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Franck Guerin #3
Loose-Limbed: Ask an Etoile - ballet is a demanding art; it's not supposed to be a deadly one.
Ballet is a demanding art. But it is not supposed to be a deadly one.
When one of the leading ballerinas of the Paris Opera Ballet is found strangled, it is a hard blow for the company. When dark secrets are found in her recent past, its very future is threatened. When others are killed in the same way, it begins to looks as if a curse has fallen upon the Opera and its tight-knit community of dancers.
When the case lands on the desk of captain Franck Guerin of the city's Major Crimes Unit, he finds himself drawn into a world far removed from his own. Not a comfortable place to be when faced with a nimble-footed killer who can dance rings around him.
David Barrie's third novel featuring captain Franck Guerin follows firmly in the footsteps of its a remarkable cast of characters; an intimate knowledge of the social geography of Paris; and a finely-wrought plot that would make a Swiss watchmaker proud.
When one of the leading ballerinas of the Paris Opera Ballet is found strangled, it is a hard blow for the company. When dark secrets are found in her recent past, its very future is threatened. When others are killed in the same way, it begins to looks as if a curse has fallen upon the Opera and its tight-knit community of dancers.
When the case lands on the desk of captain Franck Guerin of the city's Major Crimes Unit, he finds himself drawn into a world far removed from his own. Not a comfortable place to be when faced with a nimble-footed killer who can dance rings around him.
David Barrie's third novel featuring captain Franck Guerin follows firmly in the footsteps of its a remarkable cast of characters; an intimate knowledge of the social geography of Paris; and a finely-wrought plot that would make a Swiss watchmaker proud.
322 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
1 person is currently reading
6 people want to read
About the author
David Barrie
32 books5 followersDavid Barrie is a crime writer who has lived in Paris for over twenty years. The city looms large in his NOIR CHIC crime novels. A sense of place has always been one of the foundations of quality crime fiction. Barrie’s novels are true to the city in which they are set: stylish, sophisticated and crafted with an eye for the tiniest detail.
As for Barrie’s own take on what he does, here’s an extract from a recent interview: “Crime fiction is a genre that has never turned its back on the simple pleasures of colourful characters and compelling plots. It’s not ashamed to be entertaining, even while it’s doing its best to keep the reader on his or her toes.”
If it’s dark, alluring and has a wicked sense of style, it’s probably NOIR CHIC.
As for Barrie’s own take on what he does, here’s an extract from a recent interview: “Crime fiction is a genre that has never turned its back on the simple pleasures of colourful characters and compelling plots. It’s not ashamed to be entertaining, even while it’s doing its best to keep the reader on his or her toes.”
If it’s dark, alluring and has a wicked sense of style, it’s probably NOIR CHIC.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 8, 2012
Review from Badelynge
Captain Franck Guerin of the Brigade Criminelle invites us once again to sit in on his latest investigation. The Paris Opera Ballet is preparing for the premiere of a bold new Ballet based on the Greek myth of Diana and Acteon. Franck is called in when the female lead dancer is found strangled in her apartment. Like me he knows next to nothing about the world of Ballet so he has to learn fast at a time that he has to cope with absorbing all the mass of information that the first days of an investigation throws up (interviews, crime scenes, forensics, etc). It's a formula readers of the first two books will be familiar with - one that works very well I hasten to add. I'm still enjoying Franck's company and I was happy to meet a few of the recurring characters from the series again, especially Sylvie and Sonia, though there is no shortage of strong female characters in the books.
It's hard to comment on the main aspect of the book, the murder mystery itself, without giving too much away. I really hate spoilers, so I'll just say that I almost put it all together before Franck did and leave it at that. I was impressed with David Barrie's attention to detail and thorough researching of the different aspects of the story. There's nothing worse than lazy researching or sketchiness to ruin the verisimilitude. The Parisian locations are as beautifully described as ever, not least the Opera de Paris itself, with all its myriad internal locations, its architecture and history. Although it's the focal location of the book the story doesn't spend all its time there. It acts more as a central hub for the story and we still get to visit the cafes, restaurants, parks, hotels etc that surround it as well as some more further afield. The author points out things of interest, often using his characters to do it, which helps to colour the narrative without it straying into pedantry. Loved the stuff about Dumas - it really has been too long since I last engaged with those musketeers.
