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The Black Tower
Vidocq. The name strikes terror in the Parisian underworld of 1818. As founder and chief of a newly created plainclothes police force, Vidocq has used his mastery of disguise and surveillance to capture some of France’s most notorious and elusive criminals. Now he is hot on the trail of a tantalizing mystery—the fate of the young dauphin Louis-Charles, son of Marie-Antoinette and King Louis XVI.
Hector Carpentier, a medical student, lives with his widowed mother in her once-genteel home, now a boardinghouse, in Paris’s Latin Quarter, helping the family make ends meet in the politically perilous days of the restoration. Three blocks away, a man has been murdered, and Hector’s name has been found on a scrap of paper in the dead man’s pocket: a case for the unparalleled deductive skills of Eugène François Vidocq, the most feared man in the Paris police. At first suspicious of Hector’s role in the murder, Vidocq gradually draws him into an exhilarating—and dangerous—search that leads them to the true story of what happened to the son of the murdered royal family.
Officially, the Dauphin died a brutal death in Paris’s dreaded Temple—a menacing black tower from which there could have been no escape—but speculation has long persisted that the ten-year-old heir may have been smuggled out of his prison cell. When Hector and Vidocq stumble across a man with no memory of who he is, they begin to wonder if he is the Dauphin himself, come back from the dead. Their suspicions deepen with the discovery of a diary that reveals Hector’s own shocking link to the boy in the tower—and leaves him bound and determined to see justice done, no matter the cost.
In The Black Tower, Bayard deftly interweaves political intrigue, epic treachery, cover-ups, and conspiracies into a gripping portrait of family redemption—and brings to life an indelible portrait of the mighty and profane Eugène François Vidocq, history’s first great detective.
Hector Carpentier, a medical student, lives with his widowed mother in her once-genteel home, now a boardinghouse, in Paris’s Latin Quarter, helping the family make ends meet in the politically perilous days of the restoration. Three blocks away, a man has been murdered, and Hector’s name has been found on a scrap of paper in the dead man’s pocket: a case for the unparalleled deductive skills of Eugène François Vidocq, the most feared man in the Paris police. At first suspicious of Hector’s role in the murder, Vidocq gradually draws him into an exhilarating—and dangerous—search that leads them to the true story of what happened to the son of the murdered royal family.
Officially, the Dauphin died a brutal death in Paris’s dreaded Temple—a menacing black tower from which there could have been no escape—but speculation has long persisted that the ten-year-old heir may have been smuggled out of his prison cell. When Hector and Vidocq stumble across a man with no memory of who he is, they begin to wonder if he is the Dauphin himself, come back from the dead. Their suspicions deepen with the discovery of a diary that reveals Hector’s own shocking link to the boy in the tower—and leaves him bound and determined to see justice done, no matter the cost.
In The Black Tower, Bayard deftly interweaves political intrigue, epic treachery, cover-ups, and conspiracies into a gripping portrait of family redemption—and brings to life an indelible portrait of the mighty and profane Eugène François Vidocq, history’s first great detective.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published August 26, 2008
192 people are currently reading
5260 people want to read
About the author
Louis Bayard
30 books714 followersA staff writer for Salon.com, Bayard has written articles and reviews for the New York Times, the Washington Post, Nerve.com, and Preservation, among others. Bayard lives in Washington, D.C.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 529 reviews
May 30, 2017
Louis Bayard likes to take on old authors and have some fun with their worlds. In this case he is channeling Dumas in a fun mystery/adventure set in 19th century Paris. Scars from the Revolution still bleed. Napoleon has had his Waterloo and the monarchy has been restored. But who is the rightful heir to the aging Louis the 18th?
Louis Bayard - image from the Washington Post
Our hero, narrator and everyman is Hector Carpentier, a doctor of venereology, who lives a stunted life at his parental home, a survivor among many of the trials of revolutionary and post-revolutionary France. When a dead man is found to have Carpentier’s card upon his person, the retiring physician is drawn into a web of deception, palace intrigue, arson, assault and murder centering on the possibility that the legitimate heir of Louis XVI might not, as is widely believed, have been killed, but might be still alive. If so, that would not be a happy thing for those whose livelihood is based on their connection to the current king, Louis XVIII
The most compelling character here is Vidocq, police detective extraordinaire, master of disguise, and in the know about all the crime that takes place in his fair city. Of course he should know, given his unsavory background. The action is non-stop and Bayard offers a colorful depiction of 19th C. Paris. I found that at the end of the book, the revelations and explanations became a bit too much, making my head spin. Part of that may have been because I had not made my usual effort to sustain a log of characters, and thus was somewhat more at sea than usual. But that is a quibble. This was a fun read, a beach book to be sure, but brush off the sand and enjoy.
