The Moreau Connection (Book 19 - Novella): A Genevieve Lenard NOVELLA

Genevieve Lenard #18.5

by Estelle Ryan

Exquisite forgeries. Espionage. Hidden codes.

Doctor Genevieve Lenard's carefully structured life is thrown into disarray when a brutally beaten stranger collapses on her doorstep. The desperate words he mumbles before slipping into unconsciousness spark a torrent of alarming questions. And as his broken hand relaxes to reveal a bloody item he’d been clutching with the last of his strength, the urgency of this situation heightens exponentially.

Genevieve and her team embark on a harrowing journey to uncover the man’s identity and his reasons for showing up at her home. As they peel back the layers of deceit and corruption, they uncover a conspiracy that could unravel a web of secrets reaching the highest echelons of the French government, where trust is a luxury and a single choice could have dire consequences.

With every discovery, it becomes evident that the case is far more expansive than they anticipated, posing a real and imminent threat—not only to their lives but also to the lives of thousands of innocent civilians. Genevieve must venture far beyond her comfort zone to unravel the threads of this deadly mystery before it's too late.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Art

237 pages, Paperback

Published November 29, 2024

About the author

Estelle Ryan was born in South Africa and spent her childhood being surrounded by African beauty, nature and diversity of cultures. Her first trip to Europe at the tender age of 16 transformed her world into a much larger place, endless in its possibilities and places to explore. For most of her adulthood she’s travelled all over the world, lived on a few continents, explored numerous cultures and still is insatiable in the quest to still the hunger for more life experiences.

She’s written for numerous international magazines, was the editor of a European lifestyle magazine and has seven romance novels published under a pseudonym. With her interest in international politics, arts, crime, behavioural psychology, criminal psychology and music, she decided to combine all these elements in her writing. And so Genevieve and the team came into being.

She is an unabashed coffeeshopaholic. Good coffee, ambience and music in the perfect combination is all that is required to turn a mundane coffee shop into her 'office'. The appropriate coffee shop is chosen depending on the mood, the weather, the type and amount of work that needs to be done, and of course the craving of the day. All of her books have been written in numerous coffee shops all over the world.

Reviews

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic!!!

Another great read by Estelle Ryan, who has become my go-to author for mystery novels. I love the details she includes in her books. The stories are very realistic and definitely intriguing, and Ms. Ryan's writing is extremely descriptive. Genevieve, Colin, Vinny, Francine, Manny, and the rest are my favorite crime-fighting team; the characters are full of depth and truly feel like real people.

The research that Ms. Ryan puts into her books is simply astounding, and I love that she includes links to some of her research for each book on her website. I was especially intrigued by the use of emoticon code in social media to commit crimes. How terrifying that criminals can "hide" in plain sight and communicate in such a way to plan their evil deeds. No wonder cybercrime is so difficult to track.

As her books build upon the previous one, I am anxiously awaiting the next installment to discover how the adventure continues.

[Pontiki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genevieve is frightened when a stranger shows up at the team’s home, beaten and bloodied, but they soon learn he’s an artist who knows about someone’s terrible scheme.

Daniel’s old friend Marielle is the head of the national spy agency, but her husband Pierre is unlikeable to all of them. They meet to discuss the injured man who told them about rumours about the team themselves being dirty.

Meanwhile, there’s another problem involving pharmaceuticals laced with arsenic that are going into the market, but no one knows where or when. As they work to figure out the solutions, they find out that higher ups in government might be part of the plan.

The minister of the armed forces is the one who started the rumours, and there’s evidence he’s part of a human trafficking ring. When it turns out Pierre is also involved, Daniel wants to talk to Marielle, and the former spy still has a few tricks up her sleeve.

The drugs are stopped just in time, and the team, of course, is cleared. They’re also moving into a larger, safer complex that gives the couples and families privacy and allows Genevieve to meet the challenge of a big change in her life.

I enjoyed this novella and their ways of arriving at the right conclusions at the right time, with a spy on hand to tied up the ends.

[Roxx Tarantini · Rating 5 out of 5]

another outstanding tale!

Each time Ryan releases a new episode of Genevieve Lenard’s investigations it means that I drop everything and read it in one sitting. It was how, several years ago, I discovered the world of Genevieve after finding volume one as a free book, and then quickly reading the next four in rapid succession over one weekend. I've been hooked ever since.

The Moreau Connection, though a novella, was no different. Spending time with the characters that have become friends, following as their investigations take them into danger and intrigue, and breathing a sigh of relief as they reach resolution; the way Ryan weaves all these threads into a cohesive tapestry is nothing short of art!

