Dent pour dent: Une enquête de Nico Sirsky (Fayard Noir)

Paris Homicide #2

by Frédérique Molay

Le commissaire Nico Sirsky, chef de groupe au 36, quai des Orfevres, se remet de sa blessure par balle, intervenue trois mois plus tot alors qu'il arretait un terrible tueur en serie (Cf. La 7eFemme). Aux cotes de Caroline, son nouvel amour, et de son fils Dimitri, il connait enfin le bonheur d'une vie equilibree. Tandis qu'il rejoint le 36, un groupe de dentistes se reunit a l'Universite Descartes-Paris 5, pour une seance de dissection. Dans la bouche parfaitement entretenue de son sujet, l'un d'eux remarque un plombage grossier, sous lequel on decouvre bientot un etrange message: On m'a tue. Appelee sur place, l'equipe de Nico Sirsky releve d'emblee une incoherence: l'homme, un ancien pharmacien nomme Bruno Guedj, mort par arme a feu d'apres le rapport de police, n'a pu que se suicider, puisque le meurtre interdit tout don de corps a la science. Que signifie des lors ce message? Canular, ou meurtre deguise ? Le procureur de la Republique decide de confier l'affaire au juge Alexandre Becker, qui forme un tandem performant avec Nico Sirsky. Lorsqu'ils comprennent que le pharmacien etait harcele jusque dans son officine, les deux hommes acquierent une certitude: le message dans sa dent etait une bouteille a la mer... Mais pourquoi cette mise en scene ? De revelation en revelation, ils vont mettre au jour une terrible machination au coeur de l'Hopital Saint-Louis, un des plus performants pour le traitement du cancer..."

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Suspense, Procedural, Mystery Thriller, Crime, France

344 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 4, 2011

About the author

Writing has always been a passion for Frédérique Molay, author of the international bestseller The 7th Woman. She graduated from France’s prestigious Science Po and began her career in politics and the French administration. She worked as Chief of Staff for the Deputy Mayor of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, and then was elected to the local government in Saône-et-Loire. Meanwhile, she spent her nights pursing a passion for writing she had nourished since she wrote her first novel at the age of eleven. AfterThe 7th Woman took France by storm, Frédérique Molay dedicated her life to writing and raising her three children. She has five books to her name, with three in the Paris Homicide series.

Reviews

[Margitte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crossing the Line is the second book in the Paris Murder Series. Chief Nico Sirsky is back full time in his fourth-floor office at the Paris police headquarters, 36 Quai des Orfèvres. Three months ago he was wounded in his leg and is still recovering from the experience.

The new love of his life, Caroline, the gastroenterologist at the Saint Antoine Hospital, has given him new hope and enthusiasm for his work. His teenage son Dimitry is doing very well and life is good.

But his first day back feels like landing on his feet running, when he has to oversee a jewel heist and a cadaver head on a university lab table with a rare message buried somewhere sinister inside it. It is also not the only head rolling around on these tables! Marcel, the former butcher, is the meticulous body processor at the university and does not have any trouble in providing body parts to all the different medical departments of the university. With three thousand cadavers moving through his freezers each year, there is no shortage of anything for no student.

The message could have been a student prank, if it wasn't for the circumstances surrounding the deceased. And soon a much bigger case is opening up when powerful people get nervous around the discovery. Sirsky has politics and power breathing down his neck to solve the case which threatens to rock the country if not solved yesterday!

The problem with a Frédérique Molay book is that it gets the reader into serious trouble. It is fast-paced, detailed, and riveting! Unputdownable! The brutality and refinement balance each other out in the roller coaster plot around an apparent suicide, an unfortunate boat accident and a downright brutal murder. Love takes on many different forms in the tale, surprisingly so!

A perfect murder mystery! A brilliant pshyco-thriller!
The last time I wanted to nail all the windows and doors close and force all the cats and dogs to sleep on my bed, was with Patricia Cornwell's master forensic sleuth, Dr. Kay Scarpetta. I promised myself never to venture off into a series like that ever again! But sadly, my memory is way too short! I've completed the second book in this Paris Murder Series now, and true to my martyr nature, I cannot wait for the third one! Someone must take me gently by the hand and save me from myself! But honestly, I NEED TO READ THE THIRD ONE SOON! I know, I know...an intervention is needed, but I simply cannot help myself! Why......oh......why?!

A review copy was provided by Anne Tager, through edelweiss.abovethetreeline.com. Thank you.

[Richard Derus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Real Rating: 3.75* of five, rounded up because DAMN I could not WAIT to get to this one!

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: "I was murdered" isn't something a cop expects to hear from a dismembered dead person. That's exactly what starts the machinery of a French homicide investigation moving in this exciting book. Second of Molay's "Paris Homicide" thrillers, we're more or less starting with Nico Sirsky, chief investigator from the last book, as he starts his normal day. I realize a lot of readers don't like the catch-you-up parts of procedurals, but I appreciate them...it's been most of a decade since I read The 7th Woman; no way in hell could I have recalled who these names were attached to without a refresher. I get it...I really do...lots of names, lots of titles, none of then familiar. Take your time, really best to start with THE 7TH WOMAN, but no matter what I recommend that you read slowly until they all fit into place.

They will! Paris, her police, the men and women who serve the unexpectedly dead as their interlocutors, all have a slot in Molay's stories. Something that Bruno Guedj, he of the "I was murdered" message hidden in his obviously, clumsily worked-on tooth, clearly expected to work as it always had. Donating his body to science...out of nowhere, blindsiding his wife and sons...was clearly calculated to get his message NOTICED and it worked.

