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Victor Legris #6
Strangled in Paris
The coast of Normandy, France, 1894: A mysterious young woman is rescued by an anonymous man after a deadly shipwreck. Paris, a few months later: The body of a well-dressed woman in a velvet mask is found in the abattoir district of La Villette in Paris. Next to the brutally strangled corpse, the drunk watchman—who witnessed the crime but was too terrified to intervene—finds a pendant featuring a black unicorn. Newly married bookseller Victor Legris is asked by an acquaintance to solve the murder of Louise Fontane, but he is initially baffled by the case. Louise was poor, so where did her finery come from? And what is the significance of the black unicorn?
Within days, two more murders startle Paris—both victims were well-respected and seemingly wealthy, both have been killed in a similar fashion, both men's apartments have been defaced and ransacked, and both were members of the Black Unicorn Society, an organization bent on finding the philosopher's stone. Victor and his assistant (and brother-in-law), Jojo, struggle to draw the connections between the murders. And they struggle to keep their sleuthing from their wives, who frown upon their interest in mysteries. As their secret investigation progresses, they discover that in belle époque Paris, young girls with no money or background are as ruthlessly preyed on as ever they were. . . .
Within days, two more murders startle Paris—both victims were well-respected and seemingly wealthy, both have been killed in a similar fashion, both men's apartments have been defaced and ransacked, and both were members of the Black Unicorn Society, an organization bent on finding the philosopher's stone. Victor and his assistant (and brother-in-law), Jojo, struggle to draw the connections between the murders. And they struggle to keep their sleuthing from their wives, who frown upon their interest in mysteries. As their secret investigation progresses, they discover that in belle époque Paris, young girls with no money or background are as ruthlessly preyed on as ever they were. . . .
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
5 people are currently reading
277 people want to read
About the author
Claude Izner
64 books86 followersPseudonym of Liliane Korb (1940) and her sister Laurence Korb (1951) known as well as Laurence Lefèvre.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
July 30, 2013
I really, really wanted to like this book, but in the end, I can't say more than it was just okay. As i was reading, I couldn't escape the feeling that I was late to a party where everyone else already knew each other very well--and I suppose that, given it's part of a series, that ought to be expected, but my fave pulp serial mystery men and women never leave me feeling so much on the outside looking in, so to speak.
As an editor, I felt like cutting at least half a dozen characters and reworking some of the translations. The book was originally written in French, and in parts, the translation was groan-worthy with its excessive "top o' the mornin' guvnah!" anglicizations. The ending was also kind of unsatisfying. Come to think of it, maybe "it was okay" is a bit on the generous side. It was--? I'm not even sure I'd recommend it to my nears and dears...
As an editor, I felt like cutting at least half a dozen characters and reworking some of the translations. The book was originally written in French, and in parts, the translation was groan-worthy with its excessive "top o' the mornin' guvnah!" anglicizations. The ending was also kind of unsatisfying. Come to think of it, maybe "it was okay" is a bit on the generous side. It was--? I'm not even sure I'd recommend it to my nears and dears...
July 14, 2021
Well...that's done. And a good thing too. I've finished the last of six books by Izner that will allow me to complete my commitment for the Six Shooter Challenge. And that's pretty much all I've got to say about that. This historical series ought to have a lot going for it--set in Paris at the turn of the 19th C. Interesting background and a well-done descriptions of the city. But--it all falls flat. Every single time. This particular entry seemed to have even more extraneous people and storylines than usual, confusing the issues and definitely not propelling the story along. And Joseph isn't even very appealing as an investigator this time.
There are also a few things I've grown tired of over the course of this series.
~Victor and Joseph lying to everyone in their lives about what their doing. Every time they go off to investigate something, they tell their girlfriends--now wives, their bookshop partner, their mother, etc. that they're off to see a potential customer or someone who had a fabulous set of books to sell...Do they really think that no one notices that they don't sell anymore books than usual or that they never come back with any of these fabulous books to add to the shop's stock?
