Readers' rating:
Published Sep 2013
320 pages
Genre: Mysteries
Publication Information
The coast of Normandy, 1894: A mysterious young woman is rescued by an anonymous man after a deadly shipwreck. Paris, a few months later: The body of a well-dressed woman in a velvet mask is found in the abattoir district of La Villette in Paris. Next to the brutally strangled corpse, the drunk watchman - who witnessed the crime but was too terrified to intervene - finds a pendant featuring a black unicorn.
Newly married bookseller Victor Legris is asked by an acquaintance to solve the murder of Louise Fontane, but he is initially baffled by the case. Louise was poor, so where did her finery come from? And what is the significance of the black unicorn? Within days, two more murders startle Paris - both victims were well-respected and seemingly wealthy, both have been killed in a similar fashion, both men's apartments have been defaced and ransacked, and both were members of the Black Unicorn Society, an organization bent on finding the philosopher's stone. Victor and his assistant (and brother-in-law), Jojo, struggle to draw the connections between the murders. And they struggle to keep their sleuthing from their wives, who frown upon their interest in mysteries. As their secret investigation progresses, they discover that in belle époque Paris, young girls with no money or background are as ruthlessly preyed on as ever they were ...
Strangled in Paris is the sixth installment in Claude Izner's mystery series starring Victor Legris.
"Starred Review. ...brooding and atmospheric, the sixth and best yet from Izner. Tense, dramatic, and clever, this puzzle should deservedly broaden the series' readership." - Publishers Weekly
This information about Strangled in Paris was first featured
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Claude Izner is the author of a detective series. But this nickname actually conceals two sisters, Liliane Korb and Laurence Lefevre, who have written together for over ten years. Their first novels were first intended for an audience of young readers. Since 1999, the two sisters have turned to crime fiction. Here is a brief biography of the authors:
Liliane Korb
Born in 1940, Liliane initially worked as chief editor before becoming a bookseller. She has participated in the writing of several audiovisual performances and plays.
Laurence Lefèvre
Born in 1951, Laurence became a bookseller in 1970. Alongside her work as a bookseller, she writes novels for adults.
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