The City of Blood

Excellent another page turner!

Nico Sirsky is back for the third of the Paris Homicide series ... and this time around he needs to solve a 30-year old murder.
Thirty years ago an artist buried a banquet table filled with dinnerware, left over foods..and art works of many different people....all in the name of art. A week after the 'burial' the artist's son disappears, never to be seen again.
Modern day .... what all of Paris's art world has been waiting for .... the revealing of what has been buried these past 30 years. One shovel in reveals a human skeleton and it becomes Chief Skirsky's challenge.
He and his team transverse the art world to talk to all of those who attended that fateful dinner. The bones eventually are discovered to be those of the artist's young son. And the chase is on.
There are also several other murders occuring in the same area. Connected ... or a new serial killer loose in the city of Paris?
I really, really like the characters in this series. Along with the mysteries that need to be solved, are also a peek into Nico's life ... both past and present. I find it fascinating how he came to be the man he is today. The author's books are well-written and the characters come to life with her writings. This is third of a series and I hope there are many more to come.

THE CITY OF BLOOD: A Paris Homicide Mystery (#2)

By Frédérique Molay

Amazon quote: "... renowned artist Samuel Cassian is inaugurating the first archeological dig of modern art, twenty-seven years after burying the leftovers of a banquet. In front of reporters from around the world, excavators uncover a skeleton." Forensic anthropology is put through its paces to identify the victim.

Details at the scene make it clear this involves at least one homicide. As leads unfold, more homicides are uncovered. Chief of Police Nicco Sirsky and his team of homicide cops are on the case. It gets more complicated quickly, putting their resources to the test.

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Classy French police procedural.

Authentic Parisian detail, believable characters, taut plotting and so French you can almost smell the Gauloise.

Recommended read, preferably accompanied by a glass of Ricard.

This is the third novel in the Paris Homicide Series, following on from “The 7th Woman” and “Crossing the Line.” As in previous books, the central character is Inspector Nico Sirsky, although other members of his team are becoming familiar, such as David Kriven. Also, as well as the crimes investigated in the novels, personal relationships and issues are also a large part of the storyline.

Thirty years ago, a performance artist called Samuel Cassian, invited many influential people to a banquet. The remains were buried, to be unearthed thirty years later. However, along with the remains of a party, human remains are also unearthed. Inspector Sirsky is called in to investigate whether the remains are that of the artists son, who disappeared a week after the banquet and who has never been found. To complicate matters, Nico’s mother is suddenly taken to hospital, while there are a string of murders – all of young men, whose bodies are mutilated.

There are a lot of things I like about the Paris Homicide Series – including the setting and the way the storylines are tied together so well. The author keeps up the pace, to make the series exciting and realistic. As always, though, Nico’s relationship with Caroline is a little cloying at times and – although it is obviously central to his character – it just seems too intense and, really, rather trying at times. That said, once Nico leaves the bedroom and heads out to the street, the story steps up. Although Paris is obviously very close, there are differences that I was unaware of; such as the statutes of limitations for criminal cases. Despite my reservations about the series, I am sure that this is one I will follow and I hope the author continues to build up the roles of other members of the Homicide Squad and perhaps leave Caroline to tend to her patients, while Nico deals with the crime.

This is a more mature, assured read than the first two in this series about Paris Chief of Police, Nico Sirsky. As in the other cases, the cool, detailed explanation of both crime and procedure is important to the structure of the story as well as to the discovery of the murderer. In this particular case the detective work is woven around Nico's concerns for his mother's health and the success of one becomes contingent upon a satisfactory resolution of the other. Once again an absorbing page-turner based on an unusual original murder.

4 STARS

"When a major Parisian modern art event gets unexpected attention on live TV, Chief of Police Nico Sirsky and his team of elite crime fighters rush to La Villette park and museum complex. There, renowned artist Samuel Cassian is inaugurating the first archeological dig of modern art, 27 years after burying the leftovers of a banquet. In front of reporters from around the world, excavators uncover a skeleton. Could it be the artist's own son? And does that death have anything to do with the current string of nightclub murders by the "Paris Butcher"? On the site of the French capital's former slaughterhouses, the investigation takes Nico and France's top criminal investigation division from artists' studios to autopsy theaters and nightclubs in hopes of tracking down the murderer who has turned this Paris park into a city of blood." (From Amazon)

Molay knows how to do suspense and mystery very well and I am really enjoying this series. I hope Molay continues with the series and they keep translating to English.

This is another challenging mystery, that is well worth the effort to try to outsmart the author. There is a wonderful tone, or feeling of lost potential and needless waste and pain. This is quite an excellent read.

I received this ebook free from from the publisher, Le French Book, through Net Galley. com I enjoyed this murder mystery, which starts with the discovery of of human remains at an excavation site of a 20 year old avant garde art work.
Twenty years ago, a flamboyant artist arranged a banquet for a large number of people and then buried the tables, chairs, cutlery and leftovers.
When the remians of a body is discovered, Chief Investigator Nico Sirsky, is called in to solve the crime. He gathers his team, "La Crim", collects evidence, and narrows the suspects down to 1 person.
Any more would be a spoiler. This is the second book in this series that I have read and enjoyed. The book gives the reader an insight into the French legal system and a description of Paris police headquarters.

I have to say that Frédérique Molay wouldn't have much luck if she first published her books in English. In that occasion the best she could wish for was for a small independent press to take her on. But, fortunately for her and for us, she writes in French, a language in which a crime novel doesn't have to be a door stopper to be popular.

Anyway, to the book at hand. “The City of Blood” is the third volume in the Paris Homicide series starring Chief of Police, Nico Sirsky. Nico is a living legend among his colleagues. His record at solving crimes is great, but what really makes him stand out is his humanity. He feels real sympathy for the victims and their loved ones and giving them closure is his number one priority.

The crime that he investigates this time is one that happened many years ago, but just came to light, under more than unusual circumstances. During the unveiling of a modern art project in a park the remains of a corpse are unearthed. How did they get there and who is the victim? Nobody seems to know the answers to these questions, but Nico is certain that he can find out the truth. And so the investigation begins. An investigation that will lead him and his team through the clouded paths of the past; a past that is more dark and full of secrets than one would expect.

There are no wild car chases or big thrills in this story. However, there is a great mystery at its heart that will keep the reader guessing from start to finish. Maybe the identity of the victim will come to light quite early, but that of the killer will remain secret almost until the very end.

I've read this book in just a day and the thing that I enjoyed the most during that time were the psychological portraits that the author built for her characters. Most of them are damaged goods, living in a past that is far gone, trying to create a future that will never come. The damage inflicted by that past on their souls is quite extended, and the only way to repair it is to come to terms with it, by knowing the truth that for so many years evaded them. However, as expected, not all can let sleeping ghosts lie. Some wounds heal, others don't, but at the end of the day what really matters is delivering justice, and that Sirksy does, in a story that the fans of quality crime fiction will surely enjoy.

Frédérique Molay is a new (to me) French writer. She has written 5 books, of which three are in a series called ‘Paris Homicide’, and are the only once so far, to have been translated into English. City of Blood is the third book in this series. The Paris Homicide series feature Paris’s top criminal investigation division, led by Chief of Police, Nico Sirsky. The story starts with the excavation of a buried feast, a Tableau Piège', in the Parc de la Villette, Paris. La Villette is the former site of the old Parisian slaughterhouses 'Cité du Sang', only closed in 1974, and made into a park by President Mitterand. The Tableau Piège was designed and constructed by a French artist, Samuel Cassian, of the 'new realist' school. Interestingly, this type of artwork is typical of the artist Daniel Spoerri, a Swiss artist and writer, and also known as ‘snare-pictures’. In the novel, the artwork consists of the remains of a meal, a final banquet for 120 guests, in which everything including the plates, cutlery, glasses and leftovers were buried, with the plan of digging up the remains years later. But as the excavation starts, there is the unwelcome surprise finding of a corpse. A suicidal guest? Victim of an accident? Or a murder victim?
With not much more than an old watch to help identify the victim, the police, led by Nico Sirsky, quickly determine that the body is that of Cassian's son, who disappeared 30 years ago. An artist like his father, Mrs Cassian still talks about him, as if he were alive. His room in their apartment remains untouched since he left, and she seems to believe that he emigrated to New York. Then, shortly after body is found, there is an attack on a young man in the park. He is found dead, and a large square of muscle has been cut out of his back and shoulder. Shortly afterwards another victim is found in a nearby hotel room, and again a square of muscle has been removed. Why? Are the present murders linked to Samuel’s death? Meanwhile, Nico's mother has a heart attack, and is rushed to hospital where she faces a dangerous operation to stabilise her heart. Nico makes a bargain, his mother’s life will be saved if he manages to find the murderer.
A relatively short book, with an interesting plot, there is an interesting juxtaposition of Nico’s search for a murderer, and his fears and concerns about his mother bundled in with descriptions of his home life, and family. Nico is not the archetypal driven cop with dysfunctional relationships, and this makes for a refreshing change. The key to solving the murders is to delve back 30 years, investigate Jean-Baptiste’s life, find out what, if anything, he was hiding, and determine if anyone had a motive to kill him. Slowly Nico starts to make headway, but can he discover the murderer in time to make good on his bargain? With a little bit about art, and the history of Paris thrown in, this was an intelligent read that I particularly enjoyed, and will be looking out for the previous two books in this series (Christmas present anyone?!)
(review submitted to eurocrime)

publishers claim this is the French Connelly, and I see where they're coming from but it's not entirely ... however despite awkward and jumpy writing (is that the translation?) there is an intriguing plot in here and, again, despite the slightly cavalier approach sometimes, we are engaged. I've read an earlier book of hers and perhaps it was more satisfying but I will definitely look out for more - entertaining and i like Nico although sometimes his reactions can be shallow ... humourous when it's not appropriate but entirely sympathetic. i will look out for more ...

This police procedural is the third in a series set in Paris. The settings, crimes and characters are interesting. Seeing differences in French law and ours also adds interest. In this case the original crime took place 30 years earlier and is probably beyond prosecution, so the murderer foolishly murders again. If you like reading mysteries with good descriptions of the physical setting, you will enjoy The City of Blood. I did receive a copy from Netgalley for a honest review.

This is the third book in this series I have read, and I continue to be amazed at the new and fresh material in each book. Chief Sirsky, his family and staff are like old friends, but each new case provides intrigue, adventure and new beauties of Paris to draw the reader in and hold each one spellbound as the clues develop and crimes are solved. In this case, the discovery of a 35 year old murder triggers crimes in the present, and Sirsky finds the link before anyone else. Each new book in this series covers such different ground that one has to wonder at the ability to create such astonishing detail in dramatically different environments. I recommend this book for all, including those that haven't read to first two. It (out)stands on its own.

Review to be posted Wednesday January 21, 2015 I loved the concept of this book. An art exhibit that is buried to be dug up 30 years later with great fanfare? That's brilliant and then when a skeleton is discovered in the remains of the buried art exhibit during the very public exhumation of that exhibit? Also brilliant! Now Nico and his colleagues have a 30 year old murder to investigate but are shocked when a recent series of murdes seem to have a tie in to the skeleton.

While the murders are very brutal and everything is clearly dealt with there's a distance to the book itself that will keep you turning pages but won't give you nightmares. The writing style approaches the murders from almost an academic perspective even though everyone is involved is very motivated to solve the murders. The book reminded me very much of early Aaron Elkins books which I gobbled up by the handful years ago.

It was fascinating to get a look into the French legal system, attitudes on art, on homosexual lifestyles, and just day to day life in Paris. There's a subplot with Nico's mother that I ordinarily would object to but the author did a fantastic job tying in to Nico's motivations to solving the murders.

My only complaint is that it was a little hard to keep the characters strait but I suspect that it is because I'm starting the series on the 3rd book. I think I would've enjoyed it more if I'd started at the beginning.

If you're looking for an unusual mystery with interesting characters than The City of Blood is not one to pass up!

So take a wild guess which book I picked to start off my 2015 reading season with?! (oh the sweet anticipation of the selection process) I knew that the release date for book #3 in Frédérique Molay's Paris Homicide series is just around the corner so I was "saving" the book in order to (savor it and) be able to rave about it around the time of its publication so that other readers would be able to grab their copy of the book right away. (it is NOT a sweet torture waiting for the next book in a series you love)

My enthusiasm for the series, for Frédérique Molay's writing style and imagination, for the character of Nico Sirsky (swoon) has not diminished one bit and The City of Blood gave me enough fuel to feed my anticipation of book #4 now. This time around the story leads us into the world of Parisian art and artists. During the excavation of a modern art installation at La Villette park the workers dig up more than just art - discovery of human remains will have the Police Chief Nico Sirsky and his team trying to uncover many long buried secrets. As in the previous two books in the background there is a subplot regarding Nico's family/private life.

There are many things I enjoy about this series and the murder mystery aspect of it is just one element. I love learning new things about Paris, its history, its landscape. I think I might even end up creating a little "Paris Homicide book series tour guide to Paris" in order to make sure I cover all these places next time I go for a visit. At one point in the book Nico and one of his colleagues have to go to a gay bar/club in order to hunt down some information relevant to the investigation and I must say that was probably one of the most entertaining moments in the series. It felt so very French to me. Obviously I cannot recommend this series enough, especially for all the lovers of police procedurals.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I can honestly say that I am extremely grateful to Le French Book for supplying me with the books from this series because I am sure that my eagerness and impatience could've been detrimental to my health. Now I'm off to find out how long till book #4.

Secrets; we all have them. Some are harmless, some might hurt others and some can get you killed. The City of Blood, the third instalment in the Paris Homicide series, begins with the alarming discovery of a body buried within a famous artist’s time capsule. A discovery that places Chief of Police, Nico Sirsky, and his Le Crim investigative team in front of the media once again. Further developing the characters in her series, author Frederique Molay gives us another thrilling adventure as Nico tracks down a killer who has already killed once and begins killing again.

At the height of his career, performance artist Samuel Cassian hosted a dinner party at La Villette, a park in Paris. His plan was to bury the remains of the party as a sort of time capsule to see how consumerism, and his art, would be viewed in the future. Thirty years later as he and other important members of the French art world dig up the “artistic event”, a body is discovered among the remains. As Nico and his team begin uncovering clues, a new set of murders begin occurring at the park and it becomes apparent the crimes are somehow connected. Will Nico and his team be able to discover the identity of the “Paris Butcher”, as he or she has come to be called, before the body count gets out of control?

Ms. Molay does a fantastic job continuing to develop her characters; Nico is quite simply divine! He’s smart, sexy as all get out (just read the scene in the night club), a great dad and an incredible cop. He’s also human and does have some flaws; he can become over emotional, he has a somewhat complicated personal life and he’s used to being in charge. I really love this character and if he was real, I’d be headed to France so I could handcuff him to my side. Ms. Molay also does a good job developing his team and I enjoyed getting to know what they experienced as they worked on this new case.

Ms. Molay always adds an additional element to her stories, which I personally enjoy, by giving Nico a personal issue on the side. In this instalment we get to watch Nico, his sister Tanya, and Caroline, the woman in Nico’s life, as they deal with Anya’s, Nico’s mom, health. We also get to spend a little bit of time with Dimitri, Nico’s teenaged son and learn a little bit about what it’s like in Paris hospital.

Will Nico and his team be able to solve a “cold” case that’s thirty years old? Are the new murders really tied to the past or is the killer just advantage of a unique situation? You’ll have to read The City of Blood to find out. I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to read what Ms. Molay writes for us next.

The City Of Blood - Frederique Molay 4 stars I’m loving this series

First published in France as Dejeuner sous l’herbe in 2012. Translated from French by Jeffrey Zuckerman.

Chief of Police, Nico Sirsky leads a team of elite crime fighters and it’s his team who are given the task of discovering not only how a body but who’s body has been uncovered during an archaeological dig at the Canal de l’Ourcq in the Parc de la Villette. The reason for this excavation? Samuel Cassian, an artist of renown in France had decided thirty years previously to invite guests to a banquet, bringing with them their own cutlery and crockery and they had then ceremoniously buried the banquet with the understanding that thirty years later the site would be excavated to reveal how all the items from the banquet had weathered while buried. It’s at this site that the skeleton of an unknown male is discovered.

Within days of the discovery, two murders are committed in the same area. The men are savagely killed and a chunk of flesh is removed from their shoulders. Nico Sirsky soon links these latest murders to the murder committed thirty years ago.

Once again Frederique Molay has managed to pull off a truly brilliant story and describe in great detail how the French crime fighters tackle the task of bringing the culprit to justice. The author also manages to paint Paris in descriptions that make you feel like you’re there. (And stir a longing to visit the city).

I think another reason I am enjoying reading Frederique Molay’s books is because the characters are so easy to relate to. Often when following a series set with the same team, the characters will have irritating habits or be out of control, not in this series, all the people you meet on your journey through the books are good, solid folk who you’d have no trouble getting along with in real life.

I’m looking forward to the next book in this series.

What's good about it?

The story, original and actual. Who has not heard of these objects we bury everywhere to be unveiled with great fanfare a few years later? Who never imagined that we could discover something criminal, an object that was not originally in... In City of Blood, it's a dead body and it's not anybody, but it's the son of the creator of the time capsule. Who could have killed this young promising artist? Who hate the father at this point to bury his son in his own work? Nico will have to delve into the world of artists, jealousy and love shattered to discover the culprit.

We meet back with pleasure Sirsky Nico and his clique, as friendly as usual. We discover a humorous Nico, looks like love is doing fine with him (his descent into a gay nightclub is excellent). Again, the life of his family is at stake and this time it's Anya, his mother who is ill. I just hope that every book does not see a member of his family in danger. Maybe it's a brand that some authors choose to constantly put their hero close friend and family in danger, but I find it unrealistic and boring after a while.

The novel reads very quickly, thanks to the writing quality of the author (and the English translation since I read the book in English) and thanks to the unwavering pace of the story. The dead are piling up and the race against the clock is running. Nico will have to understand the past to stop the killings today that add tension to the investigation. And a bonus in that story: I really loved learning more about La Villette - the city of blood (talk about a cynic choice of place to kill people!)

In a nutshell

Another good novel by Frédérique Molay, a gripping story, engaging characters, it's a 4/5 for me.

Chief of Police Nico Sirsky is back and he has a dilly of a mystery to solve. When a work of modern art that was buried thirty years before is dug up, a body is found amongst the artifacts. The shock to the artist increases when it is discovered that the corpse is his son who disappeared shortly after the original event. Life is never easy for Sirsky but he has a triple header on his hands. Not only does he have this old mystery to solve but there is a brutal murderer luring and killing young homosexuals in Paris. To make matters worse, Sirsky's beloved mother has suffered a heart attack and is clinging to life in hospital.
The stories are interwoven and the reader can experince the tension and frustration that Sirsky is feeling as he tries to resolve all the issues. He is a compelling character quite charming and intense and very good at his job. Sometime when you read a book, you can cast the "movie" in your mind. Daniel Craig would be a great Nico.
I must admit I am quite a fan of this series and look forward to the next installment.

VERDICT: Choosing a famous park in Paris as her setting, famous French writer Frédérique Molay assigns another intriguing crime investigation to chief of police Nico Sirsky. Mix blood, art, and even religion, and you have an irresistible page-turner.

After reading Crossing The Line last year, it was real fun meeting again chief of police Nico Sirsky and his team in The City of Blood. Famous French author Frédérique Molay has a real knack for making her thrillers irresistible page-turners, plus you learn a lot about Paris, here about Parc de la Villette, and a rather unique form of art.

“Daniel Spoerri is a Swiss artist and writer born 1930 in Romania. He is best known for his “snare-pictures,” a type of assemblage or object art, in which he captures a group of objects, such as the remains of meals eaten by individuals, including the plates, silverware and glasses, all of which are fixed to the table or board, which is then displayed on a wall.” (source: wikipedia).
His work inspired this thriller: 30 years ago, artist Samuel Cassian invited 120 guests (artists, journalists, politicians) to put an end to his “snare-pictures”. He decided to have all the remains of their meal buried in a park, to be dug up later, as a time capsule. Now time has come for the excavation, but among the remains and the silverware, a body is found.

Samuel’s son disappeared just a week after that special reception, so could it be his body? But why? And what could possibly be the connection with the series of murders of young homosexuals happening now in the same park, if there’s any?

I really loved the suspense, as suspects multiply with each new murder and each new clue.

But on top of the plot, what I really enjoy in Molay’s books is the details and the ambiance. Here, she did an amazing job with the setting of Parc de la Villette. From 1867 (until Napoleon III) until 1974, the area was a center of slaughterhouses, a so-called City of Blood. Then it became a wasteland until it was converted into a park for leisure, culture, and recreation, currently very alive.
I guess that was a good idea to use this as the title of this thriller, but the French title was really cool: Déjeuner sous l’herbe (The Luncheon under the Grass), awesome for the meal buried and great play on words with the famous painting by Monet, The Luncheon on the Grass. It pains me that maybe the translator thought American lovers of thrillers would not have enough culture to get it. As a translator myself, I wondered what other solution I could have chosen, and I came up with a cultural reference that should for sure resonate with American readers: As I Lay Eating. What do you think?

But to go back to the book, there’s a very interesting double plot going on with Anya, Nico’s mother. She suffered a heart attack. Through this ordeal, he experiences the fear and pain that Samuel may be going through, if it happens that the dead man was his son. Nico makes a deal with God to do all he can to identify the victim’s killer and in return to have his mother recover. That was an unexpected dimension that I really enjoyed, and it really gave lots of depth to the character of Nico. As an Orthodox believer myself, it was doubly neat to hear about Nico’s Orthodox upbringing and go with him revisit the Saint Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute in Paris (founded in 1925). Seriously, I would never have imagined hearing about this awesome place in a thriller/crime fiction!

But if you need a counter-balance, keep in mind that Nico had also to visit gay nightclubs to get clues on the killer! Quite an interesting mix, isn’t it?

And of course you have all the details about the French police system, and the work of each participant, be it the criminal psychologist, the public prosecutor, or the guys in charge of forensics anthropology. Fascinating how much you can learn about a person just by observing his/her bones! The scene of the autopsy was also fascinating, but quite gruesome…

As with other novels written by Frederique Molay the Parisian influence is that ingredient that brings her stories to life.