=============================EXTRA STUFF
Links to the author’s personal, Twitter and FB pages
Other Bayard titles I have enjoyed include:
Mr. Timothy
The Pale Blue Eye
The School of Night
Louis Bayard - image from the Washington Post
Our hero, narrator and everyman is Hector Carpentier, a doctor of venereology, who lives a stunted life at his parental home, a survivor among many of the trials of revolutionary and post-revolutionary France. When a dead man is found to have Carpentier’s card upon his person, the retiring physician is drawn into a web of deception, palace intrigue, arson, assault and murder centering on the possibility that the legitimate heir of Louis XVI might not, as is widely believed, have been killed, but might be still alive. If so, that would not be a happy thing for those whose livelihood is based on their connection to the current king, Louis XVIII
The most compelling character here is Vidocq, police detective extraordinaire, master of disguise, and in the know about all the crime that takes place in his fair city. Of course he should know, given his unsavory background. The action is non-stop and Bayard offers a colorful depiction of 19th C. Paris. I found that at the end of the book, the revelations and explanations became a bit too much, making my head spin. Part of that may have been because I had not made my usual effort to sustain a log of characters, and thus was somewhat more at sea than usual. But that is a quibble. This was a fun read, a beach book to be sure, but brush off the sand and enjoy.
=============================EXTRA STUFF
Links to the author’s personal, Twitter and FB pages
Other Bayard titles I have enjoyed include:
Mr. Timothy
The Pale Blue Eye
The School of Night
February 19, 2012
_The Black Tower_ by Louis Bayard is a very enjoyable historical fiction/mystery set in Paris and its environs during the period of the Bourban Bourbon Restoration, with numerous flashbacks to the Terror of the Revolution. It is a period of huge turmoil and horror for France, where hope and possibility were mingled with despair and the worst elements of the human heart. The story proper begins as the narrator, Dr. Hector Carpentier, recalls for us what is perhaps the most eventful period of his life. It is a time when he was struggling to find his place in a world full of both personal and political upheaval and whose most memorable event may have been his seemingly chance meeting with Eugène François Vidocq, the famous former criminal turned police investigator, considered by many to be the father of modern criminology. As Carpentier tells us:
Unfortunately for him, Carpentier has fallen prey to just such an occurrence and as a result becomes enmeshed in an investigation involving murder and conspiracy that reaches to the highest levels of French society and threatens to engulf the nation in yet another political upheaval that could destroy what little remains of its tattered foundations. We learn, as events progress, that Louis-Charles the young son of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, once thought to have perished in destitution while a prisoner in the eponymous Black Tower, may actually have survived and be in line to claim his rightful place as Louis XVII. Naturally there are many parties with a vested interest to see that this does not come about and the main story revolves around the efforts of Vidocq and Carpentier as they attempt to unravel the mystery of numerous bodies that keep accumulating in apparent connection to the afore-mentioned note bearing Hector’s name. As the mystery deepens and they are led to a strange and simple man going by the name of Charles Rapskeller who appears to be the centre of it all, the two men meet with greater resistance that threatens not only their lives, but the welfare of the nation.
Interspersed with the main narrative are sections from the diary of one of the former dauphin’s keepers. Written tersely in a sort of shorthand, they still manage to provide a bleak and moving picture of the horrors to which the former rulers of France were subjected. In both the flashbacks and the story proper Bayard excels at depicting characters that are people whose lives and circumstances are the result of the world around them and the events that have occurred in their lives. It is in these aspects that I think Bayard’s work shows its most compelling aspect. Regardless of how you feel about monarchy vs. democracy and the ‘realities’ of bringing about necessary political change, Bayard manages to compellingly show us that every action (or revolution) has a human cost. Ultimately this is a book that explores that human cost by taking a view of France from the Revolution to the Restoration and examining the impact of the turmoil of these events on individuals from the lowest to the highest levels of society (which flip-flopped throughout the period). It is in this personal examination of great political events and a concentration on well-drawn characters, without forgoing the complexity both of the people involved and the events into which they are thrown, that Bayard has his greatest success. Added to that is Bayard’s skill as a writer which makes the story move along at a brisk pace with many happy turns of phrase. All in all a very enjoyable reading experience.
I’m a man of a certain age – old enough to have been every kind of fool – and I find to my surprise that the only counsel I have to pass on is this: never let your name be found in a dead man’s trousers.
Unfortunately for him, Carpentier has fallen prey to just such an occurrence and as a result becomes enmeshed in an investigation involving murder and conspiracy that reaches to the highest levels of French society and threatens to engulf the nation in yet another political upheaval that could destroy what little remains of its tattered foundations. We learn, as events progress, that Louis-Charles the young son of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, once thought to have perished in destitution while a prisoner in the eponymous Black Tower, may actually have survived and be in line to claim his rightful place as Louis XVII. Naturally there are many parties with a vested interest to see that this does not come about and the main story revolves around the efforts of Vidocq and Carpentier as they attempt to unravel the mystery of numerous bodies that keep accumulating in apparent connection to the afore-mentioned note bearing Hector’s name. As the mystery deepens and they are led to a strange and simple man going by the name of Charles Rapskeller who appears to be the centre of it all, the two men meet with greater resistance that threatens not only their lives, but the welfare of the nation.
Interspersed with the main narrative are sections from the diary of one of the former dauphin’s keepers. Written tersely in a sort of shorthand, they still manage to provide a bleak and moving picture of the horrors to which the former rulers of France were subjected. In both the flashbacks and the story proper Bayard excels at depicting characters that are people whose lives and circumstances are the result of the world around them and the events that have occurred in their lives. It is in these aspects that I think Bayard’s work shows its most compelling aspect. Regardless of how you feel about monarchy vs. democracy and the ‘realities’ of bringing about necessary political change, Bayard manages to compellingly show us that every action (or revolution) has a human cost. Ultimately this is a book that explores that human cost by taking a view of France from the Revolution to the Restoration and examining the impact of the turmoil of these events on individuals from the lowest to the highest levels of society (which flip-flopped throughout the period). It is in this personal examination of great political events and a concentration on well-drawn characters, without forgoing the complexity both of the people involved and the events into which they are thrown, that Bayard has his greatest success. Added to that is Bayard’s skill as a writer which makes the story move along at a brisk pace with many happy turns of phrase. All in all a very enjoyable reading experience.
July 6, 2018
I have had this book on my TBR for nearly a decade, and have owned this audiobook for almost half that. I don't know why I never got around to it before, but it's just one of those books that really catch my interest hard... but then I forget about them once they are in my possession. So many books, so little time.
So now I've read this, or listened to it, and... it was OK. I wish I could actually say that I liked it more, but I ended up being kind of bored with it, and ended up increasing the speed of the playback quite a lot to get through it quickly. To be clear, I usually listen at somewhere between 1.75x and 2x speed with the current Android Audible app (I say current because the playback speed rates used to be different). That's about a normal speaking speed for me. I upped it to about 2.25X speed, which did definitely edge into pretty speedy territory, but not so fast that it's hard to understand or track, just maybe it's not a speed I'd be willing to use for a lot of listening, or fine detail, etc. Since much of this book is first person narration of things that are happening, I was fine with it.
This is a historical conspiracy mystery/thriller type, surrounding what REALLY happened to the son of Marie-Antoinette and King Louis XVI after they were, uhh, removed from power. And their heads.
I found Vidocq to be an interesting character, and I liked him... but he really was the only character that I liked. He was gruff, smart, and willing to go to any length to solve a crime, as he felt that any crimes committed in Paris were a personal affront to him.
The other main character, our narrator, Hector (I just had to look up his name. That's how memorable he was.) was something of a gray blob of character that did nothing at all for me. He was the weak nobody who, for some reason, is the key to the mystery. Because... of course he is.
Ehh, I don't really have much to say about this book. I found it mundane. I think, maybe, had the diary bits/ flashbacks been handled differently or better, it might have worked better for me. But I found it hard to tell when we were listening to that vs the actual present day events. And so then I started to get bored. I did like the historical setting, and I liked the political aspects, but... liking the period of history isn't enough when the story isn't working for me.
I think this is a book that some readers will enjoy, and maybe it's one that would work better in print, but for me, even the brilliant Simon Vance couldn't bring this one up to a 3-star rating. It was just OK.
So now I've read this, or listened to it, and... it was OK. I wish I could actually say that I liked it more, but I ended up being kind of bored with it, and ended up increasing the speed of the playback quite a lot to get through it quickly. To be clear, I usually listen at somewhere between 1.75x and 2x speed with the current Android Audible app (I say current because the playback speed rates used to be different). That's about a normal speaking speed for me. I upped it to about 2.25X speed, which did definitely edge into pretty speedy territory, but not so fast that it's hard to understand or track, just maybe it's not a speed I'd be willing to use for a lot of listening, or fine detail, etc. Since much of this book is first person narration of things that are happening, I was fine with it.
This is a historical conspiracy mystery/thriller type, surrounding what REALLY happened to the son of Marie-Antoinette and King Louis XVI after they were, uhh, removed from power. And their heads.
I found Vidocq to be an interesting character, and I liked him... but he really was the only character that I liked. He was gruff, smart, and willing to go to any length to solve a crime, as he felt that any crimes committed in Paris were a personal affront to him.
The other main character, our narrator, Hector (I just had to look up his name. That's how memorable he was.) was something of a gray blob of character that did nothing at all for me. He was the weak nobody who, for some reason, is the key to the mystery. Because... of course he is.
Ehh, I don't really have much to say about this book. I found it mundane. I think, maybe, had the diary bits/ flashbacks been handled differently or better, it might have worked better for me. But I found it hard to tell when we were listening to that vs the actual present day events. And so then I started to get bored. I did like the historical setting, and I liked the political aspects, but... liking the period of history isn't enough when the story isn't working for me.
I think this is a book that some readers will enjoy, and maybe it's one that would work better in print, but for me, even the brilliant Simon Vance couldn't bring this one up to a 3-star rating. It was just OK.
June 23, 2016
This was my second book by this author, and I loved it....
Set in France during the restoration, Hector Carpentier, a failing medical student, becomes embroiled in a very strange investigation into whether the Dauphin, the son of King Louis XVII and Marie Antoinette was murdered whilst he was imprisoned in the Black Tower, a dreadful prison in Paris also known as the Temple, or if he was rescued by Hector's father, a Doctor, who it seems, was called in to treat the desperately ill little boy.
When Vidocq, a brilliantly larger than life character....ex convict, clever detective, and master of disguise, who now heads the fledgling Sûretè, the French detective force, is alerted to the Royal mystery by a murder, his investigations lead him to Hector.
