The Book Artist

February 1, 2019

Hugo Marston, head of security at the U.S. Embassy in Paris and a former FBI profiler, was the date of the beautiful and promising American sculptor Alia Alsaffar at the opening of her exhibition at Paris's Dalí Museum. When she's murdered at the opening, Hugo insinuates himself into the murder investigation, to the dismay of Paris police Lieutenant Intern Adrien Marchand. Since the opening was invitation only, the suspect pool is limited but motives abound. When Hugo's girlfriend, Claudia Roux, is arrested for the murder, his incentive to find the real killer increases. Simultaneously, Hugo's reckless best friend, former CIA agent Tom Green, is in Amsterdam tracking paroled bank robber and murderer Rick Cofer, who has a vendetta against both Tom and Hugo. This eighth installment of the "Hugo Marston" series (after The Sorbonne Affair) brings back characters from previous novels in starring roles. Hugo is genteel and old-fashioned, using deductive reasoning to solve crimes, so there's little violence. VERDICT While the denouement seems forced, the book is still enjoyable, with the series overall presenting a similar tone and characters to Louise Penny's "Armand Gamache" mysteries.--Edward Goldberg, Syosset P.L., NY

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2018
In the eighth Hugo Marston mystery, the head of security at the American embassy in Paris has a murder to solve and an old problem to resolve. When Alia Alsaffar is found dead at the opening of her exhibit of sculptures made from books, the suspects appear to be her stepbrother; her painter friend, who is being professionally overshadowed; and the husband and wife who were about to be dropped as her sponsors. But the French detective leading the investigation arrests Marston's great friend, journalist Claudia Roux, based on DNA evidence. At the same time, Marston's best friend, ex-CIA agent Tom Green, is tracking released convict Rick Cofer, who's out for the blood of both Green and Marston, whom Cofer holds responsible for the death of his brother. While only gunfire settles the latter situation, Marston, as usual, applies his redoubtable deductive-reasoning skills to the murder. Another fine entry in a solid series that pairs nicely with Chris Pavone's forthcoming The Paris Diversion (2019), which is also awash in Parisian ambiance.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)