What do you think?
Rate this book
Bender at the Bon Parisien
The former bartender at the Bon Parisien has gone missing. Two Americans in Paris, Peter and Janie, spend an all nighter in the bar with several strangers from the neighborhood when it becomes clear that the missing man left something very valuable behind—hidden somewhere in the bar. How much does each stranger know? What aren’t they telling the Americans?
246 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 18, 2015
10 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 8, 2015
A clever, energetic little yarn with a cast of fascinating characters, a twisty plot worthy of Dashiell Hammett, and a fun sense of humor. The main storyline is crafted much like a stage play and alternates with a series of flashbacks that peel off multiple layers of plot and character detail. The result is a page-turner with a well-constructed reveal and twist at the end of every chapter.
October 26, 2015
Not perfect, but definitely worth your time if you're in the mood for something light.
October 5, 2024
3.5 stars actually. Interesting story telling from multiple points of view, easy to follow along. My big complaint is grammatically, they kept using the word passed instead of past.
September 23, 2015
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Bender at the Bon Parisien by Pres Maxson is mysterious and suspenseful. It is a story of one night at a hotel bar told with flashbacks presented by various characters. The flashbacks give readers a glimpse into the character/narrator as well as some key clues in the mystery. The story is told primarily from the point of view of Peter, a visiting American, and since he has the least knowledge of the pieces of the puzzle, his view of what is happening is sometimes surreal.
Peter, a journalist, and his wife, Janie, a poet-student, accidentally play host to a myriad of quirky characters at the Bon Parisen bar on the evening in question. Although Peter is a primary narrator of the story, we really don’t get to know him (or Janie) all that well. Opera singer, Trudel, street performer, Pistache, and clock maker, Fleuse are mourning their missing and assumed-dead friend, Victor, when the antics begin. These characters are slowly developed—or revealed—as the evening progresses and the action begins.
My favorite quote from the book is a little note that Janie has jotted on a cocktail napkin: “Bees’ hearts beat faster when there’s honey in the hive.” It would seem that all the characters in this book are busy little bees.
Bender at the Bon Parisien is filled with quirky characters, predictable and surprising plot points, and a fabulously untidy ending. I enjoyed the pace of the story and chaos of the scenes. I immensely disliked the required suspension of disbelief required to think that no one in the hotel was suspicious of the noise and commotion in the “closed for business” lobby bar. Chapter headings that clue the reader into the fact that they’re “re-reading” a scene from another characters point of view would have been helpful. Overall, a fun read that I would rate 3.5 to 4 stars.
***Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official. For more information regarding our reviews please visit our Fan Site: www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.NG***
Bender at the Bon Parisien by Pres Maxson is mysterious and suspenseful. It is a story of one night at a hotel bar told with flashbacks presented by various characters. The flashbacks give readers a glimpse into the character/narrator as well as some key clues in the mystery. The story is told primarily from the point of view of Peter, a visiting American, and since he has the least knowledge of the pieces of the puzzle, his view of what is happening is sometimes surreal.
Peter, a journalist, and his wife, Janie, a poet-student, accidentally play host to a myriad of quirky characters at the Bon Parisen bar on the evening in question. Although Peter is a primary narrator of the story, we really don’t get to know him (or Janie) all that well. Opera singer, Trudel, street performer, Pistache, and clock maker, Fleuse are mourning their missing and assumed-dead friend, Victor, when the antics begin. These characters are slowly developed—or revealed—as the evening progresses and the action begins.
My favorite quote from the book is a little note that Janie has jotted on a cocktail napkin: “Bees’ hearts beat faster when there’s honey in the hive.” It would seem that all the characters in this book are busy little bees.
Bender at the Bon Parisien is filled with quirky characters, predictable and surprising plot points, and a fabulously untidy ending. I enjoyed the pace of the story and chaos of the scenes. I immensely disliked the required suspension of disbelief required to think that no one in the hotel was suspicious of the noise and commotion in the “closed for business” lobby bar. Chapter headings that clue the reader into the fact that they’re “re-reading” a scene from another characters point of view would have been helpful. Overall, a fun read that I would rate 3.5 to 4 stars.
***Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official. For more information regarding our reviews please visit our Fan Site: www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.NG***
April 8, 2015
This was one of the first requests I got for review when I posted my review guidelines a few weeks back. I started it and finished in the same day. I hope that means something to you, because it certainly means something to me. Pres Maxson presents a compelling storyline using a mixture of voices, from first to third and he gets away with it because his characters are--well, they are caricatures of themselves and it makes them awesome in every way. I laughed at some "serious" moments and felt sorry for the main narrator while snickering behind his back.
I give this mystery five stars for a great story, wonderfully compelling characters, and a presentation that kept me turning the page until the very end. So grab a copy, mix a drink and settle in; you are in for a great read.
I give this mystery five stars for a great story, wonderfully compelling characters, and a presentation that kept me turning the page until the very end. So grab a copy, mix a drink and settle in; you are in for a great read.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews