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Victor Legris #5
The Predator of Batignolles
In the turbulent Parisian summer of 1893,Victor Legris has vowed to give up the dangerous hobby of amateur sleuthing to concentrate on selling books. But a murderer is at large in Paris, intent on revenge for events that took place many years before during the Commune. And when a bookbinder friend of Victor's becomes the latest victim of the mysterious Leopard, the young bookseller feels impelled to resume his detective work and uncover the identity of the Batignolles predator.
326 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2005
About the author
Claude Izner
54 books87 followersPseudonym of Liliane Korb (1940) and her sister Laurence Korb (1951) known as well as Laurence Lefèvre.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
August 30, 2016
Either the Claude Izner is getting better with each novel, or I am just becoming more entranced with the world of Paris in the 1890s. In the Shadows of Paris: A Victor Legris Mystery could easily have gone astray, what with THREE detectives, FOUR murder victims, and ONE very promising red herring. Probably my reaction has something to do with the fact that the two-sister act writing as Claude Izner are better able to handle complexity.
There is also a fairly large cast of minor characters, from Victor Legris's Russian painter girlfriend to whoever Kenji Mori is currently romancing, his lovely daughter Iris, JoJo's mother, the obstreperous clientele of Victor's bookshop -- the list goes on and on.
Much of the action is based on the horrors of the Paris Commune, some two decades before the action of the novel. Many thousands of Parisians lost their lives in the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War, when the residents of Paris refused to go along with French President Adolph Thiers, whereupon he brought in the Prussian army to batter them into surrender, and thereafter execute them by the tens of thousands. It is an event not known to most Americans, as it is to the French. Only during the famine that accompanied the war against the Communards did the Parisians begin to eat horsemeat, which they still do.
There is also a fairly large cast of minor characters, from Victor Legris's Russian painter girlfriend to whoever Kenji Mori is currently romancing, his lovely daughter Iris, JoJo's mother, the obstreperous clientele of Victor's bookshop -- the list goes on and on.
Much of the action is based on the horrors of the Paris Commune, some two decades before the action of the novel. Many thousands of Parisians lost their lives in the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War, when the residents of Paris refused to go along with French President Adolph Thiers, whereupon he brought in the Prussian army to batter them into surrender, and thereafter execute them by the tens of thousands. It is an event not known to most Americans, as it is to the French. Only during the famine that accompanied the war against the Communards did the Parisians begin to eat horsemeat, which they still do.
June 30, 2021
Victor Legris has once again promised Tasha, his lover and, hopefully, soon-to-be wife, that there will be no more investigations into murder. His last adventure nearly ended disastrously for both himself and his mentor/partner Kenji and she doesn't want him getting killed like the proverbial curious cat. But, of course, it's difficult to resist when murder strikes one of his and Kenji's friends--a bookbinder who was repairing a very valuable book for them. It's also hard to resist when Joseph, the bookshop's assistant, keeps bringing interesting tidbits to Victor's attention and it becomes apparent that the fire at the bookbinder's is part of a series of inter-connected crimes. But who is behind the murders that include an actor, a book-binder, a printer, and a policeman? What motive could include such a variety of victims? And what do the messages left behind at each scene mean? Literary messages that refer to a mysterious leopard. As Victor and Joseph investigate, they find ties to events which took place many years ago. And it seems that someone is exacting revenge for some of the terrible actions during the Siege of Paris.
As with the previous four books in this series, I wanted to like this a lot more than I actually did. It seems like it should be good. The setting of Paris at the end of the 19th century is appealing. The plots have the makings of a good story. But each time they fall flat. I don't know if the fault is in the translation from the French or if the storyline is really as scattered and ragged as it appears in English. But scattered, it is. We have scene breaks that aren't indicated. One moment we're with one set of characters in a certain place and in the next paragraph we're somewhere else with someone else. Some sort of indication would be nice--a decorative symbol or two to indicate that there's a change coming. Something.
Also, in previous reviews I indicated that I'd be a lot happier if Joseph were the amateur detective and we could skip Victor. Victor, despite the fact that he lies to Tasha about getting involved because he just can't stay away from mysteries, just doesn't seem to be really invested as a detective. He's compelled to get involved but then he's not really all that into it and he's not all that great at it, either. He stumbles across clues and somehow manages to run into exactly the right person to talk to--but it just happens, he doesn't really investigate properly. Joseph takes investigation much more seriously...in general. But even Joseph seemed lacking in this outing. Maybe because the course of true love had gone awry (he's in love with Kenji's daughter and they've had a tiff) and his mind isn't entirely on the job.
