Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

  • Apple
  • Android
  • Windows Phone
  • Android

To get the free app, enter your email address or mobile phone number.
Download to your computer
Kindle Cloud Reader
Facebook Twitter Pinterest <Embed>
Qty:1
  • List Price: $15.95
  • Save: $2.84 (18%)
FREE Shipping on orders with at least $25 of books.
Only 8 left in stock (more on the way).
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.
Little Demon in the City ... has been added to your Cart
Want it tomorrow, April 23? Order within and choose Saturday Delivery at checkout. Details
Ship to:
Select a shipping address:
To see addresses, please
or
Please enter a valid US zip code.
or
FREE Shipping on orders over $25.
Used: Very Good | Details
Sold by Sonder Supply
Fulfilled by Amazon
Condition: Used: Very Good

Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a service we offer sellers that lets them store their products in Amazon's fulfillment centers, and we directly pack, ship, and provide customer service for these products. Something we hope you'll especially enjoy: FBA items qualify for FREE Shipping and .

If you're a seller, Fulfillment by Amazon can help you increase your sales. We invite you to learn more about Fulfillment by Amazon .

Sorry, there was a problem.

There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Please try again.

Sorry, there was a problem.

List unavailable.
Have one to sell? Sell on Amazon
Flip to back Flip to front
Listen Playing... Paused   You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more
See all 2 images

Little Demon in the City of Light: A True Story of Murder in Belle Époque Paris Paperback – March 17, 2015

by Steven Levingston (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars 95 customer reviews
See all 6 formats and editions Hide other formats and editions
Price
New from Used from
Kindle
"Please retry"
$11.79
— —
Hardcover
"Please retry"
$22.36
$5.22 $0.01
Paperback
"Please retry"
$13.11
$3.99 $0.01
Audible, Unabridged
"Please retry"
$0.00
Free with your Audible trial
Audio CD
"Please retry"
—
— $0.01
Best Books of the Month
See the Best Books of the Month
Want to know our Editors' picks for the best books of the month? Browse Best Books of the Month, featuring our favorite new books in more than a dozen categories.
$13.11 FREE Shipping on orders with at least $25 of books. Only 8 left in stock (more on the way). Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Frequently Bought Together

  • Little Demon in the City of Light: A True Story of Murder in Belle Époque Paris
  • +
  • Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania
  • +
  • In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin
Total price: $40.49
Buy the selected items together
NO_CONTENT_IN_FEATURE

Product Details

  • Paperback: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Anchor; Reprint edition (March 17, 2015)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0307950301
  • ISBN-13: 978-0307950307
  • Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.7 x 8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (95 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #789,465 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Customers Viewing This Page May Be Interested In These Sponsored Links

  (What's this?)

Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsEngaging Read
By DMD VINE VOICE on February 19, 2014
Format: Hardcover Vine Customer Review of Free Product ( What's this? )
In the shadow of the Eiffel Tower and the Paris Exhibition of 1889, Steven Levingston tells the tale of murder, mesmerism and an explosion of international media coverage.

This is the true story of the young mistress of a middle aged married man and their plan to murder and rob a wealthy acquaintance. After the murder, it all goes wrong. The payoff is far less than expected, and, after fleeing to America, their relationship fails and through different means, both end up back in Paris, under police custody, facing a trial that foreshadows the media coverage of OJ Simpson.

The story combines the impressive detective work of Monsieur Goron, the early developments of modern CSI work, and the growing power of the media to display the dramatic impact of a sensational murder that was followed by much of the western world.

Add to that an early attempt at a variation of an insanity plea - in this case, claiming that hypnotism caused one of the principles to take part in the murder, and we get a compelling tale written expertly by Levingston.

Most dramatic is the media coverage, and the public's hunger for more and more sordid details of the events. We tend to think that paparazzi and sensationalized media is a modern creation. But clearly, that development goes back to at least the late 19th century.

The only negative I have for the book is the lack of pictures - there are many references to different locations that still exist in Paris, and yet we don't get to see any of that unless we make a separate trip to the Internet.

That's a minor quibble though, and otherwise I found the book engaging to read and am interesting view of an exciting time in European history.
Comment 24 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
Report abuse
4.0 out of 5 starsA Disturbing True Life Portrait On The Dawn Of Celebrity Criminals And The Precedent-Setting Trial Of The Century
By K. Harris HALL OF FAMETOP 50 REVIEWER on April 6, 2014
Format: Hardcover Vine Customer Review of Free Product ( What's this? )
I don't generally read a lot of non-fiction for entertainment, but the story told in Steven Levingston's "Little Demon in the City of Light" sounded particularly interesting. Ostensibly, this is a tale of a notorious criminal case in 1889 Paris in which one of the defendants used a hypnotism defense at trial. Gabrielle Bompard, who to all outward appearances played an active role in the murder of a wealthy businessman, claimed she was not responsible for her actions as she was under the mental suggestion/influence of her partner in crime. A lot was unknown or theorized about hypnotism at the time, and two schools of thought ruled the day. Of course, one set of scholars found Bompard accountable for her deeds while the other favored her claims of being controlled. In a precedent setting decision, the court weighed in on whether hypnotism could be a valid defense against culpability in a crime.

From its description, this is really what I thought "Little Demon in the City of Light" would be about. In truth, the hypnotism defense and trial don't even take center stage until the final third of the book. What we get, instead, is a more fully rounded portrait of events and of the era itself. Levingston really stages an effective canvas on which to place these larger than life characters. His description of the free wheeling period in Paris history known as La Belle Époque makes the tale all the more fascinating. Within this framework, we see how the criminals integrated into this world of extravagance, how they practically became celebrities in a culture that reveled in scandal. We get to know Bompard (eventually dubbed the Little Demon) and her criminal cohort Michel Eyraud in the days preceding the crime and its aftermath.Read more ›
Comment 13 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
Report abuse
5.0 out of 5 starsA Real Life Murder Mystery
By Hank Cox on March 10, 2014
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
I found this book impossible to put down. It is a real life murder mystery set in a fascinating time and place. It is clearly exhaustively researched. The short chapters move the story along quickly. The suspects flee to the United States which gives it an American flavor. And of course, this being France, the guillotine awaits. The female suspect, vulnerable to hypnosis, offers a fascinating study in the psychology of criminal behavior, with more than a passing resemblance to Charlotte Corday of French Revolutionary fame. Anyone with an affinity for well written history will love this book. It is a riveting tale well told. I found no flaws in it. I give it five stars.
Comment 5 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
Report abuse
4.0 out of 5 starsFact can be stranger than fiction
By Mary Reinert on March 24, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Paris was the center of all pleasures and eccentricities in the late 1880’s. The public was enthralled with extremes and theatrics. When a wealthy man mysteriously disappears with no trace, the Paris police take on the task of finding him. A murder isn’t a murder without a body, but finally the decomposed body of Gouffe is found, and it is apparent it is in fact a murder. The search for the body by two Paris policemen is a page-turner. Forensic science in the 1880’s was truly a matter of diligence, wit, and determination.

After finding the body, the next step is finding the perpetrators . Once again, it takes diligence, wit, and a lot of luck. Finally the twenty-two year old Gabrielle Bompard and Michel Eyrund, old enough to be her father, are arrested. Who is really responsible for the murder? Michel, who has hypnotized Gabrielle, or Gabrielle, who through love has influenced Michel? Now the story takes a turn of logistics, “scientific” investigation, and more than you could ever want to know about hypnotism.

Obviously very well researched, “Little Demon” is as much of a factual telling of the murder, investigation, and trial as can be. Yet, the story for the most part reads like a novel. The opposing views of hypnotism are greatly explored and explained, almost in too much detail for the general reader. Yet, this is an interesting combination of a murder mystery, historical novel, and non-fiction exposé
Comment 2 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
Report abuse

Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

Great

Published 3 months ago by Tim Ramsay
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

Fascinating peek into a different time period.

Published 5 months ago by Heather Hessel
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

Well written and very interesting. Lots of history which I love

Published 5 months ago by Mary A. Becker
3.0 out of 5 starsAlmost, But Not Quite!

I really wanted to like this book because the topic of using hypnosis to get others to do your bidding is intriguing. Read more

Published 5 months ago by Julie Balamut
4.0 out of 5 starsA true-crime murder and a fascinating trial

It's always a little harder reading a true crime story - - the author has to write it as it really happened - sometimes some of the pages are not as exciting as writing a novel -... Read more

Published 7 months ago by Ron Chicaferro
5.0 out of 5 starsSpellbound by Levingston's Storytelling

Levingston is a gifted writer able to hold the reader in his spell even with a nonfiction subject, which occurred more than a hundred years ago. Read more

Published 8 months ago by Dannielle Hurst
5.0 out of 5 starsSuper fast shipping

Outstanding! Book was in pristine condition. Super fast shipping. Many thanks.Pat

Published 11 months ago by Patricia A. Gallagher
5.0 out of 5 starsloved the story

loved the story...great read for anyone who loves France in the "belle epoque"" and true mystery stories....I highly recommend this book...

Published 12 months ago by Diana Regan
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

Excellent book, excellent service. Thanks!!!

Published 17 months ago by george vardalis
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

Good story of an actual murder and the prosecution of the evil doers.

Published 17 months ago by Samuel D. Kissee

Set up an Amazon Giveaway

Little Demon in the City of Light: A True Story of Murder in Belle &Eacute;poque Paris
Amazon Giveaway allows you to run promotional giveaways in order to create buzz, reward your audience, and attract new followers and customers. Learn more
This item: Little Demon in the City of Light: A True Story of Murder in Belle Époque Paris
Set up a giveaway

There's a problem loading this menu right now.

Learn more about Amazon Prime.



Pages with Related Products. See and discover other items: mademoiselle gabrielle