Product Description In a fashionable apartment in Paris a double murder is committed; the victims are Clie Montereau, a young woman from a wealthy family, and the man who was blackmailing her. Aristide Ravel is the young investigator, and freelance undercover agent, who is responsible for finding the truth. But in the post-revolutionary city of Paris, he must negotiate an elaborate and ornate web of hidden secrets, long-nurtured hatreds, crimes of passion-and of course, high-society scandal. With elaborate French culture atmosphere, author Susanne Alleyn creates a sophisticated and stylish mystery.
Be impatient to get your hands on it!April 5, 2006 Erika M. Vause(Chicago, IL) 10 out of 10 found this review helpful
Few historical mystery novels I've read have been as painstakingly researched and yet as smoothly written as this gripping and suspenseful tale of 1790s Paris. The reader will find him/herself equally as engaged by the vivid portrayal of the times as the fast-paced and original plot. Game of Patience tries neither one's patience nor one's credulity, managing to keep the guessing game going up until its surprising yet logical ending. Love, murder, blackmail and cross-dressing.. what more could one want? A must-read for mystery lovers, Francophiles and anyone seeking to escape the ordinary for a few hundred pages.
Best Historical Mystery in YearsMay 11, 2007 Erin Bulman(Portland, OR United States) 7 out of 7 found this review helpful
Susanne Alleyn's GAME OF PATIENCE is just about the best historical
mystery I've read in a long time. It's a police procedural set in Paris,
just a few years after the Revolution. Aristides Ravel, the protagonist,
is an "agent of the police", a sort of investigator/police spy with a
troublesome conscience. Called in to help investigate the double
murder of a man and a young lady in the man's apartment, Ravel
stalks the decadent post-Revolution society, uncovering secret after
secret, passion, and revenge. The plot is marvelously devious, the
writing very good, and full of terrific detail about France between the
Terror and the rise of Napoleon. Alleyn really captures the atmosphere
of the time, as well as delivering a damn good mystery. I'm not a
particular fan of historical mysteries, but this one is as good as they
come. Time after time, it seems Ravel has the answers, only to discover
they only lead to more questions. The denouement is fantastic.
taut French police proceduralMarch 25, 2006 Harriet Klausner 3 out of 3 found this review helpful
In 1796 Paris, undercover police spy, investigator Aristide Ravel and his superior Commissaire Brasseur, investigate the murders of property landlord Jean-Louis Saint-Ange and his former lover, Célie Montereau in a chic apartment owned by the former. Aristide quickly learns that no one misses Jean-Louis with many rejoicing at his death because he was a nasty sort blackmailing aristocrat; the blackguard even extorted money from Celie, who was his lover.
An interrogation of Célie's acrimonious friend Rosalie Clément leads Aristide to Philippe Aubry, a violent man who allegedly loved the female victims, but he has an airtight alibi. At the same time to his chagrin, Aristide begins to fall in love with Rosalie, though he has not totally ruled her out as abetting the killer by hiding much of what she knows from him and Brasseur. Aristide keeps digging as he knows Brasseur plans to send Rosalie ton a date with Madame Guillotine.
This is a tremendous post-revolution but pre Napoleon taut French police procedural starring a hero with a bothered conscience because he knows he sent innocent people to the guillotine. The who-done-it is cleverly devised so that the audience obtains a deep look at 1796 Paris yet never slows down the pace of the investigation. Still this tale belongs to Aristide, who believes his past prevents him from a future filled with love that is if he can figure out who his rancorous beloved protects. Fans will also want to read the delightful homage to Dickens, A FAR BETTER REST
Harriet Klausner
A Great MysteryJune 26, 2007 Laura W. Young 3 out of 3 found this review helpful
In Sussanne Alleyn's first Astride Ravel book, she creates a fantastic historical mystery novel. The historical accuracy is amazing, its the first fiction book I've read with a biblography. The mystery is great, the twists keep piling up. Its one of the best books I've read in a long time.
Truly excellent!February 23, 2010 L. J. Roberts(Oakland, CA) 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
First Sentence: Aristide did not often set foot in the Place de Grève.
Aristide Ravel is an freelance police investigator working for Commissaire Brasseur in Paris. They are called to a fashionable apartment to view a double murder scene. One victim; the apartment owner and, they learn, a blackmailer. The other victim; a young woman from a wealthy family and the blackmailer's victim. A friend of the young woman, Rosalie Clèment, points Ravel toward a handsome young man, Philippe Aubry, who the victim loved. She is adamant Aubry is guilty but the evidence is less certain. Ravel must find the true killer and find out why Rosalie is determined to see Aubry beheaded.
First, a caution: Do not read the flyleaf of the hardcover as it gives way too much of the plot without conveying any of the emotion you experience reading the book.
Set two years after "the Terror," it is a fascinating look at Paris after the Revolution. Alleyn's descriptions are exacting and powerful. Her level of research is clear and well represented by the exacting detail included in every aspect of the story. I very much appreciate the information included in the Forward and Historical Notes.
Her dialogue is excellent. It conveys the cadence of French without trying too hard but, moreover, it conveys strong emotion without ever being strident or histrionic but is, at times, filled with pathos. There is one conversation dealing with fathers and sons which was so well done.
Ravel is such a wonderful character. After his experiences, he dreads the possibility of sending one who is innocent to the guillotine. Each of the characters of this story were very strong, particularly those of Ravel, Rosalie and, to a slightly lesser degree, Sanson. As we get to know each one, we learn more about the others; their history and their motives.
The story is very well plotted, and the plot is driven by motives. There are excellent twists. Even though I perceived the direction one twist would take, the impact was no less powerful when it was realized. The story, and particularly the ending, was sad, poignant and tragic, yet ultimately satisfying. That's a tough combination to pull off successfully, yet Alleyn does it admirably.
This is a story that will stay with me long after having closed the cover. I lost sleep reading this book, even waking in the night to note that it has a very cinemagraphic quality to it and, strangely, made me think of "Casablanca."
I highly recommend this book but do suggest first reading "The Cavalier of the Apocalypse" first. Although it was published in 2009, it is a prequel to the series.
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