his gut instinct, thinks probably did not commit the crime is locked up without being charged for several days. During this time the suspect is subjected to light 24 hours a day and is kept in handcuffs the entire time. This is tantamount to torture. Yet, there is never even a whiff of discussion that this might be wrong. In the end this character dies in prison and yet the detective feels no remorse for putting him in that situation. He has no qualms about the fact he has dispensed the death penalty upon this man.
Secondly, and more damningly, the detective's second in command attempts to rape a woman. The response to this is anger that the investigation may have been compromised. This is despicable. The police officer should be arrested and brought up on charges but this is never even contemplated. These failings of the detective make me question the standing of the author. How can he think that he has created a character that we want to invest in when this character reacts to rape in this way? This is a police officer, the very people intended to protect us. Rape victims is being systematically marginalized by certain parts of our society. It should never be discussed flippantly or without deep compassion. In this case rape has been decriminalized and turned into merely a potential procedural sticking point. I wish to tell Gerald Jay that this is unacceptable.
The plot itself was far fetched even by Ludlumesque standards. There are many great French detectives but they are let down here. Maigret and Adamsberg would find Jay's detective ill-imagined and immoral. I would not recommend this to anyone and am disappointed to hear another volume is already in the works.
January 4, 2012
Well-paced and tricky suspense novel set in the (for me) beloved Dordogne region of southwest France, where cuisine is Queen and murders are unexpected. The layers of the story are skillfully unpeeled by the ex-Paris cop as world events impact the life of the small town. Woven in nicely are great food tid-bits. Should appeal to those who like the mysteries of Martin Walker (Bruno, Chief of Police), though the suspense factor is a little higher-octane here.
January 27, 2013
Disclaimer: I received this book for free through Goodreads' First Reads program. My opinions are completely my own and are not in any way, shape, or form affected by that.
Just to note, I actually enjoyed reading this book. However, my commentary below will probably make it sound otherwise. It’s not that the good wasn’t good, it’s that it could have been so much better.
In the Paris Directive, a distinguished judge makes a simple mistake. As he is driving one night, he runs over a female bicyclist. He speeds away from the crime, only to find that there was a witness. Enter Klaus Reiner, a highly sought-after hit man. The first time we meet Reiner, he pushes this witness down an elevator shaft. We’re shown what he’s capable of. Next, he goes after Shuyler Phillips, taking down Phillips’ wife and two friends in the process. These brutal murders attract attention. Paul Mazarelle, an old, but seasoned detective is hired to find the killer and serve justice.
The book was easy to get through. Once it hit the end of the first part, the pace was nice. However, I can’t give this book any more than 3 stars. The truth is, after I’m done with this review, I’m never going to think of it again. It didn’t change me; it didn’t move me. Books in this genre have the ability to be powerful, but it wasn’t. I’m not sure why the novel didn’t exactly work for me, but I’d be willing to bet 90% of it is character development.
For me, characters are the most important part of any story. If I don’t feel a connection to at least one character, then I don’t feel at all. I don’t care when they are sad; I don’t care when they are happy. And because of it, their story doesn’t end up meaning much to me. When my emotions are taken out of my reading, so is the impact the novel has on me.
I’m not saying that there was no characterization in The Paris Directive. I’m just saying that I wish there was more. There were 318 pages of the story; there was time to make me really connect with the characters, yet I couldn’t. Mazarelle was a decent detective, but he was sad and grumpy all the time. It’s not impossible to like or sympathize with these types of characters; give them some dry humor or at least some insight into their past (that exceeds the typical my-wife-died sob story).
Reiner also had potential as a character (personally, I like getting into the villain’s head even more than the protagonist’s). I want to know why he is the way he is, how he started out, why he started out. Give me more time with him as a person; let me into his head. If you’re going to depict him as an antagonist, make him a good one (a la The Joker or The Trinity Killer from Dexter). He also wasn’t a clean killer, which didn’t make him terrorizing at all to me.
The writing style was another problem that I had with the book, not that it was bad. I’m sure a lot of people would actually like Gerald’s style. It’s straightforward, which is normally good for detective stories. I guess it’s just a personal preference, but it was a little too dry for my taste.
