Rum doings in fin de siècle Paris. And these affairs must be investigated, certainmente, but there is always time for a dalliance or two.
Victor Legris, bookseller and part-time detective, is pondering over a single red shoe that has been brought to his attention by a Parisian goatherd, who discovered it in the street. (Paris was a little more rural back in the day.) It is possibly connected with the young lady dressed in red who was brutally murdered and dumped in Killer’s Crossing, Boulevard Montmartre. And I might just add that I am always a sucker for a book that has a helpful map provided.
Then there is Legris’ business partner, Kenji Mori. It looks as if his goddaughter Iris might be staying with him for awhile, but the lovely young lady may not actually be his goddaughter. Another mystery for Legris.
And of course, the artist Tasha, mistress of Legris, seems to be more focused on her work than him these days. Quelle triste. But she seems to be spending quite a bit of time at the Moulin Rouge, as are other fascinating characters, some familiar and some not.
A very bubbly mixture of murder, intrigue, risqué dancing (including one talented dancer who could apparently fart out the tune to La Marsellaise as a special treat), and a Paris just starting to come into its own as a major city. And now I have discovered that the author is actually a nom de plume for two sisters who sell second-hand books in a shop on the banks of the Seine. Somehow, I am not in the least surprised.