"For The King"

"For The King" is a historical novel (full of intrigue) written by Catherine Delors and set in France in 1800. Chief Inspector Roch Miquel is a young man who seems to have everything going for him -- a future with the police, a beautiful mistress, and a loving father -- but all of that is jeopardized by an attempt on the life of Napoleon Bonaparte. As he investigates the attempt on Bonaparte's life the case takes many twists and turns while his personal life begins to fall apart (as does his ability to decide who he can trust).

Delors was born and raised in France and she does an excellent job of writing about this era and bringing it alive even if it also reveals some of the gruesome events of the day - makes me glad I didn't live during the time of the revolution! Check out her web site at www.catherinedelors.com.
I definitely plan to read her other novel, "Mistress of the Revolution."

pazt

"Under The Color of Law"

Michael McGarrity has captured my attention again in "Under The Color of Law" which was an easy, quick read because I didn't want to put it down. Kevin Kearney has just become the police chief of Santa Fe and he has his work cut out for him shaping up a department left in shambles by his predecessor. When an ambassador's estranged wife is found murdered and his team is taken off the case because the FBI and other federal officers move in to solve it, he is skeptical. A quick resolution leads him to the conclusion that this is a cover up but digging deeper could cost him his life as well as his pregnant wife's and officers serving under him. Will Kerney be able to back down and not follow it through to protect those he cares about?

In the meantime, he's not receiving a lot of support from his superiors. As Kerney says on page 84 of the hardback version, "..holding back on the somewhat snide thought that criminals really should be more sensitive to the chamber-of-commerce vision of a picture-perfect retirement and murder of a prominent citizen was unseemly, only served to tarnish the city's image, and caused hand wringing for both the boosters and the local politicians."

I highly recommend this book in the Kevin Kerney series.

pazt

"Belshazzar's Daughter" by Barbara Nadel

This mystery set in Istanbul's poor Jewish quarter is full of intrigue and unsolved mysteries beyond the initial murder that sets off an investigation by Inspector Cetin Ikmen. While investigating the murder, Inspector Ikmen is also dealing with a strict Muslim wife (who disapproves of his drinking), his retired professor father who lives with them, and his eight children -- with another due very soon!

Inspector Ikmen's investigation leads him and his staff to an English-language teacher with some secrets of his own, a half-German businessman known to be a Nazi sympathizer, and a ninety-year-old Russian emigre and her rather unconventional family who also have secrets to hide. As Ikmen methodically pursues a killer, the investigation also divulges secrets as well as connections among these diverse and colorful characters and involves more murder and danger along the way.

Although Barbara Nadel was born in England, she has been a regular vistor to Turkey for more than twenty years. This is her first novel and the fact that it was published by Thomas Dunne books impressed me. (Thomas Dunne is the only publisher who was willing to publish Joe Haldeman's science fiction book, "The Forever War," so soon after the Vietnam War.)

The characters in Nadel's book are well developed and interesting and the plot kept me guessing throughout. I will read more of her books in the future.

pazt