by Cara Black
Part of Aimee Leduc Investigations, book 13
First published 2013
Parisian private investigator Aimée Leduc takes what seems like a straightforward job when elderly Russian émigré Yuri asks her to safeguard a valuable painting that may be an authentic Modigliani. The cobblestone streets of Montparnasse once buzzed with bohemian artists and absinthe-soaked café culture in the 1920s, but now they conceal something far more sinister. Yuri turns up brutally murdered in his studio, tortured to death, and the precious artwork has vanished. As Aimée digs deeper into the theft, she discovers the painting connects to an 80-year-old Soviet secret and a brother seeking bloody revenge for past wrongs. Her investigation becomes increasingly perilous as potential witnesses start dying around her. Each lead she follows adds another body to the growing pile of corpses. The question driving Aimée forward becomes clear: what makes this particular painting worth killing for again and again?
Genres: historical-fiction, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-detective, art-theft
Setting: Montparnasse, Paris
Period: 1920s
288 pages · ebook · Soho Crime
Content warnings: murder, violence