Murder in the Palais Royal: An Aimee Leduc Investigation [Hardcover]

On the whole this was a mid-level read for the series. There is better Aimee than this and worse Aimee than this.

The thing that irritated me about the Kindle edition was that the words kept being run together, particularly when one of the character's names was involved. It irkes me to pay a price higher than the paperback cost and find that the proofreader took a nap or that the Kindle conversionformula was not spotchecked. Words that runtogether start to get on yournerves after a bit.

"Murder in the Palais Royal" takes intrepid PI Aimee Leduc to a crime centered in another part of Paris and the extensive description of the neighborhood--this time the Palais Royal on the Right Bank--is as informed and enjoyable as ever. Author Cara Black has fashioned a complex plot that opens with the shooting of Aimee's partner, Rene Friant, with everything pointing to Aimee as the assailant. The story line broadens to include the resurrection of an old act of anti-semitic terrorism, blackmail, more murders and assaults, computer hacking as detective work and betrayal by a friend. The action is well-paced and entertaining, and is by far the best part of the book.

What I liked less about this book (and in truth, others in the series), are the character or action elements that author Black throws into virtually every episode. For example, early in "Palais Royal" Aimee is once again involved with a guy who is "no good for her" AND the book closes with her about to take the plunge with still another questionable mec. After ten books, you would think that the character could grow a little in this area and be a little choosier. A second gripe is the protagonists's obsession with second-hand fashion. References to used designer clothing and observations by secondary characters about Aimee's chicness abound in this book to the point of tiresomeness.

While I'm going in this vein, I have to say that I'm tired of partner Rene Friant being used as prop and less as a supporting character. He's been given an interesting persona--give him more of the stage. In "Palais Royal," he's been relegated to a hospital bed for much of the story. And finally (for now), Aimee's endless pursuit of her mother and other members of her family continues its fruitless course in "Palais Royal." This subplot has gone no where for several books now. Time to fish or cut bait.

Okay, venting over. I like this series and I liked "Murder in the Palais Royal." But I'd like to think that Cara Black has more to invest in her protagonists and other characters. The tour of Paris is a very good hook for these stories, but there can be more variety in the individual episodes, more heft to the plot and growth in the people who populate them.

A three plus/four minus.

MURDER IN THE PALAIS ROYAL begins when Aimee Leduc, sharing some quiet moments with her newest boyfriend, Mathieu, receives a call from her partner, Rene Friant. One hundred thousand francs have been deposited into the Leduc Detective Agency bank account. Regrettably, no one owes them so much money and Rene is afraid Aimee has done something less than legal. A short time later, Rene is shot and Aimee is the principle suspect.

Using her connections at the Surete, Aimee escapes arrest and begins her own investigation, a move that requires she cancel her trip to New York City where she is expecting to meet the brother she never knew she had.

Fans of the series know that, with Aimee, nothing is simple or straightforward, and this adventure is no different. There is another large deposit of money into the Leduc Agency bank account leaving the Agency to be investigated for money laundering, Rene is taken to an undisclosed location to protect him from Aimee, Aimee receives a pass to visit a man who is in prison as a result of Aimee's testimony about the burning of a synagogue, a contact is murdered seconds before she and Aimee meet, and a man with a brilliant future in politics finds that future in jeopardy. There is some blackmail thrown in to make sure readers aren't bored and, just maybe, Aimee's long missing mother might have a hand in her problems.

Readers are never bored by Cara Black's series. Aimee lives a charmed life in so many ways. She invariably finds herself in tunnels or on rooftops but she is rarely out of breath and she has enviable good luck in finding couture fashions in rummage sales. The stories move as fast as Aimee and each book offers the reader a taste of the arrondissements (sounds so much better than zip codes) that make up the city of Paris.

Rene Friant, her business partner, Commissaire Morbier, her godfather, and a few girlfriends are the constants in Aimee's life as they are constants in the 10 books of the series. I always think that it is best to start a series at the beginning but the author has constructed the series so well that new readers can jump in anywhere and enjoy the story to the full.

Those who are familiar with Cara Black's series already know they are in for another treat. Those who haven't yet met Aimee should hurry to do so.