Game of Patience

This was very good. It has lots of historical Paris information and customs in it but it is not dry, stuffy or overly French. I actually felt empathy and sympathy for more than one of the characters. I did not anticipate the twist and turns of one major charter/personality. I recommend it especially if you are into Paris, the French and would like a little more insight into "off with their heads".

"Game of Patience" opens in 1796 post revolutionary Paris. A police "investigator" (as he prefers to be called, rather than an informer or a spy) by the name of Aristide Ravel is called upon to assist in solving a double murder case. The two victims, an extortionist named Saint-Ange, and a respectable young woman, Celie Montereau, at first appear to have no connection. As Ravel begins his investigation; searching for clues and interogating witnesses, he unravels a case far more complicated than what he originally suspected. The synopsis I just gave barely touches upon the plot of the book, but as is the case with many mysteries, its tough to give an accurate overview without giving away the story. To avoid spoiling the entire book for any potential readers, we'll just leave it at that, and focus on my opinions of the work. It took me a while to warm up to this story. The language is a bit rough for those of us who don't speak a word of French. Not that there is an overwhelming amount of French vocabulary included in the story, but rather its the foreign names and places that are involved in the plot that I got hung up on. It's hard (for me at least) to envision a place that I can't envision pronouncing accurately. Once I got past that however, I got sucked into a who done it murder mystery that had me pretty baffled until the end. Alleyn is an expert on French history and culture, that much is blatantly obvious from reading this book. She weaves her knowledge in skillfully, and is able to transport her readers to another place and time as they read. One that to many readers, is completely new and alien, yet they will quickly begin to feel at home there, as I did. There are several characters that we become intimately acquainted with throughout the story; a few are quite endearing, while others are basically revolting. Without giving much away, I do have to say that the ending of this book is one of the most satisfying endings I've read in a while. All loose ends are wrapped up into a tight bow, and all unanswered questions are at last explained. The reasoning and logic included at the end of the story make the entire book worthwhile...its a perfect ending to an all around good read.

In Sussanne Alleyn's first Astride Ravel book, she creates a fantastic historical mystery novel. The historical accuracy is amazing, its the first fiction book I've read with a biblography. The mystery is great, the twists keep piling up. Its one of the best books I've read in a long time.

Susanne Alleyn's GAME OF PATIENCE is just about the best historical mystery I've read in a long time. It's a police procedural set in Paris, just a few years after the Revolution. Aristides Ravel, the protagonist, is an "agent of the police", a sort of investigator/police spy with a troublesome conscience. Called in to help investigate the double murder of a man and a young lady in the man's apartment, Ravel stalks the decadent post-Revolution society, uncovering secret after secret, passion, and revenge. The plot is marvelously devious, the writing very good, and full of terrific detail about France between the Terror and the rise of Napoleon. Alleyn really captures the atmosphere of the time, as well as delivering a damn good mystery. I'm not a particular fan of historical mysteries, but this one is as good as they come. Time after time, it seems Ravel has the answers, only to discover they only lead to more questions. The denouement is fantastic.

Few historical mystery novels I've read have been as painstakingly researched and yet as smoothly written as this gripping and suspenseful tale of 1790s Paris. The reader will find him/herself equally as engaged by the vivid portrayal of the times as the fast-paced and original plot. Game of Patience tries neither one's patience nor one's credulity, managing to keep the guessing game going up until its surprising yet logical ending. Love, murder, blackmail and cross-dressing.. what more could one want? A must-read for mystery lovers, Francophiles and anyone seeking to escape the ordinary for a few hundred pages.

In 1796 Paris, undercover police spy, investigator Aristide Ravel and his superior Commissaire Brasseur, investigate the murders of property landlord Jean-Louis Saint-Ange and his former lover, Célie Montereau in a chic apartment owned by the former. Aristide quickly learns that no one misses Jean-Louis with many rejoicing at his death because he was a nasty sort blackmailing aristocrat; the blackguard even extorted money from Celie, who was his lover. An interrogation of Célie's acrimonious friend Rosalie Clément leads Aristide to Philippe Aubry, a violent man who allegedly loved the female victims, but he has an airtight alibi. At the same time to his chagrin, Aristide begins to fall in love with Rosalie, though he has not totally ruled her out as abetting the killer by hiding much of what she knows from him and Brasseur. Aristide keeps digging as he knows Brasseur plans to send Rosalie ton a date with Madame Guillotine. This is a tremendous post-revolution but pre Napoleon taut French police procedural starring a hero with a bothered conscience because he knows he sent innocent people to the guillotine. The who-done-it is cleverly devised so that the audience obtains a deep look at 1796 Paris yet never slows down the pace of the investigation. Still this tale belongs to Aristide, who believes his past prevents him from a future filled with love that is if he can figure out who his rancorous beloved protects. Fans will also want to read the delightful homage to Dickens, A FAR BETTER REST Harriet Klausner