by Cara Black
Part of Aimee Leduc Investigations, book 21
First published 2024
Aimée Leduc discovers her ex Melac bleeding in the Bassin de la Villette after leaving a client meeting. Someone has stabbed him and knocked her unconscious, placing the murder weapon in her hands. She wakes in police custody with a concussion and evidence pointing directly at her. Melac had been pressuring her to move their daughter Chloé to Brittany and threatening court action. Now Aimée must prove her innocence while operating without her usual resources. She goes underground in Paris's 19th arrondissement, navigating biker gangs, paranoid journalists, grieving parents, and silent former police officers. As a private investigator, she knows how to work a case, but this time she's the primary suspect. The real killer remains free while she races against time to uncover the truth about who wanted Melac dead and why they chose to frame her.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, frame-up, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Bassin de la Villette, Paris, Brittany
Period: 19th Arrondissement
288 pages · Hardcover · Soho Crime
Content warnings: violence