Murder in the Sentier (Aimee Leduc Investigations, No. 3)

and that's the truth. This is the best Cara Black mystery I have read yet. The plot and the details of Paris were so interesting I hated to have to put the book down to do something else (like eat or sleep). I'll add some personal reasons why this book appealed to me, since there are a lot of rave reviews already. First, I have spent time in many parts of Paris, but never the Sentier. I had just finished Sarah Turnbull's Almost French, a nonfiction book about an Australian who comes to live in the Sentier. While it gave me an overview, Black supplies historical and cultural details of the neighborhood that now make me feel I have been up and down every street. The book also comes with a map of the area so that readers can easily follow along. The German terrorists Black bases the story on were real. The Baader-Meinhof gang came to trial in 1975 and I was in Germany at the time. I still have the issue of Der Spiegel magazine that features the indictment on the cover. Much of the detail she uses about the fictional gang members is actually true. "Ulrike" would be Ulrike Maria Meinhof, a journalist turned terrorist. She actually did have a family, with twin daughters, that she abandoned. She was not a young student, however, but a woman over 40. She and others really were found hanged in their cells, and whether it was suicide or homicide has never been proven. "Marcus" is Andreas Bernd Baader, and he was in fact supported by Jean-Paul Sartre and other well known persons. For information on the real story, I recommend www.baader-meinhof.com. This site is in English. Here is my one criticism: if an author is not fluent in a language (German), it is better not to use it or to have a German-speaker proof it. Spelling and grammatical errors aside, there are two things non-German-speaking Americans dont always know. One is that all nouns are always capitalized. I had to convince one of my bosses of this (in publishing) because he thought it looked "weird". Most importantly, English and German do NOT translate literally into each other, and one has to be very careful with idioms. A word in English can have five or six different meanings, while in German there may be five or six different words, one for each meaning. Please, Ms Black, dont get in over your head. It's not hard to make sure of the correct way of saying things, in any language you have your characters use. If you cant do it, use English. Readers will assume that a Russian is thinking in Russian, und so weiter.

It's been a pleasure to discover Paris through the eyes of Aimee Leduc, the compelling, spike-haired, moped-riding, French-American private detective in Cara Black's compelling mystery series. And Murder in the Sentier, the fourth Aimee adventure, is the best one yet! Aimee's Paris is real. It's often gritty, bringing American readers into contact with a side of the city they never knew, but Black is smart enough to give us the ritzy side of Paris now and again. No matter. Whether Aimee's dressed up, dining à deux in the latest hotspot, or crawling alone through a back-alley slum, she takes us on the best kind of thrill ride possible, one that's a mixture of emotion and intellect. These books define the term "page-turner." I gobble them up and pass them on to friends. Five stars to Cara Black!

This book took me to Paris...the sights, sounds, smells made the story sing. It was like I felt the rough cobblestones under my feet. Aimee's strong but with a vulnerable side and fights for justice...she's rough and tumble and I can't wait for more. I love exploring offbeat parts of Paris and the author hits it...down to the espresso and smell of Gauloise. The story and memorable characters are literary but full of action!

After reading Murder in the Sentier I felt I'd been to Paris...without the airfare and baggage hassle. I know Paris, but this was an unexplored quartier, one I'd never visited and the sights, sounds and cobblestones enthralled me. Aimée Leduc, who's pulled from computer forensics when a 70's German ex-radical offers her info about her long-lost mother, for a price is a great character. Not only would I like her dog, I'd like her apartment! Her quirkiness and smarts pulled me in. There's a lot on many levels in this book and for French afficianodas or anyone who likes a good read I HIGHLY recommend this. I want more.And now I'm going to find the first two in the series and read them!

After reading Cara Black's "Murder in the Marais", an Anthony Award-nominated mystery, and her haunting "Murder in Belleville," I eagerly awaited her 3rd book, "Murder in the Sentier". In this, her latest book, the sites were even more vivid, a picturesque area of seedy and historic interest. Now we find it a dot.com and sweatshop area by day and a flesh trade area by night. This book is more personal then the previous ones. I was gripped by Aimee's strong portrayal, a satisfying story of action and humanity. It ranged from glimpses of the very timely past of terrorism of the 9170's to the different levels of Parisian society today. It is one of the best things I've ever read. Her heroine, Aimee, is smart and vulnerable. She touched my heart in her seach for her long-gone mother. I really enjoyed her other books, but after reading this one, I can't wait for her next one!