Murder in the Marais

Murder in the Marais Cara Black

Keeping up with private detective Aimee Leduc has become a full time preoccupation and getting to know the Marais and all Paris better is one of the big pluses of reading Cara Black's mysteries arrondissement by arrondissement.

I feel a bit like a stalker following in her footsteps...

Murder in the Marais touches on many issues that go beyond most mystery books. The stories of French Jews in Paris and those left behind by chance or luck are endlessly intriguing.

'Leduc,whose specialty is computer forensics, is confronted with a seemingly mundane task: to decipher an encrypted photograph from the '40s and deliver it to an old woman in the Marais (the historic Jewish quarter of Paris). When Aimee arrives at the home of Lili Stein to present the photo, however, she finds the woman dead, a swastika carved into her forehead. Thus begins a thrilling, quick-paced chase involving neo-Nazis, corrupt government officials and fierce anti-Semitism'.

The scene switches back and forth between the rue des Rosiers and elegant Place des Vosges

While the story twists and turns constantly adding new threads and old tales of how people survived the German occupation. Informers, traitors, and innocent victims of their times...so many backstories keep you enthralled.

At one point Aimee must stay behind in the Maison de Victor Hugo lurking in his bedroom (which I just happened to visit earlier in January) right on Place des Vosges after hours to hack into their computers.

Another scene occurs at the famous Pere Lachaise cemetary, a place I've avoided like the plague...

I thought I'd quickly shoot the entrance and run, yet the romance and poetry was hard to walk away from. Merci Cara for making me go!

One main character could easily have walked out of this photo of French women having their heads publically shaved and being shamed for their relationships with the occupiers. Yet who knows what exactly went on and why. Murder in the Marais gives you some possible alternatives to consider. No story is simply black and white. The shades of gray are infinite.

Still in Place des Vosges at Cafe Bourgogne various meetings do and don't take place, but the cafe looks to be unchanged from it's former days...one of its charms.

I was certain I spotted Aimee on rue des Rosiers sporting a blond wig(she does don one in the book) and Cara agreed it could be her. I'm not done chasing after Aimee. I hope she doesn't take notice of me stalking her. Do get onboard with Murder in the Marais for lots of thrills, chills and some intriguing history of Paris during the occupation. And by the way Cara says the contest for the free trip to Paris has been extended till April 30 so don't miss out!!