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Aimee Leduc Investigations #19
Murder in Bel-Air
Parisian private investigator Aimée Leduc is about to go onstage to deliver the keynote address at a tech conference that is sure to secure Leduc Detective some much-needed business contracts when she gets an emergency phone call from her daughter’s playgroup: Aimée’s own mother, who was supposed to pick Chloe up, never showed. Abandoning her hard-won speaking gig, Aimée rushes to get Chloe, annoyed that her mother has let her down yet again.
But as Aimée and Chloe are leaving the playground, Aimée witnesses the body of a homeless woman being wheeled away from the neighboring convent, where nuns run a soup kitchen. The last person anyone saw the dead woman talking to was Aimée’s mother, who has vanished. Trying to figure out what happened to Sydney Leduc, Aimée tracks down the dead woman’s possessions, which include a huge amount of cash. What did Sydney stumble into? Is she in trouble?
But as Aimée and Chloe are leaving the playground, Aimée witnesses the body of a homeless woman being wheeled away from the neighboring convent, where nuns run a soup kitchen. The last person anyone saw the dead woman talking to was Aimée’s mother, who has vanished. Trying to figure out what happened to Sydney Leduc, Aimée tracks down the dead woman’s possessions, which include a huge amount of cash. What did Sydney stumble into? Is she in trouble?
312 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 4, 2020
176 people are currently reading
644 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 123 reviews
June 9, 2019
Parisian private investigator Aimée Leduc returns in her 19th foray into detecting, her most thrilling yet. She’s just about to present a conference keynote when she gets an emergency call about her daughter Chloe. Aimée’s mother Sydney was supposed to have picked her up from playgroup but never arrived.
Frantic, Aimée dashes off to get Chloe and as they leave, sees the body of a young woman being taken from a nearby convent. She learns the last person to speak to the deceased was Sydney.
Now she must investigate because the coincidence is too great. As she does, she finds beaucoup bucks among the deceased’s possessions. What connection did her mother, a former CIA agent, have to this woman and what kind of mess is she embroiled in?
The mystery heats up with global spies, Cote d’Ivore entanglements and secrets galore in the 12th arrondissement, Aimée racing through the City of Light in Chanel and Louboutins astride her trademark pink Vespa.
What can I say? It’s Paree chic, the freshest baguette with Brie, a Magnum of Dom, a pile of macarons, the Seine stretched out before you, la Tour Eiffel sparkling in the distance. C’est merveilleux! 5/5
Pub Date 04 Jun 2019
Thanks to the author, Soho Press and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.
#MurderInBelAir #NetGalley
Frantic, Aimée dashes off to get Chloe and as they leave, sees the body of a young woman being taken from a nearby convent. She learns the last person to speak to the deceased was Sydney.
Now she must investigate because the coincidence is too great. As she does, she finds beaucoup bucks among the deceased’s possessions. What connection did her mother, a former CIA agent, have to this woman and what kind of mess is she embroiled in?
The mystery heats up with global spies, Cote d’Ivore entanglements and secrets galore in the 12th arrondissement, Aimée racing through the City of Light in Chanel and Louboutins astride her trademark pink Vespa.
What can I say? It’s Paree chic, the freshest baguette with Brie, a Magnum of Dom, a pile of macarons, the Seine stretched out before you, la Tour Eiffel sparkling in the distance. C’est merveilleux! 5/5
Pub Date 04 Jun 2019
Thanks to the author, Soho Press and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.
#MurderInBelAir #NetGalley
June 12, 2019
Once started, one cannot abandon the series even though it puts me on edge more than I like. It is hard to believe, really...19th book and she (Aimee Leduc) is still alive after her life is in peril repeatedly in each and every frenetic episode.
Wouldn't you know it? It is still 1999 and Aimee is still working in tech with two helpers whilst holding her own as a single parent. Juggle, juggle, juggle. And then there is her mother disappointing and disappearing as Aimee is supposed to be delivering a keynote speech at a tech conference. Of course she has to cut out, run to the rescue of her daughter who was supposed to be picked up by her mother when she is treated to the sight of a dead woman who was last seen with her mother, now missing in action. And don't forget...Aimee is still recovering from concussion.
There are many threads to this investigation, many threats and assorted crises and some rays of hope.
No spoilers. Black supplies history amply for anyone reading this as stand alone. Having read them all, I admit to be invested in Aimee's fate. I cannot always agree with her decisions/actions since she ignores safety, warnings and/or reason. This one gets complicated.
I enjoy visits to Paris in these books. Fans might sign up for October 2019 trip (Not for me, as I travel solo.): https://www.bestfriendinparis.com/a-w...
Wouldn't you know it? It is still 1999 and Aimee is still working in tech with two helpers whilst holding her own as a single parent. Juggle, juggle, juggle. And then there is her mother disappointing and disappearing as Aimee is supposed to be delivering a keynote speech at a tech conference. Of course she has to cut out, run to the rescue of her daughter who was supposed to be picked up by her mother when she is treated to the sight of a dead woman who was last seen with her mother, now missing in action. And don't forget...Aimee is still recovering from concussion.
There are many threads to this investigation, many threats and assorted crises and some rays of hope.
No spoilers. Black supplies history amply for anyone reading this as stand alone. Having read them all, I admit to be invested in Aimee's fate. I cannot always agree with her decisions/actions since she ignores safety, warnings and/or reason. This one gets complicated.
I enjoy visits to Paris in these books. Fans might sign up for October 2019 trip (Not for me, as I travel solo.): https://www.bestfriendinparis.com/a-w...
April 6, 2021
This is reading like Susan Elia MacNeall's Maggie Hope books. Brain candy where you just hang on for the ride. But I am rapidly beginning to lose my grip on Aimee's little pink scooter.
We start with the usual gobbledygook where Aimee gets dragged into a case with international repercussions and every intelligence agency is after her. This time it is complicated by the mysterious disappearance of her mother AND we are back to bebe in peril, so we get lots of reports on Chloe being turned into a little bambina by Martine.
But the icing on le gateau is that in her last ridiculous adventures Aimee suffered an optic nerve injury which she is trying to ignore, but it keeps making her vision go blurry. And injury or no injury, the denouement here has her making another incredible,ridiculous, death defying escape from peril.
Oh, and Melac, Chloe's father, apparently wants Aimee back, but we're left hanging on that point. Though if I were he, I'd grab Chloe and her doudou and hightail to his farm in Brittany and get the kid away from her reckless mother.
Cara Black, tu n'as pas honte? Vraiment?
We start with the usual gobbledygook where Aimee gets dragged into a case with international repercussions and every intelligence agency is after her. This time it is complicated by the mysterious disappearance of her mother AND we are back to bebe in peril, so we get lots of reports on Chloe being turned into a little bambina by Martine.
But the icing on le gateau is that in her last ridiculous adventures Aimee suffered an optic nerve injury which she is trying to ignore, but it keeps making her vision go blurry. And injury or no injury, the denouement here has her making another incredible,ridiculous, death defying escape from peril.
Oh, and Melac, Chloe's father, apparently wants Aimee back, but we're left hanging on that point. Though if I were he, I'd grab Chloe and her doudou and hightail to his farm in Brittany and get the kid away from her reckless mother.
Cara Black, tu n'as pas honte? Vraiment?
August 5, 2019
Aimee Leduc is caught up in some heavy intrigue courtesy of her mother. That is not what she needs right now. Various intelligence groups are pursuing her, and some other groups. None of this is good news for Aimee. As usual those trade mark vintage clothes are on hand. Yes, I do indeed salivate! Cara Black's introductory piece is a look into the writer. Thank you.
September 6, 2019
I've read all the Aimee Leduc books and wonder if Cara Black is at the point of ending her series (because it's been 20 years), she could write another 20 years though. Cara has definitely use the feminine movement in this book because she has used Aimee in every case alone, with some help from René and Saj. But Cara let Aimee figure out who the bad characters were without her mom's help. Wonder of Wonders I'll let you figure it out, it makes for a nice ending. What makes this book tick, is Aimee's use of clothes and definitely shoes. I'm no clothes guru, but you can see it has meaning to Cara. This story is definitely one of the better one's that Cara has written and it has parts that have meaning too women. I would definitely recommend this book to my readers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2019
I have been hooked on the Aimee Leduc mysteries since I picked up the first one a few years back. Not only do they appeal to the Francophile in me, but they also put me squarely in my beloved Paris.
This time, the action centers around Bercy and Bel-Air, where a young woman is murdered while trying to get information to a man from the Cote d'Ivoire. Aimee's mother, CIA agent Sydney Leduc, is deep in the problem; she disappeared while trying to help the young woman. Aimee gets involved because Sydney has abandoned Aimee's daughter, Chloe, at a playgroup. While Aimee tries to find her mother, she winds up involved in the murder investigation almost against her will.
Those who've read this series know that there are always tons of twists and turns ... not just in the mystery itself, but also in Aimee's complicated personal life. This book is no exception.
The "whodunnit" and several other revelations along the way came as a surprise to me ... and foreshadow more excellent books to come.
Highly recommended.
This time, the action centers around Bercy and Bel-Air, where a young woman is murdered while trying to get information to a man from the Cote d'Ivoire. Aimee's mother, CIA agent Sydney Leduc, is deep in the problem; she disappeared while trying to help the young woman. Aimee gets involved because Sydney has abandoned Aimee's daughter, Chloe, at a playgroup. While Aimee tries to find her mother, she winds up involved in the murder investigation almost against her will.
Those who've read this series know that there are always tons of twists and turns ... not just in the mystery itself, but also in Aimee's complicated personal life. This book is no exception.
The "whodunnit" and several other revelations along the way came as a surprise to me ... and foreshadow more excellent books to come.
Highly recommended.
July 30, 2019
As much as I want to love the Aimee Leduc books, they just don't do it for me, and I can't understand why. I scanned the last half of this book as fast as I possibly could just to be done with it. I almost put it on the DNF shelf, but forced myself to finish it.
I adore the Chief Bruno books by Martin Walker that have so many similar characteristics, such as being set in France, the talk of food, the dropping in of French phrases, the love affairs, the solving of mysteries. Apparently, it's the intangibles, so I'll just quit wondering.
I adore the Chief Bruno books by Martin Walker that have so many similar characteristics, such as being set in France, the talk of food, the dropping in of French phrases, the love affairs, the solving of mysteries. Apparently, it's the intangibles, so I'll just quit wondering.
May 16, 2022
This is definitely not a book that I enjoyed or would recommend. A bumbling single mom trying to play detective doesn’t entertain me. It’s clear that the author loves France and French culture, but it’s layered a bit thick where every six word is in French. It’s trying to hard to impress. I understand the description adds to the visual of the character, but do we have to know the name brand of the sweater she’s wearing? Just too much where the mystery is playing second fiddle to her bumbling stumbling idiot savant character.
September 5, 2019
So, I’m going to Paris this fall and wanted to read something set there. This book got some good reviews and it’s part of a series....meaning, if I liked it, I would have more to read. Well, I won’t be reading any more. I enjoyed the language and geographic references. But the plot was hectic and the writing fair to middling. More like a cutesy y0ung adult book. I would have given it 2 stars but my policy is to set aside b0oks that I deem less than 3 stars. So a qualified 3 stars it is.
September 29, 2019
I am a fan of this series, I love the descriptions of Aimie's clothes, shoes and the places she visits all over Paris, each book is action packed and a quick read. I look forward to the next book.
January 2, 2023
Bought it because of the publisher Soho Crime which handles the Mick Herron Slough House books. This book by Cara Black was enjoyable. Fun to go deeper into Paris. Light, easy reading.
May 5, 2023
I was eager to read this book because I fell in love with Paris when I visited several years ago. It was a great way to go back again without the travel. The detailed descriptions of actual places matched my memories of the details and atmosphere of that fascinating city. I also liked the characters: the elusive mother, adorable baby, and the quirky, brilliant staff of Leduc Investigations.
I have to admit that the fast-paced plot had me a bit bewildered. The next time I read one of Black's novels I'm going to construct my own cast of characters so I won't feel so lost through most of the book. Fortunately, the heroine was able to keep track of all the developments, find her missing mother, and prevent the bad guys from wreaking their intended international mayhem.
I have to admit that the fast-paced plot had me a bit bewildered. The next time I read one of Black's novels I'm going to construct my own cast of characters so I won't feel so lost through most of the book. Fortunately, the heroine was able to keep track of all the developments, find her missing mother, and prevent the bad guys from wreaking their intended international mayhem.
February 19, 2020
I have read one previous book in this series and like that one well enough. That was a few years ago and I have not kept up with any additional installments. I was looking forward to another adventure with Aimee. However, this book didn't engage me as much. Maybe because I wasn't as familiar with the particular neighborhood of Paris. I'm not sure why, but this book just seemed more frantic without the charms of the previous one. The mystery kept pulling me along as a reader, but I was missing another hook to keep my interest. I would have loved more cultural information on the Ivory Coast.
July 5, 2019
At the start of this Aimee Leduc novel, we learn that she is recovering from an injury. (This is a regular occurrence for Aimee.)
In addition, she is juggling her work as a combination computer security professional and private investigator with parenting her young daughter and maintaining a very complicated relationship with her mother.
Throughout this book, she is trying to locate her mother, who has gone missing.
My favorite part of this entry in the Leduc series is -- as usual -- the map of the part of Paris where the story takes place (Bel-Air here), which allows the reader to follow along as specific locations are mentioned.
In addition, she is juggling her work as a combination computer security professional and private investigator with parenting her young daughter and maintaining a very complicated relationship with her mother.
Throughout this book, she is trying to locate her mother, who has gone missing.
My favorite part of this entry in the Leduc series is -- as usual -- the map of the part of Paris where the story takes place (Bel-Air here), which allows the reader to follow along as specific locations are mentioned.
September 8, 2020
I have been a big fan of Aimee from the start. But, not this time. I felt like I was reading the same story as the majority of the previous 18. There are the same tricks - the second hand couture clothing, the chipped nail polish, the writing notes on her hand using eyebrow pencil! Come on, let Aimee grow up and throw a pen or two into her purse! At least, Aimee wasn't climbing over the Parisian roofs in her high heels!
Plus, what is the point of Morbier? Time to retire him! And Sydney too. Let Sydney move back to the States and have Aimee & Chloe visit her mother once or twice a year.
Unfortunately, these stories have become incredibly formulaic and are no longer fun.
Plus, what is the point of Morbier? Time to retire him! And Sydney too. Let Sydney move back to the States and have Aimee & Chloe visit her mother once or twice a year.
Unfortunately, these stories have become incredibly formulaic and are no longer fun.
May 19, 2019
I'm a fan of Aimee Leduc mysteries but this one was not my cup of tea.
Even if I found the mystery engaging I was a bit confused and the book fell flat.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
Even if I found the mystery engaging I was a bit confused and the book fell flat.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
June 18, 2019
We get introduced to another arondissement in Paris, Aimèe swooshes around Town Searching for her mother , who once again has gone missing. What kind of intrigue does this bring along to her daughter? Be prepared to not put this down until the end.
August 27, 2019
Desolee. But zut alors, why do I pick up any Cara Black book ? The French affectation grates on my nerves while the description of each article of clothing is an excruciating
march towards complying with the (probable) editorial mandate of c.f. number of words. Couldn't finish it. Yawn.
march towards complying with the (probable) editorial mandate of c.f. number of words. Couldn't finish it. Yawn.
January 16, 2020
This is the 20th mystery by Cara Black i am a huge fan. Love the main character Aimee Leduc and love Paris so much .This story had much more techno language i could not follow- in part of the book but took place in a neighborhood i do not know at all,so i loved the adventure.merci.
June 22, 2019
Fantastique mystery and character development, each book stands on its own, but the series makes the reader yearn for more. One more arrondissment left, where from there?
August 3, 2019
I've read them all -- in order -- and never tire of Aimee, her friends, her fashion and her adventures. Well done, again!
November 28, 2019
A quick read. The French phrases scattered randomly throughout the text was annoying, even when I knew what they meant. Aimee was not at all believable.
June 10, 2019
What happens when an author starts envying her fictional creation? That is the question I propose as we embark with Cara Black on her 19th journey with the wonderful half-French/half-American private detective from Paris, Aimée Leduc.
Black, who travels from her home in San Francisco to visit Paris several times a year, comments on how envious she is of Aimée’s apartment on the Île Saint-Louis, and goes on to speak about her own mother. This is quite prophetic as MURDER IN BEL-AIR centers itself firmly on Aimée's mother, Sydney, and her dark past as a spy for the CIA. Sydney remains on Interpol's most wanted list, but swears to Aimee that she has left that life behind and wants to be a part of her granddaughter Chloe's life. That is why it is so against type when Aimée, who is about to deliver the keynote speech at a conference, is pulled away prior to her presentation to take an emergency phone call.
The call could be every parent's worst nightmare. In this case, it has an unexpected twist. Aimée is contacted by the elite playgroup that Chloe is a part of. However, the issue is not with her daughter but with her mother, who simply vanished when she was supposed to be watching Chloe. Aimée leaves her event and heads across town to pick up Chloe. Upon arrival, the most she can get out of the abrupt playgroup owner is that her mother left a cryptic note on a chair and disappeared without a word.
Aimée, who is no slouch when it comes to the art of detecting and has a small but highly skilled team supporting her, must set out on the most intensely personal case of her career --- the search for her mother. It is no surprise when the brutal murder of a young homeless woman is tied to Sydney. The nun who runs the soup kitchen where the murdered woman, Genelle Tournon, frequented confessed to Aimée that her mother was quite close with Genelle and was seen with her often. What Aimée needs to figure out is why her rogue CIA-operative mother was spending time with a homeless woman who was killed for apparently no obvious reason.
Aimee's search eventually lands her in front of an operative group calling themselves the DGSE. They admit to knowing information about Sydney that would greatly help Aimée but are not willing to give that up unless she helps them find a missing man who had been under their protection, known by the code name GBH. Aimée, being very good at her job, locates GBH, or Gerard Bjedje Hlili, but he does not agree to come with her and promptly goes underground once again. The only information she does get is that her mother is in great danger and possibly being held by someone. But who?
Cara Black ratchets up the tension, chapter by chapter, as Aimée runs around Paris in circles in search of some clue to the location of her missing mother. Things get so bad that at one point she is nearly despondent. Her godfather is not returning her calls, the DGSE has seemingly disappeared along with GBH, and a dangerous killer known as the Crocodile is still on the loose.
MURDER IN BEL-AIR may be the best entry yet in this stellar series, and that is really saying something. It remains one of the best murder-mystery series set in a foreign country on the market, and each installment is always required reading on my ever-growing TBR pile. Will Aimée save the day and her mysterious mother in the process? You'll just have to dive into this Parisian treat of a thriller and find out for yourself.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
Black, who travels from her home in San Francisco to visit Paris several times a year, comments on how envious she is of Aimée’s apartment on the Île Saint-Louis, and goes on to speak about her own mother. This is quite prophetic as MURDER IN BEL-AIR centers itself firmly on Aimée's mother, Sydney, and her dark past as a spy for the CIA. Sydney remains on Interpol's most wanted list, but swears to Aimee that she has left that life behind and wants to be a part of her granddaughter Chloe's life. That is why it is so against type when Aimée, who is about to deliver the keynote speech at a conference, is pulled away prior to her presentation to take an emergency phone call.
The call could be every parent's worst nightmare. In this case, it has an unexpected twist. Aimée is contacted by the elite playgroup that Chloe is a part of. However, the issue is not with her daughter but with her mother, who simply vanished when she was supposed to be watching Chloe. Aimée leaves her event and heads across town to pick up Chloe. Upon arrival, the most she can get out of the abrupt playgroup owner is that her mother left a cryptic note on a chair and disappeared without a word.
Aimée, who is no slouch when it comes to the art of detecting and has a small but highly skilled team supporting her, must set out on the most intensely personal case of her career --- the search for her mother. It is no surprise when the brutal murder of a young homeless woman is tied to Sydney. The nun who runs the soup kitchen where the murdered woman, Genelle Tournon, frequented confessed to Aimée that her mother was quite close with Genelle and was seen with her often. What Aimée needs to figure out is why her rogue CIA-operative mother was spending time with a homeless woman who was killed for apparently no obvious reason.
Aimee's search eventually lands her in front of an operative group calling themselves the DGSE. They admit to knowing information about Sydney that would greatly help Aimée but are not willing to give that up unless she helps them find a missing man who had been under their protection, known by the code name GBH. Aimée, being very good at her job, locates GBH, or Gerard Bjedje Hlili, but he does not agree to come with her and promptly goes underground once again. The only information she does get is that her mother is in great danger and possibly being held by someone. But who?
Cara Black ratchets up the tension, chapter by chapter, as Aimée runs around Paris in circles in search of some clue to the location of her missing mother. Things get so bad that at one point she is nearly despondent. Her godfather is not returning her calls, the DGSE has seemingly disappeared along with GBH, and a dangerous killer known as the Crocodile is still on the loose.
MURDER IN BEL-AIR may be the best entry yet in this stellar series, and that is really saying something. It remains one of the best murder-mystery series set in a foreign country on the market, and each installment is always required reading on my ever-growing TBR pile. Will Aimée save the day and her mysterious mother in the process? You'll just have to dive into this Parisian treat of a thriller and find out for yourself.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
October 31, 2020
I am a Cara Black fan having read each of the preceding Aimee Leduc episodes yet I could not get into the storyline in this one, bond with characters or be entranced with tidbits about Paris's history and culture as I usually am as it was minimally referenced. The plot (?) advanced quickly though not in a meaningful way. I found it rather nonsensical in actuality.
Sydney (Sidonie) Leduc aka Severine Lafont makes an incognito comeback only to disappear again traumatizing Aimee with feelings of abandonment from the past but this time with huge consequences for others - her "charge." Aimee gets to confront her on this but does not get reassurance or understanding as she had hoped. Aimee "inherits" her mother's mission to ensure a message and documents carried by her accomplice Germaine Tillon make it to the intended recipient Gerard Bjedje Hlili (GBH) a player in the upcoming elections in the former French colony on the Ivory Coast to which we learn has backdoor action from military beings inside and outside of the country and beings outside of France such as United States . Germaine is slain. Aimee happens to be "on site" at the time and thus the plot begins. She uncovers a package containing waybills, a flight manifest, cargo lists of equipment and a map of the Cote d'Ivorie and uncovers a stash of cash.The significance of which is to be revealed through hefty investigative work on her part and research provided by her business partners Renee and Saj- hackers extraordinaire. What was her mother's mission becomes hers when Severine drops away from the scene. In many ways it is a solo adventure with Aimee not being to fully go over her thinking and actions with colleagues and loved ones, nonetheless, endangering those near and dear. Renee's has to go through the humiliation of seeing his prized modified- for- his -needs Citroen after it has been totally mutilated.
Aimee is front and center next to violent action witnessing an adversary being thrown from on high into concrete machine with circulating blades in motion. She again has opportunity to escape capture by this same adversary this time climbing from a furnace pipe and lands on a roof top (what else?). Nearest adjacent roof top is two stories below. Despite her long- stated fear of heights and escaping streams of consciousness which now comes with stress secondary to last month's concussion, all courage is called up. Will she live up to her past life as a Superwoman? It is for the reader to determine.
One take way was George Brassen singer, song writer and poet who used acoustic guitar to get message across revered by Parisians referenced here as one of Renee's favorites. A look up informs that he was a labor camp internee during WWII who makes it to Paris on his 10 day leave where he connects with a friend of his aunt Planche with whom he would live for 22 years sans running water, gas or electricity abject poverty yet his artistic expression was not dampened. He allegedly name a song after her.
Little of what I have loved about Cara Black's Aimee Leduc episodes -her magnificent dialogue on history and culture of Paris and Aimee's loving encounters with family and friends-makes an appearance here but the potential for a new life for Aimee is given at the end. A 2020 edition of this series I was counting on did not happen instead came Three Hours in Paris-which makes me wonder if Bel Air is the end. I am too taken with Aimee not to hope for more.
Sydney (Sidonie) Leduc aka Severine Lafont makes an incognito comeback only to disappear again traumatizing Aimee with feelings of abandonment from the past but this time with huge consequences for others - her "charge." Aimee gets to confront her on this but does not get reassurance or understanding as she had hoped. Aimee "inherits" her mother's mission to ensure a message and documents carried by her accomplice Germaine Tillon make it to the intended recipient Gerard Bjedje Hlili (GBH) a player in the upcoming elections in the former French colony on the Ivory Coast to which we learn has backdoor action from military beings inside and outside of the country and beings outside of France such as United States . Germaine is slain. Aimee happens to be "on site" at the time and thus the plot begins. She uncovers a package containing waybills, a flight manifest, cargo lists of equipment and a map of the Cote d'Ivorie and uncovers a stash of cash.The significance of which is to be revealed through hefty investigative work on her part and research provided by her business partners Renee and Saj- hackers extraordinaire. What was her mother's mission becomes hers when Severine drops away from the scene. In many ways it is a solo adventure with Aimee not being to fully go over her thinking and actions with colleagues and loved ones, nonetheless, endangering those near and dear. Renee's has to go through the humiliation of seeing his prized modified- for- his -needs Citroen after it has been totally mutilated.
Aimee is front and center next to violent action witnessing an adversary being thrown from on high into concrete machine with circulating blades in motion. She again has opportunity to escape capture by this same adversary this time climbing from a furnace pipe and lands on a roof top (what else?). Nearest adjacent roof top is two stories below. Despite her long- stated fear of heights and escaping streams of consciousness which now comes with stress secondary to last month's concussion, all courage is called up. Will she live up to her past life as a Superwoman? It is for the reader to determine.
One take way was George Brassen singer, song writer and poet who used acoustic guitar to get message across revered by Parisians referenced here as one of Renee's favorites. A look up informs that he was a labor camp internee during WWII who makes it to Paris on his 10 day leave where he connects with a friend of his aunt Planche with whom he would live for 22 years sans running water, gas or electricity abject poverty yet his artistic expression was not dampened. He allegedly name a song after her.
Little of what I have loved about Cara Black's Aimee Leduc episodes -her magnificent dialogue on history and culture of Paris and Aimee's loving encounters with family and friends-makes an appearance here but the potential for a new life for Aimee is given at the end. A 2020 edition of this series I was counting on did not happen instead came Three Hours in Paris-which makes me wonder if Bel Air is the end. I am too taken with Aimee not to hope for more.
June 15, 2019
Read my full review here: http://mimi-cyberlibrarian.blogspot.c...
Murder in Bel-Air is the first Aimée Leduc Private Investigator mystery I have read. This is book #19. How is it possible that I have never met her nor visited the Paris she investigates? I looked back and realized that the publisher had sent me an advanced reader’s copy of the 2016 book, Murder in the Marais, but I hadn’t taken the time to read it. Ah well!
It was fairly easy to get into Murder in Bel-Air; it is not one of those series that the author has to spend several chapters bringing the reader up to speed. Aimée Leduc is the owner of a detective agency in Paris, and the novel is set in 1999, when technology is seeping into the world of crime, as well as the world of private detectives.
Aimée’s American mother is a thorn in her side. A supposedly retired CIA operative, Sydney doesn’t seem to be changing her ways. She was scheduled to pick up her baby granddaughter, Chloé, from her play group, when she disappeared once again. Aimée is called by the day care, and she must leave a technology meeting, where she is to deliver the keynote address, in order to pick up her daughter. Everything goes downhill from there. Sydney is missing, and is somehow connected with the body of a homeless woman from a nearby soup kitchen. As Aimée searches for her mother, she gets caught up investigating a potential coup in the Ivory Coast, a creepy Legionnaire, and a cadre of international spies.
All this happens as Aimée stylishly swishes her way around Paris—places I knew about, but many places I wish I knew about. She wears her vintage outfits as well as the stylish outfits of her best friend, and always has high heels or classy boots on her feet. Several times a day, she checks in on Chloé, who has a variety of babysitters, all the while keeping in constant contact with Rene and Saq, who run the Leduc Investigations agency.
Although there are some slow spots, as soon as Aimée figures out what is going on, things start to move fairly rapidly, and it becomes a very fun page turner. There is a great final confrontation and a fitting denouement.
I loved all the French phrases and Paris scenes. I knew very little about the history of the Ivory Coast and its fateful relationship to France, which is one of the subplots. I also really enjoyed seeing an extremely skillful author weave all of Paris into the plotline. It was a very enjoyable couple of days.
Here is an interesting look at Cara Black and the Aimée Leduc franchise over the last 20 years. Murder in Bel-Air was released two weeks ago.
Murder in Bel-Air is the first Aimée Leduc Private Investigator mystery I have read. This is book #19. How is it possible that I have never met her nor visited the Paris she investigates? I looked back and realized that the publisher had sent me an advanced reader’s copy of the 2016 book, Murder in the Marais, but I hadn’t taken the time to read it. Ah well!
It was fairly easy to get into Murder in Bel-Air; it is not one of those series that the author has to spend several chapters bringing the reader up to speed. Aimée Leduc is the owner of a detective agency in Paris, and the novel is set in 1999, when technology is seeping into the world of crime, as well as the world of private detectives.
Aimée’s American mother is a thorn in her side. A supposedly retired CIA operative, Sydney doesn’t seem to be changing her ways. She was scheduled to pick up her baby granddaughter, Chloé, from her play group, when she disappeared once again. Aimée is called by the day care, and she must leave a technology meeting, where she is to deliver the keynote address, in order to pick up her daughter. Everything goes downhill from there. Sydney is missing, and is somehow connected with the body of a homeless woman from a nearby soup kitchen. As Aimée searches for her mother, she gets caught up investigating a potential coup in the Ivory Coast, a creepy Legionnaire, and a cadre of international spies.
All this happens as Aimée stylishly swishes her way around Paris—places I knew about, but many places I wish I knew about. She wears her vintage outfits as well as the stylish outfits of her best friend, and always has high heels or classy boots on her feet. Several times a day, she checks in on Chloé, who has a variety of babysitters, all the while keeping in constant contact with Rene and Saq, who run the Leduc Investigations agency.
Although there are some slow spots, as soon as Aimée figures out what is going on, things start to move fairly rapidly, and it becomes a very fun page turner. There is a great final confrontation and a fitting denouement.
I loved all the French phrases and Paris scenes. I knew very little about the history of the Ivory Coast and its fateful relationship to France, which is one of the subplots. I also really enjoyed seeing an extremely skillful author weave all of Paris into the plotline. It was a very enjoyable couple of days.
Here is an interesting look at Cara Black and the Aimée Leduc franchise over the last 20 years. Murder in Bel-Air was released two weeks ago.
November 1, 2020
Cara Black is one of my favorite mystery writers, along with Donna Leon. Her detective, the incomperable Aimee Leduc, computer whizz, athlete, second hand fashionista, and now, mom, literally climbs tall buildings, not in a single bound, but in high heels. In one book, she actually climbed up the side of a building while temporarily blind.
If you are new to Black and Aimee, I recommend starting with book 1. Murder in the Marais. Otherwise, you won't know who these people are, and why they feel the way they do about each other. Black's books advance through the Paris arrondisments in order. The Marais is in the first, etc.
Having said all that, in Murder in Bel-Air, Aimee is about to give the keynote speech at a prestigious computer conference when, suddenly she gets the call dreaded by parents everywhere. Her nine month old daughter, Chloe, has been abandoned at her playgroup. Aimee's mother, Sydney, was supposed to stay with her, but has unaccountably disappeared. Aimee babbles apologies and jumps into a taxi to cross Paris to retrieve Chloe.
She sits down in a neighboring cafe to check her schedule and take stock. The waiter asks Aimee where her mother is, and mentions that Sydney came in every day to talk with a friend. Friend? Aimee's detective alarms go off. Who is this friend? In the waiter's opinion, the friend is a homeless woman who stays at a nearby shelter run by nuns. Is her mother a volunteer at the shelter? God only knows. Aimee doesn't.
I am not giving anything away about the plot by pointing out that Sydney LeDuc is a former terrorist (or on the terrorist most wanted list) who left Aimee when she was eight years old. This information is in a letter to the reader Black inserted in the beginning of the book.
As she leaves the cafe, she passes a groups of neighbors discussing a murder that just took place. Aimee fears that the dead woman might be her mother, so she goes to the shelter to find out. Thus begins a complicated tangle of African liberation, the French equivalent of the CIA, car and foot chases through various neighborhoods in Paris, computer hacking, and mysterious documents. Also the problems of a busy single mother who needs regular child care.
This is a great book, but don't read it first. You'll thank me if you read the other 18 books first.
If you are new to Black and Aimee, I recommend starting with book 1. Murder in the Marais. Otherwise, you won't know who these people are, and why they feel the way they do about each other. Black's books advance through the Paris arrondisments in order. The Marais is in the first, etc.
Having said all that, in Murder in Bel-Air, Aimee is about to give the keynote speech at a prestigious computer conference when, suddenly she gets the call dreaded by parents everywhere. Her nine month old daughter, Chloe, has been abandoned at her playgroup. Aimee's mother, Sydney, was supposed to stay with her, but has unaccountably disappeared. Aimee babbles apologies and jumps into a taxi to cross Paris to retrieve Chloe.
She sits down in a neighboring cafe to check her schedule and take stock. The waiter asks Aimee where her mother is, and mentions that Sydney came in every day to talk with a friend. Friend? Aimee's detective alarms go off. Who is this friend? In the waiter's opinion, the friend is a homeless woman who stays at a nearby shelter run by nuns. Is her mother a volunteer at the shelter? God only knows. Aimee doesn't.
I am not giving anything away about the plot by pointing out that Sydney LeDuc is a former terrorist (or on the terrorist most wanted list) who left Aimee when she was eight years old. This information is in a letter to the reader Black inserted in the beginning of the book.
As she leaves the cafe, she passes a groups of neighbors discussing a murder that just took place. Aimee fears that the dead woman might be her mother, so she goes to the shelter to find out. Thus begins a complicated tangle of African liberation, the French equivalent of the CIA, car and foot chases through various neighborhoods in Paris, computer hacking, and mysterious documents. Also the problems of a busy single mother who needs regular child care.
This is a great book, but don't read it first. You'll thank me if you read the other 18 books first.
May 29, 2020
I read this one quickly - staying up just a little too late last night because I was at the point of no return. It seems as if this is the last Aimee book. She seems to have found love. So I’m feeling a little sad about that although I’m looking forward to reading Black’s next book which takes place during World War II. This book finds Aimee thrust into an international situation in the Ivory Coast, formerly occupied by France, now a country where business is still primarily French.
The fun starts when Aimee is called out of a tech conference where she is to be the keynote speaker because her baby, Chloe, was left alone at a playgroup. In the last book Aimee’s mother, Sidney, came back into her life after years leading a shadowy existence with the CIA. When she disappears Aimee thinks that she has simply decided to abandon her and her daughter again. However she soon learns that her mother spent time volunteering at a soup kitchen and had befriended one of the women who frequented there. The woman is murdered and Aimee learns that she was a prominent DJ and involved in a specific type of African music in the Ivory Coast.
The plot is interesting and somewhat convoluted, but it’s a lot of fun and an interesting look at a bit of French history. If this is the last Aimee, I am going to be sad. I would love to see more of her in a domestic setting still solving crimes.
July 9, 2020
Here's my general intro for Aimee Leduc books:
"I picked this book because I liked a previous Aimee Leduc book. This book is written in the style of many serial mystery books: they revolve around a central character, his/her support group and a mystery. The central character drama often takes precedent over the mystery and is often the centerpiece of the book. I like this series because the writing is easy to read and follow, I like the characters and the setting (Paris, France). These serials work best if you're binge reading when you quickly follow the characters from one book to the next."
Spoiler/synopsis of this book:
This book revolves around Ivory Coast politics. A young woman from Ivory Coast is killed. Aimes's mom leaves a message asking her to get a package and then deliver it to a man (GBH). Aimee spends 1/2 the book looking for the man and avoiding several parties who wants the package. The CIA, French military, French secret service and Ivory Coast opposition all want the package which may help with a regime change.
Most of the book is fine. I just didn't enjoy the ending and the reveal, which was a bit of a letdown in the way that it was written. Overall, I did enjoy the book as I enjoyed reading about the characters in the series and the French setting.
"I picked this book because I liked a previous Aimee Leduc book. This book is written in the style of many serial mystery books: they revolve around a central character, his/her support group and a mystery. The central character drama often takes precedent over the mystery and is often the centerpiece of the book. I like this series because the writing is easy to read and follow, I like the characters and the setting (Paris, France). These serials work best if you're binge reading when you quickly follow the characters from one book to the next."
Spoiler/synopsis of this book:
This book revolves around Ivory Coast politics. A young woman from Ivory Coast is killed. Aimes's mom leaves a message asking her to get a package and then deliver it to a man (GBH). Aimee spends 1/2 the book looking for the man and avoiding several parties who wants the package. The CIA, French military, French secret service and Ivory Coast opposition all want the package which may help with a regime change.
Most of the book is fine. I just didn't enjoy the ending and the reveal, which was a bit of a letdown in the way that it was written. Overall, I did enjoy the book as I enjoyed reading about the characters in the series and the French setting.
June 6, 2020
Cara's latest but one is another fine read filled with family, fashion, global intrigue and of course - the spectacular setting that is Paris. Cara's writing reflects her fine detail and sense of observation: the tapping of Louboutin heels, the clatter of wagon wheels on cobblestone, the scent of fresh bread, spring rain, fine perfume or the smells of the gutter. Aimee never gets old, and in the passage of all 19 of Cara Black's books, just a couple of years go by so the technology is a bit dated, and cute that way, but Aimee's learned to protect those vintage fashions and change into a catsuit and flats when she's out in the dark or on the run.
Cara Black would have been in Ashland, Oregon last week, at bookstores and libraries, parties and lunches. Instead, we are so grateful that this year, Cara could join us by Zoom on tour with her latest book, THREE HOURS IN PARIS, a standalone featuring WWII assassin, Kate Rees, who has connections to rural Southern Oregon.
Cara has lots of videos on youtube, but here are two clips from her 2010 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vnUH... and 2008 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBvYB... visits.
Enjoy them, and enjoy reading Cara Black.
Cara Black would have been in Ashland, Oregon last week, at bookstores and libraries, parties and lunches. Instead, we are so grateful that this year, Cara could join us by Zoom on tour with her latest book, THREE HOURS IN PARIS, a standalone featuring WWII assassin, Kate Rees, who has connections to rural Southern Oregon.
Cara has lots of videos on youtube, but here are two clips from her 2010 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vnUH... and 2008 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBvYB... visits.
Enjoy them, and enjoy reading Cara Black.
June 28, 2019
Recommended to me by a friend who has read them all, this is my first encounter with Aimee Leduc. Nonetheless, I was able to understand what was pertinent in past volumes in terms of her contacts and situation with her mother; flashbacks were deftly inserted, brief, informative.
What a whirlwind of events, however! And Aimee is fueled by an occasional chocolate croissant, her love for her baby, and a few hours of sleep. i lost track of how many days this action takes place over. And she is athletic as well to escape how she did.
There is a map of this section of Paris, and very detailed, so the reader can figure out the spatial relationships. I'm not fond of Paris and am a little ambivalent about picking up the other 18, and Aimee is not as attractive to me as Donna Leon's series (though I do use my map of Venice as I read those volumes). Nonetheless, I can see why my friend likes the series, so if this is new to you, give it a try.
What a whirlwind of events, however! And Aimee is fueled by an occasional chocolate croissant, her love for her baby, and a few hours of sleep. i lost track of how many days this action takes place over. And she is athletic as well to escape how she did.
There is a map of this section of Paris, and very detailed, so the reader can figure out the spatial relationships. I'm not fond of Paris and am a little ambivalent about picking up the other 18, and Aimee is not as attractive to me as Donna Leon's series (though I do use my map of Venice as I read those volumes). Nonetheless, I can see why my friend likes the series, so if this is new to you, give it a try.
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