Loved this latest Lenard adventure, and waiting with bated breath for The Lystra Connection.

[Serena · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is very rare that I can finish reading a book, even a novella, in a single day. This one is an exception. I did not want to put it down once I began to read it. It was everything I have come to expect from this author.
I like that Dr. Genevieve Lenard is still exhibiting neurodivergent traits after having read a few novels where she seemed to have become more neurotypical. Part of what makes this series so enjoyable is not only the way the character of Dr. Lenard is portrayed by the writer, but also the way in which the team accepts her and interacts with her and each other.
This book leaves the reader with more questions than answers, but it was time for there to be another case that wasn't able to be concluded in a single volume.
As a bonus, the author included the first two chapters of another series that she is writing.

[Huldie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cliffhanger

The Norway Connection opens with a badly injured man showing up at the apartment Genevieve shares with Colin. Fortunately, he survives, but cannot remember why he was looking for Colin. When the team begins an investigation, they discover pressure from high ranking French officials to shut down. Over the years, book by book, Genevieve's team has grown in closeness and in numbers. It has been a joy to read about these divergent people begin to trust each other and form a family.

[Dana Saint · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Moreau Connection

As always I love her work. I can hardly wait till the rest of the story comes out. I am so glad she is still writing about the team. Love them and how they interact with each other. Definitely an example of love and tolerance even if they don’t always understand or agree with each others actions. Together they are very strong. They are always. Expanding their family, as they should be.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a shorter book than most of those in the series, but doesn't suffer for that at all. In fact, in someways it made it better. The plotting was very tight. In some cases, a scene would start and it seemed like something had been left out, but the subsequent narrative always explained what had gone on in between, so that was fine. I'm looking forward to the next int he series which should be out today!

[Anne Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the perfect book for me right now. As a novella it was a quick read, and the thrilling story kept my attention riveted to this book. The characters are so well written, and it's heartwarming to watch Genevieve's found family grow throughout this series.

Fans of international crime thrillers should enjoy this book and the entire series.

[Alisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent as always

I eagerly await each book in this series. Estelle Ryan does such an excellent job that I can't put them down until i either finish them or fall asleep while reading. This one does not disappoint. The detail is extraordinary, the characters are well fleshed out and relatable. And I always learn some things along the way.

[Neville · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always this is a well written suspenseful novel involving our team. Treason, espionage and poisoned medicine all play a role. This turns out to be a novelette that leads right into the next book (which is published). I am more than ready to move on to the Lytras connection. I also had the pleasure of learning more about an artist I was not very familiar with.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought with this one we would finally get some Colin backstory!! I liked the new characters, Antoine who was looking for Colin and Antoine’s partner Edouard. I hope they pop up in the future as well. The new living situation concept that’s brought up is so hilarious and adorable. Especially with one of my favorites 🥹 The mystery was really interesting and fun to follow.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is billed as a novella, but is sold for the same price as the full-length novels in the series. Moreover, it is incomplete. It ends with most of the mystery unresolved, and a note saying that all will be revealed in the next book. This is cheating the reader. I’m surprised at Ryan.

The story is good, but the reader is left hanging and told to buy another book if they want resolution.

[Ro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This offering of the Genevieve Lenard series was a vast improvement over the previous book. The plot line and technologies discussed were compelling and the pacing was perfect. My faith in the series is restored.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick read (note the series number) from a series I've enjoyed over the years. It has a bit of a cliff hanger leading to the next book, but I had already pre-ordered it so I was able to roll right into the next one.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novella. Very comforting and anxiety provoking, depending on the scene. Love the change in living situation that is coming- I love their communal style. Looking forward to answers in the next book that we didn't get in this one!

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another exciting story in this series!

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tentacles

An injured artist comes looking for Colin and it leads to a complex conspiracy involving social media, poisoned medicine, and treason.

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to follow

[Rhea Morrigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a bit disappointed that this one was so short AND ended on a cliffhanger!! But I still gave it 5 stars because as always, it was well-written!! The saving grace is that the next book is not that far away. The one thing that could have been a bit clearer is why Pierre beat up Antoine. I get it's because Antoine painted the Moreaus, but Estelle is usually more detailed about why things happen. Did Pierre think Antoine was going to go to the police? That wouldn't make sense since the paintings were not forgeries but copies. We didn't see as much as Genevieve's thought process or Vinnie's cooking. While these things are not pertinent to solving the crime, they, along with Francine's craziness, Manny's grouchiness and the closed-door romance between Colin and Genevieve are what makes these books.