Even the fact that there was a pretty nifty twist at the end couldn't save this one for me. I'm very glad that I only have one more sitting on my shelf (and only one more needed to complete my target for the Six Shooter Reading Challenge). Once that's done, I won't be returning to Victor Legis's Paris again. ★★ --for setting, the basic plot, and the ending.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
As with the previous four books in this series, I wanted to like this a lot more than I actually did. It seems like it should be good. The setting of Paris at the end of the 19th century is appealing. The plots have the makings of a good story. But each time they fall flat. I don't know if the fault is in the translation from the French or if the storyline is really as scattered and ragged as it appears in English. But scattered, it is. We have scene breaks that aren't indicated. One moment we're with one set of characters in a certain place and in the next paragraph we're somewhere else with someone else. Some sort of indication would be nice--a decorative symbol or two to indicate that there's a change coming. Something.
Also, in previous reviews I indicated that I'd be a lot happier if Joseph were the amateur detective and we could skip Victor. Victor, despite the fact that he lies to Tasha about getting involved because he just can't stay away from mysteries, just doesn't seem to be really invested as a detective. He's compelled to get involved but then he's not really all that into it and he's not all that great at it, either. He stumbles across clues and somehow manages to run into exactly the right person to talk to--but it just happens, he doesn't really investigate properly. Joseph takes investigation much more seriously...in general. But even Joseph seemed lacking in this outing. Maybe because the course of true love had gone awry (he's in love with Kenji's daughter and they've had a tiff) and his mind isn't entirely on the job.
Even the fact that there was a pretty nifty twist at the end couldn't save this one for me. I'm very glad that I only have one more sitting on my shelf (and only one more needed to complete my target for the Six Shooter Reading Challenge). Once that's done, I won't be returning to Victor Legis's Paris again. ★★ --for setting, the basic plot, and the ending.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
May 4, 2014
One of the most accessible of Claude Izner mysteries--familiar as I am with Parisian history and geography, the multitude of characters drifting in and out of a multi-layered plot, some in disguise, made me constantly go back and find earlier mentions to pick up the thread of the plot weave. It all pretty much made sense at the end, but at that point I thought I needed to go back and start reading again from page 1. The diversity of ethnic backgrounds for the characters is appealing, the remembering of bloody history is something we always need, but the ponderous love stories (all 3 of them!) could actually be just a tad spicier. I may go back and try "Murder on the Eiffel Tower" again--I'd gotten so bogged down in the swirling grayness of that story that I'd given it up. Here, the long fingers of the Commune horrors, the Persian manuscript hunt, and how printing happened in the late 19th century were all fascinating, and once I got into it, I couldn't put it down. I do want to give all the characters a good shake pretty often--but must remember the 1890s is not the 21st century and leave them to their tamped-down emotional connections. And I've read enough French novels to know that the French really do fiction and cinema differently from Americans--so just must go live in their world during the novel.
March 12, 2013
I like the characters in the series which is why I continue reading it. The authors create a cacophony of images of turn of the century Paris which tends to get in the way of being able to follow the plot. There are so many characters and images it's sometimes hard to follow the thread of the story. The story line was so convoluted and it led to a bit of a hard to believe pieced together end. It's as if the weak plot line was just an excuse to provide descriptions of the time and people.
January 7, 2014
A bit sporadic in parts, with many story lines crossing at once (making it tricky to keep up if not read in one sitting.) I enjoyed the 'feel' of this book -- very Paris, and very iconic of the era. An enjoyable read, to be sure!
December 9, 2014
Another good one. History of the siege of Paris, the defeat by Prussia, & the violence of the Commune is well integrated into the mystery. Yes, lots of plot threads as usual but they add up nicely at the end.
July 27, 2015
I was hoping for more from this book. I thought it was a bit scattered and not very cohesive. I will try one of his other 4 books since they are all set in Paris, but if the next one isn't better, I won't try the others.
May 24, 2024
La mia reticenza ad attribuire cinque stelle alla saga di Victor Legris è dovuta ad un certo pudore nell'appaiarla a grandi capolavori- tipo Divina Commedia- a cui ho dato il massimo della votazione; non posso esimermi però dal confessare che ho sviluppato una vera e propria ossessione per il bell'investigatore-libraio che nella Parigi di fine '800 indaga su crimini efferati circondato da una combriccola di riuscite "spalle" letterarie (il mio preferito? L'enigmatico Kenji, orientale dotto e con una passione per le massime di sua invenzione, che ha fatto da padre a Legris). Questa volta la Parigi del 1893 è scossa da misteriosi omicidi- di un rilegatore, di un capocomico, di un decoratore di porcellane- in qualche modo legate alle rivolte della Comune del '70. E la Storia, infatti, un'altra grande protagonista della saga, che fa prepotentemente il suo ingresso in ogni pagina: la Storia libresca, certo, ma soprattutto quella degli umili, dei poveracci che tiravano a campare nei sobborghi dedicandosi alle attività più disparate.
