Murder in Belleville

By: Cara Black

Narrated by: Carine Montbertrand

Tension runs high in this working-class neighborhood as a hunger strike to protest strict immigration laws escalates among the Algerian immigrants. Aimée barely escapes death in a car bombing in this tale of terrorism and greed in the shadows of Paris.

©2000 Cara Black (P)2011 Recorded Books

very entertaining. The story gets more intense.

The story starys oit a little slowly, or at least I thought so. But it develops with several twists and turns. The narration wad also quite strong, with eaach of the characters voices very distinct.

Murder and Justice in a suspenseful package!

Cara Black tells female centered stories like no one else! Get your mystery fix here.

Very political, but still great Cara Black

I love all books by Cara Black. I learn so much more about the nuances of my favorite city in the world, Paris.

Written by an American married to a Frenchman, and someone who learned to live as the French, Black provides us with an "insider's view" of what it is like to be French. I stay in Paris about 2 months a year, and have for many years, but I never fail to learn more about the city and the French from her books.

Aimee LeDuc epitomizes the spirit of the self-reliant Parisian, with some deep wounds and clouded memories. The French have all suffered.

So, as usual, it was a good listen. However, this book gets extremely political, which is a bit less interesting for me. I expect it from Gabriel Alon, but not Aimee LeDuc. I prefer her madcap mysteries. Still a great listen, though!

Narration 3 stars Story 2 stars

Was hoping the second book would improve the series. The main character takes absurd and amateurish risks. Her affinity to ‘bad boys’ is silly. The story is confusing and the characters are stereotypes. Wishing I could give higher marks, but I’m giving up after two books even though it’s included in audible plus. I had high hopes for female detective story set in France. The narrator is pretty decent, but the American accented English of the French characters takes one out of the story. Especially when contrasted with the painstakingly French accented pronunciation of towns and streets and place names.

Awful narration of a mediocre novel

Even the annoying reading couldn’t keep me awake. International intrigue not very intriguing. My second and last effort into Cara Black.

Pretty bad

It seems the narrator of this book was picked for her ability to over-emote French words, locations and names, not for her narrative abilities. I found listening to her grating.

Regarding the story, it was too confusing trying to keep track of all the Muslim factions swirling around an immigrant standoff in a church, combined with the double-dealing between relatives of an activist cleric and corrupt politicians.

And finally, somehow the author thinks the heroine's weakness for bad boys isn't a hackneyed plot device? I mean, even in tense situations, when the heroine's cell phone rings, her first thought is - Can it be Yves? And this is a guy who she apparently doesn't know very well, hadn't seen in quite awhile, yet has a key to her apartment and comes and goes whenever he pleases? Really?

Overall, I really wanted to like this series given its premise of a private detective living and working in Paris. I was sadly disappointed.