Synopsis: In a Berlin hotel room in the late 1990s, two former French intelligence agents hire Klaus Reiner, a ruthlessly effective killer, to eliminate an American industrialist vacationing in southwestern France. Reiner easily locates his target in the small Dordogne village of Taziac, but the hit is compromised when three innocent people are in the wrong place at the wrong time. Enter Inspector Paul Mazarelle. Formerly of Paris but now living in Taziac, the inspector is charged with bringing his experience and record of success in the capital to bear on the gruesome quadruple homicide at the height of tourist season.
Both Mazarelle’s investigation and Reiner’s job become complicated when Molly, a New York City district attorney and daughter of two of the victims, arrives to identify the bodies and begins asking questions. All evidence points to Ali Sedak, a local Arab handyman, but Mazarelle and Molly have doubts, forcing Reiner to return to Taziac to ensure they see things as he arranged them. Little does anyone in the picturesque French countryside know how politically charged this crime is: its global ramifications, stemming from the NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, could overshadow everything.
Review: The Paris Detective is like a thinking man's police procedural, in that there are many twists and turns leading you back in forth, where you think you know where the story is going, and then it doesn't. If you can get through this book without wanting to do "Summer in France", I'll be surprised! The countryside scenes make you want to be there enjoying the food and simplicity.
I was a little surprised at the ending: it was not what I thought was going to happen to some of the main characters . Shocking somewhat, but it made sense and the unexpected made for a good ending. Add this one to your library and you be quite happy you did!
About the Author: Gerald Jay is a nom de plume (this is the first book under it). He lives in New York City and is at work on a second Mazarelle novel.
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Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book free of charge, via the Amazon Vine program, for review purposes. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it.
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