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Aimee Leduc Investigations #18
Murder on the Left Bank
The eighteenth mystery in the New York Times bestselling Parisian detective series!
A dying man drags his oxygen machine into the office of Eric Besson, a lawyer in Paris's 13th arrondissement. The old man, an accountant, is carrying a dilapidated notebook full of meticulous investment records. For decades he has been helping a cadre of dirty cops launder stolen money. The notebook contains his full confession—he's waited 50 years to make it, and now it can't wait another day. He is adamant that Besson get the notebook into the hands of La Proc, Paris's chief prosecuting attorney, so the corruption can finally be brought to light. But en route to La Proc, Besson's courier—his assistant and nephew—is murdered, and the notebook disappears.
Grief-stricken Eric Besson tries to hire private investigator Aimée Leduc to find the notebook, but she is reluctant to get involved. Her father was a cop, and was murdered by the same dirty syndicate the notebook implicates. She's not sure which she's more afraid of, the dangerous men who would kill for the notebook or the idea that her father's name might be among the dirty cops'. But that's the same reason she must take the case, which leads her on a goosechase across the Left Bank, from the Cambodian enclave of Khmer Rouge refugees to the ancient royal tapestry factories to the modern art galleries.
A dying man drags his oxygen machine into the office of Eric Besson, a lawyer in Paris's 13th arrondissement. The old man, an accountant, is carrying a dilapidated notebook full of meticulous investment records. For decades he has been helping a cadre of dirty cops launder stolen money. The notebook contains his full confession—he's waited 50 years to make it, and now it can't wait another day. He is adamant that Besson get the notebook into the hands of La Proc, Paris's chief prosecuting attorney, so the corruption can finally be brought to light. But en route to La Proc, Besson's courier—his assistant and nephew—is murdered, and the notebook disappears.
Grief-stricken Eric Besson tries to hire private investigator Aimée Leduc to find the notebook, but she is reluctant to get involved. Her father was a cop, and was murdered by the same dirty syndicate the notebook implicates. She's not sure which she's more afraid of, the dangerous men who would kill for the notebook or the idea that her father's name might be among the dirty cops'. But that's the same reason she must take the case, which leads her on a goosechase across the Left Bank, from the Cambodian enclave of Khmer Rouge refugees to the ancient royal tapestry factories to the modern art galleries.
289 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 19, 2018
248 people are currently reading
671 people want to read
About the author
Cara Black
44 books1,353 followersCara Black frequents a Paris little known outside the beaten tourist track. A Paris she discovers on research trips and interviews with French police, private detectives and café owners. She lives in San Francisco with her husband, a bookseller, and their teenage son. She is a San Francisco Library Laureate and a member of the Paris Sociéte Historique in the Marais. Her nationally bestselling and award nominated Aimée Leduc Investigation series has been translated into French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, German and Hebrew. She received the Medaille de la Ville de Paris for services to French culture. She's included in the GREAT WOMEN MYSTERY WRITERS by Elizabeth Lindsay 2nd editon published in the UK. Her first three novels in the series MURDER IN THE MARAIS, MURDER IN BELLEVILLE AN MURDER IN THE SENTIER - nominated for an Anthony Award as Best Novel - were published in the UK in 2008 and MURDER IN THE LATIN QUARTER comes out in the UK in 2010. Several of her books have been chosen as BookSense Picks and INDIE NEXT choice by the Amerian Association of Independent Bookstores. The Washington Post listed MURDER IN THE RUE DE PARADIS in the Best Fiction Choices of 2008. MURDER IN THE LATIN QUARTER is a finalist for Best Novel Award from the NCIBA Northern California Independent Booksellers Association.
She is currently working on the next book in the Aimée Leduc series.
She is currently working on the next book in the Aimée Leduc series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
July 1, 2018
It's disheartening to realize that a book so badly written is part of a popular 18-volume series. I just couldn't finish reading it. There is much better writing out there.
July 13, 2018
Aimee Leduc has driven me crazy with all eighteen of her adventures. She has to be the most Attention Deficit with Hyperactivity protagonist of all times. She gets herself into bizarre situations and makes such poor, unwise, and impulsive, decisions that get her into trouble that I want to throw the book across the room. And, yet, I am hooked. I've followed her throughout Paris and her mercurial life -- and, yes, even enjoyed the journey.
However, I am getting weary of the same legs of the journey -- her never changing relationship with her mother even thought she has reappeared, her anger towards her Godfather, her constant dismissal of Rene's concerns, and her pining over her father's death and the question of his actions. Don't get me wrong. These were important and fascinating parts of her life's story, but her growth as a character seems miniscule.
I do enjoy the physical and political settings in the novels and the cleverness which it takes to solve the murders. I just wish that Aimee's character would evolve. This has happened with the birth of her child somewhat, but it has not been a particularly successful because it is another area where her hyperactivity makes for more chaos.
I personally would like to see some growth -- either in Aimee herself or in the situations around her. The birth of the baby was a good start. I just don't want to feel that I might as well just reread the previous novels.
However, I am getting weary of the same legs of the journey -- her never changing relationship with her mother even thought she has reappeared, her anger towards her Godfather, her constant dismissal of Rene's concerns, and her pining over her father's death and the question of his actions. Don't get me wrong. These were important and fascinating parts of her life's story, but her growth as a character seems miniscule.
I do enjoy the physical and political settings in the novels and the cleverness which it takes to solve the murders. I just wish that Aimee's character would evolve. This has happened with the birth of her child somewhat, but it has not been a particularly successful because it is another area where her hyperactivity makes for more chaos.
I personally would like to see some growth -- either in Aimee herself or in the situations around her. The birth of the baby was a good start. I just don't want to feel that I might as well just reread the previous novels.
July 16, 2018
For almost twenty years I have been reading Aimee Leduc's Paris-centered investigations as well as her stuck-in- time computer firm's efforts to prepare systems for Y2K. Yes, we are still back there in 1999 Paris. I love Paris. I loved the Y2K "crisis" that allowed me entrance into IT work lasting until retirement. Both these factors will hold me to this series as well as the fearless super-hero actions Aimee can be counted on to enact, but surely with a young child...?! It's hard to keep from yelling.
The action is nonstop, the focus is again The Hand (organized crime that led to her father's death), so the danger is off the charts. Aimee's baby girl is now almost one, and this presents more tension since daily life patterns can be easily observed and targeted by the criminal element. Aimee is approached by acquaintance asking for her help. He asks her to find a diary that he had given to a young man to deliver to the department of justice/supreme court...or whatever is meant by "la proc." Anyway...the young man is killed and the package is missing and he is just the first of several deaths. Once Aimee starts on this path there is no stopping her.
We get to see Aimee interact with her godfather Morbier, her mostly absent mother Sydney, her daughter Chloe's birth father Melac and others from past adventures. She needs to untangle the thought processes of a now deceased survivor of a Nazi war camp to be able to find hidden documentation of years of criminal activity when every movement of hers is monitored. High stakes stuff!
The action is nonstop, the focus is again The Hand (organized crime that led to her father's death), so the danger is off the charts. Aimee's baby girl is now almost one, and this presents more tension since daily life patterns can be easily observed and targeted by the criminal element. Aimee is approached by acquaintance asking for her help. He asks her to find a diary that he had given to a young man to deliver to the department of justice/supreme court...or whatever is meant by "la proc." Anyway...the young man is killed and the package is missing and he is just the first of several deaths. Once Aimee starts on this path there is no stopping her.
We get to see Aimee interact with her godfather Morbier, her mostly absent mother Sydney, her daughter Chloe's birth father Melac and others from past adventures. She needs to untangle the thought processes of a now deceased survivor of a Nazi war camp to be able to find hidden documentation of years of criminal activity when every movement of hers is monitored. High stakes stuff!
January 30, 2018
Another great installment in the Aimee Leduc mystery series, the focus falls back on the Hand and corruption. Aimee is supposed to be working with Renee in their consulting firm, creating fixes for the upcoming Y2K mess. As usual, Aimee is caught up in the chase for a book that will uncover years of payoffs and secrets. Hard to put down, I am a huge fan of this Parisian mystery series.
April 3, 2020
Ok, so for now I'm done with my Cara Black phase. I still have the most recent Aimee book on my TBR pile plus I was just able to download her latest book about Paris for free for my Kindle. This one was quite a ride. Aimee really got herself into some serious scrapes. When a lawyer she knows ask her to find a missing notebook that has incriminating information about police and other officials, she takes the job. His nephew who was acting as a courier is murdered as is his girlfriend. The notebook is still missing. Soon Aimee and her baby girl become the objects of The Hand, a criminal organization, that has been working hand and hand with members of the Paris elite for years. These books are very dramatic, but I enjoy them. They are the perfect escape vehicle. Aimee gets herself into quite a few scrapes, but there is always a happy ending. There is one more that I haven't read yet - murder in Bel-Aire. I notice that the author has a new book coming out that is not an Aimee. Perhaps that signals that the character has come to an end. If you have already read the last one, don't spoil it for me.
April 24, 2018
I learned an important lesson in reading this book. It is not a good idea to start with book 17 in a series. I know there are series you can do this but this is not one of them. I think you would have had to read others in the series to appreciate this one. I was lost,. completely and utterly lost to the point when the bad guy was unveiled I had to go back to discover who the person was and how they fit in the story.
This series is set In Paris and Aimee is a financial detective protecting computers from hacking attacks. It is apparently set in the late 1990's as they are waiting for upheaval that may happen when it turns 2000. Aimee gets involved in a plot to uncover a major political gang involving corrupt policemen, politicians and business people called The Hand. Aimee's deceased father was a policeman who may have been in the organization. This time a survivor from a WWII POW camp has laundered money from The Hand and has proof of these operations. He wants to clear his conscience before he dies.
The plot involves a baby kidnapping, deaths done by shards of glass, and multiple dead ends looking for the notebook that provides the evidence of the money laundering. It is interesting to see Paris. For fans of the series, it is probably fascinating to see old characters making appearances including her ex-husband, her godfather and her mother who abandoned her as a child. For me, I was just lost but I may go back and read the series fro
This series is set In Paris and Aimee is a financial detective protecting computers from hacking attacks. It is apparently set in the late 1990's as they are waiting for upheaval that may happen when it turns 2000. Aimee gets involved in a plot to uncover a major political gang involving corrupt policemen, politicians and business people called The Hand. Aimee's deceased father was a policeman who may have been in the organization. This time a survivor from a WWII POW camp has laundered money from The Hand and has proof of these operations. He wants to clear his conscience before he dies.
The plot involves a baby kidnapping, deaths done by shards of glass, and multiple dead ends looking for the notebook that provides the evidence of the money laundering. It is interesting to see Paris. For fans of the series, it is probably fascinating to see old characters making appearances including her ex-husband, her godfather and her mother who abandoned her as a child. For me, I was just lost but I may go back and read the series fro
April 4, 2021
I was hoping that the introduction of baby Chloe would help this series, but she's really a dream bebe, all pink toes and sweet smells. As the veteran mom of two daughters (one of whom was also a bebe in 1999) I would love to have had my child rearing be this easy. Meanwhile Black adds insult to injury by using the child_in_peril trope, and I fear it won't be the last time she falls back on that.
The plot itself is typical convoluted Aimee as it twists and turns and then, suddenly, it's over. It's 1999 for these, so clearly Black has lots of time for more material, but perhaps she should jump to 2021 and have Chloe, scarred by Maman's weird lifestyle, breaking free on her own.
The plot itself is typical convoluted Aimee as it twists and turns and then, suddenly, it's over. It's 1999 for these, so clearly Black has lots of time for more material, but perhaps she should jump to 2021 and have Chloe, scarred by Maman's weird lifestyle, breaking free on her own.
January 12, 2019
Cara Black's best Amy Leduc book yet. They just keep getting better and more exciting. Couldn't put it down.
November 9, 2018
Éric Besson, a lawyer in Paris’s 13th arrondissement, is visited by a mysterious old man. The elderly gentleman has made his way to Besson's office with two things: an oxygen tank that keeps him alive and an old notebook. It is the latter that is of interest to Besson as it purportedly contains information the man has collected over decades of work. It turns out he is an accountant who has helped many dirty cops launder money they obtained illegally.
Besson is tasked with getting this notebook, a final confession of its owner, into the hands of the proper authorities. Regrettably, Besson's courier, his own nephew Marcus, is attacked and killed en route to La Proc, Paris's chief prosecuting attorney. The notebook is gone, and Besson has only one person he trusts to whom he turns: private investigator Aimée Leduc.
Aimée is interested for many reasons, not the least of which is that her own father may be named in this notebook. He was killed in an explosion during an investigation years earlier and was not around to defend himself about the whisperings that he may have been on the take himself. As a result, Aimée stopped her own career path and took over his investigation agency. The year is 1999, but his death still feels like it happened yesterday, and she will do anything to keep his reputation intact.
Even though Aimée does not fully trust Besson, she takes on the case because of what the notebook could allegedly do to the Paris police force if it’s made public. She begins by tracing the route that Marcus took on the way to deliver the notebook. All she is able to find is that he received a phone call from an unknown individual that caused him to divert his original path, resulting in his death and the loss of the notebook.
However, there are some very bad people who do not want Aimée to ever find the notebook. As other allies of hers begin to turn up dead when she gets close to information that may lead her to it, Aimée begins to fear for her own life and those of her agency associates. Her closest colleague, fellow investigator René, is all in for helping Aimée, but even he begins to feel how near they are to danger and peril with each step they take. Besson himself goes into hiding, leaving Aimée completely on her own.
Things hit way too close to home when the daughter of one of Aimée's friends is abducted by a mysterious woman. The child is soon found unharmed and next to the dead body of the apparently homeless woman who took her. It is not that someone paid this crazy lady to steal a child that leaves Aimée so unsettled, but that the girl was wearing her own daughter Chloe's hoodie at the time, making Chloe the intended victim.
The criminal underworld group known as The Hand seems to be responsible for all the dangerous pitfalls placed in Aimée’s way. Even with the assistance of her father's old colleague, Morbier, she is still unable to stay ahead of this deadly criminal empire. Readers will be breathless right up to the moment Aimée finds the notebook and even more surprised once she reads its contents --- information for which many would kill to keep from ever being revealed.
I so thoroughly enjoyed spending time in the different regions of Paris in MURDER ON THE LEFT BANK, the 18th installment in Cara Black’s long-running series. These novels serve as both terrific Parisian mysteries and the best guide map to this remarkable city you will find.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
Besson is tasked with getting this notebook, a final confession of its owner, into the hands of the proper authorities. Regrettably, Besson's courier, his own nephew Marcus, is attacked and killed en route to La Proc, Paris's chief prosecuting attorney. The notebook is gone, and Besson has only one person he trusts to whom he turns: private investigator Aimée Leduc.
Aimée is interested for many reasons, not the least of which is that her own father may be named in this notebook. He was killed in an explosion during an investigation years earlier and was not around to defend himself about the whisperings that he may have been on the take himself. As a result, Aimée stopped her own career path and took over his investigation agency. The year is 1999, but his death still feels like it happened yesterday, and she will do anything to keep his reputation intact.
Even though Aimée does not fully trust Besson, she takes on the case because of what the notebook could allegedly do to the Paris police force if it’s made public. She begins by tracing the route that Marcus took on the way to deliver the notebook. All she is able to find is that he received a phone call from an unknown individual that caused him to divert his original path, resulting in his death and the loss of the notebook.
However, there are some very bad people who do not want Aimée to ever find the notebook. As other allies of hers begin to turn up dead when she gets close to information that may lead her to it, Aimée begins to fear for her own life and those of her agency associates. Her closest colleague, fellow investigator René, is all in for helping Aimée, but even he begins to feel how near they are to danger and peril with each step they take. Besson himself goes into hiding, leaving Aimée completely on her own.
Things hit way too close to home when the daughter of one of Aimée's friends is abducted by a mysterious woman. The child is soon found unharmed and next to the dead body of the apparently homeless woman who took her. It is not that someone paid this crazy lady to steal a child that leaves Aimée so unsettled, but that the girl was wearing her own daughter Chloe's hoodie at the time, making Chloe the intended victim.
The criminal underworld group known as The Hand seems to be responsible for all the dangerous pitfalls placed in Aimée’s way. Even with the assistance of her father's old colleague, Morbier, she is still unable to stay ahead of this deadly criminal empire. Readers will be breathless right up to the moment Aimée finds the notebook and even more surprised once she reads its contents --- information for which many would kill to keep from ever being revealed.
I so thoroughly enjoyed spending time in the different regions of Paris in MURDER ON THE LEFT BANK, the 18th installment in Cara Black’s long-running series. These novels serve as both terrific Parisian mysteries and the best guide map to this remarkable city you will find.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
June 27, 2018
I have enjoyed the Cara Black Aimée Leduc series for its detailed descriptions of different areas of Paris and France and plotting.
This was somewhat disappointing in that the area detail was sparse and the plot felt like a retread. Hopefully this book will put an end to her father's corruption saga. It's old news and was hard to plow through here. With a new baby, René, and her Mother hopefully there will be more interesting plots and places. Otherwise Black could lose a loyal reader.
This was somewhat disappointing in that the area detail was sparse and the plot felt like a retread. Hopefully this book will put an end to her father's corruption saga. It's old news and was hard to plow through here. With a new baby, René, and her Mother hopefully there will be more interesting plots and places. Otherwise Black could lose a loyal reader.
May 1, 2019
I devour these books.
There, I said it.
In this book, we see Aimee embroiled in an investigation in Paris' Chinatown ... part of the 13th Arondissement. She's been asked to help find a missing youth who was given a notebook full of potentially dangerous information. The boy and the notebook have both disappeared ... and the only person who can potentially help is the boy's half-Cambodian/half-French girlfriend.
Cara Black does a fabulous job of bringing us into all kinds of Parisian neighborhoods ... and their attendant challenges. As these books are set in the 1990s, she is able to show us what the issues were at the time. In this case, there are Asian gangs, corrupt police, and more.
I finished this book in just a couple of days. Frankly, I didn't want to put it down. It took me to a part of Paris that I've not yet visited and walked me through its streets ... along with a first-rate "whodunnit" with a reveal that literally made my jaw drop with surprise. Not to be missed.
There, I said it.
In this book, we see Aimee embroiled in an investigation in Paris' Chinatown ... part of the 13th Arondissement. She's been asked to help find a missing youth who was given a notebook full of potentially dangerous information. The boy and the notebook have both disappeared ... and the only person who can potentially help is the boy's half-Cambodian/half-French girlfriend.
Cara Black does a fabulous job of bringing us into all kinds of Parisian neighborhoods ... and their attendant challenges. As these books are set in the 1990s, she is able to show us what the issues were at the time. In this case, there are Asian gangs, corrupt police, and more.
I finished this book in just a couple of days. Frankly, I didn't want to put it down. It took me to a part of Paris that I've not yet visited and walked me through its streets ... along with a first-rate "whodunnit" with a reveal that literally made my jaw drop with surprise. Not to be missed.
July 24, 2018
I adore Amiee Leduc and this series, each book is a roller coaster. I really enjoy the fast paced nature of the book and how there is so much happening they are always a quick engaging read. Hope there are more books to come in this series.
June 23, 2018
Read my review next week on bookreporter.com .
March 16, 2020
I’ve always enjoyed Leduc investigations. The inclusion of French phrases is a bonus.
August 17, 2018
I've read this whole series. This is not one of the best. Very disjointed and little Paris ambiance.
December 22, 2018
You know how annoying it is when someone throws in foreign language phrases in their conversation just because they know some? Not because they are bilingual or another language is their native tongue. That’s what this book is like. Since the setting is Paris, the expressions are French. The story is okay... a race to find Macguffen one and two with some murders sprinkled in. Our heroine cannot trust anyone, of course. This is a very successful series, but I won’t read another.
December 27, 2018
I enjoyed the book.
July 17, 2018
so the mystery surrounding the important book and the explanation of the accounting was interesting plus finding part 2 with the spoons. But the series needs to move on from her father's death and what may or may not have happened and her mom reappearing or leaving does not add to the story unless it is to save from her death in the cell just the right time. Either she is in (and explains things) or out. Rene is ill but are to brush it off and for goodness sakes Aimee needs to start answering her phone Similar to feelings on the last book
October 28, 2019
its all in english with exclamations in french. is that to remind me it's set in France
October 21, 2018
My review from USA Today
*
The loveliest part about a long series is that its characters drive the action, rather than the reverse. Cara Black’s eighteenth novel about Aimée Leduc – head of Leduc Detective, chic Parisian maman, cheerful foil to the uptight Inspector Melac – features one of her strongest mysteries, about a group of murderously corrupt cops chasing the document that will expose them. Aimée has promised her partner she’ll stick to cybersecurity (it’s 1999, and her clients are “nervous about possible Y2K malfunctions”) so naturally, she takes on the case, which proves full of dangerous surprises. But the real joy of “Murder on the Left Bank” is in its familiar cast and its thoughtful, witty, occasionally melancholy evocation of Paris, the city where we keep so many of our most beautiful ideas about what life might mean.
*
The loveliest part about a long series is that its characters drive the action, rather than the reverse. Cara Black’s eighteenth novel about Aimée Leduc – head of Leduc Detective, chic Parisian maman, cheerful foil to the uptight Inspector Melac – features one of her strongest mysteries, about a group of murderously corrupt cops chasing the document that will expose them. Aimée has promised her partner she’ll stick to cybersecurity (it’s 1999, and her clients are “nervous about possible Y2K malfunctions”) so naturally, she takes on the case, which proves full of dangerous surprises. But the real joy of “Murder on the Left Bank” is in its familiar cast and its thoughtful, witty, occasionally melancholy evocation of Paris, the city where we keep so many of our most beautiful ideas about what life might mean.
April 22, 2020
It's been a few years since I read the first book in this series, and I was so-so on it then. I had no intention of reading another Aimee Leduc mystery, but my mother gave me this one and I felt obligated to read it. Plus, I thought it was possible that Black had improved her storytelling over the her next 17 books. Nope! Not for me. While I appreciate the Paris references, and the bits of French, I still find her story line moving unrealistically fast, with an annoying attention to fashion name-dropping, and leaps in logic. I know Cara Black's books are popular, best selling, but she's just not for me.
October 21, 2020
Cara Black has definitely mastered her art. Using the same formula she has used basically in the episodes that have preceded this 18th in the series minus the expendables: notation of each and every piece of clothing in Amiee's wardrobe according to designer and vintage as well as those she "borrows" from and references to her wobbly gait on cobblestones secondary to stilettos. High tops make an appearance ( I am glad to see and even noted by a capturer : " Cool your bazketz"(basketball shoes)" she is told)-sensible shoes at last for what she does though probably a short -lived change a necessity at this time due to her throbbing ankle. Her much battered body again takes a hit i.e. dislocated shoulder surprisingly put back in place by her loyal and admiring business partner Renee with her guidance, sprained( ? )ankle and concussion with new optic nerve damage ! The latter puts her in the hospital but all is well as her "family" is with her including a new addition the reader to be will love.
Cornered in her own office by Eric Besson- husband of second cousin of Aimee's best friend, Martine, he presents himself sans appointment at a time she is herself is due for an appointment homicide investigation report in hand documenting the particulars of the death of his nephew Marcus. The conclusion: a drug deal gone wrong but Marcus was not a user! Then begins the tale of the tapestry weaver Marie ( best friend to Eric's mother) and her husband Leo Solomon an accountant for a tapestry factory Gobelin's and former POW whose life was "saved" by fellow POW Pierre, who offered to be executed in his place by the Nazi's. A never -ending debt was thus created forcing Leo pay for the favor for the rest of his life. Due to his accountant nature, he had listed every transaction in a notebook stemming from Pierre's corruption which if exposed would shed light on all those he did business with-naming each politician, minister, police and businessman and the amount of the pay out to keep his illegal activities quiet as well as his confession. The notebook was said to include those who taught at the Police Academy and knew Aimee's father! In her mind, these corrupt flics were the one's who killed her father known as "The Hand" a thirty year institution that had "taken kickbacks and diverted funds arranged cover-ups for ministers and politicians." described as a "deep-rooted protection racket run between police and government ministries." No more need be said, Aimee had taken the bit despite her promises to Renee not to remove herself from her business in pursuit of personal agenda ever again.. She once again runs for Superwoman (as godfather Morbier calls her) of the Year! This time all close to her: business partner, intern, and DAUGHTER and more must seek a "safe place" to be protected by the Hand once they are onto her. Aimee has never before come so close to such a magnitude of danger.
Notable takeaways:
"Scared keeps you alert, on your toes. Less prone to mistakes" as Martine reminds Aimee what she told her her father used to say. A tip from Martin, Aimee's father's informer, enveloped in the Gauloise packet he had given her on a red ticket stub: "Always forgive your enemies-nothing annoys them so much."
An unexpected tutorial on how to trace phone calls to a burner phone involving base station emulators I found interesting. An IMSI catcher is described which catches the call on the network with suspect not aware of being monitored. Unlike the system developed by the Nazis from which this technology evolved (RDF) radio direction finding that was said to locate clandestine radio operators in Paris, base station emulators can manipulate not just listen in. A best friend forever of the Police.
An enticing tale with once again a harmonious ending making all well. Cara Black's talent seems to advance with each edition in the life of Aimee Leduc but what happens when ALL the loose ends are tied up? The propelling force behind Aimee's personal pursuits have been the ghosts of her mother and father and who they really were. This reader will be drawn in once again to find the answers in episode 19 Murder in Bel-Air and the grand finale episode 20?? (Three Hours in Paris).
Cornered in her own office by Eric Besson- husband of second cousin of Aimee's best friend, Martine, he presents himself sans appointment at a time she is herself is due for an appointment homicide investigation report in hand documenting the particulars of the death of his nephew Marcus. The conclusion: a drug deal gone wrong but Marcus was not a user! Then begins the tale of the tapestry weaver Marie ( best friend to Eric's mother) and her husband Leo Solomon an accountant for a tapestry factory Gobelin's and former POW whose life was "saved" by fellow POW Pierre, who offered to be executed in his place by the Nazi's. A never -ending debt was thus created forcing Leo pay for the favor for the rest of his life. Due to his accountant nature, he had listed every transaction in a notebook stemming from Pierre's corruption which if exposed would shed light on all those he did business with-naming each politician, minister, police and businessman and the amount of the pay out to keep his illegal activities quiet as well as his confession. The notebook was said to include those who taught at the Police Academy and knew Aimee's father! In her mind, these corrupt flics were the one's who killed her father known as "The Hand" a thirty year institution that had "taken kickbacks and diverted funds arranged cover-ups for ministers and politicians." described as a "deep-rooted protection racket run between police and government ministries." No more need be said, Aimee had taken the bit despite her promises to Renee not to remove herself from her business in pursuit of personal agenda ever again.. She once again runs for Superwoman (as godfather Morbier calls her) of the Year! This time all close to her: business partner, intern, and DAUGHTER and more must seek a "safe place" to be protected by the Hand once they are onto her. Aimee has never before come so close to such a magnitude of danger.
Notable takeaways:
"Scared keeps you alert, on your toes. Less prone to mistakes" as Martine reminds Aimee what she told her her father used to say. A tip from Martin, Aimee's father's informer, enveloped in the Gauloise packet he had given her on a red ticket stub: "Always forgive your enemies-nothing annoys them so much."
An unexpected tutorial on how to trace phone calls to a burner phone involving base station emulators I found interesting. An IMSI catcher is described which catches the call on the network with suspect not aware of being monitored. Unlike the system developed by the Nazis from which this technology evolved (RDF) radio direction finding that was said to locate clandestine radio operators in Paris, base station emulators can manipulate not just listen in. A best friend forever of the Police.
An enticing tale with once again a harmonious ending making all well. Cara Black's talent seems to advance with each edition in the life of Aimee Leduc but what happens when ALL the loose ends are tied up? The propelling force behind Aimee's personal pursuits have been the ghosts of her mother and father and who they really were. This reader will be drawn in once again to find the answers in episode 19 Murder in Bel-Air and the grand finale episode 20?? (Three Hours in Paris).
June 19, 2018
There are several constants in a novel in the Aimee Leduc series: To begin with there is always Paris, in which a crime for Aimee to solve takes place in a different section. Then there is Aimee’s juggling between her job running the agency with her partner, Rene, trying to solve the crime and getting herself into danger, and her baby girl, Chloe, now several months old. And of course, her mysterious mother who disappeared when she was young and is a wanted woman, as well as her memory of her father, a member of corrupt Parisian cops, murdered when he tried to quit the group.
The victim on the Left Bank is the young nephew of an attorney charged with delivering to the prosecutor a tell-all notebook compiled over decades by an old man, an accountant, detailing payoffs, bribes and other nefarious payments to the corrupt cops known as The Hand, including Leduc pere. Instead he hides the notebook and meets up with his girlfriend. The attorney hires Aimee to find the notebook. And additional pressure is brought to bear by The Hand when they mistakenly arrange to kidnap Aimee’s friend’s young daughter instead of Chloe. Along the way, there are other murders, including that of the kidnapper (so much for making mistakes; The Hand fixes everything).
Oh, another constant arises when Aimee runs into blind alleys: Mobier, a retired corrupt cop, friend of her father and her godfather and someone Aimee has a love-hate relationship with; her father’s other friends, and her family. As Bogie said in Casablanca: We’ll always have Paris. And the author demonstrates that with the sights and sounds of the twisting streets and ancient buildings. For that reason alone, the novel is recommended. Of course the plot also helps.
September 18, 2018
In spite of the pile of books at home waiting to be read, I checked out the latest Cara Black Aimée Leduc Paris mystery, Murder on the Left Bank as soon as I saw it in the new books section of the local library. This is an easy-t0-read series with ongoing background stories of our heroine and her dwarf partner René and many other recurring characters. Not as rich as some other series, but of course I love the Paris setting. This was particularly cool because I could visualize exactly where the first body is discovered, as it is an underpass not far from the Hotel Sunny where I have stayed with all my student groups and many other ventures to Paris. Cara Black does her research!! Once again, there is a lot of police corruption going on, once again Cara thinks she has to pursue a ridiculously dangerous path because it just might shed some light on the murder of her father years ago, once again we know she will come within seconds of dying but be rescued at the last moment. In spite of all these "once again" comments, it is still fun to read. I continue to be irritated that there are so many misspellings or grammar errors in the French and wonder why there is no proofreading of said phrases (since I have spent literally years living and walking on the Boulevard du Port Royal mentioned so often in this book, it irks me to see it repeatedly as de Port Royal... and her constant use of the phrase for sorry, désolé, is always missing the first accent.... this may seem trivial, but if you know French then it grates, and if you don't, then you are picking up errors for when you might!!). I did much appreciate the parts of the book set within the Gobelins tapestry factory, too, as that is another place I have visited that not many tourists go to!
May 5, 2018
I picked this book because I liked the previous Aimee Leduc book I read but I like this one less. This book is written in the vein of many serial books: they revolve around a central character, his/her support group and a mystery. The central character drama sometimes takes precedent over the mystery.
These serials work best if you're binge reading when you quickly follow the characters from one book to the next. Otherwise if you're reading in real publishing time, you need to wait (sometimes a year) before the next book comes out; by that time you've read a slew of other books and you've forgotten who all the characters are. And this was the case with me, the book is chock full of people and I hardly knew them anymore. It look me a while to get up to speed and the mystery part is just ho-hum. Which brings me to another peeve about this book. "Murder on the left bank" is a horrible name for the book. It absolutely does not portray what's going on in the book and I can only assume it was picked for the catchy and often used title.
Though I liked the characters, I don't like them enough to follow an entire series through. I read crime books for the crime, not the drama behind the main characters. So my recommendation is, if you've never read this series before, start from #1 and not here.
I got this as a free ARC.
These serials work best if you're binge reading when you quickly follow the characters from one book to the next. Otherwise if you're reading in real publishing time, you need to wait (sometimes a year) before the next book comes out; by that time you've read a slew of other books and you've forgotten who all the characters are. And this was the case with me, the book is chock full of people and I hardly knew them anymore. It look me a while to get up to speed and the mystery part is just ho-hum. Which brings me to another peeve about this book. "Murder on the left bank" is a horrible name for the book. It absolutely does not portray what's going on in the book and I can only assume it was picked for the catchy and often used title.
Though I liked the characters, I don't like them enough to follow an entire series through. I read crime books for the crime, not the drama behind the main characters. So my recommendation is, if you've never read this series before, start from #1 and not here.
I got this as a free ARC.
April 14, 2020
Having read all the books in the Aimée Leduc Investigation, I feel some frustration. I realize in life we don't get answers to many questions, but I would love to know more about the disappearing mother, and sort out the relationship between Aimée and her godfather. What attracted me to the series is the main character: the city of Paris, its "arrondissements", its people, its history, etc. The characters are very compelling, especially René, Aimée's business partner, all the small business owners, the concierges, the diverse population keeping their cultural traditions, the "flics", the "aristo", and all the others. I am fascinated with all the historical detail about the Nazi occupation of France, the relationship between the buildings and the uses the Nazi made of them. Cara Black does create a fascinating world. However the plots are very complicated, and the heroine is unbelievable. Certainly we all know "real" people as impulsive as Aimée, but it is not very realistic to accept that she would survive all the life threatening situations she gets herself into. Her novels are addictive, much as the old serial novels, but not satisfying as great writing is.
July 3, 2018
With the completion of Cara Black’s Murder on the Left Bank (which I won a free copy of courtesy of @curtisbrown.ltd), I’ve made it through my first official read of July! I absolutely love reading mystery/crime novels, and this one was no exception, although I will admit that Murder on the Left Bank has a very different feel compared to other books I have read of a similar genre. As I read the book, I often found myself admiring Aimée Leduc’s bold and stubborn, if not occasionally foolhardy, methods of investigating, and in some ways, she sort of reminded me of myself (definitely the stubbornness although I’d argue I am far from being so brave). My only regret in reading this book is that is is not the first in its series, and as a result, I was definitely missing out on some of the context that the earlier books would have provided. Overall, this book was a very fun read, and if you’re into crime novels like I am, I recommend you pick up some of her books. I’m thinking I might go back to some of her earlier books myself!
July 21, 2023
Private investigator Aimée Leduc, the daughter of a Parisian flic, is drawn deeply into an investigation of corruption on the city police force after being contacted by Eric Besson, an attorney. A dying man appears in Besson’s office bearing 49 years of accounting records of a police syndicate for which he has laundered money. Facing death, he has decided to confess and asks Besson to deliver a notebook of accounting records to the prosecutor. Before the notebook can be delivered, however, the courier is murdered, and the notebook disappears.
Leduc wants to stay away from this but is drawn in by the fact that this is the syndicate who murdered her father. Her investigation takes her to the Left Bank Khmer Rouge refugee community, to the factory where Gobelin tapestries are woven, and to her father’s old police partner. There are a lot of characters who appear to have significant back stories, as this is quite far into the series, but that did not keep me from enjoying the story. It’s good enough that I expect to read others in the series.
Leduc wants to stay away from this but is drawn in by the fact that this is the syndicate who murdered her father. Her investigation takes her to the Left Bank Khmer Rouge refugee community, to the factory where Gobelin tapestries are woven, and to her father’s old police partner. There are a lot of characters who appear to have significant back stories, as this is quite far into the series, but that did not keep me from enjoying the story. It’s good enough that I expect to read others in the series.
July 29, 2018
I was not disappointed in this new book and love that the author includes so much of Paris in her novel. People, places, streets, atmosphere are all here and would mean a lot to those who have walked these streets in that great city, and mean so much more to those who want to visit and travel in the main character's, Aimee's footsteps.
A notebook holding secrets from the WWII past of Paris is stolen, and people are being killed by those who want to find and destroy the notebook's damaging evidence. Aimee makes it a point to follow up on these murders and find the incriminating evidence, even while putting her baby in harm's way. A mixture of danger and suspense blends the personal and the professional life of private investigator Aimee, as she goes about her duties while following her deep sense of justice. A five star read.
(Borrowed from the library)
A notebook holding secrets from the WWII past of Paris is stolen, and people are being killed by those who want to find and destroy the notebook's damaging evidence. Aimee makes it a point to follow up on these murders and find the incriminating evidence, even while putting her baby in harm's way. A mixture of danger and suspense blends the personal and the professional life of private investigator Aimee, as she goes about her duties while following her deep sense of justice. A five star read.
(Borrowed from the library)
December 31, 2020
I once told my dad that I like Agatha Christie books, but always found them to be a little predictible from time to time.
That's because for me, an Agatha Christie book is like the perfect formula for a mystery novel; At the time it was fine, but nowadays the genre has moved further away, pushing its boundaries.
Cara Black's mystery is just where those pushes have taken us.
Now you finaly see the detective struggle in the case, not deduce it at the spot. You see the confusion and the MYSTERY sourrounding all these character more deeply than ever. Every-single chapter, paragraph and word adds on to the story, adding more layers, characters, mysteries and concepts to it, as we follow Mrs. Leduc around a scarier part of Paris.
She struggles, she stops to think, stops to cry, has to deal with her personal life and go to her job all while solving the case.
This is what good mystery is nowadays.
That's because for me, an Agatha Christie book is like the perfect formula for a mystery novel; At the time it was fine, but nowadays the genre has moved further away, pushing its boundaries.
Cara Black's mystery is just where those pushes have taken us.
Now you finaly see the detective struggle in the case, not deduce it at the spot. You see the confusion and the MYSTERY sourrounding all these character more deeply than ever. Every-single chapter, paragraph and word adds on to the story, adding more layers, characters, mysteries and concepts to it, as we follow Mrs. Leduc around a scarier part of Paris.
She struggles, she stops to think, stops to cry, has to deal with her personal life and go to her job all while solving the case.
This is what good mystery is nowadays.
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