Author: Bob van Laerhoven
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Pegasus Books
Publish Date: April 15, 2014
Source: HF Virtual Book Tours
What's the Story?:
From Goodreads.com: "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."
My Two Cents:
"Baudelaire's Revenge" is the kind of historical mystery that you read on a dark and stormy night where you're looking for something engrossing that might make you a little scared (it's good to get a little scared from our reading now and then, right?). At the center of this twisting tale is Commissioner Lefevre who is tasked with solving the mystery of a dangerous serial killer who leaves clippings of Baudelaire poems written in the poet's handwriting on his victims. This book would be perfect for those looking for a good dark mood read with a healthy dose of intrigue.
Commissioner Lefevre was really interesting to me and I loved reading about him throughout this book. He's a man of many sides. He is serious about his work but also seems to find himself having an awful lot of fun with prostitutes. He also has a great love of poetry, which is a big reason that he is so interested in the mysterious serial killer with a poetic calling card.
Historical mystery is not always an automatic choice for me but I was really intrigued by the thought of a literary serial killer. Van Laerhoven makes figuring out what actually happened with the case very interesting by only giving a little bit of detail at a time!
I loved the setting of the book. Paris always makes for a fantastic setting but van Laerhoven's almost gothic/ horror view of Paris makes for an especially exciting setting. In the 1870s, France is on the brink of war and the city is chaotic and alive with an electric beat that you can really feel through the author's writing. This is a very exciting tale!
Giveaway:
Two lucky winners will win a copy of Baudelaire's Revenge (U.S./CAN only)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Follow the Rest of the Tour:
Monday, June 9
Review at Book Nerd
Tuesday, June 10
Review at Ageless Pages Reviews
Thursday, June 12
Review & Giveaway at Words & Peace
Monday, June 16
Review at Oh, For the Hook of a Book
Tuesday, June 17
Interview at Oh, For the Hook of a Book
Wednesday, June 18
Guest Post & Giveaway at Historical Fiction Connection
Thursday, June 19
Review at A Bookish Girl
Review at Turning the Pages
Monday, June 23
Review at Flashlight Commentary
Tuesday, June 24
Interview at Layered Pages
Wednesday, June 25
Review & Giveaway at 100 Pages a Day
Thursday, June 26
Review at A Book Geek
Review at The Lit Bitch
Friday, June 27
Review at A Bibliotaph’s Reviews
Monday, June 30
Review at Reading the Past
Tuesday, July 1
Review & Giveaway at A Bookish Affair
Wednesday, July 2
Review at Layers of Thought
Spotlight & Giveaway at Books and Movies
Thursday, July 3
Review at Impressions in Ink
Review, Interview, and Giveaway at Mina’s Bookshelf
Feature & Giveaway at bookworm2bookworm’s Blog
I enjoy a story that has me a little scared.
ReplyDeleteThe Paris setting sounds good, and I loved the picture you created of the main character - he promises to be interesting.
ReplyDeleteLove the Gothic feel of this one.
ReplyDeleteI think the literary aspects of this story will make it even more interesting than it might be if it was just a well-written historical mystery. There are so many ways to approach this book and they are all appealing to me. Thanks for the chance to win a copy.
ReplyDeleteThis story sounds enthralling and the locale wonderful. Thanks for this great giveaway. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeletethis books sounds like a 'must-read' for me!!!
ReplyDeletethank you for the giveaway!!!
This looks like a fabulous book..Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteKimberlee
girllostinabook@hotmail.com
www.girllostinabook.com
After studying Baudelaire in university and reading a few recent novels and non-fiction works set during this time period in France, this book sounds very appealing. I have added it to my TBR list. Thank you for the giveaway.
ReplyDeletedenannduvall(at)gmail(dot)com
This book is on my TBR list. Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteSounds super fun -- I'm going to have to add this to the TBR. I'm not always in the mood for historical mysterious, but I like the ambiance of this one!
ReplyDeleteI find this author fascinating as I learn more about him through the publicity going on for this novel. I hope very much that I'll win a copy. Thanks for featuring a chance for me to do so! --Kara
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting cover....so dark and mysterious! I think I'd have to be in the right mood, but I do enjoy historical mystery at times!
ReplyDeleteGreat review! It sounds like a really interesting novel, thanks also for the giveaway :)
ReplyDeleteI love reading mysteries! :)
ReplyDelete