Starred review from June 12, 2006
Imagine the impeccable period details of Alan Furst's novels about Paris during WWII mixed with a cast straight out of Casablanca
and you begin to get some idea of the pleasures on tap in Mathews's new thriller (after 2005's Blown
). Set in Paris in the spring of 1940, the book offers great female characters: Sally King, a top American model who works for Coco Chanel and whose lawyer lover is murdered in the first few pages; an African-American singer, Memphis Jones, much loved by a mysterious German; and Irene Curie, daughter of the famous scientists, who holds a dangerous secret that could change history. On the male side, there's Joe Hearst, a diplomat with brains and a heart who works as special investigator for the American ambassador, "Champagne Bill" Bullitt (a real figure). Other important actual people like John Foster Dulles and his brother, Allen, are on hand, and much of the action centers on the Alibi Club, a small but very hot nightclub where Memphis sings nightly and the other characters hatch plots and try to solve murders before the Nazis officially take over.
October 16, 2006
Set in the spring of 1811, Barron's ninth Jane Austen mystery (after 2005's Jane and His Lordship's Legacy
) finds both detective and author in sparkling form. Jane is at the London theater during a visit to her brother Henry when she glimpses a Russian princess gazing intently at the box of prominent politician Lord Castlereagh. That night, the princess is found dead outside Castlereagh's home. Unconvinced by the appearance of suicide, Jane begins inquiries that eventually encompass high society and their servants, politicians of every stripe and even courtesans. When a chance act brings Jane a threatening visit from the Bow Street Runners, her search for the truth intensifies still further. The book's intricate plotting is satisfying right to the last revelation, and the variety of secondary characters depicted with affectionate irony adds humor and historical depth. Like Regency great Georgette Heyer, the author excels at both period detail and modern verve. Aping Austen's cool, precise and very famous voice is a hard trick to pull off, but Barron manages it with aplomb.
January 29, 2007
The Alibi Club is one of those Paris hot spots where Memphis Jones (a stand-in for Josephine Baker) holds sway and where both political and sexual connections are made. But on the eve of the 1939 German invasion of Paris, even the spectacular show world must pack and prepare to flee along with politicians and businessmen. Archer's challenge in performing this novel is to give voice to this polyglot community of French, American, British, German and Russian men and women. Mathew's novel is epic in scope but minor in terms of literary achievement. Archer individualizes the female characters well, aided by a good sense of accent and cadence; her men tend to sound rather alike. She also vacillates between French and English pronunciations of street names and other terms, often in the same sentence. Despite these flaws, Archer provides this thriller with enough momentum to keep the action churning along. Simultaneous release with the Bantam hardcover (Reviews, June 12).