The best thing about reading these books is the same thing people who enjoy Stuart Woods's Stone Barrington books, or James Patterson's Women's Murder Club books, are getting: Minimum of fussy stuff and maximum of forward momentum. Just what you want in a thriller. A bit less like those books is the way so much of the action, like press conferences and suchlike, take place off-screen. It's clear that Auteur Molay hasn't got her eye firmly set on a movie deal. One fillip in this book that I didn't care much for was the single-page chapters from the perpetrator's point of view...I didn't feel they served The Greater Good, somehow.

A great deal of the story has to do with how much Love rules our lives...Guedj, the victim, making sure his dearly and deeply loved family is cared for, and still making sure they won't be taken into dark places wondering why he died; then Nico, recovering from his nasty wounds inflicted by the killer in The 7th Woman, finally able to deal with his delight and love Caroline...his son Dimitri...all his team...Molay never forgets that the reason we read is that the characters mean something to us. I'd say that the series is a throwback to the days when 200-page thrillers were the norm. That makes the author's stakes high: must get action and character development from the off. The w-bomb dropped at 64% was an unpleasant surprise, out of keeping with the overall brisk and business-like tone. But to repeat the offense at 69%...! And then the coup de grâce at 88%, where it took me right out of a very high-stakes scene, well I ask you. Can that explain a whole star missing from the rating? You bet it can, sugarplum.

The details of Russian-descended Sirsky taking an interest in his heritage, the way this reconnects him to his teen son and his parents...all in this short word count, well, it's admirable. A note here to chuckle, albeit a bit wanly, about the pop-culture easter eggs in so many names..."Marc Walberg," "Dr. Queneau," et alii. Most amusant, Mme l'Auteure. I'm also a fan of the glimpses into the operational realities of the French justice system, the roles different people play in it, and how, like the US, so much happens due to needing to respond to the media's reporting on what has occurred.

Ending the story how, and where, she did made the underlying theme of Love, love, and luuuv as they intersect and intertwine so poignantly complete. I think the ultimate reveal is a good, solid ending. Had it not been for those blasted w-bombs there'd be four-plus stars on this outing in the "Paris Homicide" series. Molay has made a career in writing; she decided that her storytelling chops would sustain her, and I see that they truly have.

A special note of thanks to Translator Anne Trager. The careful, not-obtrusive explanations of things that wouldn't need explaining in the home audience's edition truly does help. I'd recommend that, at some point, a map of the parts of Paris we're going to be cruising through would be very helpful.

You need an exciting series, played for high stakes, and set in a lush landscape? Here it is, ready for you....

[Sanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now, all of my friends will tell you that I am way more likely to end up infatuated with a book (or occasionally a film) character then an actual celebrity. I know, it's a problem. One I actually enjoy and do not plan on trying to get rid of. Frédérique Molay's first book in the Paris Homicide series, the 7th Woman, left me me not only incredibly infatuated with Chief of Police Nico Sirsky but also overwhelmed with impatience and anticipation of the second book. Le French Book, fabulous as they are, put me out of my misery by providing me with a review copy, so now I promise to love them forever and ever. (though that doesn't mean that my book feedback will be anything but completely honest) I devoured the book as soon as I got it but ended up waiting a little bit to share my thoughts on it because I didn't want to expose goodreads members to that level of my hyperactivity.

So Chief Sirsky (or Mr. Dreamy to me) and his team are back. Still recovering physically and emotionally from the complications of the case from The 7th Woman, Nico is back at it full force both on the work and home fronts. While his romantic life is blossoming(oh lucky Caroline), his professional one will leave him once again trying to balance between the demands of the investigative work and the delicate act of keeping the "big bosses" happy.

While trying to master the techniques of a wisdom tooth surgery in one of their classes, a group of dental students make an unexpected discovery - a message hidden in the tooth they are working on. Now it's up to Nico and his team to figure out whether it's only a prank or something much more sinister. Once the police start pulling on that thread what ends up unraveling will leave you on the edge of your seat and unable to put this book down.

It's not just because this is my favorite genre that I am so taken with this book and the series so far. (nor is it because Mr. Dreamy) Molay knows how to create intriguing mind puzzle style cases but she also has an uncanny ability to make you emotionally invested and attached to the main character. Each book teaches a bit more about the investigative and forensic procedures in France but it also shares just enough of Nico's private life and his relationship with each one of his family members. The only drawback of allowing myself to get hooked on the Paris Homicide series is the fact that once again I find myself frustrated because now I'll probably have to wait for quite a while for the book number three. In the meantime I'm considering starting a support group for all the other incurable "series' addicts".

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crossing the Line is the second in the Inspector Nico Sirsky, Paris Homicide, series, following on from “The 7th Woman.” When we meet up with Inspector Sirsky again he is still recovering from the gunshot wound he received three months before, at the end of “The 7th Woman.” Now happily involved with Caroline, the woman of his dreams who he also met in the first book, Nico also has sole custody of his son, Dimitri. However, his ex-wife Sylvie, who also featured in the first novel , has now disappeared. One of the things I enjoy about this series is now Nico, and his colleagues, have normal human lives and problems – one member of the team has recently become a father for the first time, another is widowed, Christmas is looming and people are thinking of the holiday season.

However, Nico’s plans for Christmas are about to be disrupted by a new, and complex, case. Dental students are working on donated body parts at the Paris Descartes University – a flagship medical school - when a piece of plastic is found in the filling of a subject. On it are the words, “I was murdered.” Is it a bizarre prank by medical students or a real crime? Nico is currently investigating a jewellery heist of eighty five million euro’s of booty, plus he has to turn his attention to this surreal case. It appears the victim committed suicide, but did he, or was he actually killed? This really is a well plotted and fast moving mystery, with a really original ending.

I found the first book in this series concentrated a little too much on Nico’s personal life. Although that is, obviously, still part of the story – this book seems to concentrate more on the crime aspect of the plot and is much the better for it. This is certainly a series I will continue reading – great location, characters and original crimes. Lastly, I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few days ago, I read the first in Molay's Nico Sirsky series, The 7th Woman, a tale about a serial killer who has it in for Sirsky, a senior Paris cop, and who kills a string of women extremely sadistically in the buildup to killing the love of Sirsky's life. A lot about the novel seemed familiar, but I assumed this was merely because I've read far too many serial-killer chillers and that this one, albeit reveling more in the sadism than most, was merely retreading well worn paths.

So I came here to Goodreads and discovered I'd read the book before. And not yonks ago, either: it was in March of last year. Even so, I could remember nothing of the characters or the events, aside from the particular piece of sadism that, I now know, Molay had not simply borrowed from the generic stockpot, as I'd been assuming during my inadvertent reread.

I was delighted to find that my March 2015 review said almost exactly what I'd been planning to say this time around. I also decided, because I already owned it, to read the second volume in the series. Not like me to read two books by the same author in a row, but there you are.

While reading Crossing the Line I became more and more aware of some of the reasons for my extraordinary forgetfulness, aside from the fact that I'm a daft old bat who has difficulty remembering to zip his flies. (At least, that's what I tell the arresting officer.) A few hours after finishing this second novel, already most of the characters have more or less faded from memory; even while I was reading, I had in general no clear idea of who Nico's colleagues were -- they were just a string of interchangeable names . . . except for the three women, who were stereotypes. I'm doing better with Nico's family, especially his lover Caroline, whom for some reason I have no difficulty in visualizing, but not that much better.

In other words, characterization seems not to be Molay's strong point. Add this to the fact that, as noted, The 7th Woman was hardly breaking new ground in the serial-killer genre, and it's hardly surprising that eighteen months or so was long enough for the novel to have gotten itself submerged in the quicksands of memory.

Crossing the Line is I think likely to stay with me a little longer, not because the characterization is any better but because here Molay has a far more original tale to tell. A man in fear of his life pressures his dentist into implanting a message written on plastic into a deliberately clumsy tooth filling, then donates his body to medical science. Sure enough, a dental student working with the dead head notices something awry, and the message -- a stark "I was murdered" -- reaches Nico Sirsky and his team.

Into action they swing, soon discovering that the dead man had, not long before his murder, run by chance into an old college friend. Trouble is, that old friend was supposed to have died in a car crash months before . . .

Okay, so it's a fairly tall tale, and by the time Nico's gotten to the bottom of it all it's become even taller, but it does have the virtue of originality. In place of reveling in sadism we have reveling in the gruesome behind-the-scenes details of a large hospital's "Body Donation Center," with bits of human corpses, waiting for use, stacked here and there like the meat on your local supermarket's butchery counter. Much gagging an' all from the various supposedly hardbitten detectives.

This is a quick read, and you may or may not find its final revelations moving. But, overall, I found the novel lacks "feel"; I've come away from it essentially unaffected by the characters, the atmosphere (what atmosphere?), the wit (though I chuckled at one smutty line), and so on. I know that others adore this series, and that it has won various awards, but it doesn't work for moi.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second in Molay’s Nico Sirsky series is set in Paris and I have already added the third to my TBR pile.  Less frenetic in pace than the The 7th Woman, it was no less compelling.  More intricately (and interestingly) plotted with twists and turns galore I devoured this installment just as quickly as the first.  You know a book is good when it is late and you are already tired but contemplating pushing on for another hour or two just to find out what happened and weighing whether being tired the next day is worth it.

As the blurb says---the story starts out with medical students finding a message hidden in a tooth in a subject in their anatomy class.  What is written in that message sets into motion a series of surprising twists that add up to a very entertaining mystery.  Nico and his team run all over Paris unraveling a very complex plot as the body count mounts. 

I particularly enjoy the detail that Molay puts into this work.   Detailed backgrounds of the various locations and a real sense of place make Paris come alive and provide fascinating bits of trivia and history.  I love it when authors go the extra mile like this. 

My only complaint and why this book went from 5 stars down to 4 is that I didn’t like the way the story was wrapped up.  I don’t know how to go into any more detail without spoiling the story so I just won’t. 

I also have to mention that if you are contemplating donating your body to science upon your death---you may reconsider after reading Crossing the Line.   Creepy doesn’t even begin to describe it.

[Jay Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This sequel is every bit as powerful and intriguing as the first story. Nico and his entourage are like old friends, but the action and mystery is fresh and impacting. You not only get a great detective story, but you also receive a compelling glimpse of things you would never see in Paris. The clues are collected as the team solves a sequence of questions: was this a murder? Why? Who did it? How did the victim know? The answers are truly surprising and create a great story. I enjoy the level of detail provided on police procedures, autopsy, Parisian street scenes and character interactions. It's perfect for the story, and holds the reader's interest.

[Kathy Davie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second in the Paris Homicide mystery series and revolving around Nico Sirsky. Crossing the Line is set in Paris.

This ARC was provided by NetGalley and Le French Book in exchange for an honest review.

My Take
NOTE: I don't know if show is not the style for French writers, but all the tell and very little show along with all the info dumps are what has dragged the star rating down. Otherwise, it is a good story. I just thought you should know that I am applying American expectations of show versus tell and my hatred for info dumps to it. It's the lack of show that makes this feel like such a cold story.

This is a very simplistic example of one of the many info dumps:
"Marc Walberg was the only one not to react, although Nico noted an involuntary twitch in his left eye. Walberg was pathologically shy."

Molay tosses in those very short terrifying chapters every once in a while to ensure we know that evil is afoot, an evil that encompasses fear for loved ones. They're vague enough that we have no idea until the end who the thoughts apply to or who thinks them.

It’s an intriguing look into how police in Paris run their investigations. How it’s different from what we think happens here in America. I certainly relished the moments of gustatory joy, and it took me back to one particular week in Paris. Ahh, it was a lovely little neighborhood restaurant…*yummy*…

Ya gotta love Anya. She knows what is important, and she keeps her husband in line. It's a trait she's passed onto her son who ensures that Dimitri's maternal grandparents remain in his life. There's just enough of Nico's family life (although I'd've liked to see more of Caroline) in the story to bring life, a warmth, to Crossing the Line.

It's gruesome and somewhat macabre, but still a fascinating look behind the scenes of a research school with its body donations department. All the rules, regs, and procedures they employ to keep things on the up-and-up. In some respects, it's almost factory-like with its requests for x number of elbows, heads, or hands. I do appreciate that all this experimenting is done on people who are already dead.

There was something about the way Molay brought my attention to the Locard Principle that caused it to stick in my mind, and I've become more aware of the history behind it and its purpose when I read of it in other mysteries.

Hmm, Nico notes that there are no cowboys in La Crim', and that doesn't sound like human nature. Sure, it makes for a much more controlled, not to say productive!, department. But then where is the conflict to come from? Stories need conflict from more than one direction. And could be another reason I feel that Crossing the Line is cold.

It's that message sticking up from the out-of-place filling that tips Marcel and the police off that this might not be a suicide. But during the initial investigation Molay emphasizes all the reasons it's suicide for pages. I got annoyed with all this and wished that Molay had either countered each "suicide" reason with questions or suggestions about how it may not be. Put the emphasis on the questions instead of the seeming facts. Why didn't the cops question whether Guedj was right- or left-handed at the time? Why would they assume he was right-handed?

With all the twists and turns Crossing the Line takes, how do you know when you've done enough? When you've investigated thoroughly? When what looks like a tragic accident turns out to be so much more? All for the sake of spending more time AND money. Huge considerations for police departments and forensic labs when people keep dying everywhere.

There are touches of melodrama — especially in the dialog and the too-abrupt conversations, almost robotic, that bug me. And I do have a hard time imagining a Frenchman saying ma'am instead of madame. Has that changed? Mum's the word doesn't sound too French either.

I loved Marcel's "confession"! It's true. We want everyone to have a special degree "proving" they can do the job when the truth of it is that practical life experience can be so much more valuable. When I think of the number of people I know with degrees who are not working in their degree'd fields…

It doesn't matter how many times I read that section about Janin's being so disappointed in not getting the Ham-Wasserman prize. Oh, I think I finally got it. Janin was still alive when he didn't get the prize. I'd been under the impression that he'd died. I simply couldn't figure out how Janin could be disappointed if he was dead, or if it was the Chinese guy who won it instead who was disappointed. Weird.

I enjoyed the info dump about Richard Wallace and his fountains. I'm not sure what it had to do with the story though.

There are a couple of sad sections in this in which Clarisse is blogging about her disease, and the responses others are making to cheer her up or keep her informed.

After all this. All this death. What was wrong with a leave of absence? How did these men expect to return to society when their mission was complete? What happened to Helen?

The Story
It’s a course at the university that reveals a cry for help from a dead man.

Nico’s mother-in-law has her own cry for help: find Sylvie.

One of the positives in Nico’s life? His burgeoning relationship with Caroline.

The Characters
Chief Nico Sirksy is recovering from his injuries, his divorce, and his ex-wife's departure. Dimitri is his fourteen-year-old son, who shocks his father with his choice of a career. Dr. Caroline Dalry is his lover, and she runs the gastroenterology department at Saint Antoine Hospital. Anya is Nico's Russian mother while his sister, Tanya, is married to Alexis, a physician and seaman with a love for fine wines, and they have two children. Jacqueline and André Canova are Sylvie's parents, his ex-in-laws. Sylvie is in Saujon.

Criminal Investigation Division has…
…twelve squads (with nine of them on call every ninth day) and is based on the Quai des Orfèvres alongside the Seine. The sign states that it is the Brigade Criminelle, and is affectionately known as La Crim'. It "handles homicides, kidnappings, missing persons, sex crimes, arson, terrorist threats, and other sensitive cases". Claire Le Marec is his deputy chief; Yann is Claire's husband. Deputy Chief Jean-Marie Rost is one of his four section chiefs and leads the squads which are headed up by Kriven, Théron, and Hureau (he's being promoted to deputy chief and moved over to vice; Commander Charlotte Maurin will be moved in to take Hureau's place.).

Commander David Kriven is one of the squad chiefs and a hypochondriac. In The 7th Woman , 1, Captain Amélie Adler, one of Kriven's people, was murdered, and it's still affecting some of the team. Captain Franck Plassard is the second-ranking detective. Captain Pierre Vidal is Kriven's third-ranking detective and in charge of processing the crime scene. Lieutenant Almeida doesn't handle the body donation room very well. And I can't say I blame him!

Dr. Armelle Vilars is the chief medical examiner. Professor Charles Queneau heads the police forensic lab and is dying of cancer. Dr. Tom Robin is their molecular biologist. Mark Walberg is the lab's top handwriting expert. Dominique Kreiss is the division's only profiler.

Magistrate Alexandre Becker teams up with Nico to lead the investigation. In France, magistrates keep an eye on the cops to ensure legal compliance. Stephanie is his wife; they have two children.