The young student's life is to be turned upside down as he joins forces with the unconventional detective, and battles with some very dark forces, people who are determined to keep the secrets of the Black Tower from ever being revealed.
As things begin to turn nasty and old secrets are unearthed, we meet some weird and wonderful characters....it's hard to know who is hiding things, who is on which side, and who to trust......and, Hector's Father has left behind a set of clues which must be deciphered if the life of a mysterious young man is to be saved.
Set in France during the restoration, Hector Carpentier, a failing medical student, becomes embroiled in a very strange investigation into whether the Dauphin, the son of King Louis XVII and Marie Antoinette was murdered whilst he was imprisoned in the Black Tower, a dreadful prison in Paris also known as the Temple, or if he was rescued by Hector's father, a Doctor, who it seems, was called in to treat the desperately ill little boy.
When Vidocq, a brilliantly larger than life character....ex convict, clever detective, and master of disguise, who now heads the fledgling Sûretè, the French detective force, is alerted to the Royal mystery by a murder, his investigations lead him to Hector.
The young student's life is to be turned upside down as he joins forces with the unconventional detective, and battles with some very dark forces, people who are determined to keep the secrets of the Black Tower from ever being revealed.
As things begin to turn nasty and old secrets are unearthed, we meet some weird and wonderful characters....it's hard to know who is hiding things, who is on which side, and who to trust......and, Hector's Father has left behind a set of clues which must be deciphered if the life of a mysterious young man is to be saved.
October 6, 2014
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2012
I realize this is my second 5-star review in a row, but this book deserves it! I have never read anything by Bayard before, although "Mr. Timothy" has been on my book shelves for at least a year.
Reading this book was like unstacking a set of Russian nesting dolls. There were stories within stories, and plenty of twists and turns. I enjoy books that keep me guessing until the end...and even after I've turned the final page. This was one of those books.
I found the character of Vidocq to be fascinating, even more so because he actually existed. Who would have thought that a criminal would one day be the founder and first chief of the French Surete police organization? According to Wikipedia, he is considered to be the father of modern criminology and is also regarded as the first private detective.
In this novel, Vidocq is paired up with the young Hector Carpentier after the name "Dr. Hector Carpentier" is found on a scrap of paper in the pocket of a man who had been murdered.
This murder leads them to the mystery of what happened to the Dauphin, officially declared to have died in the horrible Temple in Paris.
The chapter titles were interesting, the story moved at an excellent pace, and I am now ready to read more of Bayard's books.
If you like mysteries and historical fiction, I strongly recommend this book.
Reading this book was like unstacking a set of Russian nesting dolls. There were stories within stories, and plenty of twists and turns. I enjoy books that keep me guessing until the end...and even after I've turned the final page. This was one of those books.
I found the character of Vidocq to be fascinating, even more so because he actually existed. Who would have thought that a criminal would one day be the founder and first chief of the French Surete police organization? According to Wikipedia, he is considered to be the father of modern criminology and is also regarded as the first private detective.
In this novel, Vidocq is paired up with the young Hector Carpentier after the name "Dr. Hector Carpentier" is found on a scrap of paper in the pocket of a man who had been murdered.
This murder leads them to the mystery of what happened to the Dauphin, officially declared to have died in the horrible Temple in Paris.
The chapter titles were interesting, the story moved at an excellent pace, and I am now ready to read more of Bayard's books.
If you like mysteries and historical fiction, I strongly recommend this book.
July 3, 2009
The Black Tower by Louis Bayard (pp. 400)
Bayard tells the story of the possible lost King of France (Louis-Charles) during the Restoration through the exploits of Vidocq, the famous and feared chief of the newly established undercover police force and a Parisian doctor. As historical fiction goes, Bayard balances the details of the period, plausibility, and moving the plot along better than most. The French Revolution and fast-moving, enjoyable fiction are not two ideas that I find go well together; but Bayard rises to the task and produces.
The author proves he knows the time period well juggling details of the Bourbons, Napoleon’s reign and the Restoration. The tale could easily be converted to a fun historic walk of Paris. The interesting and well-rounded characters that are normally lacking in historical fiction aren’t here. Carpentier, Vidocq, the Lost Dauphin and even the supporting characters are well drawn.
But with most of this type of genre fiction, you are either left disappointed with the ending or wanting more. Here, Bayard finishes the third act nicely, but concludes with a Dun- Dunt-Da cliffhanger which could have open another interesting extension of the story. Overall, an excellent story with an average ending.
Bayard tells the story of the possible lost King of France (Louis-Charles) during the Restoration through the exploits of Vidocq, the famous and feared chief of the newly established undercover police force and a Parisian doctor. As historical fiction goes, Bayard balances the details of the period, plausibility, and moving the plot along better than most. The French Revolution and fast-moving, enjoyable fiction are not two ideas that I find go well together; but Bayard rises to the task and produces.
The author proves he knows the time period well juggling details of the Bourbons, Napoleon’s reign and the Restoration. The tale could easily be converted to a fun historic walk of Paris. The interesting and well-rounded characters that are normally lacking in historical fiction aren’t here. Carpentier, Vidocq, the Lost Dauphin and even the supporting characters are well drawn.
