Murder in the Latin Quarter

Private detective Aimée Laduc's back in town and duking it out in the Latin Quarter.

Hanging out with Aimée's creator Cara Black in Pigalle was a trip. She doesn't miss a trick. There's red velvet elevator in her Latin Quarter book described in great detail. Will this elevator in the Hotel Langoise we strolled into show up in a future mystery? Ya gotta wonder..?

Cara/Aimée is a bit of an imp. Yet there are can be serious political back stories in her mysteries. I appreciate that her victims are NOT stereotypically brutalized women or all prostitutes.

The 'Latin Quarter' or 5th arrondissement is Aimee's old university turf with scenes inside the Sorbonne. and scenes in the last remains of Roman ruins in the city like Les Arenes. Plus some underground shenanigans going on in the catacombs that you'll never get me to go down in.

Neighborhood cafes are featured since Aimee is big on espresso. So is Cara for that matter.

The main museum is the Cluny on 6 Place Paul Painlevé

There's a terrific scene late in the book with Aimee hiding out in the Frigitorium from her supposed villain.

Aimee could definitely wear a helmet full-time. she gets knocked about on her head way too much IMHO...

She runs around a lot hiding from her persuers...

I wish she'd wear some decent shoes for once..

Foiled again at rush hour on the #10 Metro is Aimee...

And Aimee Puleeze try to stay out of Parisian ambulances. Too much tripping, falling down, heels breaking and tearing of vintage Schiaparelli beaded jackets. Sensible this French girl is not.

Aimee does eat a pastry in Latin Quarter! OK, so it's a figue tarte but figs are not in season so you'll have to make do with apricot or strawberry.Be my guest.

Murder in the Latin Quarter is just as un-put-downable as the rest of Cara Black's Paris by arrondissement series. Right now the guardienne of my building is gobbling up the latest batch sent over from Soho Press but I'll soon get them all to myself. Can't wait! Maybe a tarte citron is waiting in the next bunch to devour. Qui sait?

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Cara and Murder in the Sentier

Back prowling Paris' dark streets with Cara Black, this time in the Sentier looking for murder and mayhem as always

Cara wants to show me a particular secret passage so off we go...

Down what seems to me the loneliest and darkest of streets in Paris...

Ooopla the passage is locked tight.

This doesn't deter Cara in the least, who is climbing up the grate like a cat. My heart 's in my mouth and I'm holding my breath. No way am I game to follow suit. Just give me a nice armchair to follow Aimée Leduc's adventures thank you very much.

I'll stick to stalking Paris' dogs.

Clever Cara knows there's a fountain nearby to wash her hands...Lordie!

A murder occurs here at le Tour de Jean-sans-Peur, rue Étienne-Marcel in the Sentier mystery and no wonder - very eery...

Cara tells me, "it's not so easy to murder someone in Paris."

"Why, because of the crowds?"

"No, you need a place to hide the body...like behind construction or in a trash can.."

Ohhhhh OK. Hmmm...

We wander through passage Moliere - kind of romantic...

Nevermind. Cara finds a weird shop where you can get a plaster cast of your hands or feet for 125€. Only in Paris.

In the Aimée Leduc Companion (free on Amazon). you'll find nice places to eat and visit in each murder area. No kidding.

I've always wanted to eat at Le Colbert on rue Vivienne

And especially Le Grand Vefour...

We didn't stop in either one or the recommended Brasserie Vaudeville. Instead we stick to the dark side - an area that used to be chock-a-block with street walkers but those days are over. Par hazard, as I'm filming Cara walking, a working girl pops out, blond and toute en noire and accuses us of taking her picture. She demands to view the video tape. I want to make a run for it, but Cara's cool as a cucumber,

"mais non Madame we did not take you picture." All is resolved peacefully. Whew.

My 15 seconds of video is on YouTube here.

*Listen to Cara tell of her 1st trip to Paris and her encounter with writer Romain Gary - what a brave and resourceful woman.

Then curl up with Murder in the Sentier someplace safe and cosy and read all about murder and mayhem preferably with a cup of tea and some biscuits...

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Cara et Murder in rue de Paradis

Cara Black took this photo for the cover of her mystery, Murder in the rue de Paradis.

On Monday we both took photos of this doorway in the 11th...

Author Cara Black is in town to research and reconnoiter for her next book. I know Cara claims in interviews that she is NOT her main character PI Aimee Laduc but I'm not so sure. Hmmm...

They're both fearless, fierce and determined to get their killer or in Cara's case, the story.

Cara/Aimée doesn't miss a trick either. She spotted this bit of graffiti, 'amour' that I waltzed right by. The entry way above was once the stables for Marie Antoinettes horses.

If there's a sign announcing L'INTERDITE - PRIVEE - PERSONNE/ forbidden, private, no one allowed, Cara's on it like a cat on catnip.

I hung back hesitating...a scaredy cat.

One courtyard was filled with old workshops, some going back to the 17th century and certainly around during the 2nd world war. French craftsmanship has a way of turning up in Aimée Leduc mysteries. We always stopped for a look and a photo at any old workshops in passing. Paris' underbelly is Cara's turf not mine but it's great fun to follow along and discover new hidden places connected to the stories in her books.

We stopped for a coffee in a nondescript cafe.

Cara disguised herself in my new glasses (they look good on her) and my macaron bracelet...

Today I went looking for rue de Paradis in the book and explored the 10th arrondissement a bit. I stayed across from Brasserie Flo in this quiet passages des petites Ecuries mentioned in the book.

The book starts off in rue de Paradis and these china shops play a big role. Some are quite grand and carry Baccarat etc. This area is a mix of old world and Bobo. You'll find new Mexican and Corsican restos, the popular veggie Nanashi next to quite traditional china shops.

There's a Paris map of the quartier in the front of each of Cara's mysteries...

I wish they were more detailed and illustrated like this Gien china pattern I spotted in the Cristallerie boutique on rue de Paradis.

We parted ways at this doorway. Cara was entering another forbidden courtyard. I watched as her khaki trench coat and khaki converse drifted smaller and smaller into the vista...

The next day, like a sleepwalker, straight from the pool I went to Galeries Laffayette and bought myself a khaki scarf (12€), khaki straw hat (10€) and khaki T (Uniglo 9.90€).

You too can try pass yourself off as P.I. Aimée/Cara.

*And don't forget to read Murder in the rue de Paradis while your at it. You won't be able to put it down. These books are addictive. And no way can you skim or read back to front as I usually do.

You'll miss way too Paris secrets!

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Murder at the Lanterne Rouge

Vendredi 12 Avril Murder at the Lanterne Rouge

'She ran across the boulevard into the medieval quartier, still an ungentrified slice of crumbling hotel particulars, narrow cobbled streets lined by Chinese wholesale luggage and jewelry shops. Red paper lanterns hanging from the storefronts shuddered in the wind. From a half-open door she heard the pebble-like shuffling of mah-Jong tiles. This multi-block warren comprised the oldest and smallest of the four Chinatowns in Paris. Few knew it existed'.

I may be following in Aimee Leduc's footsteps but I definitely do not want to meet her. Too many encounters with dead bodies cross her path plus the multiple attempts on her life have scared me off. In this book a missing blue folder holds the key to the turret...

The clock is ticking...

What did Meizi know?

How to solve Pascale's unfinished 14th century formula that could revolutionize fiber optics as we know it?

A whole slew of puzzles present themselves in each book. Author Cara Black tells gripping tales. I can't leave the house without one in my purse. Fortunately a caste of eclectic characters reappear in each book with the spotlight moving from one to the the other and Aimee ties it all together. The musee Arts et Metiers is the center of this conundrum. You can depend on it. At least one museum will show up in each mystery.

The tower or turret in question at Arts et Metiers, a science museum fromerly a Romanesque church.

Sweatshops pouring out faux branded goods with illegal immigrants at the tredle sewing machine in Lanterne Rouge.

The story opens in restaurant Chez Chun, perhaps a not too distant cousin of Chez Shen on rue Maire 75003

Cara said, The crevette/shrimp dumplings get my stamp of approval.

I got the soup of crevette raviolis with home made noodles. YUM!(5.80)

Aimee checked her Tintin watch. The DST contact was late. She stood at the counter in Cafe des Puys on rue Beaubourg. The cafe was near rue Saint-Martin, the old Roman road, and had been a cafe in some form for several centuries, owned by successive waves of immigrants: Auvergnats,Chinese, and now Serbs, as evidenced by the Serbian national soccer pennants plastering the wall. 

I'm crazy for all the chunks of historic background Cara Black throws in throughout her books.

Poor Aimee is constantly stepping in puddles wearing her designer boots and she trips constantly. Maybe she should wear some sensible shoes like Adidas (like other Parisians) instead of Louboutins for sleuthing?

As the end of the book draws to a close Black knows how to tighten the screws. There's no way you can leave a Cara Black book at home on the reading table. No way. I didn't expect to be enthralled with Murder at the Lanterne Rouge but I was. And I discovered some terrific Chinese restos in the process. You don't know exactly where you'll end up but the ride is always fun. Here's what Soho publishers sent me to tackle. Three down and three to go.

So much more of Paris to discover.

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