Deputy Police Commissioner Michel Cohen is demanding results from the jewel heist. Commissioner Nicole Monthalet juggles her own bosses: the police prefect, the ministry of the interior, and the the public prosecutor who answers to the ministry of justice.

Part of the antiterrorist division under Nico, Helen Vasnier heads up the investigation and training squad and Bastien Gamby is her computer specialist.

Paris Descartes University is…
…"one of France's flagship medical schools" … and "an important research institution". Dr. Patrice Rieux is a dentist whose company offers a "course of studies for dentists who want to perfect their emergency surgery skills". Marcel is the university's most experienced body processor. Elisabeth Bordieu is his boss, the administrative manager of the Body Donation Center. Professor Francis Étienne is the head of the anatomy department. John is a volunteer curator at the Delmas-Orfila-Rouviere Museum, historical exhibits about forensics and anatomy.

Bruno Guedj was a pharmacist who owned his own business before he died. Now he's number 510. Mrs. Guedj is, of course, distraught. They have two teenage sons, one of whom is Romain. Dr. Philippe Owen, a first responder, signed Guedj's death certificate. Dr. Maxime Robert was Guedj's regular dentist. Denis Roy is the pharmacy manager. Melanie was one of their employees. Maître Belin is the family notary. François Brun is Guedj's editor for the book on drug compounding. Thibauld was the sales clerk who provides the breaking clue.

Dr. Christophe Parize was an old schoolfriend of Guedj's and a hematologist at Saint Louis Hospital who died last year. Florence Parize is Christophe's mother. His ex-wife, a paralegal, is bitter, but very proud of their two children: Marine and Olivier. Dr. Christine Sahian got the job Parize wanted. Professor Claude Janin is/was a huge deal in immunology and histocompatibility. Danièle Lemaire is the intensive care nurse with whom Janin had been having an affair.

Clarisse Quere was a classmate of Marine's. Her father is Edward Quere, the billionaire. His embittered wife is Helen.

Oh, I want to have lunch at Petit Zinc! Although…not after playing with dead heads! The Marais is a neighborhood in Paris that was revitalized in the 1960s when André Malraux took a hand.

The Locard Principle was written by "Edmond Locard, the father of French forensic science" … and … "often called the Sherlock Holmes of France". It states that every contact leaves a trace. Iaroslav Morenko teaches Russian at the Sorbonne — Nico and Dimitri are keeping up with their Russian ancestry. Oh, very cool! I didn't know that Stanley Milgram came up with the "six-degrees of separation" theory.

The Cover
The cover reminds me of Molay's The 7th Woman , 1, with its iconic Eiffel Tower rising up in the background against a slightly ominous blue sky, a silhouette of the homes in a Parisian neighborhood rising up against that sky, and the flashing red lights of the police, an angle of police tape reminding us of all sorts of lines we shouldn't cross.

The title is what they do, Crossing the Line for the results they want.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book of the author's Paris Homicide series featuring Chief Nico Sirsky. After the events of "The 7th Woman", Sirsky is a changed man. He's almost fully recovered from a gunshot wound & has a new appreciation for life. Of course, the fact he now has custody of his teenage son & is dating the beautiful Dr. Carolyn Dalry might have something to do with it.
He's seen a lot during his career with the Paris CID but even he isn't prepared for the strange case that comes their way as the city prepares for Xmas.
A dental student working on a cadaver head at the local university gets more than he bargained for when he drills into an odd filling. Eventually a tiny note is prised from the tooth: "I was murdered".
And so it begins. First, they have to identify the man who left his body to science. He seems to have been an average guy with an average family from an average neighbourhood as Sirsky & his team dig into every aspect of his life. The investigation will take them into the upper echelons of society & connect to another "accidental death" as the body count rises.
It's just one more item on the Chief's very full plate. Professionally, he's dealing with the execution of a SWAT-like take down of jewel thieves, pressures from superiors & budgets. Personally, his ex-wife is missing (continuing her story line from the first book) & her parents plead for him to find her. He's also getting tired of Caroline heading back to her own place & would like a more permanent arrangement.
In promotional blurbs, the author is compared to Michael Connelly but I'd classify this as a kinder, gentler & less gritty version of the genre. It's a "clean" read (no swearing, any sex is alluded to & off page) & the various members of the police force get on well together. The returning characters are becoming more fleshed out as the author weaves in personal details. The city itself is beautifully portrayed in descriptive passages of settings in Paris & their history.
But the heart of the story is Sirsky. He's a smart, intuitive man who others instinctively trust whether they are coworkers or family members. I found him slightly less daring in this outing. Understandably, he's more conscious of the risks associated with the job (a bullet will do that to you...). In the first book his character came across as edgier & driven which I found more interesting. This is not a reflection on the writing, purely a matter of personal preference. Sirsky looks at the world differently these days, influenced by his brush with mortality & a contented personal life.
He's still a pleasure to spend time with as the reader follows the twisting, complex plot to a surprising resolution. Not every aspect is neatly tied up & I look forward to encountering these characters again in the next instalment.

[Ted Lehmann · Rating 1 out of 5]

Crossing the Line: Paris Homocide #2 by Frédérique Molay and Anne Trager (translator) (Le French Book, 2014, 280 pages, $27.33/$9.39) is a police procedural set in Paris, the second English translation of a series of novels featuring Chief Nico Sirsky of the elite Criminal Investigation Department of the Paris Police. The first novel by Molay to be translated into English, The Seventh Woman succeeded in creating the characters in two major settings, their police function of solving intractable cases, and the domestic roilings of Sirsky's finding a new love and beginning to work through the dissolution of a marriage gone wrong. It succeded beyoung my expectations, and I enjoyed the mystery, as it resolved itself from gruesome murders to an tension filled climax. In all the areas where The Seventh Woman succeded, Crossing the Line fails. The tensions in Sirsky's domestic life have fallen into the background, the search for the killer seems rather routine, dialogue is wooden and filled with uneccessary medical jargon, and the scenes of medical dissection and training using multiple cadavers never rise to the grisly horror Molay tells us is present. I finished reading this novel only because I had enjoyed the first enough to give the second an opportunity to find its way into my liking, but neither the plot nor the characters work this time around.

