The author of the Hugo Marston mysteries launches a historical series set in Nazi-occupied Paris in 1940. When French Inspector Henri Lefort shoots a robber in the home of Princess Marie Bonaparte, he unfortunately draws the attention of a German officer. He's promoted to the murder squad but assigned a case by Sturmbannfuhrer Ludwig Vogel. A German officer was murdered in the Louvre while cataloging artwork. Vogel gives Lefort one week to find the killer, hands him a list of five suspects, and describes the crime scene. The French are not allowed in the Louvre, not even the police, so Henri cannot investigate at the site. He knows failure will make him a scapegoat. Henri is a shrewd detective who works with a police secretary to interview witnesses, including Pablo Picasso. Running through the novel is Henri's story of service during the Great War, a history that reveals secrets he's kept hidden for over 20 years. VERDICT Convoluted and contrived at times, but the novel's historical aspects and police detective will intrigue fans of World War II mysteries.--Lesa Holstine

Set in 1940 Paris, this uneven series launch from Pryor (the Hugo Marston series) introduces Insp. Henri Lefort, who soon after the Germans occupy the city is called to the home of famous psychoanalyst Marie Bonaparte ("call me Mimi"), to investigate a burglary and a murder. After a quick-witted assessment of the situation, Henri brings the case to a successful conclusion, which catches SS officer Ludwig Vogel's attention. Vogel gives Henri one week to solve the murder of his subordinate, Walter Fischer, who was stabbed to death in the Louvre two days earlier. Should Henri fail to do so, he faces torture at the hands of Vogel. Meanwhile, Henri's angry reaction to certain sounds, such as the crunch of apples being eaten, has intrigued Mimi, who wants to psychoanalyze him. He agrees to this in exchange for parcels of hard-to-get food and wines. Henri's psychoanalysis sessions alternate with the sleuthing. An intriguing setup and fascinating details about life in occupied Paris help make up for the coincidence-heavy plot and some ramshackle pacing caused by the many scene shifts involving Henri's complicated backstory. WWII history buffs may want to have a look. Agent: Ann Collette, Rees Literary. (Aug.)

Pryor, author of the Hugo Marston mysteries (as well as two excellent novels about a psychopath named Dominic), launches a new series. This first installment, like the Marston novels, is set in Paris. But this is Paris in 1940, about a month after the German occupation of France. Detective Henri Lefort is not fond of the Germans, and when he's asked to investigate the murder of a German officer who was stabbed in the Louvre, he's not all that keen. Especially since Hitler is due to visit Paris in a week, and the SS wants the case solved by then . . . or else. As he digs into the officer's death, he realizes this is no ordinary murder. Pryor has constructed a compelling wartime mystery, and he's made 1940 Paris a vividly real place, much as Cara Black did in Three Hours in Paris (2020). The realism extends to the introduction of real people into the story, including Pablo Picasso and the psychoanalyst Marie Bonaparte, who plays a major supporting role. A fine addition to the ever-growing list of WWII thrillers.

A French detective helps the Nazis find a killer. Even under the heel of the German occupiers, there's plenty of crime in Paris, as Princess Marie Bonaparte, great-grandniece of the emperor himself, learns when she finds her fashionable home ransacked and her servants dead. Police detective Henri Lefort impresses her with his quick wit, which saves her from immediate danger. But much as Henri wants to stay and solve the case for the princess, Roger Langeron, chief of all the police in Paris, has other priorities. Sturmbannführer Jung has asked Lefort and no one else to investigate the death of Hauptman Walter Fischer, the German officer charged with cataloging the Louvre's vast treasures and reassigning them to new homes in Axis-friendly countries. Jung gives Lefort a list of suspects and one week to crack the case, promising that he'll repay failure with unspecified penalties Lefort can only imagine. From this edgy premise, Pryor spins a tale increasingly complex. Nicola, Lefort's assistant, finds a Picasso drawing hidden in the dead man's clothing. Marie Bonaparte, a trained psychoanalyst, bribes Lefort to engage in sessions with her in order to probe his pathological aversion to noise. A reporter shadows Lefort, revealing unexpected news. Suspects produce alibis provided by Picasso himself. The identity of Fischer's murderer is perhaps the least surprising of the many twists and turns this tale of love, hate, and misophonia has on offer. Wheels within wheels power this homage to battles waged without and within. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.