Praise for Murder at the Porte de Versailles
A CrimeReads Best Traditional Mystery of 2022
CrimeReads Best New Crime Fiction of March
CrimeReads Most Anticipated Books of 2022
“While fans may wonder what’s next for the redoubtable Leduc after Paris, it’s clear from the intricate plotting and tantalizing loose ends that Black has plenty of stories left to tell.”
—Paula Woods, Los Angeles Times
“The 20th Aimée Leduc novel, Murder in the Porte de Versailles, is taut, vivid, smart, rich in humanity and addictive momentum. It is set in 2001, only a couple of months after 9/11, and police and international authorities are on high alert. A dear friend of Aimée’s is found unconscious in an explosion’s rubble, with evidence indicating that he may have set the bomb. Black races ahead, in alternating scenes with Leduc and crooked cops and everyday people caught beyond their depth.”
—The Washington Post
“Black’s chatty style quickly transports the reader to the banks of the River Seine, and Leduc, as always, is an engaging heroine.”
—The Financial Times
“A Paris-infused mystery with many twists and turns, and just enough of a cliffhanger at the end to make sure we come back for the next book.”
—Reviewing the Evidence
“Everyone’s favorite sophisticated sleuth is back . . . When Aimee’s friend Boris is accused of setting a bomb off at a police lab, she throws herself into clearing him of the accusation, glad for the distraction, but will her newfound energy lead her into more danger than ever before?”
—CrimeReads
“This is the twentieth installment in Cara Black’s consistently well-researched and entertaining Leduc novels . . . Rife with references to both well-known and hidden Paris locales, the always fashionable Aimée manages to get herself entangled with French secret police as they draft her into using her connections to assist them . . . Aimée’s family consists of characters regular readers will be glad to see return, from daughter Chloé to godfather Morbier to lover Melac . . . Come take a tour of La Ville Lumiere with its blue-lit bateaus-mouches, Notre Dame with the inky wash of the Seine, Saint Michel’s spot-lit fountain, past the dark expanse of the Jardin du Luxembourg.”
—Deadly Pleasures Magazine
“Fans will appreciate this ride-along with Leduc, which focuses on the tense and fearful world following 9/11.”
—AudioFile
“This deep into the series, Aimée has acquired a complex backstory. Devotees will sail through . . . Black’s pithy, pacey style enables her to efficiently sketch in background while moving the story forward and creating that all-important ambience. Hanging over the book is the suggestion from the father of her child that Aimée and Chloé leave Paris to live with him in the country. Better for Chloé, perhaps, but for Aimée? Jamais.”
—Air Mail News
“Black’s series is at home on bestseller lists and has long been a particular favorite of librarians and library patrons . . . Set in November 2001, the story unwinds against the backdrop of 9/11 and, more personally, the question of whether Aimée should move to Brittany with her three-year-old daughter, Chloe, and her biological father. Forget it, Aimée: we want you in Paris, not clomping about a farm in Birkenstocks.”
—Booklist
“In bestseller Black’s riveting 20th Aimée Leduc investigation, tensions are high in Paris two months after 9/11 . . . Rich with detail about life in Paris, this entry illuminates the complications that friends and family can unwittingly create. Black shows no signs of losing steam.”
—Publishers Weekly
“A bombing at a police lab has all Paris on edge . . . As days pass without an arrest, Aimée moves into action. Will she find the bombers before the police arrest Boris and before Melac decides that Paris is just too dangerous a place for his child? Black delivers again with a combination of political intrigue and tight detective thrills.”
—Kirkus Reviews
Praise for the Aimée Leduc investigations
“Wry, complex, sophisticated, intensely Parisian . . . One of the very best heroines in crime fiction today.”
—Lee Child
“The finest PI series now being written.”
—Mick Herron, author of the Slough House series
“As always, with airfares so high, Black offers armchair travelers a whirlwind trip through the City of Light.”
—USA Today
“Marvelous . . . boasts all of Black’s trademark charms, including deft plotting, sharp dialog and colorful sights and sounds.”
—Chicago Tribune
“Cara Black’s Aimée Leduc is a gem: a stylish, brave private detective (and new mom) who zips around Paris on a scooter . . . Beguiling tours of some of Paris’ little-known corners.”
—The Seattle Times
“Black creates rich, plausible characters, giving them individuality and depth.”
—San Francisco Gate
“Whether read as a crime story with roots in international politics or as the latest chapter in a fascinating family drama, this is a deeply satisfying and entertaining novel.”
—Booklist, Starred Review
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