Lethal Beauty (Anne Cartier Mystery Series) [Hardcover]

Charles O'Brien (Author)

Book Description

Series: Anne Cartier Mystery Series | Publication Date: May 1, 2005

The fourth in the acclaimed Anne Cartier historical mystery series set at the time of the French Revolution Lethal Beauty, set in 1787 at the Louvre in Paris, opens with a ghastly discovery. At the biennial exhibition of paintings and sculptures, the portrait of a recently deceased countess is vandalized. Its painter accuses a colleague, who is soon stabbed to death. Anne Cartier is drawn to investigate the crime by her deaf friend Michou, a pupil of the murdered man. The circle of suspects widens to include the countess's elderly husband, the Comte de Serre, who had commissioned the portrait. Yet another suspect is an Italian art dealer, who may have known the countess too well and has reasons both to love and to hate her. But at the centre of the mystery is a master extortionist ensnaring the participants. Anne, her husband Colonel Paul de Saint-Martin, and his adjutant Georges Charpentier pursue the investigation from the Louvre's apartments and studios into the streets and sewers of Paris and beyond, to the count's country estate near Fontainebleau.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

O'Brien's fourth Anne Cartier mystery falls short of the high standard set by earlier books in the series (Mute Witness, etc.), which explored issues of social justice and morality more deeply and offered more sympathetic supporting characters. Fortunately, the protagonists remain as engaging as ever: Anne, a teacher of the deaf, and her husband, Paul de Saint-Martin, provost of the Royal Highway Patrol. The couple and everyone else attending the 1787 opening of the Salon of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture at the Louvre are shocked by the unveiling of a portrait of the late Comtesse Virginie de Serre, whose visage has been replaced by a macabre skull. When the womanizing artist, Albert Bouchard, turns up stabbed to death early one morning, the subsequent investigation expands to include not only academy members but also several undesirable types who frequent the Louvre and Palais Royale. As usual, O'Brien vividly conveys the great inequalities within French society under Bourbon rule. (June)
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From Booklist

At an exhibit opening in Paris in 1787, noted artist Bouchard unveils his latest painting. He and his audience are shocked to see it has been badly defaced, and Bouchard immediately--and very publicly--accuses his rival, Hamel, of the crime. When Bouchard is found brutally murdered shortly afterward, Hamel becomes the prime suspect. Colonel Paul de Saint-Martin of the French police is placed in charge of the investigation, and, as usual, he asks his wife, Anne Cartier, for help. Anne soon determines that Hamel isn't the only person who might have had reason to deface the portrait or kill Bouchard. With no forensic science, modern investigative tools, or crime-scene teams to call on, Anne and Paul must rely on a combination of intuition and hard work. Eventually, their careful investigation pays off, but nothing has prepared them for the shocking identity of the killer or the tangled, tragic story behind the murders. Deftly drawn characters and a plot that will keep even seasoned mystery fans guessing make this a good choice for historical mystery collections. Emily Melton
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 239 pages
• Publisher: Severn House Publishers; 1st World Ed edition (May 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0727861840
• ISBN-13: 978-0727861849
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,225,591 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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