The Sorbonne Affair

Hugo Marston #7

by Mark Pryor

Someone is spying on American author Helen Hancock. While in Paris to conduct research and teach a small class of writers, she discovers a spy camera hidden in her room at the Sorbonne Hotel. She notifies the US Embassy, and former FBI profiler Hugo Marston is dispatched to investigate. Almost immediately, the stakes are raised from surveillance to murder when the hotel employee who appears to be responsible for bugging Hancock’s suite is found dead. The next day, a salacious video clip explodes across the Internet, showing the author in the embrace of one of her writing students—both are naked, and nothing is left to the imagination. As more bodies pile up, the list of suspects narrows; but everyone at the Sorbonne Hotel has something to hide, and no one is being fully honest with Hugo. He teams up with Lieutenant Camille Lerens to solve the case, but a close call on the streets of Paris proves that he could be the killer’s next target.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, France, Crime, Audiobook, Adult Fiction, Thriller

287 pages, Paperback

First published August 22, 2017

About the author

Mark Pryor is a former newspaper reporter from England. He moved to the US in 1995 and subsequently spent 16 years working as a prosecutor with the Travis County District Attorney's Office, in Austin, Texas. He is now a partner at the law firm of Cofer & Connelly, in Austin.

His upcoming book DIE AROUND SUNDOWN is the first in a new series of historical mysteries set in Paris during WW2. It will be published August 16, 2022, by St. Martin's/Minotaur.

Mark is also the author of the Hugo Marston mystery series, set in Paris, London, and Barcelona. The first in the series, THE BOOKSELLER, was a Library Journal Debut of the Month, and called "unputdownable" by Oprah.com, and the series has been featured in the New York Times. Mark also wrote the psychological thrillers, HOLLOW MAN, and its sequel, DOMINIC. As a prosecutor, he has appeared on CBS News's 48 Hours and Discovery Channel's Discovery ID: Cold Blood.

Of his books, reviewers said:

"[G]ood character development, increasing levels of action and suspense, a complex and deranged antagonist, and--once again--appealing Paris settings. The Hugo Marston series now belongs on every espionage fan's watch list."
--Booklist

"Haunting imagery in Père La Chaise cemetery sets the stage for Pryor's chilling sophomore entry, and the City of Light becomes a backdrop for Marston's adventures. The clever antagonist leads him on a merry chase that will keep the reader entertained throughout."
--RT Book Reviews

"Two young lovers make the fatal mistake of sneaking into Paris's Père Lachaise Cemetery the same night as a bone-stealing psychopath in Pryor's propulsive second novel starring affable former FBI profiler Hugo Marston.... The engaging characters sweep readers into a suspenseful chase from Pigalle to the Pyrenées."
--Publishers Weekly

The third Hugo Marston novel, THE BLOOD PROMISE, was released in January 2014. It may be his best yet...

"Mark Pryor is one of the smartest new writers on the block. His new novel is a doozy."
--Philip Kerr, author of A Man Without Breath, a Bernie Gunther novel

"Pryor seems to have hit his stride in this series, as he adroitly juxtaposes the light banter between Marston and Green with some scenes of intense emotion.... And, all the while, the suspense ramps up. Top-notch mystery in a skillfully delineated Parisian setting."
--Booklist

Mark is also the author of the true crime book, AS SHE LAY SLEEPING, which is the account of a "cold" murder case he prosecuted. Published in January 2013, Publisher's Weekly gave it a starred review and called it "compelling" and "riveting."

Reviews

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

“Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth”.
Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes

Words to live by. And they’ll occur to this book’s MC more than once as he picks away at his latest case.

This is book #7 in a popular series but the first time I’ve met Hugo Marston. After a career with the FBI, Hugo became the head of security for the American Embassy in Paris. Sweet gig.

In this outing, he has to deal with a temperamental author as he tries to help police figure out why people around her are dropping like flies. Helen Hancock is a well known writer of romance novels. She’s a woman of “a certain age” who projects a carefully crafted image to her fans. Unfortunately that image takes a hit when a sex tape of Helen & one of her students is released online. Things go from bad to worse after the student is later found dead.

This is a contemporary cozy-ish mystery set in Paris. Aside from a few f-bombs, it’s a very clean read with main characters who are reminiscent of those found in Golden Age mysteries like those by Agatha Christie. The perp behind it all is not really up for debate but there are several nice twists as to motive & method. It’s very character driven with more dialogue than action & I suspect it’s one of those series where if you enjoy one, you’ll like them all as the author has a very distinctive style.

It’s interesting to note he has 2 series that seem to cater to different readers, if reviews are anything to go by. Those who enjoy books in the cozy vein are Hugo fans while those with a taste for something grittier go for the Hollow Man series. I confess I found this a bit tame & think I might feel more at home in the second camp so I’ll be picking up Hollow Man to see if Dominic & I are more compatible.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The seventh Hugo Marston book for me, and two more to go (presently). These Paris crime books provide interesting problems and murders for Hugo to solve along with occasional help from his roomie Tom and his reporter girlfriend. Things are not completely resolved in this book concerning a loose end, so to speak, from the past...so it will be on to the next of the series for resolution. It stems from an old case from Texas days for Hugo and Tom... and there is a score to settle.
This outing featured a famous author staying in a premier hotel in Paris who believes she can write plots to fool all. She doesn't figure on Hugo.

[Chandra Claypool (WhereTheReaderGrows) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Successful novelist Helen Hancock finds a spy camera in a painting in her hotel room. Because of her connections, she contacts the embassy who then sends Hugo Marston to help. Suddenly bodies start piling up and secrets start coming out - some in video form. Working with his trusted friend, Tom, to take some interesting measures to solve this case, their own pasts start creeping up on them as well.

Book 7 in the Hugo Marston series, luckily this can be read as a stand alone! Phew! I'm sure there were some nuances that I didn't catch from not reading the first seven books in this series, but if that was the case, I barely noticed. My favorite part about this book was the interactions between the characters. There was a lot of sarcastic humor that I absolutely appreciated. I felt it was fairly obvious where the book was going and figured out the whodunit portion very early. Overall, a fun, quick read that had multiple characters to choose from - it's like playing Clue, but in France!

Do you read books based in other countries trying to use their accents? Well I do and my French in-my-head accent is HORRENDOUS! Haha!

3.5 stars

Thank you so much to Seventh Street Books/Prometheus for this copy in return for my honest review.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I seem to be working backward in the series, having started with #8. Again, this was an interesting plot although there were times when I had trouble with all the characters. The complexity of the "whodunit" was almost too dense. Also, Paris is not coming alive for me in these books - they could be set in any major city. The author seems to rely on what we all know of Paris from movies, i.e., the little cafes, the well-dressed women, the cigarette smoking.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Hugo Marston mystery and I am now a fan. The motivation of the culprit eluded me until the near end, but makes perfect sense. I also enjoyed the many Parisian details included throughout.

[Russ Skinner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent entry in the Hugo Marston series. I did not see most of the plot twists coming, but they were legit.

Recommended, as are all the books in the series.

[Viviane Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hugo Marston is attending a funeral when he is approached by a very well-known romance novel writer, Helen Hancock. Immediately after the funeral she asks him to help her as she’s discovered someone has planted a camera in her hotel room. The reader is puzzled about how important this was that she had to stalk Hugo out at a funeral and how she knew he was there. Later for that. For now, Hugo does discover a camera in her room but is unable to do anything more as Helen doesn’t want the hotel notified and wants no publicity.
Before they can do anything more, a hotel bell-hop is found murdered in the stairwell of the hotel. Not a clue is evident and the tension rivets upward when the next day reveals an internet video showing Helen Hancock with one of her writing students, Ambrosia Silva, naked and embracing.
Hugo now realizes that someone is being bribed for an ulterior purpose and yet another death confirms that theory. Hugo himself has a suspicious encounter with someone outside of his home and realizes he must be careful as it appears he is to be the next victim.
The mystery plot thickens and Hugo Marston follows his instincts as well as his well-honed investigative skills to discover a most surprising perpetrator of the constant death and mayhem.
One of the lovely side notes in this novel includes Hugo’s appreciation for the food, drink, architecture and weather of Paris, making the reader long to visit and partake of the experiences that so satisfy our resident investigator who works for an embassy but would love to remain in Paris forever, if circumstances should allow that dream!
All in all, The Sorbonne Affair… is a terrific read that will satisfy all mystery genre fans and anyone else looking for a very good read! Nicely done, Mark Pryor!

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are palling for me. Don’t know if it’s the totally unremarkable writing or predictable plot turns. There’s often a case from the past that turns out to be important in the present...or not...that features Tom going off the rails. I like the Latin Quarter but Hugo doesn’t seem to, it’s just a stage set to pass through on the way to the 6th. The fictional high end hotel on rue de Écoles is kind of a laugh. Oh well, nothing lasts forever.

[Maura O'Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had lots of plot twists, was mostly difficult to predict and was woven together nicely at the end. I found myself having more questions than answers throughout the book which is what you want from a murder mystery. Not my typical type of book but enjoyed it all the same!

[Dlmrose · Rating 3 out of 5]

3+

[Lillian Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it, as much as the others, which is a feat itself in a series. Hugo is still a very compelling character and the supporting characters are funny and interesting too. Tom’s retorts are instant classics. There was a lot of suspects, and some of the plot relied on coincidences, which seems a teeny bit lazy. Other than that, well done.

[Forrest Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

Formulaic

The author is having a little joke on the reader. The plot involves students learning, for purpose of profit, the formula for pulp fiction from a well-known author, and a more formulaic book than this is hard to imagine, right down to the bizarre Agatha Christie-style denouement. The hero is a boring bag of cliches evidently created to appeal to the US market. I liked the transgendered French cop though, she's the only likeable character here and worthy of a book of her own.

[Rusty Dalferes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another moderate success in this series. It was a good, but not great, mystery, and I'd recommend this mildly for fans of mysteries set in foreign locales.

The seventh Hugo Marston novel begins with the the main character in the countryside outside Paris attending the funeral of an American actress who had retired to France (and had appeared in the last entry in this series), when he is approached by a slightly tipsy American woman, who turns out to be an author of popular romance novels who thinks she is being stalked back in the city. When a spy camera is found in her hotel room, and then a hotel employee is found murdered in the stairwell, Hugo is on the case with Camille Lerens, the transgender Paris detective who took the place of local police contact in Hugo's investigations formerly held by Raul Garcia, who was killed off in an earlier book. In the midst of this investigation, Hugo's also embroiled in a case from his past involving his friend, Tom, CIA consultant and former FBI agent, when a bank robber and murderer the two had put away a decade before -- under less than by-the-book circumstances -- suddenly gets paroled. Hugo has to investigate the MFA students the author was teaching, as well as the publishing industry, hotel workers, the internet porn business, and even his own friend, the US ambassador to France, all while wondering if he's being targeted by an ex-con from Texas. The suspect list doesn't dwindle much until the final few pages, when Hugo finally works out whodunit.

I enjoyed the plot for the most part, up until the denouement. It was a good mystery, with multiple viable suspects, until the convoluted, overly-Sherlockian exposition of the results of Hugo's inquiries, which presented a theory of the case that had so many contortions that it could have qualified as a geek act in an old-timey traveling circus. It also ended without a definite resolution (despite a suspect being in custody), so while you think the culprit has been caught and all is over, there was enough ambiguity at the end that the climax seemed anticlimactic. I renew my statements from previous reviews that the author often seems more interested in describing food and drink in Paris than in describing the details of the case under investigation -- a dinner might rate 4 pages of description, while a crime scene might get 2 paragraphs. I also have to state the same complaint of popular novel series that I have for popular TV shows: the "will they, or won't they?" romance sub-plots are overdone, and in this series, the Hugo/Claudia relationship is taking far too long to resolve itself, as they seem to be madly in love in one novel, then in an uncertain relationship in which they're free to see other people in the next, and it's frustrating for the reader, not as sexy as I think the author intends, and ends up showing Hugo as a guy who fluctuates between being a loyal guy and a guy whose head is turned by every cute woman who walks across his path (and, since he's the hero, every woman that appears in this series is somehow smitten by Hugo, which is another trope best left with the James Bond series). In short, the "moral and old-fashioned" theme that the author often ascribes to Hugo is not served well by this uncertain relationship with Claudia, and leads the author to contradictions in his own character description. And I continue to have some issues with the actions that Hugo and Tom have, which seem to run contrary to good investigative or intelligence-gathering techniques (or, you know, common sense).

I didn't have a ton of typesetting or grammar problems, other than the writing issues I've had with previous novels in this series (a fundamental disagreement between me and the author on comma usage; the employment EVERY SINGLE TIME of "try and" instead of "try to;" the complete lack of change of dialogue voice between Americans and foreigners; etc.). So, while I think the edit could be improved, it doesn't come close to the worst example of writing I've seen -- but I do wish there would be improvement in the area of grammar, syntax, and punctuation.

All told, these books are good, quick, beach reads. They're not terribly inventive or surprising in their plots, but they're solid mysteries (as I've said of previous entries in this series, it's like a police procedural TV show you keep watching: not completely original, but still a decent way to spend a few hours). I give it a moderate recommendation for mystery fans.

Thanks to Seventh Street Books (and my Queen of the Book Fairies) for providing me a copy of this book.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another solid entry in such a great series.

A couple new things in this volume:

Starting with the last few books in the series, I have been nursing a growing dislike for Tom, and also a growing amazement at why Hugo puts up with him, much less treats him as such a close friend. In this book we have two plots going, and the secondary plot is about an incident that happened in the past while Hugo and Tom were working together. The secondary plot doesn't get a lot of page time, but it packs a wallop at the end. It's also written in a way where you "see" the net end result first and then moves backwards to set up the situation. At the end, it moves forward again and delivers the twist. When this secondary plot started, I was really upset because the author depicted Hugo doing something I can't see him doing, which was covering for something Tom did. This was really unsettling to me and I honestly wondered if it wouldn't change my opinion of the character so much that I would no longer enjoy the books in the same way. Let's just say that by the end of the secondary plot, I had beaucoup more insight into Tom and Hugo's friendship and I now get a sense of why Hugo is so (willingly) tied to Tom's welfare, both physical and mental. It's wild, because I really was reaching a breaking point with reading about the walking disaster that Tom can be, and here the author goes and serves up some background that addresses my "issues". And BTW, the secondary plot is very intense - the twist at the end hit me in the emotional gut.

Needless to say, this author is just so freaking good at what he does (and that is certainly not a "new" thing regarding this series, I just had to state it in writing.)

The other new development is that I have caved and my God, but Hugo Marston is my literary boyfriend. As a member of the LGBTQA+ community, it takes a bit of work to get me to really like a straight white male character, but honestly, Hugo is just such an amazing mix of intelligence, inner strength, maturity and he's just so freaking decent. The author doesn't give us sex scenes (nor are they needed), but when sex is implied, I just have to say "you go, Claudia, you lucky (insert bad word indicating my jealousy here)" 😉

Speaking of the LGBTQA+ community, the author includes a trans character in these books and it's done in such a way that tells me that there is zero intolerance in their world view - or their written world view, anyway. The character fits seamlessly into the supporting cast and Hugo's relationship with them is just so incredibly . . . normal. It's quite beautiful.

Lastly, as always, Paris becomes almost a character of its own in these books and having spent time there and coming away thinking it is the most magical place on Earth, I love all the references to the city. It's been about 15 years since I went and yet I can still see things so clearly in my mind's eye during many of the Parisian references.

As before, HIGHLY recommend this book and all other volumes in the series.

[Jessica Higgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic behavioral analysis mystery that will have people wondering who the murderer could be.

Hugo Marsden is a former FBI profiler who now works at the US Embassy in Paris. While attending a funeral for a famous American movie star who spent her last years in France, Hugo is approach by Helen Hancock, a famous American romance novelist. She believes that she is being followed and soon finds a hidden video camera in her hotel room. Since she is American, the embassy allows Hugo to investigate the matter alongside the Paris police. Soon thereafter, one of the bellhops, also an American citizen, is found dead in the stairwell and his computer was set up to record Helen’s room. However, it appears that nothing of note was recorded or uploaded, so Helen goes back to teaching her writing class while Hugo tries to figure out who killed the bellhop and why he would want to record Helen. Only when a sex video of Helen and one of her students appears on the internet do things start to heat up. As the investigation probes deeper, two more murders of American citizens take place with the only connection pointing back to Helen. Can Hugo use his profiling background to determine what is going on before another murder takes place?

This was my first Hugo Marsden novel and I must say it was an exceptional read. I was quickly hooked by the story and let it take me for a ride. The main characters all had a great connection that keep the book flowing quickly. However, I am going to have to go back and read the previous six installments to get some history between them. There is a lot going on that I need to pick up more on. It was also my first novel that had a transgender character, which made it interesting but didn’t close it off. The mystery was never lacking and keep my looking around the edges to figure out how it happened. It never really pointed at one individual, but the reveal made me feel satisfied with how it played out. I’m really looking forward to reading more in this series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hugo Marston series just keeps getting better and better. I started reading and listening to them about 2 weeks ago after discovering both formats on Hoopla. The narrator has improved as well. He has Tom’s voice firmly in a slight drawl rather than the New York thing he did in one of the first books. The character of lieutenant Camille Loren’s is also developing nicely. Claudia was not a major part of this book.

Once again, the murders are tricky to solve with various red herrings and lots of people lying to Hugo and the police. The main summary found for the book highlights the main idea. SPOILER - KILLER REVEALED: turns out that Helen, the famous author who originally was concerned about being spied on, was working with the hotel manager to plant the camera. The hotel mgr ends of killing the employee. Helen then needs to kill someone who learns about the plan and then the hotel mgr as well. Both were made to look like suicides, but both were murdered.

In addition, to the mystery/murder in the present, this book flashbacks to the event 15 years ago when Tom and Hugo were in the FBI that ultimately resulted in both of them leaving the FBI. It’s still unclear if they were forced out or if it was their choice. The way the author does the flashbacks is really interested. It starts when the criminals are captured. Then it goes back another couple of hours, etc etc. BIG SPOILER; when they catch two bank robbers who shot and killed 4 people at the bank they were watching in Houston TX, they chase them to a house. They do not stay with procedure, and Tom kills one of them. The other. Hugo covers for Tom as much as he can. The remaining convicted killer gains probation in the book, and Tom is certain he will be coming for revenge on Hugo and Tom. We also learn that one of the people killed in the bank robbery was Tom sister - and they hadn’t stopped her from going in to the bank.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Prometheus Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

THE SORBONNE AFFAIR by Mark Pryor is book 7 in the Hugo Marston series, but it can be read as a standalone. Marston is a former FBI profiler and he is working at the US Embassy in Paris, France. When a spy camera is found in an American writer's hotel room, and then the bell hop is murdered, Hugo is on the case.

American novelist, Helen Hancock, is in Paris to research her upcoming book. She's also teaching a writing class. One day she discovers that her hotel room has a camera hiding in it and she notifies the US Embassy. The Embassy sends Hugo Marston to investigate the bugging. Soon after, the bellhop, an American citizen, is found murdered in the hotel stairwell. When it's discovered that his computer was set up to record Helen, it appears that nothing of importance was recorded. However, shortly after, a scandalous sex tape of Helen and one of her students is released onto the internet.

With more bodies appearing, all American citizens, and all are connected to Helen. Will Hugo be able to solve the case and stop the murderer - before he becomes the next target?

This book starts off with action and keeps a good pace throughout. I did enjoy the characters, but with it being book 7 in the series, I did feel like I was missing some key pieces of their history and relationships. There were some twists thrown in and the mystery was great. Pryor definitely had me turning to pages to figure out who did it. In the end, it all tied together really well and I felt it was a fitting end!

Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I loved the pacing. I'll always love a thriller with some International intrigue and politics thrown in. Don't let that turn you away though - the Embassy is about all that you get in connection to politics! I will have to go back and read some of the other books to truly connect with and appreciate the characters.

I give this one 4/5 stars!

[Doward Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meet Hugo Marston, former FBI profiler, now head of security for the American Embassy in Paris. When American romance author, Helen Hancock, discovers a spy camera in her room at the Sorbonne Hotel, Hugo is sent by the ambassador to check it out. The camera is real and when an employee of the hotel is found murdered in the stairwell, the action changes from surveillance to active investigation. With the cooperation of the local police force Hugo determines that the dead employee appears to be responsible for installing and monitoring the camera in Helen's room. Helen's stay in Paris includes writing her newest romance and teaching a private writing course to three students. When a video of hot and heavy sex between Helen and one of her younger male writing students hits the internet, the investigation heats up to HOT! As Hugo and Lieutenant Camille Lerens investigate the three students and everyone else involved with Helen, another murder takes place involving those in Helen's inner circle.

This is the seventh book in the series and the first I have read. There was enough backstory so that I was never lost as the story unfolded. The characters are extremely well done, as is the Paris background. The spying and murders took you on an intricate thrill ride as they lead you right to a totally surprising ending! This was such an enjoyable read that I am going back to read the first six in the series. Mystery and thriller readers will enjoy this author and series very much.

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's no secret I love the Hugo Marston series. I got this one and The Paris Librarian out of order, but suffice to say, it was okay. I already knew how the next problem would be solved. Oh well.

In this book, Hugo is confronted by an American romance novelist who is in Paris. She has a problem and she knows about Hugo so that is who she consults. Things get a little tricky when a spy camera is found in her hotel suite, there is a murder and the connections are not completely clear. Hugo just knows there are some.

In typical fashion, Hugo rules out, backtracks, rethinks, eats great food, drinks delicious wine, gets with Claudia and Tom, and his boss, the ambassador. He also works with Inspector Camille Lehrens, and her team of detectives and "flics."

Ultimately, a few things become clearer and he sets up a suspect. Mystery solved. Next book in the series will resolve an issue that surfaces in this one.

I really hope there will be more of these!

[amanda mei · Rating 3 out of 5]

ooh a murder mystery (almost)! this might be true character development because … i am pretty tuned into non-mystery books. i’m trying some new things though, so why not?
this book moves fast! the author really does not leave any extra time or extra detail. but that’s kind of ok! I’m not upset about this at all because sometimes i struggle to get through lots of flowery language, even though i very much write like that. it's a good break from too much thinking all day every day recently.
the characters are a little.. flat? the protagonist is a bit too logical. in that way, it’s way too direct.
ok. i see. this is in fact the seventh book in a set of books rather than a standalone. luckily, it can be read on its own.. but i think i’m losing a lot of context about the character such as background / why his personality is the way it is.
the twist is also … kind of cliché. i do like how these mystery novels always have the protagonist explain their entire thought process.

[Michael Springer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy this series primarily for the descriptions of Parisian neighborhoods and (less so) for the smart-alecky banter between the hero, Hugo Marston, and his old pal Tom. By the way, is there really a job like Hugo's at the U.S. embassy? He seems to spend all his time on cases that have nothing to do with diplomatic matters. At least he has a good secretary.

This is a satisfying story revolving around an American romance author who has been photographed in a compromising situation in the lush Hotel Sorbonne. When the cameraman is found dead, Hugo gets involved in the messy business.

Pryor's writing seems more assured with every installment, and he has left the door open to see if Tom is able to track down a former adversary in Amsterdam before he brings trouble to Paris. I'll be looking forward to it.

[Dail Sams · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Hugo is approached at a funeral by Helen Hancock, an internationally famous romance author, who tells him she thinks she is being spied on in her Paris hotel room, he is thrust into a highly frustrating investigation. A surveillance camera is indeed found hidden in Hancock's room, and soon after, a hotel employee is found murdered in a hotel stairwell, and a sex video featuring Helen Hancock is posted on the Internet. Other employees, including an American hotel manager and the three students enrolled in Helen Hancock's writing and publishing class, are all suspects in the surveillance and murder, but the more Hugo interviews the suspects, the more lies he discovers in their stories. Finally, when the hotel manager is found dead in her apartment, Hugo begins to put together the unlikely truth in this devious crime of selfishness and misdirection.

[Shalyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm glad I had a holiday weekend to totally indulge in this latest Hugo Marston mystery! This is one of my favorite series, and while the first book is still my all-time favorite, this one is a pretty close second. In a nutshell, an internationally known romance author with waning sales is in Paris to work on a new book and augment her income by teaching a graduate-level, creative writing class. At first, I was a little disappointed that the central character was a writer - writers writing writers seems so (shrug) cliche - but once the story takes off and the reader is introduced to a variety of writer-personality types, it becomes more interesting. While the question of who-done-it kept me guessing for quite a while, the bigger question of why held through until the end. A thoroughly enjoyable read!

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE SORBONNE AFFAIR: A HUGO MARSTON NOVEL by Mark Pryor is #7 in this great mystery series.
“American novelist Helen Hancock is in Paris to research her work-in-progress and teach a writing class, when she discovers a spy camera in her room at the luxury Hotel Sorbonne.”
Hugo, as security at the American Embassy in Paris, is asked to look into this ‘problem’.
I like the character details in this series and also the great locale/sense of place. I am fond of Hugo, who seems a bit more ethical than other characters I’ve run into. The titles are more mystery-oriented, rather than espionage-oriented. There is much cooperation with the Paris police, and Hugo’s old buddy Tom Green usually shows up to lend a helping hand.
While the students in the writing class were a bit unbelievable to me, the story was suspenseful and had a lot of tension.
****

[Scilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hugo Marston gets involved in murder again. We're back in Paris, and at the funeral of a famous American author, Hugo meets another American author, Helen Hancock, who claims someone is stalking her. She then calls his office to say that she thinks she's found a camera in her room. Soon, a hotel worker is killed with a kitchen knife on a hotel stairway. Hugo meets her three students. Then a video of Helen having sex with one of her students shows up on the internet. There is a little diversion of the Helen story when Tom tells Hugo of a man they had jailed (and killed his brother) has been released from jail and is after them. The Helen story has another murder (or is it a suicide), and then another murder or suicide as the story has lots of twists and turns. At the end, everything is explained and we know the real culprit. A good yarn in a fascinating place.

[Bill Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the seventh Hugo Marston book in the series and I have read them all. In order. I have enjoyed the entire series even though I have found fault in the stories. This time I thought the motivation for murder a little weak, but what do I know. As usual, many Americans are involved. This time it is a romance author and the mystery begins with why there is a spy camera in her hotel room.
I have not always appreciated Marston’s hard-drinking, foul-mouthed side-kick, Tom Green, but in this story we get an insight into why he is the way he is. Knowing more about a character in a book, as well as about people in real life, makes one, usually, more sympathetic. Anyway, another enjoyable read in the Marston series.

[Missyjohnson1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hugo Marston is security head at the US embassy in Paris. He gets involved in what at first is an issue with a spy camera in the hotel Sorbonne. Then the bodies start to fall. first a hotel employee then Antonio Silva, a graduate student in creative writing who is in Paris for a small class with an author. there is a small back story that is also revealed with Hugo and his friend Tom when they were in the FBI and caught two bank robbers in Houston. realistic story without crazy jumps in reality. Hugo and Lt. Camille Lerens follow the clues and end the suspense in an Agatha Christie (Poirot) fashion with all of the suspects in the same room as Hugo lays the evidence out. I enjoyed the story. Fast read and a quick trip to Paris.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly Recommend

A new Hugo Marston book always lifts my spirits. I love this series. Ex FBI, now head of security at the American Embassy in Paris, Marston embodies the best in law enforcement. This is more important than ever in today's world. The transgender French detective fully respected and accepted by her subordinates, speaks volumes about the open minds of the French.
This story has humor, sadness, complexity but most of all a sense of kindness and humanity. It also has enough twists to make it a compelling read. The descriptions of Paris also add another layer of interest.
I can't wait for the next Marston story. One of my favorite characters

[Cindy Ladensack · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellently plotted mystery set again in the Paris literary world (I liked the way the opening scene ties into the previous book); this series is really one of my favorites (although it’s contemporary, plus it ventures a little into the the procedural/thriller categories a bit, neither of which are normally my thing). I especially appreciate the realistic, quietly funny way the characters relate to each other. If I had one quibble, I could take or leave the flashbacks—again, not super into the FBI agent stuff, and I don’t like spending time with Tom—but I thought the way they unraveled was inventive and truly effective in how they revealed that secondary story.

[David Doel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read several books from this series and enjoyed them This particular entry in the series missed the mark. For some reason Mr. Pryor elected to carry two stories through the book, one from the present (in forward time) and one from the past going backwards. The main story is in the present. The solution of the mystery probably makes sense, but it is a stretch that the hero sorted it out from the information given to the reader. The story from the past helps to define Hugo's partner, Tom Green, but it has no connection to the story from the present. Mark Pryor can do better and has. Here's hoping he reconnects with his muse.