Murder at la Villette

Aimee Leduc Investigations #21

by Cara Black

Parisian private investigator Aimée Leduc has been framed for the murder of her daughter’s father—now she’s on the lam, and must find the real killer to clear her name in this thrilling 21st installment of Cara Black’s New York Times bestselling mystery series.

Parisian private investigator Aimée Leduc doesn’t know that her life is about to be upended. Her ex, Melac, has been hounding her to move their daughter, Chloé, to Brittany. Aimée is fed up with his threats to take her to court and has stopped answering his calls. Which is why she doesn’t know he’s waiting for her by the Bassin de la Villette as she leaves a client’s office late one night. When she finds him there, bleeding in the canal, he has just been stabbed by an assailant, who knocks Aimée unconscious and plants the bloody knife in her hands.

Now Aimée is in police custody, debilitated by a concussion, with overwhelming evidence pointing to her as Melac’s killer. She must figure out who murdered Melac—not an easy job, given the target on his back as a former homicide investigator. Cut off from her typical network and forced to operate under multiple layers of cover, Aimée must go deep into the underbelly of Paris’s 19th arrondissement, where she rubs shoulders with biker gangs, paranoid journalists, grieving parents, and frustratingly tight-lipped ex-cops on her hunt for justice.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, France, Mystery Thriller, Murder Mystery, Detective

288 pages, Hardcover

First published March 5, 2024

About the author

Cara Black frequents a Paris little known outside the beaten tourist track. A Paris she discovers on research trips and interviews with French police, private detectives and café owners. She lives in San Francisco with her husband, a bookseller, and their teenage son. She is a San Francisco Library Laureate and a member of the Paris Sociéte Historique in the Marais. Her nationally bestselling and award nominated Aimée Leduc Investigation series has been translated into French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, German and Hebrew. She received the Medaille de la Ville de Paris for services to French culture. She's included in the GREAT WOMEN MYSTERY WRITERS by Elizabeth Lindsay 2nd editon published in the UK. Her first three novels in the series MURDER IN THE MARAIS, MURDER IN BELLEVILLE AN MURDER IN THE SENTIER - nominated for an Anthony Award as Best Novel - were published in the UK in 2008 and MURDER IN THE LATIN QUARTER comes out in the UK in 2010. Several of her books have been chosen as BookSense Picks and INDIE NEXT choice by the Amerian Association of Independent Bookstores. The Washington Post listed MURDER IN THE RUE DE PARADIS in the Best Fiction Choices of 2008. MURDER IN THE LATIN QUARTER is a finalist for Best Novel Award from the NCIBA Northern California Independent Booksellers Association.

She is currently working on the next book in the Aimée Leduc series.

Reviews

[Ken Fredette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was by far the most enjoyable book that Cara Black has written. One, Aimée gets rid of her ex by killing him off (not Aimée). Two, later in the book she gets to see her mother who takes Chloé to Switzerland for a visit. Three, she gets to meet Isabelle at one of her off site work visit's to help her and her brother. Four, Morbier tricks her into following up and finding both murders and he brings in her mother into the fray. Five, She was hit in the head and ended up blind periodically as she did before. Six, Bellan has problems of his own with renegotiating custody of his kids, he's Aimèe's new flame. Seven, Renè and Saj were into this and helped out in their separate ways. Eight, Sèbastien help her out by utilizing his vast network of houses he's refurbishing. Nine, Aimèe helps other people in this and gets them out of the country. Ten, I can go on with murders of people involved with the case. This goes on with Aimèe solving the case and Bellan gets blown up trying to help Aimèe. And Aimèe saves him before she leaves. This is pieces all out of order to show you it is interesting enough to read Cara's book.

[J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Aimee, how is it that trouble always finds you? I guess that what makes for an exciting read. This time Aimee stumbles across her dying ex, Melac. Then the killer knocks Aimee out and puts the knife in her hand. When she awakes in the hospital she is the number one suspect and her vision issues have returned. She needs to clear herself so she leaves the hospital and hits the street with her bag of disguises and bad vision to find the real killer.
Thanks to NetGalley for an eGalley of this title.

[⚫㊐✨Heather Mc Erlean❦㈦㊏ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know how I missed Cara Black's books, but I won a copy of "Murder at la Villette" on Goodreads. While this book is number 21 in the "An Aimée Leduc Investigation" series, it works as a standalone. Even though you can read it as a standalone, I want to read the others.

Aimée is going through a custody battle with her ex, Jérome Melac, over their three-year-old daughter, Chloé. Since Jérome had been harassing Aimée, she was reluctant to listen to the message she received from him. Aimée tried to talk to Jérome, but it sounded like he was in trouble. When she goes out, she notices a body floating in the canal. Closer inspection proves to be her ex, Jérome. Aimée finds that she is forced to take the murder weapon, a knife, and knocked out. Of course, this means Aimée will have to prove her innocence.

Black does a brilliant job of keeping you on the edge of your seat. Aimée calls for help from her circle of friends and newly found acquaintances. Through a myriad of different contacts, she fights to prove her innocence while fighting the effects of the concussion. The fact that Aimée had prior injuries to her ocular nerve compounds the effects of the concussion. Aimée does a terrific job blending in all surroundings. It is no wonder Aimée has been such a clever private investigator. It is also evident how this series has endured, and I cannot wait to read the rest of the books in this series.

You will love this book if you love murder mysteries. I highly suggest reading this to anyone who does love mysteries.

[Carrie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t realize this was book 21. Maybe if I read the series from the beginning I’d like it more.

As it was, there was way too much French sprinkled throughout the book. Yes this book takes place in France but the book is in English. If we are pretending that when they speak English they are really speaking French, we don’t need so much actual French. It just makes the author seem pretentious.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This mystery series is one of my favorites, and this 21st installment did not disappoint. Aimee is on an undercover assignment, at the same time she is fighting Melac over custody of their daughter, Chloe. Aimee is framed for his murder, and must battle the injuries to her sight, which occurred in a previous book. Another edge of the seat mystery while Aimee tries to find a murderer as well as a serial killer. Highly recommend this series to mystery lovers who want much more than a cozy, with depth and great characters. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

[Kristen Hosty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun book to read! If you like a good murder mystery this is one for you

[Paula Holland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story, interesting cast and great feel of Paris but sadly the use of French expressions/words grated.

[KelleReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always look forward to the next installment of this series, now celebrating 25 years. Aimee remains the complex, conflicted character she was in book one, but she has evolved and grown with each book. This is a compelling mystery full of twists and turns and then there is Paris. What’s not to like? I look forward to the next book from this intelligent, excellent writer.

[Miriam Kahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

For mystery – thriller lovers.

“Murder at la Villette” by Cara Black is the twenty-first investigation by Aimee Leduc, intrepid PI, determined investigator. She's gritty, she's determined, and rather hard-headed, yet Leduc deals with all the clues, large and small all while suffering from a concussion that might leave her blind.

You'll want to read this in one sitting to keep all the names and places straight.

I loved reading more about Paris and the 19th arrondissement. I wish the map in the ARC was more legible. It's poorly pasted together. Of course, that's the ARC.

While Cara Black wraps up Melac’s murder in “Murder at la Villette,” but leaves a few loose ends for Leduc to follow in the nest installment of this clever, Paris based, mystery series.

Thanks to the BookLoft of German Village (Columbus, OH) http://www.bookloft.com for an ARC to read and review

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I eagerly await every entry in this series, so I didn't hesitate to reserve this book from the library.

This time, Aimee is working a cybersecurity gig when she hears one of the higher-ups verbally abusing a cleaning woman. Aimee stands up for Isabelle, who becomes Aimee's staunch ally as she winds up entangled in another case.

This time, it involves Melac ... the father of Aimee's child, who is murdered shortly after the book begins. There is a lot to uncover, literally, much of it involving the couple's contentious relationship.

There are corrupt cops, smuggling gangs, and more in this one. I enjoyed it.

[Tina Panik · Rating 4 out of 5]

A satisfying installment, with references that series fans will enjoy.

[Jessica Diez · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good detective story with adventure, mystery and justice! Loved the French influence and words sprinkled throughout.

[Charles A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ok story until the last 25 or so pages. To super heroish at the point.

[Hadley Noonan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn’t like

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a break from writing the Leduc mysteries, there seems to be a slight shift in this return to the series. Unlike previous book, the translations from the French are far fewer and are less intrusive, to which I say "merci." It also feels as though the break reinvigorated the plot lines, even though there are certain things that appear in every book, sometimes multiple times (we don't really need two-three "best friend Martine" statements unless there's another Martine in the book!).

As for the the mystery, once again Aimee finds herself in a situation that quickly spirals out of control and requires her to call on all her resources (godfather, former colleagues, etc.). I will confess I spent far too much time on my map app following her around the La Villette neighborhood, having only been there once for a brief time. Next trip to Paris, I'm definitely going back! And while much if it is implausibly condensed action, it all seemed to make sense. Except the part where she's in an Orthodox Jewish synagogue and is told that the High Holy Days are soon... but this is April. There are important Jewish holidays in the spring, but the High Holy Days are in the fall. Perhaps that will be fixed in the final version?

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

[Suzanne D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great addition to the continuing story of Aimée Leduc, Cara Black’s indomitable investigator. Twists and turns abound, with Leduc ever moving forward.
Did not see the ending twist coming at all.

Just a note that I did receive an advanced copy from the publisher.

[Dana Clinton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Murder at la Villette (Aimée Leduc Investigations, #21) by Cara Black. I have enjoyed this easy-to-read mystery series set in different locales of Paris in spite of my irritation with the French errors (that's the teacher in me... readers shouldn't be absorbing misspellings or other mistakes, and I continue to wonder why there wasn't a proofreader for the French...) ah, well, anyway, Aimée and her sidekicks are in full form here. Her ex and father of her Chloé is brutally killed in the 19th arrondissement, and Aimée, who comes across him agonizing in a canal, tries to save him, is assaulted in turn, then has the murder weapon, a knife, put into her hand... so she is arrested for suspicion of murder. Because of her own severe injuries, triggering older injuries that threaten her eyesight, she is able to escape the hospital and set about finding out what happened. There are various red herrings and a search for a long-ago serial killer who may be tied to Melac's murder. I had lovely memories of the Buttes Chaumont park near where I lived for one year during my Paris years. The tale is somewhat choppy, I felt, but surprises abound, and our characters stay true to form. A lovely diversion from some heavier reading.

[Lucy]

Too much “I recall my father said, my father’s voice in my ear, my father’s guiding words….” a bit repetitive.

[Cathy Turley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Likes:
-hearing French interspersed with the mostly English-language writing.
-Parisian geography
-complicated main character and twisty plot

Dislikes:
-this book required a more careful listen than I gave it. At end I wasn’t sure who the villains were.
-it might be culturally accurate, but I didn’t like how the main character Aimee frequently spoke about how people owed her and exacting help from them.

[Ray Palen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cara Black and her Aimee Leduc Investigation series is such a powerful mystery series that it has become the standard for both strong female protagonists as well as Parisian based stories.

I firmly believe that the Aimee Leduc series is at its’ best when the plot deals with Aimee on a personal level. Perhaps no story to date in this long-running collection is more personal than her latest, MURDER AT LA VILLLETTE. It is within this tale that Aimee herself becomes the accused who needs to be saved when she is arrested for the alleged murder of her ex-lover, Melac, with whom she was involved in a nasty custody battle with over their daughter Chloe.