But with most of this type of genre fiction, you are either left disappointed with the ending or wanting more. Here, Bayard finishes the third act nicely, but concludes with a Dun- Dunt-Da cliffhanger which could have open another interesting extension of the story. Overall, an excellent story with an average ending.
June 15, 2009
I think that I like historical fiction, but maybe I really don’t. There are a number of things that are almost inevitably true in historical fiction that drive me absolutely up the wall:
There’s always a character (often the protagonist) who is wise beyond his time period
Someone famous wanders through the plot, no matter how improbably
No one really sounds like they’re actually from the period in which they’re living
The Black Tower is about an amazingly prescient proto-detective and his amazingly prescient doctor sidekick who uncover a plot to kill Louis XVII of France, who had been presumed to have died in prison during the Revolution. I enjoyed it in a goofy way for awhile before it totally went off the rails.
One of the reasons I liked The 19th Wife was that the author took pains to make the first-person historical narrative feel like it was contemporary to the period. Having a real contemporary account to base it on certainly must’ve helped. I can’t say the same for Bayard, but if you’re on vacation and have a thing for French history (and no hangups on historical accuracy), you might enjoy it.
There’s always a character (often the protagonist) who is wise beyond his time period
Someone famous wanders through the plot, no matter how improbably
No one really sounds like they’re actually from the period in which they’re living
The Black Tower is about an amazingly prescient proto-detective and his amazingly prescient doctor sidekick who uncover a plot to kill Louis XVII of France, who had been presumed to have died in prison during the Revolution. I enjoyed it in a goofy way for awhile before it totally went off the rails.
One of the reasons I liked The 19th Wife was that the author took pains to make the first-person historical narrative feel like it was contemporary to the period. Having a real contemporary account to base it on certainly must’ve helped. I can’t say the same for Bayard, but if you’re on vacation and have a thing for French history (and no hangups on historical accuracy), you might enjoy it.
April 25, 2010
Just arrived from Sweden, kindly sent by my dear friend Bettie. It will follow its journey to USA....
February 23, 2016
It's Paris in 1818, and Hector Carpentier, the first-person narrator, is involved in a shabby murder that attracts the attention of Eugene Vidocq, ex-convict and now master detective. From this point on, Vidocq pulls Carpentier through a rainy and sordid Paris as this murder investigation leads to another mystery, that of Marie Antoinette's son, Louis-Charles (Louis XVII) who had died in prison during the Revolution. Or did he?
The novel is a masterpiece, an evocation of the worn-down Paris of the Restoration: post-Revolution, post-Napoleon, disappointed, tired of history, not wanting to re-visit the past. The characters are vivid, and not just the legendary Vidocq, cunning, a master of disguise, a former convict leading a detective agency of other ex-cons, moving easily between Paris cutthroats and the nobility, including no less interesting (and no less dangerous) figures like the Duc d'Artois and the Duchesse d'Angouleme, the latter a compelling character in her own right.
The prose is no less marvelous for being first-person, and it moves quickly; I was surprised to see how quickly the story went by. And the prose can be something to re-read in wonder at the author's craft:
"There is nothing so sad, I've always thought, as wineshops in the middle of the afternoon. Or the women who run them. I submit to you the Widow Maltaise. A nest of white hair, uncertain in its provenance, woven into a large blue kerchief. A calico dress and a calico _face_, cottony with years. One eye droops low; the other draws itself imperiously high. The voice comes straight up from her feet, like coal from a seam.
"'It's Vidocq again. Death of my trade.'"
The story itself is something never predictable. Even the ending -- no spoiler -- seems to go through several twists: a conclusion, but then there's another turn. And another.
Masterpiece.
The novel is a masterpiece, an evocation of the worn-down Paris of the Restoration: post-Revolution, post-Napoleon, disappointed, tired of history, not wanting to re-visit the past. The characters are vivid, and not just the legendary Vidocq, cunning, a master of disguise, a former convict leading a detective agency of other ex-cons, moving easily between Paris cutthroats and the nobility, including no less interesting (and no less dangerous) figures like the Duc d'Artois and the Duchesse d'Angouleme, the latter a compelling character in her own right.
The prose is no less marvelous for being first-person, and it moves quickly; I was surprised to see how quickly the story went by. And the prose can be something to re-read in wonder at the author's craft:
"There is nothing so sad, I've always thought, as wineshops in the middle of the afternoon. Or the women who run them. I submit to you the Widow Maltaise. A nest of white hair, uncertain in its provenance, woven into a large blue kerchief. A calico dress and a calico _face_, cottony with years. One eye droops low; the other draws itself imperiously high. The voice comes straight up from her feet, like coal from a seam.
"'It's Vidocq again. Death of my trade.'"
The story itself is something never predictable. Even the ending -- no spoiler -- seems to go through several twists: a conclusion, but then there's another turn. And another.
Masterpiece.
April 24, 2017
WOW! A convoluted little story, but the characters grew on me as it progressed. Made more enjoyable because of the narration by Simon Vance, I am sure.
July 6, 2018
There are many historical fiction mysteries written as stand-alones or in series lately which use historical figures or even fictional protagonists of classic books as the main characters. We have real Jane Austen, Queen Elizabeth I, Arthur Conan Doyle, Dickens, Edgar A. Poe, Freud, etc., or fictional Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy, Sherlock Holmes (duh, but in books not by Conan Doyle), etc., solving crimes in recently written mysteries or thrillers.
IMO Louis Bayard uses this device to great effect, very skillfully, creating books almost worthy of belonging to the category modern literature. I believe this may be my favorite of those that Bayard has written so far, although MR. TIMOTHY runs a very close second. The 'what-if' about the fate of the dauphin, son of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette, has been done before but Bayard's entry is very well written, entertaining, plausible, exciting at times and historically accurate (to the extent that I, a non-historian, can judge).
It took me a few chapters of the book to get myself really interested, but by the second third I was really hooked and found that it grew progressively more interesting and exciting as I continued on. And, as was true for me with MR. TIMOTHY, I found that the ending was exactly what I was looking for.
IMO Louis Bayard uses this device to great effect, very skillfully, creating books almost worthy of belonging to the category modern literature. I believe this may be my favorite of those that Bayard has written so far, although MR. TIMOTHY runs a very close second. The 'what-if' about the fate of the dauphin, son of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette, has been done before but Bayard's entry is very well written, entertaining, plausible, exciting at times and historically accurate (to the extent that I, a non-historian, can judge).
It took me a few chapters of the book to get myself really interested, but by the second third I was really hooked and found that it grew progressively more interesting and exciting as I continued on. And, as was true for me with MR. TIMOTHY, I found that the ending was exactly what I was looking for.
November 15, 2022
1818-ieji, Paryžius. Hectoras Carpentier gyvena tylų ramų gyvenimėlį ir gyventų sau taip toliau, bet betikėtai į jo duris pasibeldžia pats Paryžiaus nusikaltėlių siaubas – Vidokas. Per kelis kvartalus nuo Hectoro namų nužudytas žmogus, kurio kišenėje aptiktas lapelis su Hectoro pavarde ir adresu. Ir štai jis jau – pagrindinis įtariamasis. Bėda tik, kad nužudytojo jis nepažįsta – nėra nei matęs, nei girdėjęs.
Tačiau netrukus reikalai pasisuka taip, kad Hectoras iš įtariamojo tampa savotišku Vidoko padėjėju. Pasirodo, Hectoro tėvas savo laiku Tamplyje slaugė įkalintą Prancūzijos dofiną – Marijos Antuanetės sūnų, kurį revoliucionieriai po mirties užkasė kažkur bevardžiame kape. Bet, kaip sako Vidokas – „kol nėra kūno, niekuo negali būti tikras“. Ar gali būti, kad dofinas išgyveno?
Istorinis detektyvas su viskuo, kas priklauso – epocha, nuotykiais, intrigom. Ir galiniais tvistais. Tiesa, gana nuspėjamais šįsyk, o gal tiesiog po ankstesnės Bayardo knygos jau žinojau, ko tikėtis iš autoriaus. O ir šiaip – knyga pasirodė esanti kiek silpnesnė, nei „The Pale Blue Eye“. Tai ir vertinimas skystesnis – trys iš penkių. Bet pakankamai tvirti.
Tačiau netrukus reikalai pasisuka taip, kad Hectoras iš įtariamojo tampa savotišku Vidoko padėjėju. Pasirodo, Hectoro tėvas savo laiku Tamplyje slaugė įkalintą Prancūzijos dofiną – Marijos Antuanetės sūnų, kurį revoliucionieriai po mirties užkasė kažkur bevardžiame kape. Bet, kaip sako Vidokas – „kol nėra kūno, niekuo negali būti tikras“. Ar gali būti, kad dofinas išgyveno?
Istorinis detektyvas su viskuo, kas priklauso – epocha, nuotykiais, intrigom. Ir galiniais tvistais. Tiesa, gana nuspėjamais šįsyk, o gal tiesiog po ankstesnės Bayardo knygos jau žinojau, ko tikėtis iš autoriaus. O ir šiaip – knyga pasirodė esanti kiek silpnesnė, nei „The Pale Blue Eye“. Tai ir vertinimas skystesnis – trys iš penkių. Bet pakankamai tvirti.
August 5, 2018
I listened to this book while riding my bike trainer and I LOVED the reading! I will listen to anything read by Simon Vance from now on. I'm sure that, if I had read it myself, I would have missed half of the humor in this book and there is actually a TON of bawdy, classist, historical humor. I also love anything about the French Revolution and this did not disappoint. It's about the mystery of what happened to the Dauphin during the Revolution. The lead character, Vidocq, as read by Vance, was just a fantastic character, based on a real criminal-turned-police-investigator of the times. All in all, a fun, informative read.
October 19, 2013
This ended up being a much better than expected historical fiction mystery. It's 1818 in Paris. The Bourbon monarchy has just been restored, and no one wants to talk about the revolution, the terror, or the little Corsican now imprisoned on Elba. But when a man is murdered with the name and address of Hector Carpentier on a piece of paper secreted in his underwear, Hector finds himself drawn into a mystery that opens a lot of the old wounds. While the young medical student swears he didn't know the dead man, Paris's leading policeman, Eugene Francois Vidocq, presses him into service. Together they visit the homes of the high-born and the low-lifes, slowly unraveling a seemingly impossible tale of what really happened to Louis-Charles, son and heir to the beheaded Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette and nephew to the man currently on the throne. Was Hector's father really involved in trying to save the Dauphin? Bayard does a magnificent job of setting the atmosphere for each location in the city. The story is told with wit (despite the fact that Vidocq was apparently on the portly side, it's almost impossible not to see Johnny Depp in the role) and pathos. The story builds to an excellent climax and I found the ending quite satisfying. I listened to the audio version, narrated by the incomparable Simon Vance. The man is just brilliant and brings subtle nuances to each character, which really added more to the story.
February 18, 2009
Generally historical fiction is not my first pick on the bookshelf. But I've been hearing good things about Louis Bayard's latest books, so wanted to check one out for myself. This one is really fascinating. The main character is Eugene Francois Vidocq, the founder of the Surete Nationale--the first professional police force. I've read his biography so I was skeptical about how he would be presented in the book. A total bull's eye. The story is told by a young medical student, Hector Capentier, who is caught up in Vidocq's investigation where Louis Charles (Charles VII) actually died in the Temple (the Black Tower where he was imprisoned during the French Revolution) or did he escape and live to adulthood. I was totally caught up in the story and actually hope that events in real life could have worked out the way they did in the book. I'm definitely going to check out some of Bayard's other books after reading this one.
May 31, 2017
Really enjoyed this book! I knew I would early on when I read this statement from the protagonist: "Never let your name be found in a dead man's trousers". Great historical fiction set in post-revolutionary France featuring a real-life criminal turned detective Eugène François Vidocq. The plot of the book centers around the possibility that Louis XVII remains alive, although physically and mentally damaged from his time in the Black Tower. The writing is excellent, full of wry humor and an unlikely combination of detectives: Vidocq and Dr. Henry Carpentier who would dearly love to go back to his daily routines and away from constant peril.
I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good historical mystery and enjoys novels that include real historical figures and intrigue. It's not part of a series, though, which is almost too bad considering how much I enjoyed Vidocq as a detective.
I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good historical mystery and enjoys novels that include real historical figures and intrigue. It's not part of a series, though, which is almost too bad considering how much I enjoyed Vidocq as a detective.
January 7, 2014
I guess you would call this a historical mystery. Set in France, the book is more than a little dark but if you love words and the beauty they can create inside your head, you've got to like this book. Amazing how a really good writer can make almost anything palatable. There is humor here and lovely almost poetic passages. The end is a bit unresolved. The one the reader has been sure was Charles seems not to have been. Or was he? I like to think he was and somehow the dangling ends here don't bother me the way they usually do in a book. I find Vidocq's assertion that law enforcers are better if they've been law breakers or at least lived among them interesting and wonder if this might be true. I'm not sure how historically accurate the book is but think it is fairly close.
December 27, 2014
There is something about a Louis Bayard novel. You are transported to back in time to another world. The book usually features a historical or literary character. In this case, it is the figure of Vidocq, the first forensic detective, and the place is post-revolutionary France. A search for the missing Dauphin, the heir to the throne. One of the other features of a Louis Bayard novel is that you are left feeling that perhaps these events actually occurred.
Another thing is the books seem to get better and better. I thought Mr. Timothy and The Pale Blue Eye were perfect, but this book excels even them. Can't wait for more...
Another thing is the books seem to get better and better. I thought Mr. Timothy and The Pale Blue Eye were perfect, but this book excels even them. Can't wait for more...
July 15, 2011
3.5 stars. Exciting but disappointing. A fun story full of twists and turns; Vidocq saves the book. But anachronistic vocabulary keeps jarring the reader out of the story. Twenty-first century slang just doesn't sound right coming from the lips of nineteenth century Parisians.
Bayard might have consulted The Moonstone, Bleak House or Les Misérables to get the atmosphere more right.
Bayard might have consulted The Moonstone, Bleak House or Les Misérables to get the atmosphere more right.
December 18, 2015
This was not a style of story I enjoy. It came across as a very large newspaper article that left me feeling nothing for the characters, no love or hate, no interest or empathy.
I am also not a big fan of conspiracy theory story lines.
I am also not a big fan of conspiracy theory story lines.
March 3, 2024
MISTERI E DOMANDE
Due romanzi che mi hanno attirato subito, quelli di Louis Bayard, per la promessa di ricostruzioni storiche precise, atmosfere cupe e affascinanti e misteri a non finire. È stata un'esperienza magnifica potersi calare totalmente nella Parigi postrivoluzionaria o nell'America ottocentesca, in quest'ultimo caso a fianco dell'enigmatico poeta e narratore Edgar Allan Poe.
Devo ammettere però che le mie quattro stelline non sono piene (siamo sulle tre e mezzo, piuttosto), perché diversi punti della trama mi hanno annoiata. In entrambi i libri, tuttavia, la soluzione finale ripaga di ogni fatica, sorprendendo chi legge con la rivelazione
Veramente belli, nonché decisamente azzeccati, due finali ancora ammantati di mistero, perfettamente in linea con due storie che portano ad interrogarsi costantemente sulla labile linea di demarcazione tra verità e illusione, certezza e dubbio, trasparenza e inganno.
"Di fatto, non risolviamo mai un bel niente. Facciamo semplicemente altre domande."
Due romanzi che mi hanno attirato subito, quelli di Louis Bayard, per la promessa di ricostruzioni storiche precise, atmosfere cupe e affascinanti e misteri a non finire. È stata un'esperienza magnifica potersi calare totalmente nella Parigi postrivoluzionaria o nell'America ottocentesca, in quest'ultimo caso a fianco dell'enigmatico poeta e narratore Edgar Allan Poe.
Devo ammettere però che le mie quattro stelline non sono piene (siamo sulle tre e mezzo, piuttosto), perché diversi punti della trama mi hanno annoiata. In entrambi i libri, tuttavia, la soluzione finale ripaga di ogni fatica, sorprendendo chi legge con la rivelazione
Veramente belli, nonché decisamente azzeccati, due finali ancora ammantati di mistero, perfettamente in linea con due storie che portano ad interrogarsi costantemente sulla labile linea di demarcazione tra verità e illusione, certezza e dubbio, trasparenza e inganno.
"Di fatto, non risolviamo mai un bel niente. Facciamo semplicemente altre domande."
May 26, 2019
Bayard’s a brilliant writer. He had me with “Courting Mr. Lincoln”. “The Pale Blue Eye” as well ... magnificent . So very grateful that I have read him in the order chosen and not “The Black Tower” 1st. Undoubtedly, I would then have missed out on the others. Too much of his spectacular‘craftsmanship’ has been coarsely besmeared and to what purpose?
What of the great literary masters of the classics ?Dumas and Hugo and Dickens did not begrime their pages of Historical Fiction with coarse language neither did Tolstoy nor Dostoyevsky. And yet... do contemporaries use a like restraint ? So disappointed Mr Bayard... it might have been ‘gold’.
“As we sit there, the fog begins to pull apart, like an emulsion dissolving into its constituents, and I realize, with a small shudder, that we are sharing this park with other human beings.” from Louis Bayard “The Black Tower”
What of the great literary masters of the classics ?Dumas and Hugo and Dickens did not begrime their pages of Historical Fiction with coarse language neither did Tolstoy nor Dostoyevsky. And yet... do contemporaries use a like restraint ? So disappointed Mr Bayard... it might have been ‘gold’.
“As we sit there, the fog begins to pull apart, like an emulsion dissolving into its constituents, and I realize, with a small shudder, that we are sharing this park with other human beings.” from Louis Bayard “The Black Tower”
April 7, 2020
It's a rather clever book with a clever conceit - the Dauphin, son of Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI, did not die in the Black Tower, but was rather saved and hidden from the effects of the Terror and is being shuttled among different personages in Paris. Main characters Hector (a doctor) and Vidocq (a veritable French early 18th-century Sherlock Holmes) throttle around the streets of Paris trying to solve the mystery of the boy who might have escaped.
There are some nice plot twists at the end, but I ultimately found it a bit difficult following the various characters (Baroness, Duchess) who end up playing a crucial role in ultimately determining who this boy is. With significant palace intrigue, and clever writing, Bayard aptly proves himself worthy of the historical detective genre. Too bad this wasn't quite for me.
There are some nice plot twists at the end, but I ultimately found it a bit difficult following the various characters (Baroness, Duchess) who end up playing a crucial role in ultimately determining who this boy is. With significant palace intrigue, and clever writing, Bayard aptly proves himself worthy of the historical detective genre. Too bad this wasn't quite for me.
September 17, 2017
I bought this as an Audible Daily Deal because of its compelling reviews, and it was a well-written book which infused the flavor of post-Napoleon France beautifully. The story kept me interested and yet, for some reason, the plot faltered for me.
My own first introduction to 'the lost Dauphin' was in Huckleberry Finn.
I won't give away the plot but then again I am not sure how the plot was resolved. I like my plots resolved, my own life being yet unresolved :)
My own first introduction to 'the lost Dauphin' was in Huckleberry Finn.
I won't give away the plot but then again I am not sure how the plot was resolved. I like my plots resolved, my own life being yet unresolved :)
April 30, 2018
This was a fun read and sensitive Hector Carpentier made a good foil to over-the-top legendary detective Vidocq. I know little about French history but found the psychology of people in the aftermath of the revolution interesting and the possibility of a surviving prince a mystery worth unraveling. Overall this is an entertaining tale.
September 20, 2017
A fun mystery set in Restoration France. Vidocq the detective is a French Sherlock Holmes who is more fun. I recommend.
November 1, 2022
Bayard takes his inner Dumas, adds a splash of Hugo, and sprinkle of Dickens, to deliver a fun period crime story. Enjoyable especially if combined with a cup of tea and a crumbly biscuit.
July 24, 2024
It’s fun, it’s fresh, it reminds us the French Revolution wasn’t all sunshine and roses. Always a joy to read a Bayard book.
February 14, 2023
Une enquête fascinante sur fond de mystère historique avec Vidocq, Marie-Thérèse et Louis XVII en guest-stars. Les personnages sont enlevés, les péripéties se succèdent avec une touche d'humour et l'intrigue, bien construite, s'achève sur une dernière note de mystère bienvenue. Une chouette lecture.
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