Treasure of Saint-Lazare

Eddie Grant #1

by John Pearce

ACE for ASIN: B009MD6EM4

A hidden treasure. A murderous plot. A love that won’t let go.

Years later, Eddie is still reeling from the brutal murder of his wife and young son. When the captivating Jen shows up with a clue that could lead him to the killers, he can’t resist the hunt —or the chance to rekindle a passionate romance.

Jen and Eddie embark on an international search that takes them deep into the passages and byways of seductive Paris… and their feelings for each other.

Will Eddie finally get the answers he’s always needed, or will he be the next victim of the mysterious painting that led to his father’s death seven decades after it was stolen by the Nazis?

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Historical, Adventure

252 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 4, 2012

About the author

John Pearce is a part-time Parisian but lives quite happily most of the the year in Sarasota, FL. He worked as a journalist in Washington and Europe, where he covered economics for the International Herald Tribune and edited a business magazine. After a business career in Sarasota, he spends his days working on his future books. For several months each year, he and his wife Jan live in Paris, walk its streets, and chase down interesting settings for future books and his blog, PartTimeParisian.com. They lived earlier in Frankfurt, Germany, which gave him valuable insights for several of the scenes in his sequel, Last Stop: Paris. He recently published the third book in the series, Finding Pegasus, and is working on a fourth. His book site is JohnPearceBooks.com

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 1 out of 5]

***Please note that I received this book as an Advanced Reader Copy through Goodreads***

Yikes, where do I start? I received this book a few months ago but never got around to reading it. I did enter to win this book on the premise of mystery, stolen art, and France, with a WWII twist. Perhaps I should've kept putting it off.

Let me preface this by saying that I understand this was an Advanced Reader Copy (and oftentimes these ARCs have spelling errors, typos, etc. They typically haven't gone through final proofreading and I understand that.) But this book? It was terribly written. I had to re-read lines and paragraphs frequently to find out the location of a particular scene. Dialogue was terrible because I could hardly tell who was speaking the lines.


As a very general example:

"Blah, blah, blah"

"Blah, blah, blah"

"Blah, blah, blah"



Instead of:

"Blah, blah, blah" said Eddie.

"Blah, blah, blah" Jen interrupted.

Eddie countered, "blah, blah blah".


Now, that I can tell who said what AND I get a sense of how the characters are feeling. This book had none of that.

I'm no writer, but I've taken an English class or two and I have a general idea of how sentence structure works. This author must not have an editor. Within a span of two sentences, two characters are outside a building having a conversation, in a car driving toward another destination, and then swiping a keycard, with nothing to link the three actions together.

At that point, I found the poor writing to be so distracting that I couldn't finish the book. I had no desire to find out what happened to the characters or how the mystery was solved. The two romantic (I guess?) leads had no chemistry and there were so many peripheral charachters, I had to keep flipping back to other pages to remember who this person was. All this, and I was only 67 pages into a 300 page book.

Would I recomment this book to anyone? Only as an example of what not to do with your first novel. The author, John Pearce, definitely has room to grow and could probably end up with a good book someday. But this one isn't it.

[Jack Massa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Top Notch Mystery-Thriller.

As other reviewers have noted, this first novel by John Pearce strongly reminds one of the James Bond books by Ian Fleming. A solid, action-oriented hero, hard nosed yet reflective; a cast of dastardly villains bordering on psychopaths; smart, attractive and mysterious women; well-painted travelogues to exotic locales (in this case, Paris and Florida); all moved along by plenty of realistic action and intrigue.

Highly recommended for readers who like military adventures and spy thrillers.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blending art history with murder and suspense makes for a meaty thriller. When Jen,the daughter of a man killed in a hit and run in Florida arrives in Paris to deliver a letter from the dead man to Eddie,the son of his army buddy, the letter leads them to a search for a missing Raphael painting that may have been stolen by the Nazis during WWII.

Their search is hampered by attempts on their lives, even as they journey between Sarasota and Paris. As they dig deeper into their fathers' pasts when they served with each other in the army and their stint as Monument Men, they unravel the identity of others who had known of this painting or had already been searching for it. As more information is uncovered, so does Eddie also realize that almost everyone he's met in the course of this investigation, has been lying or keeping things from him. The truth over his own father's death and that of his wife and son are shockingly revealed to him as well, and even Jen comes under suspicion.

It's fast-paced thriller that I thought ended a little too soon. I would have liked this drawn out a little more, I think.

[Carole P. Roman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Face-paced thriller spanning the globe from Paris to the states, The Treasure of Saint-Lazare takes off with the hit and run murder of a former partner of Eddie Grant's father. The two men were Monument Men, American soldiers who attempted to recover stolen artwork from the Nazi's. Eddie and Jen, his former flame investigate the crime discovering it may be linked to a tragedy in Eddie's family from years ago. Reminiscent of Steve Berry's The Amber Room, Pearce takes the reader on an action-packed journey from Paris's glittering streets to Florida's Sarasota, the scene of the crime, searching for answers for the stolen artwork. A nice blend of history, art, and action.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book will have you jumping from country to country in search of the truth. The author takes you on a man hunt with twists, valleys, and surprises that make your heart race. The attention to the little facts is what makes this novel a must read. I read it once and then waited a week and read it again and it was fascinating to see just how much I missed the first time around. I feel sue Mr. Pearce will be a successful writer. If you enjoy a travel adventure with exciting revelations then get this book NOW!

[Doreen Dalesandro]

kindle freebie, 11/10/12

[Shaunda · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I'm all over the place with my reading 📚, and being on vacation in Cancun Mexico 🇲🇽 doesn't hurt either.

Lots of reading material, and the actual time to indulge myself.

Why do I like novels like these?

Treasure of Saint-Lazare, because it appeals to my travel and adventure side.

I can always be guaranteed some intrigue.

This novel does not disappoint.

Lost paintings & gold from Hitler 's Reich.

Which was hidden to start the Third Reich if they were successful. Nah!


But you have members from time, still trying to find it & people getting killed from the knowledge of it or who has gotten to close to finding this lost loot.

So much intrigue....

But you have to keep pushing, because people are dying for this.

But Eddie needs to find it before the others. His loss is made worse, due to the recent murder of a family friend.

Compounded by his previous loss of his father, then his wife & daughter.

His father & the family friend were tracking down lost art & gold the Nazi's stole during the war.

Which is worth Billions, if it can be found.

Eddie with the help of friends is determined to do just that.

With the correspondence that went on between his father & family friend, Eddie picks up where they left off.

This search is not for the faint of heart. People are being killed over it.

Eddie needs to find the lost loot and put this mystery to bed.

It definitely kept my attention.

I love a good mystery, and the author did an excellent job of creating the intrigue.

Can't wait for the next one.

Last Stop: Paris

Until.....

Happy Happy Reading 📚!!!

Ciao 💋

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting story, but a bit confusing. I could never figure out what the current date was. There were constant replays of history, and the dates were pretty clearly identified. Many during World War II or immediately preceding it or in the years following. Then some references to the 1970's or 80's, but never a clear indication when the major characters were interacting and leading the story.

There were many references to pieces of history which I remembered, regarding the plundering of artistic treasures by the Nazis and smuggling it into the United States or South America. Also into France, where much of the story takes place. And I found it confusing having so many references to landmarks and streets in Paris, of which I am not at al familiar. I am a little more informed now, but being a visual person, just hearing all these names doesn't really paint a clear picture for me.

The characters, relationships and dialogue were very good, although sometimes it was a bit confusing because people had known each other 20 years previously and were only now becoming reacquainted. Bouncing back and forth between current and previous lives was sometimes confusing. So in spite of my overall rating, you just might find this book to be entertaining.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up via the "Kindle Owners Lending Library" service through Amazon. Basically, you can borrow one book a month for free but you have to do so via your kindle device -- not an app. Anyway, this was my pick for October and I very much enjoyed it.

It's a sort of historical treasure hunt, but with a splash of spy adventure novel. It's not deep but the story is good. It involves the search for a painting and possibly treasure that was stolen during WWII and hidden by the Nazis. No one is sure whether it was found and removed by American GIs or whether its still hidden. When an old flame shows up to the home of Eddie Grant with a cryptic message from her father to his it seems the hunt is back on. Suddenly the death several years earlier of his father and of his wife and kid, make Eddie realize that they might not have been the tragic accidents he was always told they were.

It's shown as the first in a series -- not sure I'll continue, but maybe. I did enjoy it; but it didn't wow me.

[Rebecca Radnor · Rating 2 out of 5]

I suppose if mysteries are your thing you might like this more than I did. I myself felt the story was pretty prosaic. Male lead of course gets every girl who even looks at him. Story is based on the Monument's men, the guys who tried to save art from the Nazi's and then spend a lot of time after the war trying to find what had been stolen... MOST of it from Jewish collectors, but some of it from museums. It must be remembered that Hitler was first and foremost a failed artist, so getting the art was a priority for him. What RUINES what was a ho-hum story anyway is the narrator of this audible version. In the beginning he did the narration voice like he was a computer (text to speech actually sounds better than that), only sounding human for the characters. And his female voice are ... borderline insulting. Everyone of them sounds like Marilyn Monroe or a drag queen.

[Ephraim. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book started out good, but began to slow down in Sarasota. There was too much dialogue and too many characters. I found it hard to follow who was who. Eddie is not really my kind of hero -too much of a pantywaist - but he is acceptable and he is the gas that keeps the book going. I'm hoping he ups his game in future books.

Strange family, the Grant family, but aren't all French families strange for an American? John Pearce brings that out in spades and that is one of the book's strong points. He also conveys the American feeling for Parisian places and customs. The question is, "Who cares about Parisian places and customs?" The answer is, "Probably I do because I liked this book." Good story, good atmosphere, pretty good characters, although slightly too eccentric. I see that John Pearce has written other Eddie Grant books and I'm going to buy another one.

[Nicolas Chinardet · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is apparently a revised version. It could do with a bit more work.

Both the plot and the writing are awkward at times. The denouement in particular feels rushed and is far from satisfactory. It was only in the chapter set during WWII that things seem to come alive.

In terms of style, the author tends to focus on details that are irrelevant while eliding others that would make his storytelling smoother. There are numerous small mistakes about the Frenchness element of the book which seems to rely a lot on stereotypes.

On the whole, is fun enough, but I won't bother with the others books in the series.

[Michael Mardel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Treasure of Saint-Lazare by Pearce. I really enjoyed this story and found it a page-turner. I have been to Paris but I didn't remember most of the places. The search for the Nazi gold and Raphael painting was full of intrigue with an opening for the next story. The characters were well-developed especially the protagonist, Eddie Grant. Wouldn't we all want to be like him, going from woman to woman, Paris to Sarasota, and rich into the bargain. He's had his sad moments with close relatives being murdered. It's not all plain sailing.

[Nancy Heinrich · Rating 3 out of 5]

Captivating story

I would have given a higher star in the past paced international novel, except for two reasons. One f the main characters,Jen, who starts off this novel, becomes lost I the pages,once her true involvement is disclosed.
The ending left you up in the air, never knowing who the mastermind behind the search for the lost art and gold.
The novel s includes present day, WW II and it's stollen art and valuables, the Monument Men, murder and intrigue.
Maybe the second novel answers these statements.

[Lu · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best I can say about this book is it is very cinematic and short. Rich fascist-leaning old Americans sit within their gated Floridian acreage commanding a small army of German hired guns. There is a fortress with Cold War nuclear bomb shelters and the characters dodge each other on the streets of Paris; characters continue the chase in Florida; characters McGyver themselves out of impossible traps.
Well, you get the idea. This is the plot of a B movie that men would drag their girlfriend to on a third date. It is OK if you like that kind of thing.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read...light and fast. The issue I had was the characters being bourgeoisie american living in Paris. Other than that, the writing of art theft during WWII was quite well developed and subtle facts were brought out within the story without making it a lecture. Overall the book was written well, the presentation in Kindle was error free, but at times, it seemed that the narrator on the audible book was too monotone. It did get better as the book went on.

In any case it was good.

[Irene O'Brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

National treasure

Eddie, a retired Special Forces man, is still recovering from the deaths of most of his family. He gets a phone call from his mother,she wants him to meet the daughter of an old work colleague of his father's, to see if he can help to solve a puzzle.
Jen is looking for an answer to a note left by her father to Eddie's father.
Could they really have a lead on Nazi treasure? Too many people are being played, can they really trust one another?
With leads on both sides of the Atlantic, the race is on.
A must read for all lovers of Nazis and the lost arts.

[Suzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Thriller, light romance, fast driving, art, Paris, Sarasota, food, wine, good friends and deadly enemies. Nice characters.
A book I like to be seen reading, with clear type (no squinting) and a beautiful cover photo of the Eiffel Tower.
Writers write effortlessly it seems but we readers struggle to praise good books, like this.

I sat next to John Pearce's wife at a luncheon and am I glad I did. Now on to his follow up novel, Last Stop Paris.

[Marsha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought I would end up loving this book because it was about the hunt for the stolen art from WWII and involved locations such as Sarasota, FL and Paris. However, I was a little let down by the book. It did not have as meaty a plot as I had hoped. Sometimes it was hard to keep track of the characters and where the activity was taking place. Overall, glad I read it but not over enthusiastic about it.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read, with a lot of action.

This is an interesting read with a little history or an idea of how the Germans handled the art they stole. The characters are good and well developed with enough space left for future growth. The story line has a flow that rolls along, that keeps you interested and wondering what’s next. The bad guys were really bad, without any redeeming features. Read and enjoy.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book pulls you into the mystery the characters are faced with right away. I love how the author weaves the events of the past into what is taking place currently. Whether describing emotions or the setting, Pearce paints a picture with his words. The action of the story is balanced well with the emotional aspect for the characters, including a little romance. If you enjoy crime/mystery stories then this is for you.

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great historical fiction!

I so enjoy a well written historical fiction that blends non-fiction elements with fictional characters that clearly reflect what might have been. And Treasure of Saint-Lazare is very much that sort of story. I became invested in the main characters and read late into the night on the ‘one more chapter’ reading program, lol. I highly recommend it.

Kindle Unlimited

[Pat Wartinger · Rating 1 out of 5]

The best part of the book was its cover. ys

Misspelt words, poor wording, irrelevant details, repeated concepts, Conducting paragraphs must be reread several times in order to understand. Proofread! Proofread, please! Obvious plot. Boring. Needs editing. Not a Clive Cussler. More of a comic book.

[Elizabeth Duffy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting

Other than wishing I had an atlas and a map of Paris next to me due to many place names being used, I found this story interesting. I love history, even historical mysteries. This story, though fictional, has plenty of true information in it. If you like WWII history or art, you will enjoy this novel.

[Marian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing, expected good things as it was set in both Sarasota and Paris. Those scenes were okay, but the writing overall is poor, sometimes confusing as to who is speaking, too many minor characters, too much unnecessary detail which does not advance the plot. This not an author I will follow.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing

I was disappointed in this book. The subject of stolen treasure and fine art by the Nazis is for me an intriguing part of WWII. That and an interesting plot were spoiled by poor writing. Too many week and underdeveloped characters, and endlessly unrealistic dialogue made it a poor read.

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you liked Monument Men this is another search for a lost painting . The search encompasses both the US Ann France. I enjoyed the novel but became confused a couple of times over the characters relationship s to each other. Reccomded.

[Nakul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story and plot. Characters were distinct and like able. I found it hard to connect to the rich details of European history but it certainly inspired me to learn more. Having recently visited Paris, I could clearly visualize the settings.

[Meg Deem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was a so so mystery thriller set in Paris. It had visions of the Monuments Men but was very fuzzy in its delivery. If you are interested in the story of stolen art during WWII, then read Monuments Men.

[Marcella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Denouement too long and tedious

Enjoyed the story but the end in DC was overwritten and tedious.

Also, although acceptable, the preferred spelling of the coffee drink is "espresso".