Paris in the Spring Time: Cara Black

There's nothing quite like Paris in the Springtime, but if you can't go, you can imagine yourself there as you read the new Cara Black, Murder in the Latin Quarter. This is the ninth Aimee Leduc investigation in Paris. Cara was at Murderati yesterday, and she'll be hitting the bookstores soon, hopefully near you. Here's her appearance line-up.

Murder in the Latin Quarter (Soho Press): In this novel, Mireille, a Haitian woman, enters the office of private investigator Aimee Leduc Detective proclaiming she is Aimee's half-sister, her father's illegitimate daughter. Aimee has been a virtual orphan since her mother's disappearance and her father's death, so she is thrilled by this new sister. Her partner, Rene, is not as moved, but Aimee embraces Mireille and soon finds herself involved in murky Haitian politics leading to murder. The setting is the Latin Quarter on the Left Bank of the Seine, in the old university district of Paris. Cara Black provides a strong look at late 1999s Paris as this tale includes the Mireille mystery, post-colonial nationalisms, homicide and economic globalization.

Cara Black sets her novels in different arrondissements. Her debut novel was Murder in the Marais and since then Aimee (and Cara) have explored, Murder in the Rue de Paradis, Murder in Montmartre, Murder on the Ile Saint-Louis, Murder in Clichy, Murder in the Bastille, Murder in the Sentier, Murder in Belleville, Murder in the Marais.

So grab a cafe au lait and a croissant and settle down to the next best thing to being in Paris in the Spring.

Elaine Flinn, R.I.P.

It was a sad day yesterday when the mystery community learned of the death of Elaine Flinn, author, antiques dealer, comedian, friend.

Elaine Flinn passed away Saturday night as the result of complications due to pneumonia and cancer. Elaine, a former Bay Area antiques dealer, created Molly Doyle, a Carmel, CA, aniques dealer in Dealing in Murder, her 2003 debut novel that was nominated for an Agatha, Gumshoe, Barry and Anthony (2003). Tagged for Murder (2004) won the Barry Award. Two more Molly Doyle novels--Deadly Collection and Deadly Vintage followed.

Flin was one of the founding members of Murderati. And, it was during her time at Murderati that Flinn developed the Evil-E persona for which she became so well-known.

I was lucky to have known Elaine, and we shared laughter and fun at conventions and bookstores over the years. I will miss her. I know she was looking forward to Left Coast Crime 2009 in Hawaii.

L.J. Roberts tells us more about Elaine in the Rap Sheet today. Mystery authors remember Elaine today in Louise Ure's blog at Murderati.