~All the inept and complaining women--Joseph's mother; Micheline Ballu, the concierge of the building where the bookshop is; and the new house maid for the apartments/bookshop. It gets on my nerves.
~Convoluted plots with very little payoff.
There are six more books in this series...I can say with great certainty that I won't be reading them. ★★
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
There are also a few things I've grown tired of over the course of this series.
~Victor and Joseph lying to everyone in their lives about what their doing. Every time they go off to investigate something, they tell their girlfriends--now wives, their bookshop partner, their mother, etc. that they're off to see a potential customer or someone who had a fabulous set of books to sell...Do they really think that no one notices that they don't sell anymore books than usual or that they never come back with any of these fabulous books to add to the shop's stock?
~All the inept and complaining women--Joseph's mother; Micheline Ballu, the concierge of the building where the bookshop is; and the new house maid for the apartments/bookshop. It gets on my nerves.
~Convoluted plots with very little payoff.
There are six more books in this series...I can say with great certainty that I won't be reading them. ★★
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
May 30, 2017
This caught my eye in the library, and when I saw that the author is really two sisters who are secondhand booksellers on the Seine (aka "bouquinistes"), naturally I had to check it out. Then I read that the detectives own a bookshop in Paris, so that really sealed the deal. The best part was when the story moved to Paris and it became clear that much of the action was taking place in the street where my friends live. So I can picture the street, and it probably looks pretty nearly the same as it did when the book is taking place, which is added enjoyment. Throwing in lots of real details from the time period adds to the fun, too.
Having said all that, we're not talking high literary value here, folks: Nice serviceable prose that fits the genre, that's what you get. I don't think it's the translation, either: There's a kind of romance-novel side of the book that is off-putting, at least for me. If you like Paris, and history, you might give it a go.
Having said all that, we're not talking high literary value here, folks: Nice serviceable prose that fits the genre, that's what you get. I don't think it's the translation, either: There's a kind of romance-novel side of the book that is off-putting, at least for me. If you like Paris, and history, you might give it a go.
October 15, 2018
Questa serie mi piace molto per la sua ambietazione molto curata.
Si ha come l'impressione di essere fisicamente a parigi!
Mi piace anche il fatto che alcune parti siano rimaste in lingua.
Il caso, come sempre, è ingarbugliato e si allaccia al passato.
Altro lato interessante del libro è che le vite dei protagonisti principali trovano largo spazio nella trama.
Si ha come l'impressione di essere fisicamente a parigi!
Mi piace anche il fatto che alcune parti siano rimaste in lingua.
Il caso, come sempre, è ingarbugliato e si allaccia al passato.
Altro lato interessante del libro è che le vite dei protagonisti principali trovano largo spazio nella trama.
August 9, 2014
I'm a huge Francophile. I've spent months in Paris, I take French lessons, and have read countless books about and set in France and Paris, fictional and historical, including the previous five or six books in this series. If anyone is supposed to like these books, it's me.
Unfortunately, they just aren't that good. I don't know whether to attribute the poor writing to the translation or the fact that they are written by two sisters or a combination of both, but the stories have gotten progressively worse from book to book. The characters are all exactly the same as they were in book one, without any growth or depth; the dialogue is hokey; every mystery is solved by a character leaving a detailed letter admitting guilt and explaining every detail of the crime, or an overly long monologue of the same nature; everyone feels the need to burst into song at some point, and all the songs are footnoted, so the authors can show off their knowledge of French musical history? Admittedly, they do know a great deal about La Belle Epoque Paris. But the details they choose to include are bizarrely impersonal and don't add a ton to the story other than time-and-date references.
There are always a million spare characters, with first and last names, full back stories, and horribly convoluted attachments to the main plot. There will be a page devoted to the back story of an old maid, who will then walk to the door of her boss's bedroom, who she'll find reading a letter, from someone who died, whose death will then be investigated by the protagonist and series namesake, Victor Legris. It's like, get there faster!
