June 27, 2022
Set in 1940 Paris, this uneven series launch from Pryor (the Hugo Marston series) introduces Insp. Henri Lefort, who soon after the Germans occupy the city is called to the home of famous psychoanalyst Marie Bonaparte (“call me Mimi”), to investigate a burglary and a murder. After a quick-witted assessment of the situation, Henri brings the case to a successful conclusion, which catches SS officer Ludwig Vogel’s attention. Vogel gives Henri one week to solve the murder of his subordinate, Walter Fischer, who was stabbed to death in the Louvre two days earlier. Should Henri fail to do so, he faces torture at the hands of Vogel. Meanwhile, Henri’s angry reaction to certain sounds, such as the crunch of apples being eaten, has intrigued Mimi, who wants to psychoanalyze him. He agrees to this in exchange for parcels of hard-to-get food and wines. Henri’s psychoanalysis sessions alternate with the sleuthing. An intriguing setup and fascinating details about life in occupied Paris help make up for the coincidence-heavy plot and some ramshackle pacing caused by the many scene shifts involving Henri’s complicated backstory. WWII history buffs may want to have a look. Agent: Ann Collette, Rees Literary.
November 1, 2022
Narrator P. J. Ochlan impressively portrays the international cast of characters in this thought-provoking World War II thriller, the first in a new series from Pryor, a defense attorney and author of the Hugo Marston series. Ochlan is magnificent as Pryor's protagonist, the cynical and somewhat cheeky Paris police detective Henri Lefort. It is July 1940, and Lefort's crankiness is justified as Nazis have overtaken his beloved Paris, and he now reports to German officers. Still haunted by his traumatic WWI experiences, Lefort can barely maintain civility toward his German associates, especially after he is threatened with severe punishment if he cannot solve--by himself and in seven days--the murder of a German officer. During the course of his work, Lefort encounters the lively historical figures of Princess Marie (Mimi) Bonaparte, great-grandniece of Napoleon and a psychoanalyst by trade, and artist Pablo Picasso, who stayed in Paris when many other artists and celebrities of means fled. Ochlan creates remarkably distinct personalities for Bonaparte, Picasso, and all of Pryor's other compelling secondary characters. VERDICT Art aficionados, hardboiled detective lovers, and wartime fiction fans should enjoy this audio, especially given Ochlan's amazing performance. Expect listeners to eagerly await the next series installment.--Beth Farrell
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