Mystery Crime Books

I actually got this for my husband, but look forward to reading it. He LOVED it!

Dexter is a sociopath who isn't a sociopath. His moral compass is broken, but it is still there. I couldn't quite buy into the anomaly protagonist that the author tries to explain throughout the story, but at the same time I found the concept intriguing and full of potential.

What I didn't find intriguing was the way the author makes almost every other major character in the story a bumbling fool. Perhaps it was to make Dexter shine even more in comparison, or maybe it was to frame the condescending (yet unemotional) perspective of Dexter? Whatever the reason, the story was ultimately a hard sell with such a cast of flaccid personalities.

I am hoping that these shortcomings are something that Jeff Lindsay can overcome in future installments, because even with the lackluster initial release, I believe good storylines can be worked around Dexter.

Darkly Dreaming Dexter
This book was a great read. Even if you watched the show first. However the Dexter in the show is different than the one in the book. This book neatly wraps up the charcter that is Dexter and does so quickly as well as humorously. I love the wit and sarcasm, i think it tops it off nicely. I can't wait to read the second book.

Having watched Dexter Season 1, I decided to read the source novel in preparation for Season 2 coming out on DVD. I was Deeply Disappointed. This is a readable page-turner and most of the core elements of TV Dexter are here, but the novel lacks the depth and wit of the TV adapation. The Dexter, Deb and Harry dynamic is the same and their whole backstory is here, but all the other characters are two-dimensional compared with the TV adaptation. Rita is introduced but falls away after a few appearances, LaGuerta is shallow, Doakes is shallower still, Angel is almost entirely missing, Rita's husband Paul is not here at all, and the character of the Ice Truck Killer / Tamiami Butcher is not well fleshed out (excuse the pun). The charm and personality of Dexter Morgan is present here, but much else is missing. For the best introduction to Dexter... get the Dexter - The First Season DVD!

Dexter not my normal story but it got my interest. Dexter only murders the bad guys. Dexter was a foster child of a homicide detective, who taught him to only kill the bad guys and make sure he has proof before doing it.

A new serial killer is in Dexters area. Wow the gruesome details are beyond belief. Not for the faint hearted.

Details. Is it possible????? Now anyone who has read it and I'm not with giving away the final ending. Is it possible to cut off so many parts off a human and the person surviving???? (not saying how many parts) But being realistic most authors do their homework. Surely it may be possible or absolutely not possible. What is your opinion!!! I will be earmarking that section and will play the 10 minutes of the worst bit to nurses and high up clients who work in hospitals and see what they think. One close friend said rubbish no way someone would live. What is your opinion??????? comment and lets see peoples opinions.

I am a massive fan of George Pelecanos and regard his work highly but this book was perhaps his weakest.

The story begins with a racial incident that results in a death then we fast-forward 35 years to today. The participants have continued on with their lives be it prison or working.

Through the actions of one of the characters, they meet up again.

Now, I am all for the sins of the past being revisited and it is a common theme in detective/crime fiction but this novel just didn't really click with me.

The characters tended not to be very well fleshed out and certain events tended to be too pat. The ending was too perfect for my tastes as well.

Maybe I am being too critical, but the author has sent the quality benchmark in his books so high, I feel this book is a "turnaround" from that benchmark.

I liked The Turnaround. It wasn't an effective mystery, but I don't think it was meant primarily as a mystery, and it succeeded pretty well as a tale of suspense. I cared about the characters and I wanted to see how things would turn out for them.

I especially appreciated the lack of stereotypically idiotic plot points that would have been in a book like this if a lesser author had written it. In dumb novels, smart, successful people do incredibly dumb things and will do even dumber things to cover them up, and it is trivially easy to take advantage of them. That does happen, but not normally. Successful people often earned their success by not being stupid and impulsive, and they have resources available to them that the would-be predator generally does not. Contrast this with Tripwire, which is full of such plot contrivances.

My only real complaint is that the characters are a little too simple. They're good or evil, or just plain dumb. There are shades of gray, but the author's moral view is a little too obvious and it gets in the way of making the characters real and complex. Still, it's not terrible in this regard, and it's well worth reading.

if you're a reader of crime novels, than mr. pelacanos is required reading.there is currently no one better.i have just aquired "the turnaround", and have yet to read it. how can i give a novel 5 stars without reading it? simple, pelacanos can not write an average book; i have read all his previous fiction, and i gave each one 5 stars. why should this one be different.
his writing talent was also greatly appreciated on the hbo classic series, "the wire."
i would like to amend my opening statement by just stating if you're a reader period, than mr. pelacanos should be on your required reading list.

George writes a great thriller and if you've ever been to Baltimore or wish to travel there, he paints an excellent description of it. It's typical George;if you've read him before, this won't disappoint (may even be a bit better than his last). If you've never read him before, this would be a great time to start.

Pros: Feels incredibly authentic and very DC; fans of HBO's "The Wire" (which Pelecanos also wrote for and which attracted me to this book) will recognize the style; often succeeds in maintaining suspense.

Cons: Ending feels too tied up and positive; writing often feels stilted.

Bottom Line: Pelecanos fans, whether of his other books or his work on "The Wire," will want to give this a read. Everyone else should begin with his earlier work. This is a decent read, but it's not the best thing I've read by a long shot.

This the second book in the Will Trent series and it just gets better. Will Trent is an agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). In this story he takes over a kidnapping/murder case from the Atlanta police and in turn acquires a new partner, Detective Faith Mitchell with the Atlanta police department. Together they pursue a host of suspects to find the guilty parties. This is quite an interesting character study and a very suspenseful story line. It takes place in the city of Atlanta, not the fictional south Georgia town of Ms. Slaughter's other series. One of the best murder mysteries/police procedural books this year. Ms. Slaughter can really spin a good tale. Highly recommended.

I love this author. Period. Her writing is flawless and the development of her characters is unparalleled. While I really enjoy the Grant County series (Lena being my favorite character of all time), this one also has amazing potential. She writes complex, real characters with flaws and imperfections. I'm really looking forward to getting to know Will and Faith better and can't wait for the next installment of either series.

I can't recommend this author highly enough. Read her, read her, read her.

These are good characters and with issues. For me novels are character driven, and Ms. Slaughter does a good job with the three main detectives. I hope this is a seris, now I will go back and read her other work. Good Job.

My favorite author - she is a great story teller with strong characters. Some may find some of her subject matters disturbing but it is hard to but them down once you start reading. If you have children, especially a daughter, this one will get to you. I also highly recommend the entire Grant County series...can't wait until the next one comes out.

This book was a great read, and a much needed change in characters. Although her other books started out interesting the storyline had become too depressing to enjoy. I really enjoyed this book and the writing style. I was entertained to the point I couldn't put it down until the last page.

Warning to crime novelists: This book is so good it might make you want to toss it all in.

I enjoyed this book thoroughly. It succeeded as a plausible procedural, as a description of city life, and as a tragedy. Every character is utterly plausible, and nobody acts implausibly in the service of the plot at any point. It's not as exciting as a typical thriller novel, but it's amazingly vivid and real.

Hands-down the best police procedural I've ever read. After reading just a few pages, I was a bit frustrated because I wasn't familiar with so many of the street terms, then this one was introduced: dolgier. The two characters both acted as if they understood the term, then finally one of them said: "What the f*ck is a dolgier." I felt much better.

Couldn't put it down.

I've been a Richard Price fan since The Wanderers. He is a master of street language, a moralist in spite of himself, and a champion of the abused, lonely, and angry. He has sometimes reached for grander themes and bigger stakes - at first glance Lush Life seems almost a genre piece - but his eye for hypocrisy and complexity is sharper than ever. His characters don't represent so much as breathe: this seems like a story about real people rather than a drama with several types. The novel still has its own milieu, but it's rooted more in place than in social group; as result it's more about there than them. That, of course, allows the characters to grow on us and grate us on their own, independent of anything that feels like authorial intent. The character that appealed most to me was Tristan, whose anger and invisibility were heartbreaking. He seemed like one of the hoppers from the fourth season of The Wire, but that was fine with me because he also had a life of his own. The obnoxious Eric Cash never weasled his way into my heart, but I grudgingly acknowledged the sinful integrity of his attempts to deal with loss, pain, and age. A more heroic protagonist wouldn't have served the novel as well. The same was true of Matty Clark, a cop in the Jimmy McNulty mold. The contrast with his partner, Yolanda, was a bit too perfect for my taste, but in a novel with so much denial and false feeling, it was nice that she was there to actually care about people and act with compassion. The novel read like a house afire - it took two days to read but it felt like one sitting. Thinking about the book afterwards, I admired the way seemingly random: it's a story about a city, a seaboard, a nation at this point in time. It's also a novel obsessed with the past. From the burned out synagogue to the Riis photos in the basement, this is a world where the past and present coexist. People haven't exactly forgotten the past since they use it to enhance their experience, but the sacred has leached from the world. The only place it lingers is in human intimacy, whether that involves grief, duty, or love.

Price's LUSH LIFE starts with a miracle: the Virgin Mary has appeared in the frost of a convenience store's glass freezer door. A line of penitent believers gathers, paying money for a chance to pray for a miracle of their own. The line is several blocks long, and it obstructs the entrance to a cafe where 34 year-old Eric Cash works. Out of fealty to his boss (an old friend), Eric and a coworker, Ike, join the line and make the Mary disappear by opening the freezer door.

Price's writing style is all about reality, all about authenticity. Not only is he a master of the click and flow of dialogue, but he also sets scenes with an inexplicable deftness, like someone simply flipping a switch that lights up a stage. Price's light is warm, encompassing, but not particularly sympathetic. It's no coincidence that his story starts with a miracle debunked, or that on the way to the miracle, Eric and Ike pass a church that has -- apparantly of its own accord -- collapsed into itself. Icons, metaphors, grand idealistic totems -- Price's novel doesn't have much respect for them. Even grander themes, larger purposes, these are all shrugged off in favor of more interesting minutia. It's hard not to be impressed by how eloquently Price illuminates every speck of grit, whether it's on the streets of the city or in the hearts of its citizens.

The story is "about" a mugging-turned-murder, but this is really just a jumping off point. Price uses this moment of accidental violence to spur a story that stretches its tentacles into all areas of the Lower East Side of Manhattan, from the bureaucratic busy-bodies that hamper justice more than they aid it, to the hood rats and gangster-wannabes who are trying to find a way to prove that their life isn't just another pointless miracle, another ruined temple. Much like The Wire (which Price has also contributed to), LUSH LIFE tries to be diplomatic with its details. No one is judged, not really, and nothing is left out.

This ends up resulting in what some might call "overkill." So anxious to provide an unadulterated slice of life, Price goes a little overboard with the details, with the facets, with the broad view. I'd use the old "forest for the trees" analogy here, except the trees in this case are so beautifully described. Still, the luxuriant attention to every speck and spot makes this slice of life novel read more like an entire pie of life. For those with big appetites, it comes highly recommended.

Catherine Coulter's FBI series never disappoints me. Once again she has hit the heart of her writing talents with suspense, twists and a touch of romance. What I really like most is that she focuses on her characters and develops them well, so that when you are finished reading this book you are left with wanting more about them and eagerly waiting her next book. Savich and Sherlock are a dynamic pair and ones that you are always rooting for to crack the case. When reading Tailspin I couldn't put it down plus it grabbed me on the very first page. Keep writing this series Catherine and I am anxiously awaiting your next one.

The book was very easy to read. Once you start it is hard to put down

I agree with another reviewer - that the story was luke warm. I hope she can do better with her next book. I was always a fan - but may not buy a hardbook next time and wait for it to come out in a second hand bookshop.

I enjoyed this book. However, by the 12th book FBI book, they all start to merge together in my brain. Something bad happens to a 28 year old woman. She needs or finds a 34 year old male FBI agent to babysit and protect her. Said FBI agent calls in Savich and Sherlock (who have become stale characters, by now). Damsel in distress and FBI agent go through a great traumatic experience together and then get married. There you go, that sums up all the Catherine Coulter FBI thriller novels.

Plus, Catherine Coulter needs a new editor. Her books lack a great deal of continuity and the editing is terrible. Sherlock's real name is spelled differently in about every other book. At one time, Sherlock was a tall woman. Now, she's very petite. I guess CC never expected the first books to lead anywhere, so why bother continuing with what she had written in the first place.

Predictable story line and part of the classic FBI series - I enjoyed very much as a summer read.

I started Sweetheart with high hopes after finishing Heartsick and wanting to see where the author would take the story. In that first book, the characters were slowly developed and, in my opinion, they were left a little shallow. The story, however, was well paced, interesting and definitely a good read so I was ready for more in Sweetheart.

I got what I was looking for - for about a quarter of the book. We start off seeing how things have progressed since we last saw Archie, Gretchen, Susan and gang and some decent suspense builds. Then things take a turn. There is no way I can explain where things went wrong in detail without spoiling the book, so I'll stay general. The book got way too busy and then had a very untidy ending. I'll try to explain - again without giving anything away.

TOO BUSY: Sub-plot after sub-plot was introduced with tenuous character motivation and no context. This isn't bad in and of itself - IF IT ADDS TO THE MAIN PLOT and works itself out satisfactorily. Unfortunately, in my opinion, these sub-plots did not add interest to the book or feed the main plot very well and they were all wrapped up in a two page explanation that left me saying (literally and out loud) "That's It?!?" There may be some deeper connections that would make me appreciate more of the sub-plots, but they were so uninteresting I didn't want to think too hard about them. I guess that's kind of telling right there.

UNTIDY ENDING: After what I'm calling "the sub-plots" are wrapped up, we are left with the main plot. Here again, there was way too much going on and none of it really worked. It went so far over the edge that it lost its suspense and entered "this is ridiculous" territory. I honestly ended the book no longer liking a single character. I understand the "strong character with a flaw" thing, but the situation was so overdone that everyone came out as "strongly flawed characters".

I started this review with three stars, but the more I tried to explain where I thought it went wrong, the more I realized that may be too high. I'd go 2 and a half because it did entertain for a while there before the derailing. I still recommend Heartsick, but this disappoints as a sequel and doesn't stand up on its own - so if you're tight on time, I'd skip this one.

A lot is going on this sequel to Heartsick. Archie is back, nursing an addiction to pain pills, an obsession with serial killer Gretchen Lowell, and a troubled relationship with his ex-wife and children. Meanwhile, torquoise-haired reporter Susan Ward is sleeping in a hammock in the her hippie mother's house, and facing troubles with her story on a senator who had an affair with a 14-year-old. And bodies are discovered in Forest Park. There's a lot to be said in favor of thos novel: the writing style is lean and fast-paced, there is a lot of humor, and there are several good plot twists. And readers who know Portland will enjoy the setting as well. My favorite part, though, is the characters themselves, who are symathetic yet flawed. My only real complaint is that, like many authors, Cain has fallen into the trap of making her serial killer too powerful and smart to be realistic. If you can overlook this flaw, you will enjoy this book.

I picked this book from the vine list because I live in Portland, a wonderful city that is drastically under represented in popular fiction in spite of what a wonderful place it is. But I don't think I'm cut out to read novels with the type of inherent viciousness and pain that permeates this novel. Getting through it was a laborious, painful and upsetting chore and I was immensely relived when it was over. That said, the above refers only to the plot and not the writing style of the author which was quite good. But maybe I'm not just cut out for modern mysteries, especially those that hit close to home.

Three stars.

Although both Heartsick and Sweetheart contain plot elements commonly found in serial killer/thriller books, Cain's series continues to be outstanding because she brings her characters to life so well. The main character of Archie is especially unique, and the scenes in Sweetheart in which Archie tries to return to a normal life with his family are very poignant.

In addition, Cain manages to maintain a dark tone throughout both books, causing the reader to feel a sense of dread as s/he turns the pages. The reader is submerged in the grisly details of Archie's world from page 1 of Sweetheart.

Although I very much enjoyed the Gretchen storyline of Sweetheart, overall I did not like it as much as Heartsick because I was a little disappointed by the Susan storyline. It seemed like relating the two stories was too much of a stretch.

Overall however, this book is a must read for fans of grisly thrillers, and I hope that Cain does not make us wait as long for the third installment.

"Sweetheart" is a great page-turner of a suspense novel. "Heartsick" preceded this book, and it was also very good - "Sweetheart" continues the story of those characters. This book is about a female serial killer and the cop who was nearly a victim but lived to tell about it. There are two killers in "Sweetheart." In a way, there is a bit of a suspension of disbelief required in order to accept that there would be two big serial killers in Portland, Oregon of all places. But without spoiling anything, this unlikely scenario makes sense in the context of the story.

Seeing as the subject matter is a little grim, be forewarned that you must be able to stomach graphically detailed scenes of violence and death. At times, I think the author gets a little carried away with the gruesome aspects. But if you are a fan of this genre of writing it shouldn't be shocking or hard to deal with. If you generally don't read books dealing with intense violence then I couldn't recommend "Sweetheart."

"Sweetheart" stands alone as a self-contained novel. In other words, you needn't have read "Heartsick" in order to follow the story and become engrossed. That said, I highly recommend reading "Heartsick" first because of all the backstory and character development you will otherwise miss out on. It greatly enriches the experience when reading "Sweetheart" as you are following the same main characters.

There really isn't much to say in this review that hasn't already been said before. The supernatural aspect introduced in this book is highly contradictory to the first two and makes the book ooze a sort of over-the-top weirdness that makes the entire thing so implausible that it's hard to really get into.

On top of that, I simply found the book to be incredibly boring. Dexter is only followed through one kill early on, and then the rest of the book revolves around him having anxiety attacks. There is such an extensive build-up of what can only be assumed was meant as suspense (and an overly-complex plot with the Watchers and Moloch), that when everything ties up so rapidly in the last twenty pages that it's all incredibly anti-climactic. Deborah's character was reduced to mindless incompetence, Doakes was completely dismissed, Vince was turned into even more of an abnormal joke, and Angel-no-relation was almost entirely absent. Everything that made the first two books shine with brilliance is either diluted or simply missing from this book. With the exception of reading it simply for chronological purposes, I can't recommend this book to anyone expecting the same standards of the first two.

I listened to this book because I have read the previous two and found them interesting and smartly written. I listened to this audiobook and was first disgusted with the filthy language every other sentence from Deborah. GD, JC, and F is her vocab. Can we be more creative? Plus, is she a cop or is Dexter? Her character cannot do one thing without her brother Dexter! She is suppossed to be the chief? Dexter's dark passenger has left him throughout the whole book, which totally deviates from previous writtings. Training the kids Astor/Cody to kill, crazy and sick. This whole book was dissappointing, dont bother, but if you do prepare to cover your ears from the horribly unnecessary language. If this is what Jeff Lindsay gives, I'm done with him!!

As most have said, this wasn't quite as good as the first two Dexter novels. I didn't dislike it as much as many though. Most people's biggest problem was the supernatural aspect to it. This part didn't bother me too much since it wasn't specific to any belief system that I am aware of. I think the biggest downside to it is that the supernatural explanation of the dark passenger sort of deflated a bit of the intrigue built up around Dexter's character. I would also have to agree that changing from Dexter's first person narrative to the third person narrative of IT, and the hhird person narrative of the Watcher did break up the smooth flow of the book. I can see why Lindsay did it, but I think that reducing the amount of detail about IT and the Watcher could have allowed the narrative to stay in Dexter's first person, and increased the mystery and suspense.

It's sad to see such a good series descend to this level. This book was a real disappointment. It's hard to know where to start but the overall premise of the book, that Dexter's "Dark Passenger" is actually a supernatural possession by some kind of child of Moloch an eternal something-or-other, lacks so much believability that it ruins the entire series. What made the first two books so good was that Dexter was the sociopath trying to live in the real world. His "Dark Passenger" was simply a different part of Dexter's personality. The success of the books was that we rooted for Dexter and his "Dark Passenger" in spite of him being a sociopath. But how can we root for some horrible monster that possesses Dexter and forces him to kill?

But Lindsay goes too far even with his idea of how someone becomes a sociopath. Every child, at least according to Lindsay, who is abused as a child, grows up to be a serial killer. Rita's two kids both become sociopaths because they were abused by their father. But that isn't how it happens in the real world. Not all serial killers were abused and not everyone who is abused becomes a serial killer. We can root for Dexter when he is unique and only killing other serial killers, but how can we root for him to create more serial killers? Dexter should be sending the children for intense psychotherapy, not lessons in how to kill.

And worst of all, the book is simply boring. Nothing much happens. There are murders but it is impossible to keep straight who is killing who and the murders (and murderers) are almost irrelevant. We hear more about donuts and wedding caterers than we do about anything else. And there really is no mystery in the story. We find out in the first pages of the book who did it although I kept hoping that the book wasn't really going to be this stupid and that Lindsay would give us some other surprise solution. I am fairly confident that this is the last Dexter book I will be reading.

Shortly into the book I told a friend "either the latest Dexter book is taking a sharp turn into the supernatural, or something really mindbending is being set up."

I had high hopes for the latter, because we've had psychological twists before. Unfortunately it wasn't, and even more unfortunately, it wasn't done *well*.

This was my first Cornwell novel, and most likely my last. Glad this was a Library book, I wouldn't have wanted to waste money on such a disappointing novel. I thought the end would tie things neatly together, but it was over so quickly I found the end very confusing. Although I could have gone back and re-read the last chapter, I couldn't put myself through it.

Am I the only person out there who just didn't get what the title of this book had to do with the story? I just keep hoping and hoping that PC will put out a good book again, and it just never happens. I didn't get it with much hope, and it was a good thing. First off, the book is not a normal sized volume; it is small, with short pages and big type with a skinny spine. What happened to the big, thick Scarpetta novels of the 90s, full of details and stories that made you want to stay up all night reading because you just couldn't put it down? Second, the story and the characters were so weak, this was like a short story from high school lit, not the kind of novel that PC used to put out. It jumped all over the place, and the events in the story just made no sense. Then instead of chapters of suspense leading up to and ending that you didn't see coming, but made so much sense, the story was just "ended" on just a couple of pages, with an ending that you're left sitting going "What?!" I probably will always read her novels because I loved them so in the 90s, but I will never spend my own money on them, so that the most I lose is my time. The only reason I finished this book was the fact that it really was only a short story. Did you ever think that a PC novel would be painful to read, and readable in just a couple of hours? It's like all the story in PC has been used up and there is nothing left in there. I hate that I now expect to be disappointed.

This book is an example of the deteriorating standards of one of the finest thriller writers. The early Scarpeta books were superb but the last four or five titles have been dull, with weak plots. The main characters too have lost their spark and authenticity. The Front is not Scarpeta, but it still isn't a satisfying read

The Front
Cornwell has lost it. I borrowed this book from the library and am glad I didn't buy it. From the start of this book I couldn't find an interest in any of the charactors. The plot was not interesting. I don't know what has happened to Patricia Cornwell's writing but I have noticed her anger has begun to show through.

There is really not much to say. This book is terrible. While I was reading the first few pages I was wondering how any company could publish this. It's just annoying. This was my first and last Patricia Cornwell book.

This book is an excellent read. It's great right from the beginning. Mariah Stewart has a way with her books that you don't want to put them down.

"Forgotten" is one of those books that draw you in and never let you go and, after you're done reading, it still haunts your mind. I was rivited by the story and felt like I was part of it. This book is the first I've read by this author and I must say, I plan to read more! I also liked for murder-mystery, this one: Any Man: A Fictionalized Account of Something That Really Happened.

Wow! This book was fantastic! I am a HUGE fan of Mariah Stewart and was eagerly awaiting Portia's story. I was not disappointed. This book grabs you at the 1st sentence and never lets go. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a good read.

Restoration Paris, 1818. It has been over twenty years since the Revolution, Napoleon is in exile and the Bourbon kings are back on the throne of France. But the past still echoes...


Hector Carpentier is an ordinary medical student living at home with his mother, where she takes in boarders to help make ends meet. He is suddenly thrust into a murder investigation when detective Eugene Francois Vidocq turns up on his doorstep. It seems Hector's name has been found on a piece of paper that was concealed on a dead body. Hector has never seen or heard of the victim before. He is at a loss to explain why the man might have had his name and been at pains to hide it.


Before he knows what's happening, he is swept along with Vidocq and into a case that has the potential to shake France to its core. The evidence points to a conspiracy to kill a simple, quiet young man who lives in the country and who just might be the heir to the throne of France, Louis-Charles.


During the Revolution, Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI were both killed. Their two children, Marie-Therese-Charlotte and Louis-Charles were imprisoned in the Black Tower. Marie was eventually released but Louis-Charles died in prison. Or did he? The rumors have always circulated that he might have escaped and impostors have turned up before. But this young man has no memory of his early life and does not claim to be the lost prince. Someone believes he is, though, and they are intent on his death. It is up to Vidocq and Hector to unravel the mystery and protect the unassuming, fragile young man.


Louis Bayard paints a fascinating picture of the little-known real life detective, Vidocq. The world's first real police detective, he had a background in crime and had been imprisoned in his youth. He knew the criminal mind from personal experience and was able to use his knowledge to become an extremely successful detective. To me he seemed to be a cross between Sherlock Holmes and Columbo because of his flair for disguise and his gruff demeanor. Restoration Paris is likewise brought to life brilliantly. This book is a wonderful historical adventure.

The trick with historical fiction is to make the might have been the must have happened! Louis Bayard not only spins a fine tale in the Black Tower, he brings it to life so that we really believe that France's "lost prince" may have survived.

Historical and fictional characters are brilliantly intertwined and the edges blurred enough in this fast paced story from the French revolution. At the beginning of the novel we find the infamous Parisian "detective" (such concepts did not exist of course) Ridoq - half Sherlock Holmes, half psychopath - investigating the strange murder of a Parisian and tracking down our "hero" Dr. Charpentier. Charpentier is dragged into an investigation that delves into what happened in the "Black Tower" to the son of Louis and Marie-Antoinette.

This is a thriller / detective story of the highest order with plenty of twists and turns, yet written in an extremely interesting way. Read it!

This work will grab your attention the moment you open the cover, and will capture you until the last page is turned. Broad in scope and grand in detail, the plot line will ensure satisfying reading.

The Black Tower is a clever, well-researched and written historical detective novel about Hector Carpentier, a medical student who lives with his widowed mother in her home in Paris's Latin Quarter. When a scrap of paper with his name written on it is found on the body of a dead man just three blocks from his home, Hector finds himself enmeshed in a dangerous, confusing investigation, led by clever police detective named Vidocq.

Soon, the investigation has them trudging through the murky, tragic past.

This is a well written novel about a fascinating time period and an even more fascinating historical "mystery" (the fate of Louis XVII, Marie Antoinette's son).

The Black Tower exemplifies the increasingly popular genre of literary mysteries, well-crafted novels that create suspense without compromising artistic integrity. As in his previous novels, Bayard has chosen a historical setting, complete with famous persons from that time period, as the backdrop for this whodunit.

The story opens with excerpts from a journal, describing the cruel imprisonment and physical deterioration of the Dauphin Louis-Charles, the young son of the recently deposed Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, who is rumored to have died in the Black Tower. From there we flash forward in time and learn, through the first-person narration of medical student Hector Carpentier, about the murder of a man carrying a note with Hector's name on it. Inspector Vidocq, a lovable rogue modeled on another real-life figure who is often credited as being the first modern private investigator, senses that the murdered man's tie to Hector is the secret to unraveling the murder and forces Hector to support the investigation. When they discover that it is really Hector's diseased father (also a doctor named Hector) that the dead man was seeking, the investigation puts them on the trail of a labyrinthine plot to murder another young man who may or may not be the long-lost Dauphin.

I would recommend The Black Tower to any mystery lover who has an interest in historical settings and conspiracies, as Bayard breathes life into early nineteenth-century Paris with his strong research and insightful prose. His fastidious development of setting and character do, however, rein in the pace of this mystery, and the middle third lacks the momentum of the tantalizing beginning and the frenetic ending. That said, the deliciously ambiguous resolution of the novel becomes all-the-more stimulating because of the careful groundwork Bayard establishes during these introspective middle passages. And, in the end, Louis Bayard's artistic blurring of mystery and historical fiction proves to be a winning formula that makes me want to explore his other works, such as The Pale Blue Eye: A Novel (P.S.).