I’m not going to say I didn’t like the story because I did. However, I definitely didn’t love it. There were a few plot holes that distracted me as I was reading. Also, as mentioned above, I wish Jay had expanded more on the characters and their intentions. I’d still give the book a 3 out of 5 because it held my attention and though not spectacular, the writing style was better than average. I’d recommend it to fans of political thrillers and detective stories.
Just to note, I actually enjoyed reading this book. However, my commentary below will probably make it sound otherwise. It’s not that the good wasn’t good, it’s that it could have been so much better.
In the Paris Directive, a distinguished judge makes a simple mistake. As he is driving one night, he runs over a female bicyclist. He speeds away from the crime, only to find that there was a witness. Enter Klaus Reiner, a highly sought-after hit man. The first time we meet Reiner, he pushes this witness down an elevator shaft. We’re shown what he’s capable of. Next, he goes after Shuyler Phillips, taking down Phillips’ wife and two friends in the process. These brutal murders attract attention. Paul Mazarelle, an old, but seasoned detective is hired to find the killer and serve justice.
The book was easy to get through. Once it hit the end of the first part, the pace was nice. However, I can’t give this book any more than 3 stars. The truth is, after I’m done with this review, I’m never going to think of it again. It didn’t change me; it didn’t move me. Books in this genre have the ability to be powerful, but it wasn’t. I’m not sure why the novel didn’t exactly work for me, but I’d be willing to bet 90% of it is character development.
For me, characters are the most important part of any story. If I don’t feel a connection to at least one character, then I don’t feel at all. I don’t care when they are sad; I don’t care when they are happy. And because of it, their story doesn’t end up meaning much to me. When my emotions are taken out of my reading, so is the impact the novel has on me.
I’m not saying that there was no characterization in The Paris Directive. I’m just saying that I wish there was more. There were 318 pages of the story; there was time to make me really connect with the characters, yet I couldn’t. Mazarelle was a decent detective, but he was sad and grumpy all the time. It’s not impossible to like or sympathize with these types of characters; give them some dry humor or at least some insight into their past (that exceeds the typical my-wife-died sob story).
Reiner also had potential as a character (personally, I like getting into the villain’s head even more than the protagonist’s). I want to know why he is the way he is, how he started out, why he started out. Give me more time with him as a person; let me into his head. If you’re going to depict him as an antagonist, make him a good one (a la The Joker or The Trinity Killer from Dexter). He also wasn’t a clean killer, which didn’t make him terrorizing at all to me.
The writing style was another problem that I had with the book, not that it was bad. I’m sure a lot of people would actually like Gerald’s style. It’s straightforward, which is normally good for detective stories. I guess it’s just a personal preference, but it was a little too dry for my taste.
I’m not going to say I didn’t like the story because I did. However, I definitely didn’t love it. There were a few plot holes that distracted me as I was reading. Also, as mentioned above, I wish Jay had expanded more on the characters and their intentions. I’d still give the book a 3 out of 5 because it held my attention and though not spectacular, the writing style was better than average. I’d recommend it to fans of political thrillers and detective stories.
April 5, 2015
I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
Well, one good thing I can really say is that I do not regret having read this story. I will likely read the next.
I want to start off on a positive note, saying that the author has an elegant writing style and clearly has a lot of talent. He definitely has some potential in becoming a well-known name.
I liked the overall story, despite various plot holes and things that made no logical sense to me. I would have given this book four stars in a heartbeat were it not for one scene that utterly disgusted me, and no, it had nothing to do with any of the brutal murders.
SPOILERS hereon out, because I won't stop myself from ranting about this.
The treatment of Therese throughout the story was abhorrent. Repeatedly made out to be whorish, loose, worthless, and a liar, the author does not immediately give off the impression that he likes this character he created. Which is fine, but he goes on to make a horrible statement about his warped view of 'justice.' She is a French woman who married the Arabic Ali Sedak, and receives lots of hate during the novel for 'mixing' her blood and having his child. When Ali is arrested (despite being a woman beater himself), she is not allowed to visit her husband for no reason whatsoever, and he later kills himself in jail with no word of a funeral. When vandals come to try and beat her up, the police do absolutely nothing and refuse to respond to her calls, despite her having a newborn child in her arms during the vandal attack. When the two officers under Mazarelle's command go to interrogate her and search the house, the married Duboit is turned on by her breastfeeding her child and proceeds to try and rape her - strongly implying that this author has no idea the motivations behind or after effects of a real rape - while his cop buddy covers for him. The inspector quickly discovers what Duboit did. The inspector yells at him, chastising him for jeopardizing the investigation. That's it. No punishment for attempted rape on a woman, for his endangering her child, and no punishment for the cop who covered. The inspector was more concerned that this event would blemish his reputation were the media to find out.
Terese gets no justice, ever. They do not apologize for wrongly accusing her husband. They had known all along that her husband beat her and nobody ever cared (except the "heartless" assassin! Go figure). Mazarelle expects her to be more forgiving after her husband's death. Why should she be? She has every reason not to trust this disgusting excuse for a police force.
The attempted "rape" (which was nearly victim-blaming) was a totally pointless scene and definitely put a damper on this otherwise good novel.
Aside from this, a lot of the climax seemed rather unrealistic, as the master assassin suddenly sucked at being an assassin when it came to the main characters. I was happy to see Duboit die and was not touched by his death whatsoever.
I liked Reiner. He is the main reason I will read the next book, despite his death. The author crafts villains that are multi-dimensional and more than just "evil." He had a personality, and I enjoyed his passion for soccer. It made him much more believable. I trust that the next villain will be just as good, or even better.
However, by the end, he couldn't even manage to kill the cat.
TL,DR;
Leave out the rape scenes next time if you aren't going to do your research.
Well, one good thing I can really say is that I do not regret having read this story. I will likely read the next.
I want to start off on a positive note, saying that the author has an elegant writing style and clearly has a lot of talent. He definitely has some potential in becoming a well-known name.
I liked the overall story, despite various plot holes and things that made no logical sense to me. I would have given this book four stars in a heartbeat were it not for one scene that utterly disgusted me, and no, it had nothing to do with any of the brutal murders.
SPOILERS hereon out, because I won't stop myself from ranting about this.
The treatment of Therese throughout the story was abhorrent. Repeatedly made out to be whorish, loose, worthless, and a liar, the author does not immediately give off the impression that he likes this character he created. Which is fine, but he goes on to make a horrible statement about his warped view of 'justice.' She is a French woman who married the Arabic Ali Sedak, and receives lots of hate during the novel for 'mixing' her blood and having his child. When Ali is arrested (despite being a woman beater himself), she is not allowed to visit her husband for no reason whatsoever, and he later kills himself in jail with no word of a funeral. When vandals come to try and beat her up, the police do absolutely nothing and refuse to respond to her calls, despite her having a newborn child in her arms during the vandal attack. When the two officers under Mazarelle's command go to interrogate her and search the house, the married Duboit is turned on by her breastfeeding her child and proceeds to try and rape her - strongly implying that this author has no idea the motivations behind or after effects of a real rape - while his cop buddy covers for him. The inspector quickly discovers what Duboit did. The inspector yells at him, chastising him for jeopardizing the investigation. That's it. No punishment for attempted rape on a woman, for his endangering her child, and no punishment for the cop who covered. The inspector was more concerned that this event would blemish his reputation were the media to find out.
Terese gets no justice, ever. They do not apologize for wrongly accusing her husband. They had known all along that her husband beat her and nobody ever cared (except the "heartless" assassin! Go figure). Mazarelle expects her to be more forgiving after her husband's death. Why should she be? She has every reason not to trust this disgusting excuse for a police force.
The attempted "rape" (which was nearly victim-blaming) was a totally pointless scene and definitely put a damper on this otherwise good novel.
Aside from this, a lot of the climax seemed rather unrealistic, as the master assassin suddenly sucked at being an assassin when it came to the main characters. I was happy to see Duboit die and was not touched by his death whatsoever.
I liked Reiner. He is the main reason I will read the next book, despite his death. The author crafts villains that are multi-dimensional and more than just "evil." He had a personality, and I enjoyed his passion for soccer. It made him much more believable. I trust that the next villain will be just as good, or even better.
However, by the end, he couldn't even manage to kill the cat.
TL,DR;
Leave out the rape scenes next time if you aren't going to do your research.
July 9, 2012
First Line: Reiner checked his watch has he waited by the elevator.
It's 1999. contract killer Klaus Reiner has just been hired by two former French intelligence agents to eliminate an American businessman vacationing in southwestern France. Reiner specializes in murders that the police file away as accidents. He has no problem locating his target in a house outside the small village of Taziac, but things go pear-shaped when three innocent people are in the wrong place at the wrong time.
