Mademoiselle muss heute sterben

Victor Legris #3

by Claude Izner, Gaby Wurster (Translator)

Paris, 1891. Als im IX. Arrondissement eine ganz in Rot gekleidete Maedchenleiche gefunden wird, sieht sich der Buchhaendler Victor Legris dazu gezwungen, in einem Todesfall zu ermitteln. Denn es ist ausgerechnet das Briefpapier seiner Buchhandlung, das in dem unweit vom Tatort gefundenen Stoeckelschuh steckt.

"Erlesene, historisch fundierte Hochspannung. Ein packender Ausflug in die Vergangenheit."
Muenchner Merkur

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Historical Fiction, Fiction, France, Historical, Historical Mystery

352 pages, Hardcover

First published November 6, 2003

About the author

Pseudonym of Liliane Korb (1940) and her sister Laurence Korb (1951) known as well as Laurence Lefèvre.

Reviews

[Antonella Imperiali · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parigi, 1891.

Questa volta è il quartiere di Montmartre che fa da sfondo ad una catena di delitti.
Storia che però non mi ha coinvolta molto, un po' ingarbugliata, con tanti, troppi personaggi e che trova i maggiori riferimenti in fatti accaduti qualche anno prima in un'altra città.
E comunque tutti questi delitti sono stati dettati da un'unica ragione: l'amore tradito.

Per quanta strada fanno i protagonisti, mi sarebbe tornata utile una cartina della Parigi dell'epoca... Mi sono stancata anch'io a stargli dietro e a un certo punto mi sono persa...

È sempre un piacere, però, tornare alla libreria e a quel l'ambiente caldo e accogliente, dove, tra l'altro, si sta abbozzando l'idea di una famiglia...

Come al solito, però, è l'ambientazione a farla da padrona: un'accurata descrizione di Parigi di fine secolo, con intorno ancora la campagna (bella la trovata del pastore che ospita le capre e il cane nel proprio appartamento ai bordi della città e che consegna a domicilio il latte!), con la chiesa del Sacré-Coeur in costruzione, i mulini a vento e i vicoli sudici di Montmartre con bistrot equivoci, e poi pittori, poeti, scrittori e artisti vari che gravitano nei teatri come il Moulin Rouge, trasgressivo ma assai accattivante con il suo già famoso cancan, o nei cabaret come lo Chat Noir.
Toulouse-Lautrec, Stevens, Verlaine si muovono per quelle sale... Buone le loro descrizioni fisiche e buoni gli accenni alle loro opere.

Ancora più interessanti sono le note circa alcuni elementi che ancora oggi possiamo trovare nella città.
Le colonne Morris, verdi e sormontate da una piccola cupola, sulle quali vengono affissi i manifesti di spettacoli teatrali o di altri eventi.
Le fontane Wallace, in ghisa, a forma di edicola, installate all'epoca per distribuire gratuitamente l'acqua ai cittadini.
Il cannone del giardino del Palais Royal che tutti i giorni - a mezzogiorno - sparava il colpo (come quello del Gianicolo a Roma), anche se attualmente, sembra sia stato ridimensionato a "cannoncino" e spari solo il mercoledì. Sulla colonna che lo sorregge vi è incisa la frase Horas non numéro sini serenas, il che sta a dire che il cannone conta solamente le ore felici!

Quanto me piacciono 'ste cose...

🌍 Europa Tour con un libro sotto il braccio: 🇫🇷 Francia 🇫🇷

[JK · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read the first instalment of the Victor Legris series, Murder on the Eiffel Tower last year, and found it très atroce. Unfortunately, I already had the third instalment rearing its ugly head on my TBR list, and here we are.

We followed the same format as we did in the original; bumbling around Paris in order to solve a somewhat beige murder, with the plot veering off to explore meagre aspects of Victor’s life which had absolutely no bearing on solving the crime. This was mainly centred around his irritatingly persistent jealousy around other men talking to his beautiful and talented girlfriend - yawn.

Again there was no tension, no suspense, no incentive to actually continue reading in order to crack the case. When the murderer was found, it felt very much like the part in Scooby Doo when the mask is pulled off and we all go back to our lives without giving much of a shit.

