Murder in Montparnasse

A killer walks among the bohemians and expats of the Left Bank . . . “Engel’s descriptions of Paris in the twenties are charming, adding to the fun.” —Publishers Weekly Michael Ward is a journalist newly arrived in the City of Light when he falls in with Jason Waddington, an expatriate bullfight-loving American who introduces him to the cafe scene and his crowd of fellow writers and artists. At the moment though, the most talked-about figure in town is “Jack de Paris,” a serial killer who targets beautiful women. But Ward soon discovers that Jack de Paris is not the only trouble afoot in Montparnasse. Rumor has it that Waddington has written a damaging roman a clef about his friends, and tempers are rising even as fear of the killer grips the city. When the body of Laure Duclos is found, it seems their circle has finally been touched by Jack. But Ward has his doubts—and begins to wonder whether Laure was truly Jack de Paris’s latest victim, or if someone else was using the serial killer as a convenient cover . . . In a feat of literature reminiscent of Caleb Carr’s The Alienist, Howard Engel blends intriguing historical fact with suspenseful fiction to produce a thriller of the highest order. Murder in Montparnasse will delight both new readers and longtime fans of Engel’s Benny Cooperman mysteries. “Highly recommended.” —Library Journal