These murders are assigned to Inspector Paul Mazarelle, formerly of Paris but now living in Taziac. His superiors fully expect him to bring his experience and successful record to bear on this quadruple homicide that's occurred at the height of tourist season.
Enter Molly Reece, a New York City district attorney and the daughter of two of the victims. All the evidence points to a local Arab handyman, but after talking to him, Reece has doubts that he's the killer. So does Mazarelle, but Molly's knack of showing up in high profile locations and running her own investigation not only makes Mazarelle's job more difficult, it makes Reiner nervous enough to return to Taziac to ensure the police interpret the evidence the way he wants them to.
Author Gerald Jay has taken the threads of the police procedural, the spy novel, and French charm and woven them into a vastly entertaining read. Mazarelle is a big bear of a man who smokes a special blend (Philosophe) of tobacco in his pipe, enjoys a midday cognac, and eats his favorite meals at the Café Valon. Although he believes he's not in the ranks of literary sleuths the like of Maigret or Poirot because his powers of intuition are much greater than his powers of observation, he is known as "the Swiss Army knife of detectives." One of the things he insists upon when given command of the investigation is the power of handpicking his detectives, and it's fascinating to see how he chooses them. During the selection, I felt as though there was one detective in particular that was a weak link, and it was interesting to see if my deduction was correct.
Molly Reece adds a strong yet naïve element to the cast of characters, although her intelligence and intuition seems to fade in and out as the story progresses. Klaus Reiner is one of the more interesting villains I've become acquainted with recently, a chillingly attractive blend of ego, intelligence, and psychopathy.
There are some excellent mystery series set in France-- especially those written by Cara Black, Fred Vargas, and Martin Walker. How does Gerald Jay's The Paris Directive compare? Very well indeed. I was quite happy to see that he's working on his second Inspector Mazarelle mystery. These talented writers are making France a regular stop in my crime fiction reading.
It's 1999. contract killer Klaus Reiner has just been hired by two former French intelligence agents to eliminate an American businessman vacationing in southwestern France. Reiner specializes in murders that the police file away as accidents. He has no problem locating his target in a house outside the small village of Taziac, but things go pear-shaped when three innocent people are in the wrong place at the wrong time.
These murders are assigned to Inspector Paul Mazarelle, formerly of Paris but now living in Taziac. His superiors fully expect him to bring his experience and successful record to bear on this quadruple homicide that's occurred at the height of tourist season.
Enter Molly Reece, a New York City district attorney and the daughter of two of the victims. All the evidence points to a local Arab handyman, but after talking to him, Reece has doubts that he's the killer. So does Mazarelle, but Molly's knack of showing up in high profile locations and running her own investigation not only makes Mazarelle's job more difficult, it makes Reiner nervous enough to return to Taziac to ensure the police interpret the evidence the way he wants them to.
Author Gerald Jay has taken the threads of the police procedural, the spy novel, and French charm and woven them into a vastly entertaining read. Mazarelle is a big bear of a man who smokes a special blend (Philosophe) of tobacco in his pipe, enjoys a midday cognac, and eats his favorite meals at the Café Valon. Although he believes he's not in the ranks of literary sleuths the like of Maigret or Poirot because his powers of intuition are much greater than his powers of observation, he is known as "the Swiss Army knife of detectives." One of the things he insists upon when given command of the investigation is the power of handpicking his detectives, and it's fascinating to see how he chooses them. During the selection, I felt as though there was one detective in particular that was a weak link, and it was interesting to see if my deduction was correct.
Molly Reece adds a strong yet naïve element to the cast of characters, although her intelligence and intuition seems to fade in and out as the story progresses. Klaus Reiner is one of the more interesting villains I've become acquainted with recently, a chillingly attractive blend of ego, intelligence, and psychopathy.
There are some excellent mystery series set in France-- especially those written by Cara Black, Fred Vargas, and Martin Walker. How does Gerald Jay's The Paris Directive compare? Very well indeed. I was quite happy to see that he's working on his second Inspector Mazarelle mystery. These talented writers are making France a regular stop in my crime fiction reading.
June 25, 2012
The Paris Detective by Gerald Jay is totally gripping from word one to the very last. The author tells such a tight, well written story that I just couldn’t put it down. It’s the type of book you carry around with you in the event you might have a moment to read a few more sentences. It was a thrill ride that, like most which are worthwhile, ended all to soon and left me wanting more. There is such a lovely mix of suspense, crime thriller and mystery (the type where the readers knows who done it) that I feel certain it will please a large audience with different tastes. It’s a wonderful skill that makes a reader become as invested in the antagonist as they do in the protagonist. Another aspect I really liked was that some of Mazarelle was left for future reads, he is still a bit of mystery that I can get to know in future books- I hope for many more future books.
June 24, 2012
Gerald Jay Is a force to be reckoned with. His first novel deserves an award. It is that good. Have a feeling this will be on the list of great crime thrillers of 2012.
A good reads winner. Thank you for the amazing read.
A good reads winner. Thank you for the amazing read.
December 5, 2011
Unputdownable - very stylish, dark and engrossing thriller. Loved the characters, setting, atmosphere. Nothing cozy about this!Can't wait for the next one.
August 3, 2022
Listened to this book instead of reading. I’m not familiar with French so some of the words made no sense to me. I found the first third of this book rather confusing with all the various characters that were introduced. I was ready to stop reading but I decided to listen for a bit longer. As the book continued I discovered it was actually pretty good story.
January 22, 2022
there is not mystery as you know who is the killer, so this reads as a thriller/suspense novel.
Still good. Mazzarelle is competent, but not infallible and a bit of a ladies man.
the why the murders were contracted don't' become appearent until the end of the novel.
Still good. Mazzarelle is competent, but not infallible and a bit of a ladies man.
the why the murders were contracted don't' become appearent until the end of the novel.
December 29, 2017
Literally hated every character in this book. Not wasting my time.
July 25, 2019
I enjoyed this sinister yet engaging story of a hired assassin and the layers of intrigue surrounding his hiring.
I look forward to the next novel in this Inspector Mazarelle debut novel.
I look forward to the next novel in this Inspector Mazarelle debut novel.
December 9, 2019
Absorbing intrigue, complicated characters.
October 8, 2020
I was hoping for something like Jean Jacques Manchette, but it wasn't. A decent, light weekend book.
April 1, 2022
Good story. Interesting characters.
May 23, 2012
Set in the Dordogne region of France during 1999, this debut mixes elements of the old-fashioned police procedural with those of the international thriller, resulting in a decent, if somewhat unsteady, stew. The story revolves around efficient German hitman Klaus Reiner, who has been hired to eliminate an American industrialist vacationing in the scenic French countryside. However, the impeccable planner Reiner runs afoul of some bad luck, and his improvised murder draws the investigative attentions of local cop, Inspector Mazarelle. He is a kindly, shambling, pipe-smoking Parisian detective who moved to the (fictional) town of Taziac so that his wife might die of cancer in her hometown, and many's the person who's underestimated him.
The plot plugs amiably along as Reiner and Mazarelle circle each other, and the daughter of one of the victims comes to town also gets involved in the investigation, drawing the attention of Reiner. The supporting cast is as colorful as one might expect, including an obvious red herring suspect (Algerian, of course), an elderly Resistance hero turned town baker, a lazy cop, and others to round out the town. It's all perfectly scenic and fine, but it's awfully hard not to be continually reminded of Martin Walker's Captain Bruno series, which is set in exactly the same part of France in exactly the same kind of town. Which is not to say that two series can't share a setting, but the Captain Bruno series is simply better written.
The story suffers somewhat in the final third, as the reason behind the hiring of Reiner all comes out, and the reader is plunged into machinations related to the NATO bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Sarajevo in 1999, French trade with Chad, and all kinds of international shenanigans. It's clear the author is deeply in love with the Dordogne, and sometimes that comes across a little too richly. So, I'll be interested to see what happens in the next book, which should find Mazarelle back in Paris.
Note: For those who care about what lies behind the veil of the author's pseudonym, I believe the author is an attorney for JP Morgan Chase.
The plot plugs amiably along as Reiner and Mazarelle circle each other, and the daughter of one of the victims comes to town also gets involved in the investigation, drawing the attention of Reiner. The supporting cast is as colorful as one might expect, including an obvious red herring suspect (Algerian, of course), an elderly Resistance hero turned town baker, a lazy cop, and others to round out the town. It's all perfectly scenic and fine, but it's awfully hard not to be continually reminded of Martin Walker's Captain Bruno series, which is set in exactly the same part of France in exactly the same kind of town. Which is not to say that two series can't share a setting, but the Captain Bruno series is simply better written.
