In the Shadows of Paris - (Victor Legris Mysteries) by Claude Izner (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

In In the Shadows of Paris, the fifth installment in this c'est magnifique Victor Legris series by Claude Izner, a murderer is at large in belle-epoque Paris.

In the turbulent Parisian summer of 1893, Victor Legris has vowed to his fiancée to give up the dangerous hobby of amateur sleuthing to concentrate on selling books.

But a killer is at large, leaving mysterious references to a leopard in his notes, and intent on revenge for events that took place many years before during the Commune. When a bookbinder friend of Victor's dies in a house fire that does not seem to be accidental, the young bookseller feels impelled to resume his detective work and uncover the identity of the Batignolles predator. Alongside his trusty assistant Jojo, Victor embarks on a new investigation in the bourgeois quarters of Paris, where scoundrels abound and streethawkers call out their wares among market stalls, under the bloody shadow of the Commune.

Review Quotes

"An especially crafty solution distinguishes the fifth belle epoque whodunit...Not many readers will identify the murderer before Legris, whose quirky and endearing character is even more developed than in previous books." --Publishers Weekly

"...a fin de siecle delight. The Montmartre Investigation is...another first-rate escapist pleasure... charming, witty and beautifully evocative." --BookGeeks

"Izner combines a sparkling puzzle (reminiscent of one of Agatha Christie's most famous novels) with complex characters and appealing descriptions of Paris, and Murder on the Eiffel Tower is a well-executed beginning to a series with great potential." --The Richmond Times Dispatch

"An extremely satisfying traditional mystery with lots of suspects and panache. Izner writes in a witty, breezy style, which conjures up the Paris of 1889 and the huge sprawl of the exhibition. The plot is terrific, and who can't enjoy another good time in the City of Light..." --Providence Journal-Bulletin

"Fans of quality historical will welcome Izner's debut. The taut pacing and vivid period detail will have readers eagerly turning the pages." --Publishers Weekly

"...the energetic curiosity of the hero dovetails nicely with the readers' interest in a fascianting era. The colorful supporting cast lays a solid foundation for Victor's further exploits." --Kirkus Reviews

"Reading Izner is like taking a ride into the belle epoque in a time machine. A wonderfully breathtaking ride." --Boris Akunin, author of The Winter Queen, The Turkish Gambit, and Sister Pelagia and the White Bulldog

"I read this charming, evocative, and suspenseful book with the mounting excitement I always get when I realize I've found a new series---I can't wait for the next Victor Legris book. What a pleasure it is to visit Paris with such an expert tour guide!" --Charles Finch, author of A Beautiful Blue Death and The September Society

"A book of great charm---full of delightful historical detail---and deftly written." --Frank Tallis, author of A Death in Vienna and Vienna Blood

"[A] clock-beating thriller . . . entertaining views of nineteenth-century Paris." --Financial Times (UK)

"...a charming and amusing whirl around a time of rapid social an intellectual change." --The Morning Star

About the Author

CLAUDE IZNER is the pseudonym of two sisters, Liliane Korb and Laurence Lefevre. Both are second-hand booksellers on the banks of the Seine and experts on nineteenth century Paris.