Una meraviglia insomma.
Quanto dovrò aspettare il prossimo capitolo??? Sorelle che vi firmate con lo pseudonimo di Claude Izner, abbiate pietà e fate in fretta...
Una meraviglia insomma.
Quanto dovrò aspettare il prossimo capitolo??? Sorelle che vi firmate con lo pseudonimo di Claude Izner, abbiate pietà e fate in fretta...
December 30, 2021
This series is a Francophile’s delight. I’ve enjoyed five of the books, the sixth, and so far the last, still to come. In the gloom of, in particular, recent winters, these mysteries have been a much needed escape. The plots are clever, slow to evolve, which makes them enticing. The author(s) recreate a vivid, well researched, backdrop of Victorian Paris, in all its finery, foppery, and, miserable poverty of the era. If you are a lover of books, writers and literary history, you will be inundated with references, as Legris, the protagonist, is a bookseller! Origins of the Can Can, read it here.
August 3, 2017
A strange little book. I picked it up thinking it would be a light mystery. Do not be deceived! It is a complex story with so many characters you need a flow chart. This series is authored by two French lady booksellers who are obviously experts in the history of Paris. I wish I knew more about the history of Paris before I started it because I must admit, I was confused most of the time. In the end, I persevered because I love to read about Paris and the main characters were intriguing. But, I will pick up something a little simpler next time.
May 3, 2018
Adoro questa saga per gli accenni storici e il clima parigino.
E' un tuffo nel passato, dove non mancano amori e gelosie, tra macabri delitti.
L'ambientazione è realizzata molto bene, mi piace il fatto che, di tanto in tanto, spuntino fuori frasi in lingue, canzonette o poesie.
La narrazione è un po' ingarbugliata, il miglior pregio della saga è la ottima ricostruzione storica.
E' un tuffo nel passato, dove non mancano amori e gelosie, tra macabri delitti.
L'ambientazione è realizzata molto bene, mi piace il fatto che, di tanto in tanto, spuntino fuori frasi in lingue, canzonette o poesie.
La narrazione è un po' ingarbugliata, il miglior pregio della saga è la ottima ricostruzione storica.
August 15, 2023
Abbandonato a pagina 170. Speravo di essere coinvolta dalla trama ma nulla; troppi nomi, anche di personaggi secondari, e personaggi poco delineati...quei pochi che riuscivo a ricordare (personaggi principali) non mi hanno colpito, sono rimasti dei semplici nomi stampati su carta. Peccato
November 26, 2022
It was alright
Read
June 25, 2019Meh. Not finished. It wasn't catching my attention in the least.
February 22, 2016
I would have loved to have given this book five stars and I would, had there not been two things bothering me from the start. 1) There are time discrepancies and since I am a reader that pays attention, then I get irritated. If the main character is told they can not interview someone that is out of town till the 24 July, then stick to that! Readers are not stupid, we do pay attention! 2) In all other novels, there have been information pages about the major event, that is the foundation for the novel one is reading. In this book, the background is the Franco-Prussian war and about when the French turned on their own. Murdering thousands right and left, turning in lovers, neighbours, friends, foes, to the police and them getting executed without trials. Throughout the book, I who am a historian, tried to understand, tried to remember if I have ever heard anything about this nightmare. But I did not get a grip on what was really going on. Yes, the book was written for a French audience that might be well aware of these events, BUT since it's been translated, it would have been nice with a historical review of the events, for us foreigners that have missed this part of history! All the other books have had it so why was it left out this time?
Otherwise, it is a complicated murder mystery. You will have to read it in one sitting or max in two days, so you don't forget ALL the names, because there are lots of them in the book. A man is haunted by his past, he will not forget 1871 and feels that he must deal with his memories to get peace of mind. The year now being 1893. A petty thief, is asked to break in to a jewelry shop and steal cigarette holders, lots of them. Someone sells false stock shares and hands out the cigarette holders, to the investors. At the same time, one by one, the people involved in the scam are being murdered. But what gets our hero, Victor Legris, book shop owner, to turn to sleuthing again, is the death of a book binder. He dies in a strange fire. Just after Joseph, the clerk of the book shop, has delivered a valuable manuscript to be bound. And Kenji Mori, stepfather of Victor's, starts investigating what has happened to the manuscript. Not until the last pages, do we see the entire picture! That everything is deeply connected in a way, one could never have guessed oneself!