The story suffers somewhat in the final third, as the reason behind the hiring of Reiner all comes out, and the reader is plunged into machinations related to the NATO bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Sarajevo in 1999, French trade with Chad, and all kinds of international shenanigans. It's clear the author is deeply in love with the Dordogne, and sometimes that comes across a little too richly. So, I'll be interested to see what happens in the next book, which should find Mazarelle back in Paris.
Note: For those who care about what lies behind the veil of the author's pseudonym, I believe the author is an attorney for JP Morgan Chase.
September 26, 2012
I started reading this book in Spain, and I liked it from the start.
There is no real "main character", there's three.
Reiner, a German assassin. He's really cool. He thinks of his kills almost like works of art, planned to perfection. He tries to make the deaths quick, from a distance. Then it goes wrong, and in his rage (He's a sociopath. Funny, I've been seeing them a lot in books and movies I see/read) he cuts up the friends of his target, torturing them brutally and leaving them to die. He then blows off the head of his target with both shots of a double barreled shotgun. He then has to stay there, to frame somebody and keep an eye on the detectives and the daughter of the cut up people, who can easily get on his case. I liked him in the start of the book. He's calm, calculated, and kills them from a distance. No mistakes. Then thoughout the book, more and more of his plans fail, and he gets crazy (again, sociopath) and I didn't like that.
The detective is alright. He's honest and smart, but not really cool. He's meh. The guy who solves the crimes. Hurrah. Not much to say on him.
The daughter of the people killed is also cool, but to be honest, a little bit stupid. She's a cop, and she's the one who was on the right trail for most of the book, but towards the end she becomes very trusting. She decides to trust a guy who is strangely intrested in her, but she knows almost nothing about him. I mean, come on. Even if your parents WEREN'T brutally murdered in the neighborhood, don't trust him! And then when she finally figures it out- it's too late. She's trapped. I thought she was kinda stupid, but a cool-ish character nonetheless.
Overall, I liked the book. I didn't like that the detective was on the wrong trail almost the whole book, and finally, when I'm 90% though the book, (literally, my iPad said I was 90% though the book, or around there) he finally gets it right for the final "battle". There was no real parts where I was truly gripped, fearing for a characters life, because the only scenes were towards the end where you know it will be okay. So I didn't like that.
Not much else to say. Okay book. Worth a read, but don't expect much action.
There is no real "main character", there's three.
Reiner, a German assassin. He's really cool. He thinks of his kills almost like works of art, planned to perfection. He tries to make the deaths quick, from a distance. Then it goes wrong, and in his rage (He's a sociopath. Funny, I've been seeing them a lot in books and movies I see/read) he cuts up the friends of his target, torturing them brutally and leaving them to die. He then blows off the head of his target with both shots of a double barreled shotgun. He then has to stay there, to frame somebody and keep an eye on the detectives and the daughter of the cut up people, who can easily get on his case. I liked him in the start of the book. He's calm, calculated, and kills them from a distance. No mistakes. Then thoughout the book, more and more of his plans fail, and he gets crazy (again, sociopath) and I didn't like that.
The detective is alright. He's honest and smart, but not really cool. He's meh. The guy who solves the crimes. Hurrah. Not much to say on him.
The daughter of the people killed is also cool, but to be honest, a little bit stupid. She's a cop, and she's the one who was on the right trail for most of the book, but towards the end she becomes very trusting. She decides to trust a guy who is strangely intrested in her, but she knows almost nothing about him. I mean, come on. Even if your parents WEREN'T brutally murdered in the neighborhood, don't trust him! And then when she finally figures it out- it's too late. She's trapped. I thought she was kinda stupid, but a cool-ish character nonetheless.
Overall, I liked the book. I didn't like that the detective was on the wrong trail almost the whole book, and finally, when I'm 90% though the book, (literally, my iPad said I was 90% though the book, or around there) he finally gets it right for the final "battle". There was no real parts where I was truly gripped, fearing for a characters life, because the only scenes were towards the end where you know it will be okay. So I didn't like that.
Not much else to say. Okay book. Worth a read, but don't expect much action.
July 23, 2012
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book with the expectation I would provide an honest review.
I really wanted to like this story—I really did. In the end, it felt like it was just mediocre. The writing was uneven and even jarring (not in a good way) sometimes. The pace was fairly even and moved well. There were several plot holes that were fairly easy to look past, but they shouldn’t have been there in the first place.
It felt as though the author couldn’t decide which story he was going to write—a “thriller” (whatever that is these days), a mystery, a police procedural, or what. There is some political and corporate “intrigue” that was presented to explain the plot, and while somewhat interesting, ultimately they were made to be completely perfunctory and didn’t do anything to add to the feel of the story.
The characters were shallow and I found myself only interested in them because of the people they were: Cop, wife of the accused, embassy representative, assassin, shop-owner, etc. They were rather one-dimensional and lacked any unique personality.
The setting in the southwest of France is interesting, but never really adds flavor to the story—it would have been the same story even if set anywhere else.
All in all, it was an entertaining read, but not a great book. I honestly don’t know if I would go out of my way to look for anything else by Gerald Jay.
Possible spoilers below:
The professional assassin in this book was almost a joke. I cannot imagine someone who was more bumbling and inept than this man. Even worse, his ineptness was necessary to have a story. How can someone be a professional killer and leave so much to chance and then risk getting himself personally involved with his targets? It almost removed suspense because you knew he was such an idiot that he was going to get caught. I appreciate that he wasn’t a typical perfect, indestructible, omniscient bad guy that is so common, but his weaknesses were never described in enough detail to understand why he was so flawed.
I really wanted to like this story—I really did. In the end, it felt like it was just mediocre. The writing was uneven and even jarring (not in a good way) sometimes. The pace was fairly even and moved well. There were several plot holes that were fairly easy to look past, but they shouldn’t have been there in the first place.
It felt as though the author couldn’t decide which story he was going to write—a “thriller” (whatever that is these days), a mystery, a police procedural, or what. There is some political and corporate “intrigue” that was presented to explain the plot, and while somewhat interesting, ultimately they were made to be completely perfunctory and didn’t do anything to add to the feel of the story.
The characters were shallow and I found myself only interested in them because of the people they were: Cop, wife of the accused, embassy representative, assassin, shop-owner, etc. They were rather one-dimensional and lacked any unique personality.
The setting in the southwest of France is interesting, but never really adds flavor to the story—it would have been the same story even if set anywhere else.
All in all, it was an entertaining read, but not a great book. I honestly don’t know if I would go out of my way to look for anything else by Gerald Jay.
Possible spoilers below:
The professional assassin in this book was almost a joke. I cannot imagine someone who was more bumbling and inept than this man. Even worse, his ineptness was necessary to have a story. How can someone be a professional killer and leave so much to chance and then risk getting himself personally involved with his targets? It almost removed suspense because you knew he was such an idiot that he was going to get caught. I appreciate that he wasn’t a typical perfect, indestructible, omniscient bad guy that is so common, but his weaknesses were never described in enough detail to understand why he was so flawed.
December 30, 2016
I could never guess this book is written by an American writer since it describes Europe in a very knowledgeable and realistic way with good, bad, and the ugly, unlike most American books’ romanticized version of it, that looks like heaven on Earth. I liked a lot of things about this book: the writing style, the story telling, quirky characters, a lot of information about governmental agencies, locations, and the culture, amazingly detailed and multilayered international intrigue with murder mysteries, and character developments. The book also includes the author’s criticism of the racism in Europe, directed especially toward Muslim minorities. Meanwhile, the author has racial stereotypes and prejudices of his own. (In this book, all the characters from US and Europe are described in neutral terms, including the psychopathic assassin for hire, while the description of an Algerian and a Turkish characters fit exactly to the racial stereotypes. Also here is the author’s voice describing a scene in the book: “She was on her way to the crapper to squat on the Turk and then fix her face…” Please replace the word “Turk” with any other ethnic group and see how offensive that is.)
The best thing about this book is the author’s amazing understanding of human nature, the quirky characters, and being practically transported to Europe while reading it because it looks like the author either lived and worked in Europe for years or spent a lot of time there. The main character who initially sounds and looks a lot like Poirot is so relatable and likeable until he beats a suspect half his size while questioning and allows police officers torturing him. The book also has a depressing and dark tone without anything uplifting and no character one can relate to. As much as writing is wonderful, the question is does one want to read a book with racial stereotypes and a main character who is violent against a defenseless person?