I wish this series was better than it is. It has all the elements to make a great story, but too little actual talent to pull it off. And this is coming from someone who has a lifesize cardboard Parisian street lamp in their office for a touch of whimsy. Quelle dommage.
Unfortunately, they just aren't that good. I don't know whether to attribute the poor writing to the translation or the fact that they are written by two sisters or a combination of both, but the stories have gotten progressively worse from book to book. The characters are all exactly the same as they were in book one, without any growth or depth; the dialogue is hokey; every mystery is solved by a character leaving a detailed letter admitting guilt and explaining every detail of the crime, or an overly long monologue of the same nature; everyone feels the need to burst into song at some point, and all the songs are footnoted, so the authors can show off their knowledge of French musical history? Admittedly, they do know a great deal about La Belle Epoque Paris. But the details they choose to include are bizarrely impersonal and don't add a ton to the story other than time-and-date references.
There are always a million spare characters, with first and last names, full back stories, and horribly convoluted attachments to the main plot. There will be a page devoted to the back story of an old maid, who will then walk to the door of her boss's bedroom, who she'll find reading a letter, from someone who died, whose death will then be investigated by the protagonist and series namesake, Victor Legris. It's like, get there faster!
I wish this series was better than it is. It has all the elements to make a great story, but too little actual talent to pull it off. And this is coming from someone who has a lifesize cardboard Parisian street lamp in their office for a touch of whimsy. Quelle dommage.
April 20, 2016
Victor Legris, a photographer/bookseller, sleuths around the streets of Paris during the 19th century occult craze in search of the murderer of Lulu Fontane. Unlike most mysteries that have an air of dark weariness, this spritely delight of a novel is a fun read, despite the depressingly dark deeds at the root of this tale. Robust, sybaritic characters burst with life as the mystery unfolds at a brisk pace. Even the insults are snappy, “either you are a simpleton, or you have a singularly eccentric sense of humor.” All loose ends are neatly tied in the perfect epilogue. What joyful mysteries!
April 8, 2016
I found this book a little hard to get into but having done so, I enjoyed the two storyline interweaving as they did, being a romantic at heart I loved the ending. The translation was good and the period of the times was really bought out, I almost felt that I was there. A book to savour
This book was provided to me in return for an honest and unbiased review
This book was provided to me in return for an honest and unbiased review
December 11, 2014
My fave so far. Our bookseller-sleuths & their families are changing in interesting ways. There's a mysterious beginning & a satisfying ending. Along the way we learn about the Catch-22s for women in 19th century France - horrific. At risk of a spoiler, I'll say no more.
January 18, 2018
First pages: Man rescues a young woman, nearly drowned, then sexually assaults her while she’s unconscious. This is presented as being unproblematic. DNF
February 23, 2022
Strangled in Paris is the sixth novel in the Victor Legris Mystery Series. In this novel, set in Paris, there are several murders where well-dressed, seemingly wealthy but actually poor women are brutally strangled. Pendants featuring the Black Unicorn Society (an organization devoted to finding the philosopher's stone) are left at the scenes. Victor Legris is asked by an acquaintance to solve the murders.
Francophiles everywhere have been enjoying these mysteries which are excellent, and this sixth novel is the best yet. Victor is a likeable character and is well-developed; his skills are surprising, and are just what is needed to solve these horrible crimes. Anyone who has been to Paris will appreciate that even though the novel is circa 1890s, it is true-to-form even now (Modern Paris hasn’t lost its old historical allure). Those who haven’t been to Paris will see that this novel is very charming and it will make them want to book a flight to Paris.
Izner’s writing is excellent, albeit very French, and he captures the ambience of Paris. He exhibits a witty and fun style that will appeal to those who don’t take their novels too seriously but expect a good story and dénouement.
This series is highly recommended; readers will enjoy Strangled in Paris and will immediately want to read the remaining books in the series. There is plenty of building suspense, as well as surprises. Victor is the perfect protagonist for this series, and Izner has outdone himself in this sixth installment.
Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.
Francophiles everywhere have been enjoying these mysteries which are excellent, and this sixth novel is the best yet. Victor is a likeable character and is well-developed; his skills are surprising, and are just what is needed to solve these horrible crimes. Anyone who has been to Paris will appreciate that even though the novel is circa 1890s, it is true-to-form even now (Modern Paris hasn’t lost its old historical allure). Those who haven’t been to Paris will see that this novel is very charming and it will make them want to book a flight to Paris.
Izner’s writing is excellent, albeit very French, and he captures the ambience of Paris. He exhibits a witty and fun style that will appeal to those who don’t take their novels too seriously but expect a good story and dénouement.
This series is highly recommended; readers will enjoy Strangled in Paris and will immediately want to read the remaining books in the series. There is plenty of building suspense, as well as surprises. Victor is the perfect protagonist for this series, and Izner has outdone himself in this sixth installment.
Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.
May 24, 2024
Puntuale come un orologio
Arriva l'annuale giallo dedicato alle indagini di Victor Legris, sullo sfondo della Parigi del 1894. Questa volta il mistero che intriga il libraio- sempre meno libraio e sempre più detective privato con l'hobby della fotografia- riguarda la misteriosa morte di una fanciulla, inspiegabilmente legata ad un'associazione segreta a fini di lucro che erge a suo simbolo un liocorno nero.
Come sempre siamo trascinati in un credibile sfondo storico dove la povertà e la miseria fanno da contraccolpo alla belle époque che invece imperversa nella Parigi bene; oramai, per chi come me legge le sorelle bouquiniste che si celano sotto lo pseudonimo di Claude Izner fin dal primo romanzo, i personaggi della saga sono quasi amici, comunque conoscenti graditi che è bello seguire nelle loro evoluzioni e nella maturità che, ormai, hanno raggiunto. Jo-Jo, il commesso autore di feulleitons è diventato cognato di Victor e genero dell'adorabile Mori, Tasa si è arresa al matrimonio con tanto di gatta incinta, Iris ha fatto la fine della gatta e sullo sfondo troneggia la figura- nuova- di una marinaio innamorato e silenzioso.
Gustoso davvero.
Arriva l'annuale giallo dedicato alle indagini di Victor Legris, sullo sfondo della Parigi del 1894. Questa volta il mistero che intriga il libraio- sempre meno libraio e sempre più detective privato con l'hobby della fotografia- riguarda la misteriosa morte di una fanciulla, inspiegabilmente legata ad un'associazione segreta a fini di lucro che erge a suo simbolo un liocorno nero.
Come sempre siamo trascinati in un credibile sfondo storico dove la povertà e la miseria fanno da contraccolpo alla belle époque che invece imperversa nella Parigi bene; oramai, per chi come me legge le sorelle bouquiniste che si celano sotto lo pseudonimo di Claude Izner fin dal primo romanzo, i personaggi della saga sono quasi amici, comunque conoscenti graditi che è bello seguire nelle loro evoluzioni e nella maturità che, ormai, hanno raggiunto. Jo-Jo, il commesso autore di feulleitons è diventato cognato di Victor e genero dell'adorabile Mori, Tasa si è arresa al matrimonio con tanto di gatta incinta, Iris ha fatto la fine della gatta e sullo sfondo troneggia la figura- nuova- di una marinaio innamorato e silenzioso.
Gustoso davvero.
November 13, 2019
This might be a good series but this was definitely not the place to jump in. I had no idea what the character relationships were, and they seem quite complicated. I also had a hard time caring about the mystery generally, and I wanted a better sense of the Parisian setting. (Late 19th-century Paris is my favorite topic - I wrote my senior thesis on it! - and I struggled to feel like I was located there vs. any other city.) Despite sending the main character to many locations, it seemed like there was no real plot-advancing purpose other than to show off the authors' expertise of Paris, and even then the sense of place fell flat.
