The Bones of Paris continues the adventures of Harris Stuyvesant that King (usually known for her Mary Russell series) began with Touchstone in 2008. Harris has a plum assignment in Paris (1929) searching for a missing girl and expecting, initially, to find her with a lover. He has reason to suspect this as he has has a brief acquaintance with Phillpa Crosby. Eventually, however, Harris discovers some disturbing photographs, and his suspicions grow darker and not only concerning his case.I've had a run of books about Paris lately, and this one fills the bill on Paris during the Jazz Age. Harris knows and consults with Sylvia Beach, speaks with Cole Porter, enjoys the company of KiKi de Montparnasse, suspects Man Rey, admires Lee Miller, avoids Hemingway, etc. The expat community in Paris during the twenties was close-knit and gossip-filled; the Lost Generation enjoying intellectual, social, and sexual freedoms flocked together. Harris is concerned about a certain morbid quality he discovers among the artistic community and is shocked by the performances of the Grand-Guigol. I'd never heard of the Grand-Guigol...interesting.
Sarah and Bennet Grey also make appearances in The Bones of Paris; aside from receiving a letter from Harris, Bennet doesn't appear until late in the novel. A shame because I find him an interesting character, but I suspect King plans on giving him more time eventually.
Although I found the solution too fantastic, I enjoyed the novel and the unique, if fictitious, perspective of expat life in the twenties that Harris Stuyvesant provides.
NetGalley/Random House, Bantam Dell
Mystery/Historical Fiction. Sept. 10, 2013. Print version: 432 pages.
- ISBN-10: 0345531760
This sounds interesting. I've only read one of her books from her Kate Marinelli series but it's been so long. I'd really like to try her Mary Russell series though as I keep hearing those are really good.
ReplyDeleteoh well.. looks like another for the wish list! I had planned on trying not to find too many "new interesting books" for a while.. then you wrote this review!.. dang it all! lol I really like Touchstone.. so I may have to "eventually" read this one too.. and I found Bennet the most interesting of the characters in Touchstone!
ReplyDeleteIliana - I have enjoyed many of the Mary Russell series, but the last couple haven't appealed as much as the first ones.
ReplyDeleteThis series is different from the Mary Russell series, but interesting.
Deslily - I think the whole series should focus on Bennet!