A Man in Uniform [Hardcover]

Parisian lawyer Dubon is a man of routine. He spends his days drafting wills, early evening is devoted to his mistress, and he’s home by 7:30 for dinner with his wife. This careful structure begins to fall apart, however, when his clerk’s mother trips over her cat and injures herself, forcing the clerk to take time off to care for her. Unaware that Dubon doesn’t see clients in the late afternoon, the clerk’s substitute ushers in a mysterious young widow with an extraordinary request.

The widow wants Dubon to prove the innocence of her friend, an army captain named Dreyfus who has been exiled for selling secrets to the Germans. Though such a case is outside of Dubon’s expertise, he’s attracted to the widow and agrees to take it on. He finds himself working undercover in the French government’s department of counter-espionage, and must risk his reputation to prove that Dreyfus was framed.

A Man in Uniform is the second novel by Kate Taylor, whose debut, Madame Proust and the Kosher Kitchen, won the 2004 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book (Canada and Caribbean region). Once again, Taylor sets her story against the backdrop of Paris at the end of the 19th century, and her effective use of historical detail ensures that the novel is not overburdened by it.

Though the Dreyfus affair is a well-known historical event, Dubon’s involvement is pure fiction. The fiction is not as compelling as the fact, however. Some of the coincidences driving the plot seem unlikely, particularly the idea that Dubon could walk into a job in the French counter-espionage department and find himself assigned to the one file he’d gone there to investigate. Though chance can be an effective plot device (the accident with the cat, for example), too much of it can negatively affect a mystery’s plot.

However, A Man in Uniform has moments of suspense and some good plot twists, and Taylor’s fine prose and intriguing depiction of historical Paris make for a pleasant enough read, despite the novel’s flaws.

“Taylor is an aficionado of belle époque France. [Her] twisting plot is rich in romance and disturbing in its implications about the fragility of human rights.”
— Elle Magazine
 
“An engrossing mystery that neatly bridges literary and popular fiction. . . . Taylor deftly draws out the delicate balance between civil liberties and national security.”
— Chatelaine

"An engaging novel, one that will hopefully lead its readers to ... read more about a fascinating period in Western history."
— The Chronicle-Journal

"The Dreyfus Affair spurs a rollicking novel.... The book moves along at such an admirable clip that it’s hard to believe it won’t carry on without you if you dare put it down."
— Toronto Star

"Taylor demonstrates tremendous talent for breathing life into the people and places of bygone times.... Late 19th-century Paris comes vividly to life in her capable hands as she perfectly captures the social conventions, turns of phrase, wardrobe stylings and modes of transportation and communication that characterized that era."
— Winnipeg Free Press

"Kate Taylor’s new novel, inspired by the Dreyfus affair, is a bracing reminder that we dare not have blind faith in our leaders to defend our most cherished rights and freedoms.... Taylor's engaging novel, in creating a detailed historical world, reminds us of that ever-present danger. One of the strengths of this historical novel is the characterization of Dubon. His reticence to become involved with Dreyfus, and the way he is nevertheless irretrievably drawn into the affair by his own desires and dormant ideals, is handled with supreme skill."
— The Globe and Mail

"A gripping read that is both suspenseful and highly readable."
— The Sun Times (Owen Sound)

“Author Kate Taylor's portrait of honor and deception in turn-of-the-century Paris is alluring and suspenseful, an even greater testament to her skills as a writer when one considers that she draws her story from France's most notorious political scandal.... The charm of Taylor's novel lies in her seemingly effortless prose and plotting — and her ability to make room for touches of subtle humor.”
— ABC News