These books are best read in order, since there are personal stories running along the mysteries. Victor Legris has finally accepted that Tasha, his Jewish Russian artist mistress, will never marry him. That is when she actually decides that she wants to marry him even though he is jealous and lies to her about playing detective. Joseph, that was so much in love with Iris, Victor's half-sister, has broken off the engagement with her, because she let herself be painted by a scandalous artist. But of course he can not be mad at her forever. Kenji, her dad, has had to see his can-can dancing mistress take off for Russia with an Archduke. So he starts taking an interest in Tasha's beautiful artist mother, that has now moved to Paris. But before he decides to act, Fifi, comes back from Russia, wanting Kenji back. So their stories will continue in the next book. I am glad to say though, that in this book, the main characters' lives got less attention than usual and we do not have to read about all the sex that Victor and Tasha are having, which has been tedious in previous books!
Otherwise, it is a complicated murder mystery. You will have to read it in one sitting or max in two days, so you don't forget ALL the names, because there are lots of them in the book. A man is haunted by his past, he will not forget 1871 and feels that he must deal with his memories to get peace of mind. The year now being 1893. A petty thief, is asked to break in to a jewelry shop and steal cigarette holders, lots of them. Someone sells false stock shares and hands out the cigarette holders, to the investors. At the same time, one by one, the people involved in the scam are being murdered. But what gets our hero, Victor Legris, book shop owner, to turn to sleuthing again, is the death of a book binder. He dies in a strange fire. Just after Joseph, the clerk of the book shop, has delivered a valuable manuscript to be bound. And Kenji Mori, stepfather of Victor's, starts investigating what has happened to the manuscript. Not until the last pages, do we see the entire picture! That everything is deeply connected in a way, one could never have guessed oneself!
These books are best read in order, since there are personal stories running along the mysteries. Victor Legris has finally accepted that Tasha, his Jewish Russian artist mistress, will never marry him. That is when she actually decides that she wants to marry him even though he is jealous and lies to her about playing detective. Joseph, that was so much in love with Iris, Victor's half-sister, has broken off the engagement with her, because she let herself be painted by a scandalous artist. But of course he can not be mad at her forever. Kenji, her dad, has had to see his can-can dancing mistress take off for Russia with an Archduke. So he starts taking an interest in Tasha's beautiful artist mother, that has now moved to Paris. But before he decides to act, Fifi, comes back from Russia, wanting Kenji back. So their stories will continue in the next book. I am glad to say though, that in this book, the main characters' lives got less attention than usual and we do not have to read about all the sex that Victor and Tasha are having, which has been tedious in previous books!
September 15, 2015
In the Shadows of Paris had a more complicated backstory than the earlier books in the series, but once I got in the rhythm of the narrative, I really enjoyed this installment. It had many of the elements of the earlier volumes, including historical footnotes, lots of book and publishing history, art and sex, richly atmospheric writing, and a nice little map of the relevant parts of 1893 Paris. But the murders were firmly grounded in the past, during the years of the Paris Commune. Instead of including a brief historical overview in the back of the book, the authors wove the historical details into the novel itself. I found this to be very effective, and of course, I was looking up historical information online as I read along. If you liked the earlier books in the Victor Legris series, you will enjoy this one, too. And I actually think that the authors are challenging themselves to write more like Conan Doyle in the Sherlock Holmes mysteries, complete with encoded clues and red herrings. This book had an excellent little plot twist that I began to suspect, but I was surprised nonetheless. Nicely done, sisters Korb and Lefevre!
April 10, 2015
C'est l'histoire d'un vengeance du temps de la Commune. Des imprimeurs, des fausses actions. Le roman est structuré comme les précédents: 100 pages pour rentrer dedans, l'enquête plutôt complexe s'achève sur un deus ex machina au chapitre 14. Tout cela dans un vieux français riche en vocabulaire, expressions et références culturelles.
On renoue avec Paris, les personnages qui évoluent, c'est plaisant. Cependant, le style un peu lourd rend la lecture pénible, pas très fluide. Même si on peut supputer qui est l'assassin, on sait très bien qu'il nous manque un élément important qui ne sera révélé que dans le dernier chapitre (enfin avant-avant-dernier, car il y a l'épilogue et la postface).
Dommage que le roman soit juste moyen.
On renoue avec Paris, les personnages qui évoluent, c'est plaisant. Cependant, le style un peu lourd rend la lecture pénible, pas très fluide. Même si on peut supputer qui est l'assassin, on sait très bien qu'il nous manque un élément important qui ne sera révélé que dans le dernier chapitre (enfin avant-avant-dernier, car il y a l'épilogue et la postface).