Also taking the lead from its big brother, the plot introduced so many characters, most of them dapper Frenchmen, that it was difficult to keep track. This was the main cause of the massive hole in my basket of fucks which led to them going missing all over the place.

The only appreciation I had here were Izner’s descriptions of Paris. I loved taking in the names of the streets, the sights of the Botanical Gardens, and Just generally wandering around on wild goose chases with Legris. This is due to my love for the place, and a love for the era, probably, and nothing much to do with Izner’s prose itself.

I’m very glad I have run out of Izner novels. Let this be a mortal lesson to never buy a sequel unless I have already read and enjoyed the debut. Bête comme ses pieds.

[Irina Podgurskaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Французский сентиментальный детектив в сеттингах начала 20го века, любитель-сыщик из книжной лавки, Париж с лошадями и козами, украденные драгоценности, атласные туфельки, такое.

Никакой драмы, все кружатся как в вальсе, ах, ужасное убийство. Очень мило.
Не уверена, что стоит читать остальные книги в серии.

[Kristine Brancolini · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like this historical series set in Paris, but The Montmartre Investigation kind of fell apart for me at the end. The resolution of the mystery lacked any dramatic tension. No suspense. The murderer was revealed and arrested. Period. I kept rereading to see if I missed something. Nope. That was it.

I started out really liking the book, especially the Montmartre setting, among the nightclubs and demimonde of late-nineteenth century Paris. But the plot was a little too far-fetched for me and the characters failed to come alive completely. The murderer's motivation was preposterous. The ongoing characters make this series for me. I like that Kenji revealed his past and his personality more fully, but other characters figured only slightly in the narrative. Jojo solidified his position as Victor's Watson, but everything was vaguely confusing and superficial. I kept going back to reread something, asking myself, "Is that what really happened?" And just as with the flat ending, the answer was, "Yes, you didn't miss anything."

So, I'll keep reading the series. I love the historical detail and the authors' skillful evocation of living in a particular time and place. I read the books somewhat out of order; I've already read the book after this one, which I may skim before going on to Book 5. I'm still intrigued by the ongoing characters and I enjoy the authors' writing style.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Claude Izner is the collective pseudonym of two bookseller sisters, Liliane Korb and Laurence Lefevre, both of whom are second-hand booksellers along the Seine and, what is more, two enthusiasts on Paris during the fin-de-siècle. The Montmartre Investigation: A Victor Legris Mystery is the third of their Victor Legris mysteries (himself a bookseller), and, like the other two, shares in their zest and intricate plotting.

Although I am at times put off by the complexity of the tale, I cannot help buy enjoy how it unfolds. Mind you, I am not always 100% sure that I caught all the hints dropped by the authors, what with all the aliases and misleading clues. Still, I have come to like Victor Legris for his insatiable detective work, Kenji Mori for his Oriental impassivity, and Joseph (JoJo) Pignot for his deep desire to make something of his life -- not to mention a whole host of minor characters who become memorable after a short acquaintance.

I have to thank my friend Dagny Wilson for introducing me to Izner. You may consider me hooked.

[Bev · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the third book in the Victor Legris mystery series. It is November 1891 in Paris. This time a series of murders seem to stem from an event from five years ago. The first death is that of a young girl from a boarding school who has been strangled and her face disfigured by acid. Her body is discovered on the Boulevarde Montemartre not far from the home of Noemi Gerfleur, a famous singer at the Moulin Rouge. She was barefoot and dressed in red dress. Later that day, a goatherd delivers a single red shoe to Victor Legris's bookshop--based on a paper found in the shoe with his address upon it.

When Monsieur Mori, Legris's partner, sees the shoe, he rushes off and Joseph, the shop assistant, tells Legris of the strange behavior (and the address Mori shouted to the cabdriver when he drove off). Legris finds that Monsieur Mori had gone to check on his goddaughter--a goddaughter that Victor never knew he had. Apparently the shoes were hers and she had loaned them to one of her friends, Elisa at the boarding school. More deaths follow as the rough fellow who lured Elisa away from her school friends is found stabbed and hidden in a wine barrel and then Madame Gerfleur herself is found strangled. Victor and Joseph begin investigating in earnest--in part to make sure no harm was meant to Mori's goddaughter and the clues they find indicate that there is a connection to a jewelry theft from the past. But what is the motive? Revenge for a theft? Or perhaps there was a falling out among thieves?