Pharmacist Bruno Guedj has died after agreeing to donate his body to science. At the lab where such things happen, his body has been dissected and various parts distributed for different medical specialties to work on. Guedj's head, along with those of thirty nine others, are to be the subject of training session for experienced dentists learning to extract wisdom teeth. During this routine exercise, one pair finds a funny looking filling and lifts it off, only to find a note concealed beneath it. The note reads, “I was murdered.” There follows an ever widening investigation into first Guedj and his family , then extending to his colleagues and acquaintances while it follows up several dead end paths before finding connections that rise higher and higher into the French social and economic structure as well as exploring aspects of medical ethics. The use of Internet chat lines to help uncover the ultimate mystery is never effective. Conversations meant to ellucidate various issues seem stilted and focused on providing needed information rather than increasing plot tensions. The slow introduction of the maniacal killer, as the investigation reaches ever closer, never creates enough tension to capture the reader as it did in The Seventh Woman. All told, Crossing the Line is a sodden mess of leaden prose lacking passion, verisimilitude, or anything calculated to capture and hold a reader. Please read the rest of this review on my blog.

[Carolyn Injoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crossing the Line: A Paris Homicide Mystery by Frédérique Molay I received a free kindle copy of Crossing the Line: A Paris Homicide Mystery by Frédérique Molay translated by Anne Trager, published by Le French Book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
 
I gave this second book of the series five stars because it kept me guessing & is a stand alone book.
 
Here is a quote from Chief Inspector Nico Sirsky as he took his morning therapeutic jog: "Nico smiled at the thought of Paris strutting its stuff, no matter the weather.  Come rain, wind or snow, his city revealed all her finery with the same charm, like an experienced, elegant & spellbinding woman. The Seine River rippling beneath him completed the image."
 
He had been shot in the leg before & his life was at risk daily.  "He grabbed his holstered gun & felt its weight in his hand. Friend or enemy? Life or death? A gun protected as much as it threatened.  As he attached it to his belt, the cold hard reality struck him again. He hated having to use his gun, but like so many other things in this world--crime, separation, illness, loss--he had to deal with it."
 
Nico delivered the news of their family member's death: "They remained slumped in their chairs.  Finally they got up to leave. Many times before Nico had seen how pain & sorrow sucked up their prey from the inside, emptying them of their substance, like straws in a glass."
 
As an officer of the law & Inspector, Nico realized this: "A successful investigation required several ingredients: work, determination--more on the order of relentless resolve--intuition, & insight--a sixth sense, which no technique could ever replace.  And luck, a basic element that couldn't be controlled."
 
I will now look for more of Frédérique Molay's writing. I recommend this series.
 
Link to purchase: http://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Line-P...

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Crossing the Line. It’s an English translation of a French mystery published in 2011. The translator did a very good job. Everything flows nice and smoothly. It doesn’t read like a translation, but it still has the feel of a French book. The description of life in Paris is very authentic, and it makes you want to visit and experience the streets, shops, sights, and everyday events.

The story also flows very smoothly. It starts with a message found buried inside an intentionally badly filled molar. This is discovered by dental students learning surgery. They were working on a head from a body that was recently donated to science. The body was an apparent suicide, but the message said “I was murdered”. Nico Sirsky and his team of detectives start with this puzzle and slowly follow a trail of evidence, information from interviews, and other clues. They discover murders that were ruled accidents and suicides. The closer they get, the more bodies they find. Everything is very logical and reasonable. There are plot twists and surprises, but nothing feels implausible.

The characters are interesting and believable. Ms. Molay is building a base of appealing characters. As this series continues, I expect that she will fill them out even more. Chief of Police, Nico Sirsky, is a multifaceted person. He is an injured policeman trying to return to his job, a divorced father with a son living with him, and a man who is in love with a woman. He has to combine his work and home-life. and keep everything moving forward.

I give Crossing the Line 4 Stars out of and a Thumbs Up. If you would like a glimpse of Parisian life, combined with a good, logical police procedural, this is the book for you. Everything works, nice and smooth.

I received this book for free from NetGalley and the publisher, Le French Book, in return for an honest review.

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I don't know many French authors of crime books, simply because not many of them are translated in English. So I was very excited when I found a gem like this one. Crossing the Line is actually second in the series and I figured that out by requesting the third one on Netgalley. After the third one, I came back for the previous books. I didn't find the first one, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the next book in the series.

The story begins with anatomy class at medical school when a strange message is found in a tooth of a corp. "I was murdered"-it says. Is it a sick student's joke or is there something more going on? The body belongs to a well-known pharmacist who has committed a suicide. But why would someone who is suicidal leave a message "I was murdered"?

Detective Nico Sirsky works on the case. Very quickly he figures out that the pharmacist didn't kill himself. The victim was shot with right hand, but he was left-handed. But why would anyone have a reason to kill a peaceful person who works as a pharmacist?

Nico Sirsky is well described as a main character. He is very devoted to his family, his son Dmitri, his love Caroline, even his ex wife. He respects his Russian ancestors. And as much as he loves his family, he loves his job too. He is very dedicated when he has a case to solve. A case like a faked suicide.

I must say that this book has a really unique start. It starts well, continues with many twists and turn-overs, to finish in most unexpected way. The author brings you on the streets of Paris, makes you attend an anatomy class and introduces you to not just French but also Russian culture. It is my first book from this author, but it definitely won't be the last. The next one in the series is already on my TBR list.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loaded with suspense the plot immediately snares the readers attention. All the behind the scenes movement brilliantly brought to the readers fingertips allowing plausibility and authenticity to add impact to a wonderful narrative. We are privy to the minute workings of the French police with complete procedural details depicted in combination with the coroner’s office. Interesting to see how France operates compared to other novels set in different countries. The impeccable details, well developed characters and a stellar narrative all create a suspenseful thrilling series. Molay certainly demonstrates her gift of riveting authorship.

Outstanding translation on Anne Trager’s part. Her contribution and talent stealing zilch from Molay’s prose and intent. You felt nothing was lost in translation as most works suffer. The team of Molay and Trager works well and I hope it continues long after the series concludes, truly a marvelous collaboration.

You feel warmth towards Police Chief Nico Sirsky. A man with a heart, caring for those he interacts with – personally and professionally. Molay gives a very intimate glimpse into Sirsky’s personal life and strife. You can’t help developing an emotional relationship with this well structured and exposed character.

Highly recommend this fast paced exciting thriller full of suspense and intrigue. Will be adding Molay’s future books in this series without a doubt to my reading list. Well presented all the way around, no surprise it’s not immune to acclaim in France, excellent.

[Carolien · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoy this series and love the Parisian setting. The discovery of the murder is particularly intriguing in this book and the plot develops quickly. I am really grateful to publishers like https://www.lefrenchbook.com/ that allows us to access more translated fiction.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review which I'm happy to provide. Crossing the Line is translated from the French perfectly; absolutely nothing is lost in the translation. The setting of Paris at Christmas time is beautifully done and well-depicted in English; there is absolutely no awkwardness or clunkiness about the text. The premise of the story is fascinating: a cadaver at a medical college is found with a message inserted in a tooth that precipitates a police investigation. The book starts out slowly, perhaps because it is the second in a series and is updating the reader about characters met, and known well, from the first book. In any event by about a third of the way into the book, the story becomes really good. Readers will find it impossible to put the book down. I accomplished little else on the Sunday that I read this book and would gladly read another in this series. Highly recommend!

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read my review of the first book in the Paris Homicide series, The 7th Woman, here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....

I was pleasantly surprised by Frédérique Molay's second entry in her Paris Homicide series, Crossing the Line. Molay's writing flowed much more smoothly and was more assured, and the jarring word choices I noted in the first book were happily missing from this one. The mystery, launched when dental students discover a message hidden in the tooth of a cadaver, was riveting, and, unlike The 7th Woman, the identity and motivation of the killer were not readily apparent.

Overall, Crossing the Line was a good mystery which left me interested in reading the next in the series, The City of Blood.

I received a free copy of Crossing the Line through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A clue found in … the filling of a cadaver’s tooth stating, ‘I was murdered!’ sets Paris’ Chief of Police Nico Sirsky investigating probably the weirdest clues he – or you – have ever seen.

But one clue leads to another and soon Nico finds himself in the middle of multiple murders and one of the most desperate and saddest killers he has ever encountered.

Romance, bizarre murders, and the pathos of dying children – an incredible and fascinating mix of mystery and love all of us need and want and love carried too far.

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 and 1 / 2 stars

Chief of Police Nico Sirsky is returning to work after taking a bullet to the leg. He was off work for three months. He is head of La Crim’ the elite Brigade Criminelle.

His team is taking part in a bust of some high end jewel thieves and everyone is a little nervous. A call comes in from the lab that something strange is going on so Nico heads down there. What they discover is a man who had a note embedded into one of his teeth. The note says “I was murdered.”

This book follows the investigation of the murdered man. It is step by step and very detailed in in describing the case and the cops following the clues. The police interview the family, the co-workers and various others who are peripherally and no-so-peripherally involved in the case. It details the forensic evidence.

This book is the last of the series of the Frederique Molay novels, although it technically comes second. (I read them out of order.) I found this book to be my least favorite. It is extremely well written and plotted as are all of Ms. Molay’s novels. Sufficient information is given about the main characters’ backgrounds to flesh them out, but not so much that it interfered with the telling of the story. I liked the book, just not as much her others.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's Christmas in Paris. Chief of Police Nico Sirsky returns to work after recovering from a gunshot wound. He's in love and raring to go. His first day back has him overseeing a jewel heist sting and taking on an odd investigation. Dental students discovered a message in the tooth of a severed head. Is it a sick joke? Sirsky and his team of crack homicide detectives follow the clues from an apparent suicide to an apparent accident to an all-out murder as an intricate machination starts breaking down. Just how far can despair push a man? How clear is the line between good and evil? More suspense and mystery with the Paris Homicide team from the prizewinning author Frédérique Molay, the "French Michael Connelly". This is the second in the prize-winning Paris Homicide series

A perfectly written procedural. You feel like you are investigating right along with the detectives.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Fiction, Crime, Translated, Series)

In this, the second in the Paris Homicide series, Paris Chief of Police Nico Sirsky is on a bizarre case. Dental students have discovered a message in the tooth of a severed head, warning of murder.

The Paris setting was excellent, the suspenseful build-up was good, but the plot seemed to me to “cross the line” into the completely unbelievable. (Not the bit about the tooth; I bought that. The plot just went over the top at its climax.)