Let’s step back for a brief moment and get to the critical moment that found our heroine placed in police custody. We are in April 2002, and the action of the story begins with Aimee on an undercover assignment at a company in Paris. While there, she finds a manager abusing one of the hired cleaning staff and she intervenes. The woman’s name is Isabella, and Aimee promises to stand up for her as a witness to protect her job and ensure this man’s actions were properly punished. She has no idea at this time how valuable an ally she has made in Isabella.

During this assignment she has continued to be harassed by calls from Melac, all concerning the custody case. She is reluctant to even listen to the messages, but for some reason decides to play the most recent one that came late in the evening. The message was quite cryptic, with Melac --- also a private investigator --- claiming to Aimee that he had ‘just seen a ghost.’ She calls him back as she is walking the streets after her day on assignment and he answers with a gurgle, the call then cutting off. She fears he was in trouble and happens to spy along the canal by the drawbridge what looked like a figure floating in the water.

She investigates only to find that the figure was none other than Melac, his throat slashed and bloody as someone obviously attacked him. No sooner did Aimee discover this than she was accosted from behind by someone with an authoritative tone that sounded like a policeman. He subdued her, stuck a bloody knife in her hand and then bashed her over the head so that she would be found with the alleged murder weapon that was used on Melac.

Aimee awakens in the hospital with difficulty seeing. Years earlier on a prior case she received serious damage to her ocular nerve that nearly cost her eyesight. Following examinations, she will then be interrogated by the police as the number one suspect in the murder of Melac. She contacted her godfather and mentor, Commissarie Morbier, to be there with her and use whatever influence he could to get her freed and back to her daughter Chloe as she knew she was not guilty of this crime.

When the interrogation, as well as the lack of assistance from Morbier, does not seem to make for a rosy outcome --- Aimee finds the first opportunity to flee. Now, on the run and wanted for Melac’s slaying, she must attempt to work the case herself to clear her name so she can return to her daughter before she loses both of her parents. The first guardian angel she runs into is the very same Isabelle that she helped out earlier. It turns out that Isabelle works with a local biker gang and has a side gig pedaling wholesale cigarettes. She and the gang take Aimee in and provide her cover. They also are the eyes and ears of the neighborhood and will assist with any evidence they can uncover with the Melac case.

Meanwhile, Aimee begins her private campaign to obtain freedom by speaking with those who might be able to help. When she chats with a young research assistant named Emile, he makes her aware of the decades old cold case involving the serial killer known as le Belafre, who raped and murdered both young women and grandmothers in ritualistic fashion from 1986-1994. Since he was never brought to justice, word has it that he might be back at work again. Could he have been the ‘ghost’ that Melac saw the night of his murder? If so, could he be a current or former police officer to explain why Morbier backed off when Aimee told her story about someone else at the site of the murder?

Aimee dives deep into the le Belafre file with the assistance of her work colleagues Rene and Saj. She then proceeds to speak with anyone who was impacted by the nineteen murders the serial killer committed to try and learn if there could possibly be a recurrence of these crimes or a vigilante acting out in revenge against him. As things get deeper and more deadly, Aimee realizes she does not know who she can trust. Even her current boyfriend who works with the police refuses to assist her --- making her believe that the ‘blue wall of silence’ was indeed working against her and she truly was alone.

She turns up both good and bad clues and/or red herrings and receives some unexpected help along the way in the form of her CIA Agent estranged American mother. Even with some sort of assistance, Aimee is still in constant peril and Cara Black continues to throw one roadblock after another in her way straight through to the surprising conclusion. MURDER AT LA VILLETTE is indeed one of the finest entries in the Aimee Leduc series and finds her entire litany of friends and family involved in the most personal and confounding case of her career.

Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter

[Bookreporter.com Mystery & Thriller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cara Black’s Aimée Leduc novels are such powerful mysteries that this long-running series has become the standard for strong female protagonists and Parisian-based stories. I firmly believe that these books are at their best when the plot deals with Aimée on a personal level. No story to date is more personal than this 21st and latest entry, MURDER AT LA VILLLETTE.

It is 2002, and Aimée is on an undercover assignment at a company in Paris. While there, she finds a manager abusing one of the hired cleaning staff and promptly intervenes. Aimée promises to stand up for Isabelle as a witness to protect her job and ensure that the actions against her are properly punished. She has no idea at this time how valuable an ally she has made in Isabelle.

Meanwhile, Aimée continues to be harassed by calls from her ex-lover, Jérome Melac, all concerning a nasty custody battle involving their three-year-old daughter, Chloé. She is reluctant to even listen to the messages, but for some reason she decides to play the most recent one. It is quite cryptic as Melac, a police detective, claims that he has “just seen a ghost.” She calls him back, and he answers with a gurgle before the call cuts off. She fears he’s in serious trouble and happens to spy along the canal by the drawbridge what looks like a figure floating in the water.

It turns out to be none other than Melac, an obvious victim of an attack as his throat has been slashed. No sooner does Aimée make this gruesome discovery than she is accosted from behind by someone with an authoritative tone who sounds like a policeman. He subdues her, sticks a bloody knife in her hand, and bashes her over the head so she would be found with the murder weapon that was used on Melac.

Aimée wakes up in the hospital and has difficulty seeing. Years earlier on a prior case, she sustained serious damage to her ocular nerve that nearly cost her her eyesight. Following examinations, she will be interrogated by the police as the prime suspect in Melac’s murder. She contacts her godfather and mentor, Commissarie Morbier, to be there with her and use whatever influence he can to get her freed and back to Chloé as she knows she did not commit this crime.

When the interrogation, as well as the lack of assistance from Morbier, does not seem to make for a rosy outcome, Aimée finds the first opportunity to flee. Now on the run and wanted for Melac’s slaying, she must attempt to work the case herself to clear her name so she can return to her precious daughter. The first guardian angel she runs into is the very same Isabelle she helped out earlier. It turns out that Isabelle works with a local biker gang and has a side gig pedaling wholesale cigarettes. They take Aimée in and provide her cover. They also are the eyes and ears of the neighborhood and will assist with any evidence they can uncover about the case.

Aimée begins her private campaign to obtain freedom by speaking with those who might be able to help. A young research assistant makes her aware of the decades-old case involving the serial killer known as le Belafre, who raped and murdered both young women and grandmothers in ritualistic fashion from 1986-1994. Since he was never brought to justice, word has it that he might be back at work again. Could he have been the “ghost” Melac saw the night of his murder? If so, might he be a current or former police officer, which could explain why Morbier backed off when Aimée told her story about someone else being at the scene of the crime?

As the situation gets more dire and deadlier, Aimée realizes that she does not know who she can trust. Even her current boyfriend, who works with the police, refuses to assist her --- making her believe that the “blue wall of silence” is indeed working against her and that she truly is alone. She turns up both good and bad clues and/or red herrings and receives unexpected help along the way. Even with some sort of assistance, Aimée is still in constant peril, and Cara Black continues to throw one roadblock after another her way straight through to the surprising conclusion.

MURDER AT LA VILLETTE is indeed one of the finest entries in this series as Aimée’s entire litany of friends and family are involved in the most personal and confounding case of her career.

Reviewed by Ray Palen

[Sheri Metzger Karmiol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder at la Villette is the 21st novel in the Aimee Leduc Investigations series. It is also the first novel in this series that I have read. Although I have not read any of Cara Black's novels, it was easy to follow Murder at la Villette and pick up on the characters and who they are. Although number 21 in a series, Murder at la Villette can be read as a stand alone novel. There is little development of characters, who move in and out of the action with little notice. As a result, their histories becomes unimportant.