A very good detective story, with engaging characters, an interesting puzzle of a plot, well executed from a hidden gem of an author who seems to be hitting his stride. Recommended.
Captain Franck Guerin of the Brigade Criminelle invites us once again to sit in on his latest investigation. The Paris Opera Ballet is preparing for the premiere of a bold new Ballet based on the Greek myth of Diana and Acteon. Franck is called in when the female lead dancer is found strangled in her apartment. Like me he knows next to nothing about the world of Ballet so he has to learn fast at a time that he has to cope with absorbing all the mass of information that the first days of an investigation throws up (interviews, crime scenes, forensics, etc). It's a formula readers of the first two books will be familiar with - one that works very well I hasten to add. I'm still enjoying Franck's company and I was happy to meet a few of the recurring characters from the series again, especially Sylvie and Sonia, though there is no shortage of strong female characters in the books.
It's hard to comment on the main aspect of the book, the murder mystery itself, without giving too much away. I really hate spoilers, so I'll just say that I almost put it all together before Franck did and leave it at that. I was impressed with David Barrie's attention to detail and thorough researching of the different aspects of the story. There's nothing worse than lazy researching or sketchiness to ruin the verisimilitude. The Parisian locations are as beautifully described as ever, not least the Opera de Paris itself, with all its myriad internal locations, its architecture and history. Although it's the focal location of the book the story doesn't spend all its time there. It acts more as a central hub for the story and we still get to visit the cafes, restaurants, parks, hotels etc that surround it as well as some more further afield. The author points out things of interest, often using his characters to do it, which helps to colour the narrative without it straying into pedantry. Loved the stuff about Dumas - it really has been too long since I last engaged with those musketeers.
A very good detective story, with engaging characters, an interesting puzzle of a plot, well executed from a hidden gem of an author who seems to be hitting his stride. Recommended.
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January 24, 2011The third in a series of Paris-based crime novel featuring captain Franck Guerin of the Brigade Criminelle. Like its predecessors, Loose-Limbed takes its hero into a world of which he knows little and forces him to decode its customs and practices in order to solve the crime. The previous books did this with upmarket lingerie (Wasp-Waisted) and high-end perfume (Night-Scented). This time around the focus is on ballet, and more specifically on the inner workings of the Ballet de l'Opera de Paris, one of the world's finest companies (I add the "one of" to avoid raising any hackles, but as far as the French are concerned it is THE world's finest company).
As I wrote this book, I will avoid saying too much about it. It marks a slight divergence from its predecessors due to the fact that rather than wandering all over Paris it focuses on one location: the 19th century Opera House built by Charles Garnier (well-known to anyone who has read or seen The Phantom of the Opera). Another novelty is the fact that it allows us a peek at Franck Guerin's personal life. That aside, it is driven by the same obsession: create an intricate plot, populate it with a wide range of characters, and put the reader directly in the shoes of the hero so that they share the same information and the same chance of solving the crime before someone else gets killed.
The publisher has put up a dedicated web site (www.looselimbed.com) which offers a free look at the opening chapter and has photos of all the locations in Paris featured in the tale. Worth a look.
As I wrote this book, I will avoid saying too much about it. It marks a slight divergence from its predecessors due to the fact that rather than wandering all over Paris it focuses on one location: the 19th century Opera House built by Charles Garnier (well-known to anyone who has read or seen The Phantom of the Opera). Another novelty is the fact that it allows us a peek at Franck Guerin's personal life. That aside, it is driven by the same obsession: create an intricate plot, populate it with a wide range of characters, and put the reader directly in the shoes of the hero so that they share the same information and the same chance of solving the crime before someone else gets killed.
The publisher has put up a dedicated web site (www.looselimbed.com) which offers a free look at the opening chapter and has photos of all the locations in Paris featured in the tale. Worth a look.
October 3, 2011
I enjoyed this mystery #3 in the series. Usually I guess the killer, but this one surprised me!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews