Murder in the Rue Dumas
M.L. Longworth (Penguin)
There was a time when Americans spurned any mystery novel set in France, with the exception of the Simenon Maigret series, perhaps as the result of an unfortunate experience there as a tourist. The French have apparently become friendlier or Americans more thick-skinned because French-set mysteries have never been more popular. Among the very best is a series set in Provence featuring Monsieur Verlaque, an examining magistrate, and his sometime girlfriend, law professor Marine Bonnet. The latest volume is
The case at hand is the murder of Dr. Georges Moutte who was killed shortly before he was to name his successor to the coveted position of director of theology at the University d’Aix. Various academics seem likely candidates for the murderer but Verlaque isn’t so sure. The result is an updated version of the classic detective novel, enlivened with a sometimes caustic wit, entertaining by-play between the two main players, and an insider’s take on this popular tourist destination.
The Map of Lost Memories
Kim Fay (Ballantine)
It would be tempting to describe Irene Blum, the heroine of this debut novel, as a female Indiana Jones.
Outwardly all the traits and situations are there. The time is 1925 and Irene is an expert in acquiring priceless historical artifacts, legally or not — but that skill fails to land her the curator’s job at Seattle’s Brook Museum. Irene, however, is more thoughtful and less likely to shoot first than Indiana, though she still embraces a good challenge.
Her challenge in is to recover the sacred copper scrolls that trace the history of Cambodia’s Khmer civilization, a find that would establish her as one of the premiere archaeologists in a male-dominated field. Her pursuit will take her to Shanghai and the Cambodian jungles in the company of several eccentrics with agendas of their own, including a communist temple robber inspired by a real-life French couple. What she discovers in the end turns the chase into an exploration of her own family history.
Some Like It Hawk
Donna Andrews (St. Martin’s Press)
Anyone looking to find hidden meanings in the subtext or for books that “transcend the genre” would be well advised to stay clear of the 14th entry in this always dependable series featuring blacksmith Meg Langslow. But if you’re looking for a good laugh, odd but lovable characters and a clever plot you’re in for a real treat.
The city fathers of Caerphilly have so mismanaged the town’s affairs that a lender has foreclosed on its public buildings, forcing out all city employees except clerk Phineas Throckmorton who has barricaded himself in the basement of City Hall, amply supplied with provisions through a secret tunnel. But when a representative of the lender is murdered in the basement, it looks very much like Throckmorton is being set up as a patsy. You just might be laughing too hard to catch all the clues leading to the real killer.
