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Murder in the Bastille
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Plot Summary of Murder in the Bastille
"

Soho, Apr 2003, 23.00, 288 pp.
ISBN: 1569473242

In 1994 Paris, private investigator Aimee Leduc meets with client Vincent Csarda to try to convince him to hand over his hard drive to the Judiciare who are investigating a gunrunning firm that had dealings with his company. Vincent refuses and walks out of the restaurant. Aimee notices a cell phone left by another patron. She picks it up to return it when a call comes through. She answers the phone, but before she can say anything, a man pleads with the owner to meet him at a nearby alley. Being a Good Samaritan, Aimee goes there to give the man the phone only to be assaulted. She ends up in a hospital blind. The police believe that the serial killing Beast of Bastille tried to murder Aimee, but she knows better especially with a victim in the next alley who happened to own the cell phone.

Unable to see, Aimee relies on her computer genius partner, four-foot Rene Friant as her eyes. The pair work together on the two cases. Desperately trying to persuade Vincent to cooperate hits one stone wall after another. Seeking her assailant is dangerous whether she waits for the man to finish the job or goes after him.

The key to the delightful Leduc mysteries is Paris as the added slight touches of French culture makes the tour feel more authentic leading the non-French audience to believe they need a passport. On top of the city lights (and dark spots) readers obtain a strong who-done-it while Aimee adapts to the loss of sight. Though much of the villainy seems old chapeau, Aimee and her partner make for a wonderful investigative tale.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Murder in the Bastille
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%




Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain? - Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues
Time/era of story: - 1980's-1999
What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 80%
Kind of investigator - hard boiled/private eye
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot? - feelings of fear/loss/inadequacy
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes
General Crime (including known murderer) Yes
If story PRIMARILY about main chr. being hunted... - hunted by killer/stalker

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - private investigator
Age: - 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use? - just the right amount
Ethnicity/Race - French
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - mastermind
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist - insanity
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Setting
Europe Yes
European country: - France

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths? - 2
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
Most similar books to Murder in the Bastille
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Dead Midnight by Marcia Muller


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