The Black Tower (edit title)

• Rated 4 stars

“An enjoyable costume drama that follows a lazy, young almost-doctor and the celebrated criminal turned criminal hunter Vidocq on a search for the Louis XVI's son Louis-Charles. Did the boy die and end up buried in an unmarked grave? Will these two find otherwise or be killed in the process? Many fun characters fill the pages, but Vidocq steals the show. I pictured him as Gerard Depardieu who played the character in a (awful) movie of the same name in 2001.”

• Rated 4 stars

“I enjoy Louis Banard's historical fiction- this one takes place in Paris after the Revolution. I think I like Bayard's Mr. Timothy a bit more but liked this book better than The Pale Blue Eye- although all were good.”

• Rated 3 stars

“Interesting historical novel of the Dauphin in early 19th centry France.”

• Rated 5 stars

“Love Bayard's writing.”

• Rated 4 stars

“I love historical fiction that introduces me to a time I’m not familiar with, in this case, the French Restoration following the ousting of Napoleon. Unlike The Firemaster’s Mistress, a recently unfinished read which also took place in an unfamiliar era (early 1600s England), I almost immediately got a feel for Paris in the early 1800s. One is pulled into this story not by Hector Carpentier, who serves as little more than narrator for most of the book, but by Vidocq, the eccentric yet extremely effective police chief who comes to Hector in search of a murderer. And, someone who actually existed! A fact I did not know until after I finished. That’s another mark of good historical fiction to me… it sends me straight to Wikipedia to learn more. It left me wanting to know about the real mystery of the Dauphin, and whether he really did live or die. History does not truly know, and by the time you get to the end of this book, you’re not sure Fiction knows either.”

• Rated 4 stars

“A young medical student becomes embroiled in a longtime mystery, what really happened to Louis Charles, the dauphin to the throne of England. With the help of the first documented police detective, Vidock, they set off on a mission to find out what really happened. The dauphin was kept in the tower and the young medical student's father was his doctor. Everyone was led to believe he died and was buried in an unmarked grave. But is he really dead? And if he isn't, what implications does this have on the throne?

Very fascinating story, well paced, the only disappointment is that there is no real answer to the question. No one will ever know what happened, whether the dauphin survived or not. One of the best historical fiction novels I have read in awhile.
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• Rated 4 stars

“Excellent mystery set during the late 1700s in France. This book really moved along. I was hoping that this was the first in a series, but by the end I don't believe it is. ”

• Rated 5 stars

“What if the dauphin Louis-Charles did not die, but successfully escaped? This book examines the question and brings in the great inspector Vidocq. An interesting take looking back on the revolution.”

• Rated 5 stars

“I knew this was a mystery and was expecting the typical one dimensional characters and poor writing of most mystery books. But I was pleasantly surprised to discover great character! With a variety of emotions and behaviors, some unexpected! A complex, well thought out back story that included some great historical references. This isn't a book just for mystery or history lovers, it's a book for literature lovers. I can't say too many great things about The Black Tower! You will love it!”

• Rated 4 stars

“Henry Carpentier is pulled into a web of intrigue when the infamous Vidoq appears and asks why a dead man has Carpentier's address in his pocket. In the twisted back streets of 1818 Paris, a mystery of major significance slowly unfolds. Paris after the fall of Napoleon is a place of intrigue, excitement and great poverty, all aptly portrayed in this really good book. (Note: some child trauma).”