Synopses & Reviews
June, 1998: Paris's sticky summer heat is even more oppressive than usual as rowdy French football fans riot in anticipation of the World Cup. Private Investigator Aimée Leduc has been trying to slow down her hectic lifestyle, take on only computer security assignments, and maybe try to learn how to cook (quelle catastrophe!). She's vowed not to let herself get involved in any more dangerous shenanigans — she's five months' pregnant and has the baby's wellbeing to think about now, too.
But all of her best intentions to live the quiet life fall away when disaster strikes close to home. A serial rapist has been terrorizing Paris's Pigalle neighborhood, following teenage girls home from junior high school and attacking them in their own houses. It is sad and frightening but has nothing to do with Aimée — until Zazie, the 14-year-old daughter of the proprietor of Aimée's favorite café, disappears. The police aren't mobilizing quickly enough and when Zazie's desperate parents approach Aimée for help, she knows she couldn't say no even if she wanted to. In the frantic race against time that ensues, Aimée discovers a terrifying secret neighborhood history that will leave lives in the whole quartier upended.
Inspired by a true crime story of a serial killer who wreaked havoc on Paris in the summer of 1998, Cara Black's fourteenth Aimée Leduc mystery is a thrilling follow-up to her 2013 New York Times bestseller, Murder Below Montparnasse.
Review
"The stylish sleuth in Cara Black's blithe mysteries set in Paris, is making an odd fashion statement in Murder in Pigalle — ill-fitting frocks and low heels. Almost six months pregnant and showing it... But once the investigation takes a detour into the cavernous sewers of the city, she proves she can still find her way home in the dark."
New York Times Book Review
Review
"This latest in the treasured Aimée Leduc series keeps to the high standard of the series while nicely deepening Aimée as a character and leading her in a new direction."
Library Journal
Review
"The combination of vividly evoked Parisian neighborhoods and a bewitching, stylish heroine continues to make this series as tasty as a chunk of French chocolate."
Booklist
Review
"Chic and utterly charming....This book has a darker tone than earlier ones in the series, but it still has Black's distinctive flair."
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Review
"Leduc is a refreshing and entertaining guide to Parisian neighborhoods and cultures, especially those that well-established tourist routes typically pass by. Let's hope she never runs out of districts to scoot around in."
The Seattle Times
Review
"Even an unplanned pregnancy can't slow down Paris detective Aimée Leduc....Black's 14th shows Aimée just as determined as ever to live life on her own terms and stand up for those who can't."
Kirkus Reviews
About the Author
Cara Black is the author of fourteen books in the New York Times bestselling Aimée Leduc series. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and son and visits Paris frequently.