November 2, 2019
3.5/5⭐️
This was a book I read for my #whodunitthesequel book swap club on Litsy.
While the mystery/story was fine, I had two issues with it. First, it was sixth in a series that I had never heard of, and I found it hard to keep the characters names/relationships straight. In other words, I felt that I was missing A LOT of backstory. Second, there were some abrupt shifts in place/narrative throughout the book that were a bit disorienting and frustrating to me.
Might like to go back to beginning and play catch-up on this one...and give the series another chance.
This was a book I read for my #whodunitthesequel book swap club on Litsy.
While the mystery/story was fine, I had two issues with it. First, it was sixth in a series that I had never heard of, and I found it hard to keep the characters names/relationships straight. In other words, I felt that I was missing A LOT of backstory. Second, there were some abrupt shifts in place/narrative throughout the book that were a bit disorienting and frustrating to me.
Might like to go back to beginning and play catch-up on this one...and give the series another chance.
January 23, 2020
Paris en 1894. Comme dans les précédentes aventures, l'intrigue est élaborée, le vocabulaire est riche et le style toujours autant travaillé. Le personnage de Joseph prend plus d'importance dans ce sixième tome (au détriment de Kenji). Tasha est également un peu en retrait. Cependant avec Iris qui va accoucher et qui s'adonne à l'écriture, on peut supposer que le prochain livre lui fera la part belle.
June 10, 2019
This series, unfortunately, has never caught my imagination or fully captured my attention - this one especially felt like homework. Why? I have no idea - perhaps the florid dialogue? It's a solid, final pass for me.
I received in ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received in ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 8, 2019
This book has way too many characters and the story is kind of hard to follow. There's a lot of story that doesn't seem to matter to the plot. I know it's part of a series, and I was thinking of starting at book 1, but other reviewers make it sound like I won't like the other books either.
I'm moving on to other mysteries.
I'm moving on to other mysteries.
December 1, 2020
The research is more important than the story
This book would make no sense if you haven’t read the others in the series, in order. Some historical fiction puts research over character and plot. See Louis L’Amour or James Michener. If you like that sort of book, you’ll love this series. Just be sure to read them in order.
This book would make no sense if you haven’t read the others in the series, in order. Some historical fiction puts research over character and plot. See Louis L’Amour or James Michener. If you like that sort of book, you’ll love this series. Just be sure to read them in order.
March 2, 2023
This book is actually written by 2 sisters who are French. I was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable the writing was. Sometimes translated books don’t read as poetically as the original. It is a mystery and takes us all over Paris. Enjoyed it.
March 24, 2018
I'll admit that I found this one difficult to read. After several affluent people in Paris, newlywed Victor Legris takes up the search for the killer. A pendant of a black unicorn plays a role.
October 25, 2020
This is the second book I’ve read in this series and they are an enjoyable read. Quite complex to follow but with excellent period detail and interesting characters. A good dollop of humour also .
March 15, 2017
È carino ma non è all'altezza dei primi secondo me, i personaggi nominati sono molti e non vengono approfonditi tutti bene, è un po' affrettato. Anche la sottotrama dei protagonisti è poco sviluppata.
January 17, 2017
VERDICT: Nice evocation of the setting, but too convoluted and many characters to be fully enjoyable.
my full review is here:
https://wordsandpeace.com/2017/01/16/...
my full review is here:
https://wordsandpeace.com/2017/01/16/...
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July 1, 2017I tried, but this is just not working for me. The description of the book seemed very interesting, but after reading one third I just gave up. There are sooo many facts regarding the late 19th century just thrown at the reader... Names of people known from history are all put together in different circumstances and this strategy doesn't actually add anything to the story, even if the dates match. It's basically an encyclopedia of the period put together in a fictional story.
Next, there are numerous modern concerns inserted as being present in that time period and I don't really like this approach. For me it's very clear how modernity impregnates the pages, even if it's supposed to be historical fiction. The story covers subjects such as vegetarianism, labor and wage norms, everyday costs, overcrowding in sewing factories -- these are all real and present elements that we still discuss today, but the way we think about them is completely different. One error people commit when dealing with history is judging it by current ways of thinking and modern conceptions. It doesn't work like that and we have to understand history as it was, for the people living then. I think it's simply impractical to compare things in this manner.
Whatever story is told in this book fades because of the other elements that don't have anything to do with it. It feels clustered. So, this book definitely wasn't the right choice for me.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Next, there are numerous modern concerns inserted as being present in that time period and I don't really like this approach. For me it's very clear how modernity impregnates the pages, even if it's supposed to be historical fiction. The story covers subjects such as vegetarianism, labor and wage norms, everyday costs, overcrowding in sewing factories -- these are all real and present elements that we still discuss today, but the way we think about them is completely different. One error people commit when dealing with history is judging it by current ways of thinking and modern conceptions. It doesn't work like that and we have to understand history as it was, for the people living then. I think it's simply impractical to compare things in this manner.
Whatever story is told in this book fades because of the other elements that don't have anything to do with it. It feels clustered. So, this book definitely wasn't the right choice for me.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 9, 2017
What a disappointment. The beginning was so great: A storm in Normandy and a boat that sinks on the horizon, a woman found half dead on the beach, saved by an old hermit with a troubled past. The man finds the woman's secret journal. She's back from a long journey in the US. He decides to follow her to Paris after he has saved her life. Then, of course, murders start and the members of the Elzévir library are on it. To add to the mystery, there is the black unicorn and people searching for the philosopher's stone. But by the middle of the book, the story slows down and then we learn that the plot hinges elsewhere and that there is not much, if anything, to the US journey, boat accident and club of the black unicorn. Still a nice read overall, but I hoped for more.
January 16, 2018
La descrizione della Parigi fin de siècle, è il 1894, è impeccabile e fa immergere il lettore perfettamente in un'atmosfera affascinante dove era normale incontrare personaggi come Emile Zola, Claude Débussy, il doganiere Rousseau.
Ormai ai personaggi sono affezionata e mi piace lo spazio sempre maggiore dato a Joseph che è davvero simpatico e 'figlio del suo tempo'. Ora devo andare avanti col seguito e sapere del bambino che deve nascere.
Il giallo? Ma questo libro non si legge solo come giallo, altrimenti sarebbe un po' svilirlo.
Ormai ai personaggi sono affezionata e mi piace lo spazio sempre maggiore dato a Joseph che è davvero simpatico e 'figlio del suo tempo'. Ora devo andare avanti col seguito e sapere del bambino che deve nascere.
Il giallo? Ma questo libro non si legge solo come giallo, altrimenti sarebbe un po' svilirlo.
August 4, 2014
A fin de siecle mystery set in Paris. Two Parisian booksellers set about to solve the murder of a young woman. This is the first book I have read in this series which featured Victor Legris as the crime solver. I truly enjoyed the historic scenes of the Normandy coast, the Paris abbatoirs and the poorest Paris neighborhoods. However, I felt I would have connected to the main characters better had I read an early book in the series.
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May 20, 2012Ce livre est bien meilleur que le premier que j'avais lu du m?me auteur "Myst?re rue des Saints-P?res". L'inrigue est plus int?ressante et plus fournie. La description de la soci?t? parisienne et des conditions de vie ? cette ?poque est fouill?e. En conclusion, un bon moment de lecture pour se divertir.
December 3, 2013
This seems to be a middle book in a series. I should probably read them in order if I choose to continue. There was plenty of action in the story, but I found the characters did not come to life for me.
July 9, 2014
With this series of mysteries by Claude Izner (pseudonym of 2 sisters who own a bookstore in Paris) I found myself much more interested in the characters lives and their interaction with each other--than i did in the mystery itself.Gave an excellent picture of life in Paris in the 1800's.
October 26, 2013
An interesting adventure through Belle Époque Paris.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews