The Bookseller: The First Hugo Marston Novel - Softcover

Pryor, Mark

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1616147083 ISBN 13: 9781616147082

Publisher: Seventh Street Books, 2012

Synopsis

Who is killing the celebrated bouquinistes of Paris? Max—an elderly Paris bookstall owner—is abducted at gunpoint. His friend, Hugo Marston, head of security at the US embassy, looks on helplessly, powerless to do anything to stop the kidnapper. Marston launches a search, enlisting the help of semiretired CIA agent Tom Green. Their investigation reveals that Max was a Holocaust survivor and later became a Nazi hunter. Is his disappearance somehow tied to his grim history, or even to the mysterious old books he sold? On the streets of Paris, tensions are rising as rival drug gangs engage in violent turf wars. Before long, other booksellers start to disappear, their bodies found floating in the Seine. Though the police are not interested in his opinion, Marston is convinced the hostilities have something to do with the murders of these bouquinistes. Then he himself becomes a target of the unknown assassins. With Tom by his side, Marston finally puts the pieces of the puzzle together, connecting the past with the present and leading the two men, quite literally, to the enemy's lair. Just as the killer intended.

About this title

About the Author:

Mark Pryor (Austin, TX) is the author of The Bookseller and The Crypt Thief, the first two Hugo Marston novels, and the true-crime book As She Lay Sleeping. An assistant district attorney with the Travis County District Attorney’s Office, in Austin, Texas, he is the creator of the true-crime blog DAConfidential. He has appeared on CBS News’s 48 Hours and Discovery Channel’s Discovery ID: Cold Blood. Visit him online at www.markpryorbooks.com, www.facebook.com/pages/Mark-Pryor-Author, and http://DAConfidential.com.

Review:

"Enough intrigue to satisfy every reader. . . . A fantastic debut!"
-RT Book Reviews

"Once you've had a bit, you can't wait for more."
-OPRAH.com

"Pryor's steady and engrossing debut combines Sherlockian puzzle solving with Eric Ambler-like spy intrigue. With a cast of characters you want to know better and a storyline cloaked in World War II betrayals...the author winningly blends contemporary crime with historical topics."
-Library Journal Starred Review and Debut of the Month

“[A] well-crafted debut novel. Mark Pryor creates a new hero full of intelligence and charm which mixes well with the ever twisting plot of the story. Each turn of the page is a new piece of the complex puzzle that readers will enjoy fitting together. A leaf out of a classic Agatha Christie novel, mixed with the modern world of crime, is a suspenseful adventure waiting to happen.”
-Portland Book Review
 
 “This is enjoyable French investigation in which Paris as seen through Hugo’s eyes comes to life. Hugo is a solid hero though his inquiry may make him persona non grata and expelled from France. Although the violent abductions and homicides are somewhat muted, the storyline is fast-paced from start to Hugo and Tom confronting their adversary who expects their visit.”
-The Mystery Gazette

"Stylish, suspenseful, and smart, Mark Pryor's The Bookseller conveys the reader expertly through a puzzle of missing Nazi hunters and drug deals. Fans of Alan Furst will find much to love. As strong and welcome as a hot coffee on a chilly Paris morning. Bibliophiles, Francophiles, and mystery addicts rejoice! The debut of Hugo Marston is one you don't want to miss."
-Steven Sidor, author of Pitch Dark

“It had everything I enjoy and more. Paris, books, intrique, thrills, Paris, twisted villians, passionate romance (it IS Paris after all), sinfully delicious foods, fascinating people, a hard driving storyline.... [Pryor] has a gift for describing scenes so perfectly that he makes the readers' senses come alive.”
-MysteryNet.com 

 “A real page-turner. This is what thriller writers always aim to produce and so often fail to get right.... You can’t ask for better than this.”
-San Francisco Book Review

“This exciting and well-written novel is the first in a new series and I look forward to additional installments.... Congratulations, Mark Pryor. You've written a real gem!”
-Suspense Magazine

About this edition

• Publisher: Seventh Street Books
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 1616147083
• ISBN 13: 9781616147082
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 304