3½ stars

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing mystery by Molay

This was even better than the first book. I learned more about the main characters -- Nico and his detectives and family. The hook, the message in a molar of a head donated for medical research, drew me in and the ending was surprising. The science and medical facts gave this an air of reality. Bravo!

[Joan Osborne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome. It had me to the end. I thought I had the ending figured out, but I hadn't. What a surprise. Was suspenseful. I also love the history of l.

Awesome. It had me captured from the beginning to the end. I thought I had it all figured out, but there was a surprise at the end which I hadn't even thought about. Seems as if there's always one thing you don't expect in her books. I also love the history that's scattered throughout the book. Makes it even more interesting. Look forward the next books.

[Woodie Jayne Ischer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the first book - this one is no exception

I love not only the love of humanity displayed in this series but also the setting - The Paris of my youth!

[Mandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent 2nd book! Great vacation read.

[Andréa]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Nicolas Dano · Rating 3 out of 5]

J'ai trouvé ce 2ème volet plus intéressant, avec plus de suspense, que le 1er livre. Cependant, la fin est trop rapide, trop basique à mon goût, ce qui laisse un goût amer

[Linda Chrisman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good mystery by a new-to-me author. Excellent premise, interesting characters, and a Paris setting help make this one stand out.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour for a fair and honest review. I rated it 4.5 out of 5 Stars.

Still recovering from being shot three months ago, Chief Nico Sirsky returns to his offices at “La Crim”. Immersing himself back into work full time, Nico is happy about the direction both his personal and professional life have taken. Especially with the Christmas holidays just around the corner. While Nico and his team look forward to working together again, another man, realizing his days are numbered, finds an unusual way to alert the police about his murder. And so begins Crossing the Line, the second book in Frederique Molay’s Paris Homicide series. Having established her characters in The 7Th. Woman. Ms. Molay, challenges them, and her readers, with a mystery that will take them through the hallowed halls of universities and hospitals, dedicated to helping their fellow man, to find a killer willing to do whatever it takes to have his way.

While Ms. Molay spent a lot of time in developing Nico’s character and giving us insight into his personal life, this book takes a different direction concentrating more on the procedural and investigative aspect of Nico’s professional life. Don’t get me wrong, we still get to see his personal relationships, but now we are seeing Nico relishing life more – getting shot reminded him life is fragile, even for the members of a crack police team. Perhaps more fragile than even he can imagine.

We also get to meet some new characters in this book, characters who I look forward to getting to know more as the series continues to develop. I particularly enjoyed meeting Claire Le Marec, Nico’s deputy chief, and Marcel, a body processor at the Paris Descart University, a colorful character who provides yet another philosophy on life.

Nico and his team also have two crimes to solve in this story; a high profile and high dollar theft, which has naturally sent his superiors into near apoplexy, and a murder, which may or may not be tied to one of the most prestigious, and well known, universities in France. Both cases that could have a huge public and professional impact on Nico’s future.

Especially since his mentor, and one of his bosses, Deputy Police Commissioner Michel Cohen is worried about how long it’s taking them to solve the high profile theft. I also enjoyed getting to see Nico interact with Police Commissioner Nicole Monthalet more; it’s nice to see women in high profile, high powered positions in a traditionally male dominated field. Nico's team, a colorful group of men and women, also gets more time in this installment and we get to know a little bit more about some of their personal lives - like the rest of us, they too face challenges both professionally and personally at the same time.

Will Nico and his team be able to solve both crimes before the holidays? Will Nico’s surprise Christmas gift to his family bring them all closer together and bring them closer to their heritage? You’ll have to read Crossing the Line to find out. I can’t wait to dive into the next book in this series, The City of Blood, to see what happens next.

[M.R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first encounter with Molay's writing. Thanks to the intervention of a prescient librarian with taste, I had the opportunity to read this book recently, and I was caught up in it almost immediately. It helps that I haven't been to Paris in 30 years and was missing it terribly just before I read the book: it was like greeting an old friend, me reading it with my Streetwise Paris map and Michelin guide to the arrondisements.

Many reviewers have likened Nico to Arkady Renko of Gorky Park, but I didn't see the similarity. What did strike me, though, is his blind infatuation with a country he hasn't seen since childhood (Russia), and how even as a Parisian-raised Russian he automatically thinks of the Ukraine as part of Russia (or equivalent to, a notion most Ukrainians would strongly dispute) -- all of which makes the character more believable. Not particularly macho, very intelligent and somewhat intellectual, a decent thinker. As a detective, however, he's different and much more of a team player than any similar character in a British, American, or Australian police procedural. In fact, I was reminded more than anything else of Simenon's Inspector Maigret, who also relied on his team and to whom there is a subtle nod in the text during a mention of the Place des Vosges (a place I visited those 30 years ago; I take it from the text that it hasn't changed much, including the bistro at the NW corner of the square, where Simenon used to drink coffee and write). Yet the feel of the story is very contemporary. The result is both familiar and different, but in a good way. Intriguing.

Also, Molay writes beautifully, especially dialogue (either that, or the translator is graceful with language and deserves credit). That makes for a refreshing change from the terrible dialogue I've read lately in some supposedly good but actually disappointing military sci-fi/spy-fi (that was all tech focused, with thin cardboard characters; in contrast, Nico Sirsky and his colleagues and loved ones all seem like real people doing, thinking and saying believable things). I'm also reminded of Louise Penny's introspective Inspector Armand Gamache. Is it coincidence that both authors are women, or is it that French-oriented literate mindset that sets them apart? I'll have to think about that for a while.

I'm a Molay convert. Now I'll look for the first book in this series, The 7th Woman, before moving on to City of Blood. Long live Nico Sirsky! He and Molay make me want to see Paris again.