There are a lot of characters in Murder at la Villette, but it is easy to keep track of them. Aimee is the suspect in the murder of her daughter's father. As she goes into hiding, she has what appears to be a dozen or more different disguises that she is able to pull out of a small bag. Although she is supposedly tracked by police, she moves around Paris at will. The ending, when it appears, is anticlimactic. Perhaps that is why there are multiple endings. Admittedly, I am not a fan of novels that end with a twist and so the ending is not really the ending. It is a bit like a dead villain getting up and needing to be made dead again. Murder at la Villette has many twists at the ending(s).

Murder at la Villette is a book best enjoyed by a reader who can resist all logic and reality. Black's novel is like an action film, and in fact, I kept seeing it was an action film. The many disguises help to create that movie image, as well. This is a short novel that moves quickly. I want to thank the publisher Soho Press and NetGalley for sending this ARC for me to read and review. I suspect Black's many fans will enjoy this 21st outing for the Aimee Leduc series. My score is 3.5, bumped up to 4 stars for the fans who will be awaiting this next novel in the series.

[Julie H. Ernstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delight to come across a new Cara Black in an airport bookstore! I adore the Aimee Leduc series and it mattered not one whit that I'd missed a few instalments between whichever one I had read most recently and Murder at la Villette, book #21 in the series.

The action opens with Aimee's ex, Melac stubbornly working a surveillance job unrelated to his usual counter-terrorism work, only to get the call that his mission is aborted and deciding he'll wait and accost Aimee whom he's traced to her most recent undercover investigation in a sketchy part of the 19th arrondissement down by a canal leading to the Bassin de la Villette. Black perfectly captures their incompatible temperaments and, once Melac sees someone he should not see (a "ghost"), it's only moments before he's tossed in the canal and an unsuspecting Aimee stumbles upon him, only to be beaten severely and framed as Melac's killer.

Aimee is at her most frustratingly, stubbornly resourceful here and the whole cast of characters we've come to know over decades of this highly enjoyable series are brought to bear on assisting her--directly or entirely obliquely--in getting things sorted. You've got government corruption, child custody battles, bikers and neighborhood vigilantes, government-subsidized medical care for needy family members, and justifiably paranoid journalists. All told a very enjoyable outing in a part of the city the average traveler will not encounter. Cara Black always manages to makes Paris, the city whose motto is Fluctuat nec murgitur not just a backdrop but a major character in Aimee's cases. (Psst, for fans of her co-workers at Leduc Investigations, Rene and Saj, Murder at la Villette does not disappoint.)

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aimee Leduc, detective, gymnast extraordinaire, fashionista and mom, is at it again. Always in trouble with the Paris police and Le Proc, who is sort of like a states attorney, she finds herself knocked out and covered with her ex-boyfriend and baby daddy's blood. He , Melac, is, you guessed it, dead, having been stabbed with the very knife Aimee was found with. Ai yi yi.
So Aimee has to escape from police custody, hand her daughter Cloe over to friends so Social Services won't take her away, and find out who really killed Melac and why. Oh, yes, did I mention that she also periodically loses her sight due to a blow on her head that aggravates an old injury. All the while, she feels she must be snotty to the very people who try to help her, her godfather, Morbier, and her mother, Sydney Leduc, who disappeared when Aimee was still in grade school and turns up periodically under mysterious circumstances.
During her investigation, Aimee hides out in construction sites, in local parks and occasionally with friends. She runs from place to place, tracking down parents of teenagers who died of drug overdoses, former journalists and coworkers who Aimee assisted in the past. This book has great descriptions of the less touristy side of Paris and the people who live there.

[Kathleen Pappas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the most recent episode in the Aimee Leduc, private investigator series set in Paris. While most are set pre 2000, this one takes place in 2002. As readers of this series know, each murder is set in one of the 20 arrondissements of Paris in which the author's descriptions are intricate and inviting. I love the vintage-clothed main character and her cohort: designer clad partner Rene, a "little person" (dwarf); Saj, the yogi, her tech assistant when not clearing her chakras; Mobier, her retired policeman godfather, daughter Chloe, her American-born hippie mother serving as an undercover agent; and Aimee's frequent beau du story. Without revealing too much of the plot, I found it a bit convoluted and more dangerous for Aimee than in previous books. While involved in a custody battle for Chloe, and on assignment (undercover), Aimee comes across one murder in the gritty 19th arrondissement which led to another. The story involves a tattoo parlor covering as a front for illegal cigarette sales, a connection to Brittany, a sadistic killer, and an assumed identity. I think Clara Black fans will like this story despite its more graphic elements.

[Scilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aimee is leaving the place where she has been working in la Villette, when she gets a call from her ex, the father of her daughter. Melac has been trying to get her to move with their daughter to Brittany where he has been living. In a message from him, she hears him say something about seeing a ghost and he is waiting for her near the canal. She heads that way to find that he is bleeding in the canal. As she tries to save him, someone knocks her windpipe, and then puts a bloody knife into her hands and cuffs her hands behind her. She hears him say that he has killed 2 birds with one stone and runs away. The police find her finger prints on the knife and she becomes the main suspect. Morbier gets her into the hospital, and as she begins to be a little better she manages to slip out of the hospital.

However, still not feeling totally better, she has to slip from place to place and solve the murder of her former husband before the police find her and put her in prison. The book is a very exciting series in Paris.

I thank Netgalley and Soho press for the chance to read the book before publication.

[Susan Pober · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher & to NetGalley for permission to read "Murder at la Villette", another acction-packed Cara Black mystery. Once again private detective Aimee Leduc is thrown into a whirlpool of police corruption and murder. This time, it is the father of her child who is murdered and Aimee's search to find the killer is made more difficult because she has been framed for the killing and the police are searching for her.
Although I sometimes found it a little difficult to keep track of all the characters coming in and out of her life, Ms Black keeps the reader fully entertained by the twists and turns of the story. (And I also appreciate the French words thrown in throughout the book. Thank you, Ms. Black for helping me practice my French!)
Although there are some gory details described throughout the book, I think that readers who enjoy twists and turns in a good mystery, will enjoy "Murder at La Villette.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Aimée Leduc series is one of my guilty pleasures/comfort reads. I have read every one in the series, and for the most part in order. Yes, after a few days, I could not tell you one plot from the other, but that's okay. While I am reading them, I am absorbed, I am entertained, and I am temporarily distracted from the real world, which is what matters. Throughout the series, I have gotten to know Aimée, her knack for finding trouble, her disastrous love life, her godfather Morbier, her wonderful colleague René, (wake up Aimée!) and how her life has progressed. I will also admit that I love the fact that it is in Paris, set in a slightly earlier time than ours, by about twenty years. If this series sounds at all appealing to you, I highly recommend it.

[Harvee Lau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned about another section of Paris, the 19th arrondissement. Here, Aimee Leduc's former lover is killed, by the banks of the Seine, with Aimee as a witness and later a suspect. She goes into hiding from the police, trying to clear her name and find out the reason behind the murder.

I enjoyed reading about the buildings in this section of Paris, and the descriptions that showed the age of some of the structures, the narrow alleys, hidden courtyards, out of the way shops, etc. I also saw that Paris still holds on to the past, as the past is written into so much of the city, and on every street there seems something historical happened.

The plot is interesting, the action suspenseful. I look forward to more of Aimee's adventures in Paris in the next book in the series.

[Marilyn Skowron · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Set-Up

Undercover in a computer-related job, Aimee is contacted by her ex, who left her a cryptic message. This begins a harrowing investigation of a serial killer along with Aimee running from the police after being set-up for a murder. With multiple disguises, and many close calls, Aimee tries to discover the real murderer and, at the same time, solve the case of a serial killer who haunted the neighborhood long ago. What makes this case even more difficult is Aimee's episodes of re-occurring blindness. This strength of this mystery is the ability of the author to compel the reader to keep on reading.
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