Dommage que le roman soit juste moyen.
June 10, 2016
Questo è uno di quei romanzi destinati a scomparire dalla mia mente nel giro di un paio di giorni.
Si tratta di un giallo ambientato nella Parigi di fine ottocento, il che di per sè è una cosa molto intrigante. Purtroppo però la trama è confusa, e il racconto è talmente infarcito di citazioni di romanzi, poesie e canzoni dell'epoca, che è oggettivamente difficile seguire il filo del discorso.
E' molto facile perdersi, ed è altrettanto facile annoiarsi. Non credo che leggerò altro di queste autrici.
Si tratta di un giallo ambientato nella Parigi di fine ottocento, il che di per sè è una cosa molto intrigante. Purtroppo però la trama è confusa, e il racconto è talmente infarcito di citazioni di romanzi, poesie e canzoni dell'epoca, che è oggettivamente difficile seguire il filo del discorso.
E' molto facile perdersi, ed è altrettanto facile annoiarsi. Non credo che leggerò altro di queste autrici.
September 16, 2010
Loyal readers of the Claude Izner series of murder mysteries in 19th century Paris will enjoy the continuing adventures of rare book seller Victor Legris et al in solving yet another serial murder. However by now that plots are getting a little tired and repetitious. If you haven't read any of these books (written by two sisters who clearly love the history of Paris in the 19th century), don't start with this one. Read Murder on the Eiffel Tower and The Père-Lachaise Mystery first.
February 9, 2011
Difinetely not as good as the first four books in this series. This was very convoluted, story was scattered all over the place with way too many characters to keep track of. I struggled with this episode, found it boring and very confusing. Also, the translator was not as good as when she had the other translator accompanying her. Words and phrases were off and didn't make sense. I love the series and the characters but this last book was not very good in my opinion.
August 16, 2013
Having no knowledge of the Siege of Paris and the Commune, I greatly benefited from Izner's intro, which provided just enough background knowledge to connect the "predator's" motive to.
Thankfully Book Five had fewer minor characters than Book Four, with its frustrating multitude of chalice holders! I couldn't keep up with who was who. Book Five righted those wrongs, so I'll probably continue visiting 1890s Paris as long as I can.
Thankfully Book Five had fewer minor characters than Book Four, with its frustrating multitude of chalice holders! I couldn't keep up with who was who. Book Five righted those wrongs, so I'll probably continue visiting 1890s Paris as long as I can.
September 7, 2015
For some reason or other, this Victor Legris Mystery took me a while. A convoluted plot, strings of new characters, and my own volume of mind-boggling paperwork added up to a week of reading back and forth and back and forth til finally I was done and couldn't remember the beginning of the story. HA! Still terribly enjoyable, a good solid mystery starring dear Victor and Kenji and Joseph. For Izner fans, maybe a slower read now and then is a good thing.
November 17, 2013
I always enjoy Izner's books, but he would do well to find a better translator. The English is stilted and convoluted and detracts from reading his books. Still, one gets to know the underbelly of the Paris of the late 1800s and early 1900s--a fascinating stage for his amateur sleuths, and those sleuths--a mixed pedigree of booksellers as well as their lovers all have their unique charms.
April 29, 2017
In fact a 3-star Minus. The story was very slow and only really became interesting in its last third. Also the plot was likely too complex for any reader to come up with the solution on his own. Finally the links with the main protagonists seemed a bit artificial - Still an OK read, the last third was entertaining as was the postface on historical facts of the year, as usual.
September 8, 2016
This was a pleasant surprise. A great book, although there seemed to be too much backstory and too many characters, and then I realized it was the 5th book in a series, so it was to be expected. Still an excellent read though.
January 29, 2018
Uno scalino sotto i precedenti episodi della serie. Rimane l'affascinante atmosfera parigina fin-de-siècle, ma il giallo è macchinoso e la storia non scorre bene.
Dei personaggi, stavolta Victor Legris e Kenji Mori mi sono parsi sotto tono, mentre prevale l'esuberante Joseph.
Dei personaggi, stavolta Victor Legris e Kenji Mori mi sono parsi sotto tono, mentre prevale l'esuberante Joseph.
June 29, 2012
Legris e Jojo affrontano i rancori della Comune -
August 1, 2013
Unfortunately this was a first read for me by the authors, and though the sights and sounds of Paris during the period resonated for me the story line felt all jumbled.
February 10, 2014
It's somewhere between 2.5 and 3 stars. It was difficult to connect with the characters and the narration was somewhat clunky.
March 4, 2014
Really dull.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews