Parisian P.I. Aimee Leduc finds herself caring for an abandoned infant while trying to track down the child's missing mother Aimee Leduc is on a tight work deadline when an anonymous call leads her to an abandoned infant in her building's courtyard. Aimee's search for little Stella's mother that will soon have her on the run from a cold-hearted killer and embroiled in a conflict between oil tycoons and environmental protesters. Parisian private investigator Aimee Leduc is working on a tight deadline for a cybersecurity contract when she gets a phone call that disrupts all her progress. The female voice on the other end begs Aimee to go out into her courtyard, insists that her life is in danger, that Aimee must not call the police, then hangs up. Aimee's project is in jeopardy, and her partner, Rene, will be furious if she botches this assignment, but she can't ignore the distress in the mysterious caller's voice. That doesn't mean she's prepared for what she finds in the courtyard, though- a newborn baby, wrapped in a blood-stained beaded jacket. Aimee wants to track down the baby's mother, but when a young woman's body washes up in the Seine on the shores of the Ile Saint-Louis, the little island where Aimee herself lives, she realizes the situation is very dangerous. Paris has been rife with bomb threats linked to protesting environmental groups, and with a little investigating Aimee becomes convinced the baby, the body in the Seine, and the protests are somehow linked. Not that Aimee can afford distraction from her paying work right now--Leduc Detective is in bad financial straits. But despite themselves, Aimee and Rene have both fallen in love with the baby girl, whom Aimee nicknames Stella. Taking care of Stella's needs-and protecting her from whoever hurt or killed her missing mother-must take priority over their computer security contract with a big publicity firm. Meanwhile, she's following leads to the infant's mother that take her to a radical dispossessed Polish prince, a community of homeless people who live in the sewer caves of the Seine, and a sexy documentary film maker. Can Aimee finish her security job, figure out who Stella belongs to, track down the missing mother, and protect herself and her friends from the danger that is circling them, all while juggling a newborn infant?
I am a blatant francophile and I frequently visit Paris. When I need a Paris fix I turn to Cara Black. Murder on the Ile Saint Louis was my first introduction to Aimee Leduc Investigations. Cara Black transported me to Paris beginning with the street map. The character of Aimee Luduc is real and believable to me. She isn't 'cutsie' or 'blase'. I also like the way all the characters are untroduced as plausible pieces in the story line. Cara Black provides a geographical background and complex story line that is enjoyable. What could be a better read? The fascinating life of a computer detective involuntarily involved in a predicament and that draws you in to it and compells you to keep turning pages until the final solution to the puzzle is reached. I have admiration and respect for an author who researches her subject to such a great extent. On my next trip to Paris I will visit Ile St Louis with more interest. Thank you Cara Black
A good addition to the Amy LeDuc series
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 16 years ago
Cara Black takes her detective heroine, Amy LeDuc, to another Parisian neighborhood, the toney and historic Ile St. Louis, to resolve a series of murders that appear connected to criminal behavior by a major corporation. As in most of the books in this series, more than half of the enjoyment is in the author's detailed descriptions of the city's landmarks, architecture, cuisine and social behaviors. The story line in "St. Louis" is above average for this series and the characters still appeal, though the heroine's continuing bad judgment in men is aggravating--when is the author going to allow for a less steep learning curve? Overall, a good read, particularly for those folks seriously in love with Paris.
Another Superb Paris Mystery
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
Mystery novels historically have had as much to do with the place as the characters and the plots. Cara Black's latest Aimee Leduc novel proves this with its evocative descriptions and historical references about the Ile St-Louis, certainly one of my favorite areas of Paris. The plot here has a few too many contemporary (2007) references for a novel set 10 years earlier, but otherwise Aimee's life remains involving and evolving. I loved it.
One of her very best
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
They don't get any better than this in this genre - her plotting, the details about Paris, the need to know what happens next, and fairly good dialogue all make this a really great read.
Murder on the Ile Saint-Louis
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
Cara Black makes you see and feel Paris as if you went their daily. Aimee is a very 'real' person, and this book shows her deep concern for others, no matter their age or station in life. I hope there will be many more books in this series
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