The best thing about this book is the author’s amazing understanding of human nature, the quirky characters, and being practically transported to Europe while reading it because it looks like the author either lived and worked in Europe for years or spent a lot of time there. The main character who initially sounds and looks a lot like Poirot is so relatable and likeable until he beats a suspect half his size while questioning and allows police officers torturing him. The book also has a depressing and dark tone without anything uplifting and no character one can relate to. As much as writing is wonderful, the question is does one want to read a book with racial stereotypes and a main character who is violent against a defenseless person?
August 24, 2013
Forgettable. The so-called cool professional assassin introduced at the beginning of the book does things that (I assume), no assassin would do. Unless he was trying to get caught. By the end of the book he's a cackling lunatic. In fact, all the characters in the book behave in a manner that people involved in these situations just wouldn't. The grieving daughter of the victims seems to turn her trip to Paris into a vacation, and seems emotionally unconcerned that her parents were brutally murdered. The author, instead of letting the characters dictate the flow of the story, does the opposite, thus, he writes scenes that make little sense. There was a good story here, but it got lost in the telling..
May 4, 2012
First off I want to thank Lauren Weber for seeking me out with this great book. This book follows the cops in France as they attempt to find who committed a murder leaving four people dead. We also find ourselves following Klaus Reiner the man who’s been knee deep in the murders. Been hired to kill one person turns into a killing spree of the worst kind. We also meet Mazarelle the French cop as he figures out who has committed these murders, on top of this he is dealing with a New York Attorney who wants to know who killed her parents and how they are connected to this.
To read more check out my full review here: http://bookgirl.3drh.net/?p=1850
To read more check out my full review here: http://bookgirl.3drh.net/?p=1850
August 2, 2012
I liked this story and really enjoyed the lead detective. Overall its probably more a 3.5 though. It seemed to drag on in parts, and especially in the end where I couldn't tell if it was trying to build for the next novel or what. I'm one of those people who likes knowing the whole story and watching the characters catch up, so if you want to be surprised by the mystery this isn't for you. There are still some outstanding questions in my mind, but overall this is a great read to take with you on the beach and enjoy.
February 18, 2013
This is a well written mystery with lots of plot twists and intriguing characters. The investigator, Paul Mazarelle, is a former Paris homicide investigator living in rural Taziac. He came there with his dying wife since it was her family home, but now that she is dead he is depressed and bored. So, when a murder investigation came along in his backyard, he is invigorated. Not just a local mystery, there is some international intrigue which makes it even better! Gerald Jay is a nom de plume, and I'm curious who the author behind it is since it it so well written.
June 19, 2012
I’ve long been a fan of novels containing French police inspectors, including Poirot, Maigret, and even the bumbling Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther films. So when I saw that The Paris Directive by Gerald Jay was introducing a French inspector for a new series, I had to see if this one would join the ranks of my other favorites. Read the rest of my review at http://popcornreads.com/?p=4100.
December 19, 2012
Gerald Jay tells the story of a brutal murder, the investigation, and the collateral damage related to the murder. The people feel real, the story seems real, and the emotions the reader feels are definitely real. Many chapters are short which took me a little getting used to but it really worked in this book. I would definitely read more of his work! Thanks to Goodreads for providing my copy.
December 12, 2012
a good premise, sad but brill paris detective living in tiny country town because his wife died, and he has black outlook, then rich american tourists get slaughtered so he leads the murder investigation, but then the author's characters fall apart and the police procedural falls apart and even the evil assassin turns girlscout. author is a nom de plume. better keep it that way.
November 20, 2014
This book wants to be a thriller. However, half way through you know everything that is going on and why because the story is told from all the characters point of view. It kills the suspense since there is nothing to learn unless you wonder if the protagonist will also know every thing by the end.
June 17, 2012
Very interesting story and really enjoyed the setting in the French countryside. The characters are well drawn and the story moves along at an excellent pace. I am glad that the next book in the series is already in the works!
July 3, 2012
4.5/5
The Paris Directive is another suspense/thriller that I highly recommend for those looking for an excellent summer book. Gerald Jay weaves together deliciously deceptive plots to keep the reader guessing until the very end.
The Paris Directive is another suspense/thriller that I highly recommend for those looking for an excellent summer book. Gerald Jay weaves together deliciously deceptive plots to keep the reader guessing until the very end.
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