*[Blog Tour Review] Baudelaire's Revenge by Bob van Laerhoven

 

Summary:

It is 1870, and Paris is in turmoil.

As the social and political turbulence of the Franco-Prussian War roils the city, workers starve to death while aristocrats seek refuge in orgies and seances. The Parisians are trapped like rats in their beautiful city but a series of gruesome murders captures their fascination and distracts them from the realities of war. The killer leaves lines from the recently deceased Charles Baudelaire's controversial anthology Les Fleurs du Mal on each corpse, written in the poet's exact handwriting. Commissioner Lefevre, a lover of poetry and a veteran of the Algerian war, is on the case, and his investigation is a thrilling, intoxicating journey into the sinister side of human nature, bringing to mind the brooding and tense atmosphere of Patrick Susskind's Perfume. Did Baudelaire rise from the grave? Did he truly die in the first place? The plot dramatically appears to extend as far as the court of the Emperor Napoleon III.

A vivid, intelligent, and intense historical crime novel that offers up some shocking revelations about sexual mores in 19th century France, this superb mystery illuminates the shadow life of one of the greatest names in poetry.

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 288 pages (Hardcover)

Source: Review Copy

Available Formats: Print/E-book

Publication Date: April 15th 2014 by Pegasus Books (first published July 1st 2007)            

What a thrilling ride back in time!

I've been really getting into books set in France so when I saw this one on Goodreads one day I knew I had to read it, then I was lucky enough to get the tour invite for it not long after so I knew it was meant to be.

Bob van Learhoven brought 1870s Paris to life for me. In reading Baudelaire's Revenge I felt completely immersed in the history of that time and became really invested in the wonderfully written cast of characters that he obviously spent a good deal of time on getting to be just right.

Before reading this book, I'd had no clue who Baudelaire was but the novel, makes me want to learn more about him. What I loved most about the book is how the author used his poems to fit into this historical mystery. It was done so in such a way that it really made me think, which to me is something I love having. If I don't have to work my brain for a mystery, then it's not much of one in my opinion.

However, like I said this one hit all the marks for me. It had a rich historical setting that showed the underbelly of Parisian society while still giving glimmers of hope. I especially loved Commissioner LeFevre and his dedication to solve the murders as well as loving how his mind worked, I thought he was really fascinating as were the other characters. Each seemed to fit into a certain niche and played a part in the tale.

The plot was great, it was engrossing and definitely kept my attention the whole way through and didn't have any lulls or stale parts. The writing was detailed but not in a superfluous way where things were unneeded. Everything just seemed to play a part so nothing was left out in my opinion and nothing was added in that wasn't essential. I liked see how Lefevre go about solving the crimes and while I thought I knew who the killer was in the end I was completely wrong, and I LOVED that. It came as a complete surprise for me and really made me love this novel even more.

Overall, there wasn't a single thing I didn't enjoy about this novel. At 288 pages Bob van Laerhoven was able to squeeze in a thrilling story that felt much longer (in a good way) because of how well written it was. I will definitely read more by him and I can honestly say that this is one I will be re-reading again. I would recommend this to everyone but I can really see historical fiction and historical mystery fans loving this one.

Author Bio:

Bob Van Laerhoven became a full-time author in 1991 and has written more than thirty books in Holland and Belgium. The context of his stories isn’t invented behind his desk, rather it is rooted in personal experience. As a freelance travel writer, for example, he explored conflicts and trouble-spots across the globe from the early 1990s to 2005. Echoes of his experiences on the road also trickle through in his novels. Somalia, Liberia, Sudan, Gaza, Iran, Iraq, Myanmar… to name but a few.
During the Bosnian war, Van Laerhoven spent part of 1992 in the besieged city of Sarajevo. Three years later he was working for MSF – Doctors without frontiers – in the Bosnian city of Tuzla during the NATO bombings. At that moment the refugees arrived from the Muslim enclave of Srebrenica. Van Laerhoven was the first writer from the Low Countries to be given the chance to speak to the refugees. His conversations resulted in a travel book: Srebrenica. Getuigen van massamoord – Srebrenica. Testimony to a Mass Murder. The book denounces the rape and torture of the Muslim population of this Bosnian-Serbian enclave and is based on first-hand testimonies. He also concludes that mass murders took place, an idea that was questioned at the time but later proven accurate.
All these experiences contribute to Bob Van Laerhoven’s rich and commendable oeuvre, an oeuvre that typifies him as the versatile author of novels, travel stories, books for young adults, theatre pieces, biographies, poetry, non-fiction, letters, columns, articles… He is also a prize-winning author:  in 2007 he won the Hercule Poirot Prize for best thriller of the year with his novel De Wraak van Baudelaire – Baudelaire’s Revenge.

 

 

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

 

Loved It!
★★★★★

 

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The Yard (The Murder Squad #1) by Alex Grecian

Summary:

Victorian London is a cesspool of crime, and Scotland Yard has only twelve detectives--known as "The Murder Squad"--to investigate countless murders every month. Created after the Metropolitan Police's spectacular failure to capture Jack the Ripper, The Murder Squad suffers rampant public contempt. They have failed their citizens. But no one can anticipate the brutal murder of one of their own . . . one of the twelve . . .When Walter Day, the squad's newest hire, is assigned the case of the murdered detective, he finds a strange ally in the Yard's first forensic pathologist, Dr. Bernard Kingsley. Together they track the killer, who clearly is not finished with The Murder Squad . . . but why?Filled with fascinating period detail, and real historical figures, this spectacular debut in a new series showcases the depravity of late Victorian London, the advent of criminology, and introduces a stunning new cast of characters sure to appeal to fans of "The Sherlockian" and "The Alienist."
Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 681 pages (Hardcover Large Print)
Source: Toronto Public Library
Available Formats: Print/E-book/Audio
Publication Date: June 1st 2012 by Thorndike Press (first published January 1st 2012)

I'd had The Yard on my radar for quite some time before I actually sat down and read it (in one sitting it was that good!) In fact, I'd borrowed it 4 times from the library before and I always sent it back unread, saying that I'd get to it next time. Now I'm kicking myself in the pants for having not read it the first time around because I absolutely loved Alex Grecian's premier novel in the Murder Squad series.

This had everything I want to find in a historical mystery. I for one love historical mysteries set in England in this time period especially since the novel takes place only a year after Jack the Ripper strikes fear into the very heart of London herself and Grecian did a stand up job capturing the feelings of not only the police at the time who are still facing ridicule over not catching Bloody Jack, but the general public as well who are still looking over their shoulders. I love how real he made the setting, because as I read I was almost certain I'd been taken back in time. The sights, smells and sounds of London in the 1880s were subtly written into the story but were enough to make everything come to life, including the characters.

We have Walter Day, a newly hired detective who along with the unkempt constable Neville Hammersmith and Dr. Kingsley at the center of this story that involves dead children, missing children, a dead police officer and threats that target those closest to the three men they work together seamlessly to bring the culprit in even if it means they'll have to shed some of their own blood.

I really like how all three men work together as each are strong characters in their own right but the way they play off each other was what really made me want to read more, because no matter how good a plot is if the characters aren't strong it feels lopsided to me. The good thing is none of these men are perfect.

Walter is bewildered with his new job, he has a young wife at home and he wants treat her like a queen. Neville is driven on by a strong sense of justice and is like a pitbull. Once he latches on he's set in his ways even if it means injury to himself. Dr. Kingsley, the widower and father of two girls who spends far to much time alone brings a brilliant mind to round out the trio by giving Day and Hammersmith new evidence that he's found by using new methods in forensics which was in it's infantry. All of them brought a different aspect to the story, strengths and weaknesses alike without detracting from the story and each other and it made them more human seeing that while they were all brilliant they didn't put everything together right away.

I didn't even guess who the killer was until the author gave a single clue, but while I focused on that other factors were at play and Grecian really played with my mind because he had so much going on that it wasn't until the end that everything became clear which was fantastic. When I was reading I felt like I was a part of the hunt for the fiend as well and got so absorbed in the story that it was all I could think about. The killer was an interesting man to say the least and I liked how he was revealed, and how his own sad story was worked into the story as well.

Overall, this book had everything I love. It had thrills and chills and was quite dark without being explicitly graphic. The plot was fantastic, and like I said it took me until the end to really marvel at how the author connected everything together after an adventurous chase. The characters were superb and when I finished the book I felt like I was saying farewell to friends, because of how attached I'd become. I would have no problem recommending this to mystery fans but if you're looking for a quaint and cozy British historical mystery then this one might not be the one for you. However, if you're like me and like your historical mysteries to be written in that Sherlockian vein that made Sir Arthur Conan Doyle so famous then this might just be your next read. Be prepared to be sucked into Alex Grecian's The Yard to get a feel for a thrilling manhunt that is sure to entertain you.

Loved It!
★★★★ ★

 

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2014 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

January 1, 2014 – December 31, 2014

 

We are excited to announce that the we will again be hosting the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge in 2014, and we hope that you are all excited at the prospect of joining in.

The challenge will run in the same way as it has over the last couple of years that we have hosted the challenge. The only thing that has changed is that I have added an additional category for those hard core HF readers who want to challenge themselves to read more than 50 HF novels over the course of the next 12 months.

Here are the details:
Each month, a new post dedicated to the HF Challenge will be created. To participate, you only have to follow the rules.

 

Rules:

• everyone can participate, even those who don't have a blog (you can add your book title and thoughts in the comment section if you wish)
• add the link(s) of your review(s) including your name and book title to the Mister Linky we’ll be adding to our monthly post (please, do not add your blog link, but the correct address that will guide us directly to your review)
• any kind of historical fiction is accepted (HF fantasy, HF young adult,...)

During the following 12 months you can choose one of the different reading levels:

 

20th century reader - 2 books
Victorian reader - 5 books
Renaissance Reader - 10 books
Medieval - 15 booksAncient History - 25 booksPrehistoric - 50+ books

 

I'm signing up for the Medieval Level but I'm hoping to make it to the Ancient History level.

 

To join the challenge you only need to make a post about it, add your link in Mr. Linky below or just leave a link to your blog if you are not yet ready to post about it yet. If you don't have a blog you can just leave a comment for this post saying that you are joining.

The challenge runs from 1 January to 31 December 2014.

This reading challenge is hosted by Historical Tapestry. For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.