So...I'm continuing to regret having signed the Izner books up for a target on the Six Shooter Challenge. I mentioned in the last review that I hoped that Victor would get more interesting. Spoiler Alert: he hasn't. He's just not that great of a detective and if you're going to center an entire series around an amateur detective, it'd be nice if he were interesting to read about. He seems to stumble into all his clues and then he spends more than half his time in the book worrying about whether his lover Tasha is making eyes at all those other artists she hangs out with. It doesn't matter how many times she tells him he's the only man for her. If I were her, I'd be getting pretty tired of his dramatics.

~*And can we just stop with dramatic revelations about Monsieur Mori? I mean, seriously.*~

I would be much happier with this series if it focused on Joseph. He's a better detective than Victor and he actually does real detective-type activities [and seems to enjoy doing them]. Like following suspects. And searching through reference materials for clues. And making connections between clues. Also--this book's mystery seems to be more of an after-thought than the main attraction. We spend a great deal of time learning the facts about Mori's goddaughter and following Victor to and from Tasha's apartment...and inside Victor's head and he keeps working his way through his jealousies. It all distracts from what I thought was supposed to be the point--a mystery.

The Goodreads blurb calls this "the fast-paced and gripping third title in the bestselling Victor Legris mystery series'" [emphasis mine]. I didn't really find it to be either. We have to force our way through all the personal dramas to get to the details of the mystery. It's a real shame because the setting of turn-of-the-century Paris is a good one and I loved the idea of a bookseller as amateur detective. But his heart isn't in it...and neither is mine. I've got more of these on the TBR shelf waiting to be logged for the Six Shooter Challenge...so, cross your fingers for me that they get better. I'm not going to hold my breath, though. ★★ and a half--all for mystery plot (when we get it) and Joseph.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block .

[Elderberrywine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rum doings in fin de siècle Paris. And these affairs must be investigated, certainmente, but there is always time for a dalliance or two.

Victor Legris, bookseller and part-time detective, is pondering over a single red shoe that has been brought to his attention by a Parisian goatherd, who discovered it in the street. (Paris was a little more rural back in the day.) It is possibly connected with the young lady dressed in red who was brutally murdered and dumped in Killer’s Crossing, Boulevard Montmartre. And I might just add that I am always a sucker for a book that has a helpful map provided.

Then there is Legris’ business partner, Kenji Mori. It looks as if his goddaughter Iris might be staying with him for awhile, but the lovely young lady may not actually be his goddaughter. Another mystery for Legris.

And of course, the artist Tasha, mistress of Legris, seems to be more focused on her work than him these days. Quelle triste. But she seems to be spending quite a bit of time at the Moulin Rouge, as are other fascinating characters, some familiar and some not.

A very bubbly mixture of murder, intrigue, risqué dancing (including one talented dancer who could apparently fart out the tune to La Marsellaise as a special treat), and a Paris just starting to come into its own as a major city. And now I have discovered that the author is actually a nom de plume for two sisters who sell second-hand books in a shop on the banks of the Seine. Somehow, I am not in the least surprised.

[Rachele · Rating 1 out of 5]

giuro che ho provato a leggerlo con tutta la buona volontà. .ma gnafo! abbandonato a metà perché la storia dell'omicidio non prendeva campo e il racconto intorno dei personaggi mi pareva tanto superfluo

[Katharina · Rating 1 out of 5]

I give up. The first one I got because I was intrigued by the premise. The other two were presents. I just didn't get into them, I don't know why.

[Martina Sartor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Affascinante l'atmosfera della Parigi di fine '800, all'inizio della belle époque, fra il Moulin Rouge e un café-chantant come lo Chat Noir. Anche se il ritmo della narrazione è lento, a me son piaciute molto le descrizioni della città, degli ambienti e del fervore artistico-letterario che si respirava a quel tempo. L'indagine non è strabiliante, ma Victor Legris e la sua libreria restano un luogo dal sapore magico.

[Barbara Valotto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un discreto giallo ideale come lettura estiva.

[Leslie Gudermuth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Montmartre Investigation is the third in the Victor Le Gris mystery series, but the second that I have read. I bought two of these at a local library sale and assumed that they were the first and second, but later discovered that I did not have the second. Now I am curious and may have to find and purchase the missing mystery to read for comparison.

I enjoyed reading the Monmartre Investigation much more than the first , The Murder on the Eiffel Tower. Comparing the first and the third book in the series, I have to say that I found much improvement in the one I have just read. The story of the solving of the mystery is much more entertaining, which I think is, at least in part, due to the more prominent part played by the character of Joseph who works for the main character Victor Legris ( and Victor’s partner) in his bookshop . Joseph is almost a comedic character and I enjoyed his eccentricities throughout his part in solving the mystery. He calls LeGris “Boss,” he talks to himself out loud as he walks the streets of Paris, and he has a funny, but loving, relationship with his mother with whom he resides, but seems to be continually trying to escape! Although amusing, Joseph ( sometimes called JoJo by Victor) is intelligent and often discovers more clues than the book’s amateur detective LeGris himself!

The plot was better and more interesting as well as the mention of many real Paris streets and historical places in Paris used as background “scenery” for the action, most namely The Chat Noir as well as the more famous Moulin Rouge ( where I am happy to say I have been to attend one of their famous shows including the Can Can!)
One of the most interesting new characters in this book is the artist Toulouse Lautrec whose posters of the Moulin Rouge night club and its dancers helped to make it the most famous in Paris. Many other artists and poets and writers of the Belle Epoch are mentioned along with fictional characters who frequent the “cafes concerts” during that historical period in Paris as part of LeGris’ investigation.

An interesting note to this series of books is the fact that Claude Izner is, in fact, the “nom de plume” of two sisters, Lillian Korb and Laurence Lefevre, who are booksellers in Paris as well as experts on nineteenth century Paris and the real authors of this series! I wanted to give this book 3 and 1/2 stars, but rounded that up to 4 stars because of the vast improvement over the first book to which I gave 3 stars. I deliberately did not “retell” the story line so I do not think I have included any Spoilers. I recommend this book if you are a Francophile as I am and if you love everything about Paris, whether Past or Present!

[Matilda · Rating 2 out of 5]

J'avais beaucoup aimé le premier volume ; dans mes souvenirs ce n'était pas l'enquête le plus intéressant, même si elle était correcte, mais c'était le décor, la récréation de Paris à la fin du 19e et les trésors de détails déployés par les autrices. Le deuxième avait été beaucoup moins satisfaisant pour moi, mais on m'avait assuré que ça s'améliorait beaucoup au fur et à mesure. Après ce troisième volume j'espère vraiment que ça s'améliore, parce que pour le moment c'est pas folichon.

Les points positifs sont toujours les mêmes, c'est très intéressant, très (trop ?) riche (je n'ai pas forcément envie de savoir le nom de chaque ruelle que chaque pékin prend), et fascinant de voir tous ces petits détails de la vie quotidienne du siècle passé et qu'on aurait jamais imaginé.
L'atmosphère fait aussi penser aux romans feuilleton de l'époque, un genre que j'apprécie.
L'environnement littéraire est également passionnant ; la mise en scène des bouquinistes, journalistes et cafés où de grandes figures évoluent semble vraiment précis et bien documentés. Cependant j'aime moins qu'on se moque des personnages qui ne lisent pas des trucs "assez intelligents".

Les points négatifs sont aussi toujours les mêmes. Le rythme est assez bancal, on peut avoir en un paragraphe ou une page une grosse révélation et résolution et puis voilà c'est fait. Certains descriptions métaphoriques sont aussi assez confuses.
Les personnages sont presque tous détestables. Le héro avec sa jalousie maladive, qui depuis le premier volume oscille entre "je l'aime" et "voilà elle vient de parler/regarder/marcher à côté d'un homme, elle me trompe c'est sûr." Les femmes qui sont toutes des objets de désirs sans beaucoup d'agentivité ou des mères merveilleuses / substituts qui font la cuisine. Les personnages périphériques sans beaucoup de substance.

Si je trouve la suite d'occasion, peut-être que je la lirai l'année prochaine pour voir si ça s'améliore. Après tout il semble que je parvienne chaque année à me convaincre de réessayer.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably the least satisfying of the series for me so far, it did end on a more promising note. The trouble with reading a series back-to-back is that character development seems very slow - when there is a break reading them, you may not get so frustrated by characters who always behave EXACTLY THE SAME FRUSTRATING WAY. Will they never make any new decisions?! The mystery here was finely drawn out (you have to look past the fact that one of the main characters is ALWAYS connected to the death that sparks the investigation - the Jessica Fletcher effect in full force with this series!), intricate and well-paced, if lacking in a sense of urgency and a bit of a flat resolution. I almost put it down without finishing, though, out of frustration over characters who continued to behave in ways that made me wonder if the author(s) would ever grow them. Glad I stuck it out, because the last couple chapters hinted at forward movement. Still taking a break before #4, but good to know some characters I had gotten tired of might be developing new layers.

[Vellichor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Das Buch an sich ist ganz in Ordnung, wenn auch etwas langatmig. Auf hunderte von Seiten des Spannungsaufbaus folgt leider eines der unspektakulärsten Enden der Literaturgeschichte.

Statt einer erwarteten Verfolgungsjagd nachdem die wahre Identität des Mörders geklärt ist, wird dieser von einer alten Dame mit einer Flasche niedergeschlagen.

Ich persönlich hätte mir schon gewünscht, dass es am Ende doch etwas spannender zugeht. Bei einem solch durchtriebenen Mörder hätte man ehrlich gesagt erwartet, dass es zu einem Showdown kommt, bei dem der Täter sich durch Selbstmord dem Zugriff durch die Polizei entzieht.
Scheinbar ist eine alte wütende Frau mit einer leeren Glasflasche aber gefährlicher als jeder Serienmörder.

Eigentlich würde ich diesem Buch nur 3 Sterne geben, da ich es aber für einen kleinen Preis bekommen habe, bin ich guten Willens und gebe 5 Sterne.

[Silvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Questa volta il mio amato Victor Legris- libraio a tempo perso, investigatore per passione- si trova ad indagare sulla morte di una giovane e su altri delitti irrimediabilmente connessi. Lo aiuta l'infaticabile Jojo- giovane commesso librario appassionato di delitti e sempre in attesa di sfornare il suo capolavoro letterario (ovviamente un giallo); il tutto in una magnifica Parigi descritta minuziosamente che bivacca al Moulin Rouge o fa la fame nelle bettole allora (il romanzo è ambientato nel 1891) come oggi.

[Eva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tredje historia deckaren med Victor Legris. tilldrar sig 1891. Först boken tilldrog sig 1889 med världsutställning och det nya Eiffel-tornet. Jag tyckte det var roligt eftersom jag också läste böcker från samma år. Men i denna bok börjar det bli lite väl upptagen av att beskriva året 1891, tills den nästan blev historiskt referat, mer än deckare för nöjes skull. Men jag är fortfarande intresserad. Intrigen är lite komplicerad tråckling.

[Piglet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my favourite among the Victor Legris books I've read... But they are not entirely to my taste. The story telling is a bit too messy for me, and even though I love Paris I find the constant references to street after street a bit tiring. The story of this one is interesting though, as well as the development of the main characters.

[Francine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do not think I will again read a book in this series. Too many details on buildings and streets that do not add anything to the story. This story of revenge was interesting but lost among too many unnecessary facts.

[Sujit Choudhury · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is more a story of Victor Legris's family history, frequented by few murders. He didn't solve the murders on his own, but with the help from his assistant Joseph, who didn't get much credit. It is a readable book, which takes us back to Moulin Rouge and the areas around Montmartre.

[Paolo Nardi · Rating 2 out of 5]

http://speloncalibro.blogspot.it/2009...

[Irène · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bien ficelé et extrêmement instructif sur le Paris fin 19ème siècle !

[Patty · Rating 2 out of 5]

Giving up on this series.

[Magnus Svensson Bragsjö · Rating 4 out of 5]

Själva mordgåtan är kanske inte så raffinerad men jag älskar miljöskildringarna från det sena 1800-talets Paris. De författande systrarna är historiskt pålästa och kan sin stad utan och innan.

[Sabrina Auger · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5⭐️

[Olga Vannucci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Revenge and its cover-up
Not resolved fast enough.

[Diletta Nicastro · Rating 1 out of 5]

Uno dei libri più brutti che ho letto negli ultimi anni.
Facevo fatica ad andare avanti e sapere di averlo sul comodino mi metteva di malumore.

Lento, poco approfondito nei personaggi ma esageratamente prolisso nei dettagli inutili.
Protagonisti che non catturano l'anima e giallo sconclusionato.

Giudizio estremamente negativo.
Non consigliato.

Per la recensione approfondita visita il mio blog: https://dilettanicastro.blogspot.com/...

[Susan Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rediscovered this series. The 1st and 2nd books are good, and this is a better read. The characters are more developed. Though it has been a while since I read the 2nd in series, I was able to pick back up to the main characters. The setting in Paris in late 1800s is different and vivid.

[Malcolm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once again, Victor Legris seems to stumble into a murder investigation and keep it all running along nicely while keeping the bookshop going, courting Tasha-the-painter and discovering the nightlife of Montmartre. As the years have gone by, Victor is getting better at detection but despite his attempts to be Holmes-like in his deduction he is more intuitive, more likely to be led astray by red herrings but still inclined to stumble and bumble his way into solutions.

In this, his third outing from the pens of Parisian bookseller sisters-and-authors things have become a little more domestic, the characters – major and minor recurring – more comfortable and reading this rather like an outing with some oldish friends with whom we can feel comfortable. Despite the comfort and familiarity there are just enough domestic disruptions to disrupt the comfort that seemed to be emerging in the little shop on Rue des Saints-Pères.

The killings are grotesque (as we’d expect from late 19th century libertine Paris) and the back story suitably intricate to make Izner’s nods towards the gothic and the dangers of the manipulation of modernity sharp. Much as this cracks along, although with a disparate and interwoven story presented in a disjointed way that is enough to keep us as readers in the dark (although slightly less so the Victor and his crew – the balance between knowing a frustration is key to good detective fiction, I think), and the writing witty and breezy I can’t help thinking that the star character of the novel is Paris, its layers of cultural life and the complexities of its streets and arrondissment.

All-in-all an enjoyable way to while away an evening or two.

[Maria Beltrami · Rating 3 out of 5]

Secondo libro che mi capita di leggere di questo pseudo-autore (pseudo perché nome d'arte di due sorelle), e seconda volta che resto parzialmente insoddisfatta. Nonostante la buona scrittura, e soprattutto la buona ricostruzione della Parigi fin de siècle, il romanzo non riesce mai a decollare, con troppa carne al fuoco e troppa topografia. Alla fine il lettore è più stanco dei protagonisti, che pure non fanno altro che girare in tondo come le trottole. Senza contare che la parte gialla della trama, soprattutto per quanto riguarda le motivazioni di alcuni dei tanti omicidi che costellano il volume, è davvero tenue.
Ringrazio Gallic Book e Netgalley per avermi fornito una copia gratuita in cambio di una recensione onesta.

Second book that I happen to read this pseudo-author (pseudo because stage name of two sisters), and second time that I remain partially unfulfilled. Despite the good writing, and above all the good reconstruction of fin de siècle Paris, the novel never manages to take off, with too many iron in the fire and too much topography. At the end the reader is more tired of the protagonists, although they just go round and round like tops. Not to mention that the crime part of the plot, especially with regard to the motives of some of the many murders that dot the volume, it's really small.
Thank Gallic Book and Netgalley for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.