Murder in Belleville

By: Cara Black

Narrated by: Carine Montbertrand

When Anaïs de Froissart calls Parisian private investigator Aimée begging for help, Aimée assumes the woman wants to hire her to do surveillance on her philandering politician husband again. Aimée is too busy right now to indulge her.

But Anaïs insists Aimée must come, that she is in trouble and scared. Aimée tracks Anaïs down just in time to see a car bomb explode, injuring Anaïs and killing the woman she was with.

Anaïs can’t explain what Aimée just witnessed. The dead woman, Anaïs says, is Sylvie Coudray, her cheating husband’s long-time mistress, but she has no idea who wanted her dead, and Anaïs officially hires Aimée to investigate. As she digs into Sylvie Coudray’s murky past, Aimée finds that the dead woman may not be who Anaïs thought she was. Her Belleville neighborhood, full of North African immigrants, may be hiding clues to Sylvie’s identity. As a prominent Algerian rights activist stages a hunger protest against new immigration laws, Aimée begins to wonder whether Sylvie’s death was an act of terrorism, and who else may be at risk.©2000 Cara Black (P)2011 Recorded Books

Very political, but still great Cara Black

I love all books by Cara Black. I learn so much more about the nuances of my favorite city in the world, Paris.

Written by an American married to a Frenchman, and someone who learned to live as the French, Black provides us with an "insider's view" of what it is like to be French. I stay in Paris about 2 months a year, and have for many years, but I never fail to learn more about the city and the French from her books.

Aimee LeDuc epitomizes the spirit of the self-reliant Parisian, with some deep wounds and clouded memories. The French have all suffered.

So, as usual, it was a good listen. However, this book gets extremely political, which is a bit less interesting for me. I expect it from Gabriel Alon, but not Aimee LeDuc. I prefer her madcap mysteries. Still a great listen, though!

very entertaining. The story gets more intense.

The story starys oit a little slowly, or at least I thought so. But it develops with several twists and turns. The narration wad also quite strong, with eaach of the characters voices very distinct.

Murder and Justice in a suspenseful package!

Cara Black tells female centered stories like no one else! Get your mystery fix here.

Awful narration of a mediocre novel

Even the annoying reading couldn’t keep me awake. International intrigue not very intriguing. My second and last effort into Cara Black.

Narration 3 stars Story 2 stars

Was hoping the second book would improve the series. The main character takes absurd and amateurish risks. Her affinity to ‘bad boys’ is silly. The story is confusing and the characters are stereotypes. Wishing I could give higher marks, but I’m giving up after two books even though it’s included in audible plus. I had high hopes for female detective story set in France. The narrator is pretty decent, but the American accented English of the French characters takes one out of the story. Especially when contrasted with the painstakingly French accented pronunciation of towns and streets and place names.