Strangled in Paris: A Victor Legris Mystery - Hardcover

Izner, Claude

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0312662173 ISBN 13: 9780312662172

Publisher: Minotaur Books, 2013

Synopsis

The coast of Normandy, France, 1894: A mysterious young woman is rescued by an anonymous man after a deadly shipwreck. Paris, a few months later: The body of a well-dressed woman in a velvet mask is found in the abattoir district of La Villette in Paris. Next to the brutally strangled corpse, the drunk watchman―who witnessed the crime but was too terrified to intervene―finds a pendant featuring a black unicorn. Newly married bookseller Victor Legris is asked by an acquaintance to solve the murder of Louise Fontane, but he is initially baffled by the case. Louise was poor, so where did her finery come from? And what is the significance of the black unicorn? Within days, two more murders startle Paris―both victims were well-respected and seemingly wealthy, both have been killed in a similar fashion, both men's apartments have been defaced and ransacked, and both were members of the Black Unicorn Society, an organization bent on finding the philosopher's stone. Victor and his assistant (and brother-in-law), Jojo, struggle to draw the connections between the murders. And they struggle to keep their sleuthing from their wives, who frown upon their interest in mysteries. As their secret investigation progresses, they discover that in belle époque Paris, young girls with no money or background are as ruthlessly preyed on as ever they were. . . . Strangled in Paris is the sixth installment in Claude Izner's mystery series starring Victor Legris.

About this title

About the Author

CLAUDE IZNER is the pseudonym of two sisters, Liliane Korb and Laurence Lefevre. Both are second-hand booksellers on the banks of the Seine and experts on nineteenth century Paris.

Reviews

Starred Review. At the start of this brooding and atmospheric mystery set in belle epoque Paris, the sixth and best yet from Izner (the pseudonym of sisters Liliane Korb and Laurence Lefevre), lame recluse Corentin Jourdan rescues an attractive young woman, Sophie Clairsange, from a schooner wrecked during a powerful storm on the Normandy coast. After Sophie recovers from her ordeal, she heads to Paris, followed by Jourdan. About a month later in Paris, Martin Lorson, a professional stand-in for a variety of workers in need of a break, is serving one night as a watchman at the La Villette meat market, where, to his horror, he witnesses a man strangle a masked woman. The crime attracts the interest of bookseller and sleuth Legris, who's tantalized by the one clue left behind by the killer: a medallion with an engraving of a unicorn. Tense, dramatic, and clever, this puzzle should deservedly broaden the series' readership. (Sept.)

Liliane Korb and Laurence Lefevre, writing together as Izner, bring readers to Belle Époque Paris in 1894. An anonymous former seaman rescues a woman from a shipwreck on the coast of Normandy and finds papers linking her to Paris. He travels there to see if he can find out why she ended up on the ship. Meanwhile, the body of a well-dressed woman wearing a velvet mask turns up near the abattoirs of La Villette in Paris. Maurice Laumier asks bookseller Victor Legris to investigate. Newly married, Legris is more interested in spending time with his wife, an artist, and pursuing his photography. His brother-in-law, an expectant father and bookstore employee, wants to help with the case. The two are puzzled when two wealthy men are murdered in the next few days. Are the cases related? Both victims were members of the Black Unicorn Society, an organization dedicated to finding the philosopher’s stone. Legris and his brother-in-law need to conceal their detective work from their wives, who frown on their interest in mysteries. They also need to cope with their nosy and imperious housekeeper. Readers will enjoy the Parisian atmosphere and the colorful cast of artists, poets, and working girls. A satisfying entry in a consistently strong historical series. --Barbara Bibel

Edition details

• Publisher: Minotaur Books
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0312662173
• ISBN 13: 9780312662172
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 320