Death at a Paris Hotel by Verity Bright-- 1920s Cozy Mystery
Thank you Bookoture, Verity Bright and NetGalley for an e-ARC. All opinions in this review are my own and not affected by the giveaway.
Ellie and her beloved Hugh have finally tied the knot and are looking forward to a romantic honeymoon in Paris. Hugh has invited Clifford and Gladstone along as well. Sadly, Tomkins has to stay home nursing a sore paw. Aw! There's so much to see and do in Paris and Ellie can't wait to see it all but first, a champagne toast to their marriage at the hotel restaurant. Unfortunately just as they're about to toast to happy ever after, a man comes crashing through the glass roof of the hotel restaurant right in front of Ellie! She has some compassion for the poor man but the hotel manager is curiously reluctant to call a doctor. Ellie does all she can to save the man's life but as his life fades before her eyes, he presses something into her hand. Ellie isn't sure why but she has an odd feeling of familiarity. The French police suspect the man was a thief and Ellie his accomplice! No one seems too interested in investigating the real crime- murder. It's up to Ellie, Hugh and Clifford to follow the trail of clues throughout Paris. Along the way they discover Impressionist art, the Eiffel Tower, possibly corrupt police, a mysterious nobleman and another dead body!
An excellent adventure for Ellie, her love, Clifford and Gladstone. It's very twisty and the most fraught adventure yet. My subconscious actually put it together but there was so much going on, I forgot about my earlier thought and couldn't put the book down. This book was tinged with some sadness. As Ellie begins her married life, hopefully forever is a very long time, I learned Laura Tong, half of the husband and wife duo writing the books, died unexpectedly.
Paris of the 1920s plays a huge role in the story, almost a major character. Can you imagine a time when the Impressionist painters were not well known and their art was only just beginning to sell for a lot of money? Can you imagine when the Eiffel Tower was the tallest building in the world and when elevators were so new, just taking one up the tower was scary enough without thinking about how high up you were. The rooftop party was interesting and really helped created the 1920s setting. I can't imagine NOT going to Paris and geeking out in Montmatre! the windmill! ! EEEEE!!! I'd go EEEE it's Le Moulin de la Galette! You know, Renoir? I love Impressionist art and I loved seeing the familiar scenes from the paintings come to life with the characters. Ellie is not an art connoisseur and even Clifford seems to be unfamiliar with the Impressionists. I want to jump into the book and hang out with Ellie and show her all of my favorite paintings and tell her about the artists. SIGH. DO buy a painting! I think she would like the colors and the light of a Monet Water Lily painting. I'm not a fan of post-Impressionism as much and that's what she's seeing in this adventure but I'd still recognize a famous painting if I saw one. It was fun to time travel and see everything fresh and new. If you don't know much about French art of the early 20th-century, this book has just enough information to send readers looking for pictures but not too much to be boring.
Watching the development of these characters has been wonderful. Ellie arrived with a chip on her shoulder, ready to sell Henley Hall, convinced Clifford was trying to kill her and now look at her! She banters with Clifford like the brother she never had and he adores her. Even if he acts like a devoted servant, they're family. Ellie took awhile to figure out what she wanted and how she wanted to live her life and now she's self-assured and mature. Hugh arrived on the scene grumpy and tried to arrest Ellie. Now they're madly in love and he's so very sweet! Who knew Hugh was a romantic? Ellie does have some trepidations about marriage after her first ended in a spectacular failure but doesn't dwell on it too long. She knows that wasn't her fault and she knows in her heart Hugh loves her and won't let her down and she loves him and would never hurt him. They are the real deal - happily ever after! And Hugh inviting Clifford on the honeymoon signifies Hugh's awareness of how important Ellie's found family is to her. It's too bad she didn't get to reconcile with her uncle but I think somehow he knows how much she loves him. Ellie's endless compassion and empathy make her one of the most appealing cozy mystery sleuths I've ever read.
Monsieur Provonost, the hotel manager, is a shady guy. He is reluctant to call a doctor when a man needs urgent medical care and instead calls the police. The police arrive very quickly and are eager to accuse Ellie of being an accomplice to a theft! The piece stolen from the modern art museum was so minor and unimportant but the police make it out to be a huge deal. Gardien Thierry Haqueville of the police municipale thinks he has all the answers right away. He doesn't even investigate or ask questions. It's all finger pointing and blaming the foreign strangers. Gardien Luc Bernier is a little nicer but kind of wimpy. He's the good cop in the good cop/bad cop scenario but that's not saying much. He does his job but nothing more and is reluctant to speak out when he sees something not quite right. Inspector Grippernel of the Police Nationale is scary. He's eager to lock up our dear friends and pin the blame on them. He's tough and very by the book. French laws are strict and he won't break them. Ellie thinks there's holes in his story and Grippernel must be lying. Yet, there may be a heart inside him after all. I don't think Haqueville has a heart. He's the most self-serving, conniving man and set in motion a chain of events that led to the man falling through the hotel restaurant roof.
Years ago Christophe Ury was a little known painter who died in obscurity and poverty about 26 years ago. He is now, in the time of the story, considered one of the great Post-Impressionist painters and his works are highly sought after and command high prices. Emile, the victim, was a troubled young man who had a tragic childhood. He blamed others for his misfortunes and while some of that was true, the man didn't seem to have a lot of common sense or practical know-how. Emile had a chip on his shoulder and I don't think it endeared him to many people. I don't blame him for his feelings but his actions were not right.
Mr. Eustance Omroy, director of the Musée d'art Contemporain is only too happy to exhibit Christophe Ury's paintings AND his studio. No one can get enough! Omroy is not friendly and doesn't understand intelligent women. He falls for Ellie's ditzy socialite act and allows her to wander the museum searching for clues. Omroy seems weasley to me and probably not on the up and up. He claims nothing was stolen and then later changes his tune. Security in this museum is a little lax for holding such expensive, important art. He works closely with noted art expert, Monsieur Delorme, owner of his own gallery. Delorme is arrogant, egotistical and insincere. He thinks he's going to make a huge commission selling a painting to Ellie so he's nice to her - fake charming. He's a dandy and a smooth talker. He has a story ready for every question Ellie throws at him. Whether the story is true or not, I can't tell you. He's quick to invite Ellie and Hugh to a party he can't attend. Um OK. Is he just sucking up to what he thinks is a wealthy socialite dilettante art collector or is there more to him than that?
Security guard Alain Rion sounded the alarm but something about him seems off. Was he involved with the theft? What does he know about who was in the museum when and where? He must know who the thief was, what the thief took and why. I'm sure Rion even let the thief in! He even admits to getting a good look at the thief and recognizing the man. Sabine, a sculptress, knew Emile. She's created a beautiful and lifelike sculpture of a man Ellie recognizes as Emile. Yet Sabine lies and says she didn't know him well. She doesn't know much of anything and is uncooperative when Ellie questions her. I get the impression she knows more than she's sharing and is lying to save herself. She obviously knew Emile well. Did she know what he was up to that night? Did she know he was dead before Ellie told her? This woman is knee-deep in the thick of things- whatever was going on. They're all lying! The full story is rather tragic and heartbreaking.
Comte Victor Yves Archambeault is very friendly and invites the travelers to come stay with him. They've only just met and Ellie and Hugh are on their honeymoon. That's kind of odd. He's friendly at the party, introducing Ellie to his niece, Odette. Odette claims they never entertain but she seems to be of marriageable age. The Comte is brooding and mysterious. Does he have a role in this mystery or is there some other reason he is the way he is? Can they trust him? Can they trust anyone? Emile's grandmother is a lovely woman but elderly, blind and feeble. She couldn't do much to stop the tragedy in motion. How heartbreaking for her!
This is the most hair-raising adventure yet and I hope the rest of the trip is uneventful!
There are more books yet to be published so we haven't seen the last of Ellie and co. yet but it sure is a terrible tragedy to have such a talent leave us so soon.
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