Murder at the Lanterne Rouge

Vendredi 12 Avril Murder at the Lanterne Rouge

'She ran across the boulevard into the medieval quartier, still an ungentrified slice of crumbling hotel particulars, narrow cobbled streets lined by Chinese wholesale luggage and jewelry shops. Red paper lanterns hanging from the storefronts shuddered in the wind. From a half-open door she heard the pebble-like shuffling of mah-Jong tiles. This multi-block warren comprised the oldest and smallest of the four Chinatowns in Paris. Few knew it existed'.

I may be following in Aimee Leduc's footsteps but I definitely do not want to meet her. Too many encounters with dead bodies cross her path plus the multiple attempts on her life have scared me off. In this book a missing blue folder holds the key to the turret...

The clock is ticking...

What did Meizi know?

How to solve Pascale's unfinished 14th century formula that could revolutionize fiber optics as we know it?

A whole slew of puzzles present themselves in each book. Author Cara Black tells gripping tales. I can't leave the house without one in my purse. Fortunately a caste of eclectic characters reappear in each book with the spotlight moving from one to the the other and Aimee ties it all together. The musee Arts et Metiers is the center of this conundrum. You can depend on it. At least one museum will show up in each mystery.

The tower or turret in question at Arts et Metiers, a science museum fromerly a Romanesque church.

Sweatshops pouring out faux branded goods with illegal immigrants at the tredle sewing machine in Lanterne Rouge.

The story opens in restaurant Chez Chun, perhaps a not too distant cousin of Chez Shen on rue Maire 75003

Cara said, The crevette/shrimp dumplings get my stamp of approval.

I got the soup of crevette raviolis with home made noodles. YUM!(5.80)

Aimee checked her Tintin watch. The DST contact was late. She stood at the counter in Cafe des Puys on rue Beaubourg. The cafe was near rue Saint-Martin, the old Roman road, and had been a cafe in some form for several centuries, owned by successive waves of immigrants: Auvergnats,Chinese, and now Serbs, as evidenced by the Serbian national soccer pennants plastering the wall. 

I'm crazy for all the chunks of historic background Cara Black throws in throughout her books.

Poor Aimee is constantly stepping in puddles wearing her designer boots and she trips constantly. Maybe she should wear some sensible shoes like Adidas (like other Parisians) instead of Louboutins for sleuthing?

As the end of the book draws to a close Black knows how to tighten the screws. There's no way you can leave a Cara Black book at home on the reading table. No way. I didn't expect to be enthralled with Murder at the Lanterne Rouge but I was. And I discovered some terrific Chinese restos in the process. You don't know exactly where you'll end up but the ride is always fun. Here's what Soho publishers sent me to tackle. Three down and three to go.

So much more of Paris to discover.