Die Around Sundown by Mark Pryor

I'm so glad that this is just the beginning of a series with Inspector Henri Lefort. It's 1940 Paris and the Germans took over the city three weeks ago. Henri has heard the rumors and he's seen things for himself, rumors of large numbers of civilians being slaughtered, and seen with his own eyes as people in his city have been dragged from their homes and businesses as if they were criminals.

During an investigation of a robbery, with two German officers present, Henri's intuitive skills are on display. He's witty, smart mouthed, cynical, does not suffer fools gladly and he's attracted too much notice from one of these officers. He is given the task of solving a murder in the Louvre Museum but barred from entering the museum to view the scene of the crime and not allowed to see the murder weapon. He is given a list of five names as murder suspects, none of them German, of course. He's also given a time limit to solve the crime. It must be solved in five days or he will be experience great bodily harm.

Henri is sarcastic and funny but also very hard edged. Things have happened in the past to make him the way he is now. He has secrets that only one other person knows and he must guard those secrets with his life. Now Princess Marie Bonaparte, whose house had been burglarized, wants Henri to undertake psychological therapy with her. Despite his reluctance, Henri agrees, he has a lot to let out and his background is very much a part of some things happening in the present.

Henri bantering with assistant Nicola is one of my favorite things about this story. Listening to their repartee is a delight, it reminds me of some of the great old film couples. But there is darkness in Henri and it's obvious that Nicola is someone who keeps Henri grounded. I look forward to spending more time with these interesting characters and the Paris scenery but also with the occasional famous person that crosses Henri's path. Sadly, we know from history that life in Paris is going to get even more tragic, which makes this time in history an interesting backdrop for a story about a Paris detective.

Pub Aug 16, 2022

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for this ARC.netgalley netgalley-2022304 s4 comments Liz2,353 3,206

I’ll be honest, I’m kind of done with WWII fiction. I feel it’s all been done before. But, I was drawn to the idea of a police procedural set in Nazi occupied Paris. And I’m so glad I picked it up.
Henri Lefort has been set up for failure. When a German major is murdered within the Louvre, while sorting art for the Nazis, Henri is picked to solve the case. In one week. Or there will be dire consequences.
Henri was a great character. He’s old enough to have fought in WWI and has a form of PTSD. He’s got distinct opinions which typically get him in trouble. But also provide some dry, caustic humor. “…America, a country I was growing more and more unhappy with. I mean, it’s one thing to show up late for one major conflagration, but to drag your feet to two of them?”
There are multiple plot lines, including Henri’s backstory. I will admit to not seeing any of the twists coming.
The book also includes some real life figures, Picasso and Princess Marie Bonaparte. Mark Pryor has also done his research and I applaud him for making me Google numerous pieces of art. I recommend this for fans of Estelle Ryan.
Pryor’s writing is clear and it’s easy to envision the scenes playing out. He does a great job of transmitting the feel of Paris during the German occupation.
I definitely hope this is the first in a series, as I will definitely read any further entries.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

My husband was also a big fan of this book. netgalley104 s3 comments Holly B (Short Break)879 2,442

3.5 STARS

New Series

Fans of historical fiction set during World War II may enjoy this murder mystery set in German-occupied France in the summer of 1940.

Inspector Henri Lefort, who is known for his expertise in investigating robberies has been recruited by the Nazis (against his wishes) to solve a high level murder case! He is even given a list of suspects.

The clock is ticking, his neck is on the chopping block, he has only five days to solve the murder. Should he take the easy out or stick to his moral compass and find the truth?

A unique police procedural with some art deals, famous named characters, and some flashbacks that reveal Henri's own mysterious past.

Recommend to historical fiction/WWII fans.

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc. OUT August 16, 2022crime-police-procedural historical-fiction mystery ...more98 s2 comments Fran704 827

Paris was under German occupation in July 1940. "The best pieces from [The Louvre] had been packaged up and shipped off to country homes and private cellars just before the Germans set foot in Paris...While closed to the public, the Germans had been helping themselves...under various guises of sequestration, confiscation and repatriation." Hauptmann Walter Fischer, who catalogued items in the gallery, was found murdered inside The Louvre.

French Police Detective Henri Lefort, of the Robbery Division, had displayed superb sleuthing skills in nabbing a robbery suspect in the home of Mimi Bonaparte, a distant relative of Napoleon. Summoned to the Prefecture, he was assigned a mind boggling case. As per Sturmbannfuhrer Ludwig Vogel, Henri was tasked with solving Fischer's murder in five days. "You will succeed or you will be viewed by the German High Command as having betrayed the trust we are bestowing on you." Henri would be allowed to view the body but the crime scene at the Louvre was off-limits to all French citizens, police included. A list of five witness/suspects was provided which included the Louvre's curator and the frame maker who made and refurbished frames for high-end artwork.

Henri was informed that he would have to work the case alone, therefore, he recruited the aid of the Prefecture's best secretary, Nicola. The Germans are "handing off everything to us, even the body. If we solve [the murder] in seven days or less, they get credit and great propaganda for working with the locals, and if we don't, they have an easy scapegoat...Either way they win."

Examination of the body revealed:
-The victim's plaques d'intentite (dog tags) were missing.
-The victim was potentially murdered with an ice pick to the brain.
-The victim was fully clothed-suit jacket contained a horizontal cut in the lining, a pocket containing a thick paper.

After meeting Henri Lefort, it was clear to Mimi Bonaparte, a psychoanalyst who had studied under Sigmund Freud, that Henri's aversion to certain sounds was a psychological or biological issue. Would answering her probing questions perhaps unearth the reasons he exploded at the sound of noisy chewing gum or crunchy celery sticks? In exchange for bearing his soul, she promised free wine and free food! According to Henri, "guarding my secrets on top of guarding my life seemed too great of an ordeal, even for good food and wine."

During the tortuous search for the murderer, Henri witnessed Mimi's move to an apartment after the Germans seized her house. Wealth and privilege no longer insulated her. The established curfew needed to be obeyed by the citizenry as well as the French police. When one of the prime suspects was found dead, perhaps an opportunity to pin the murder on him would resolve the case. Was this the right thing to do under the circumstances?

"Die Around Sundown" by Mark Pryor is the first book in a new mystery series set in Paris during WWII. The read does not disappoint. While Henri Lefort raced to find the murderer in record time, Mimi Bonaparte tried to unlock Henri's secrets, guarded even from himself. "It was around this time of the year, 1918, and there was six of us...".

Thank you Macmillan Publishers and Minotaur Books for the print ARC. All opinions are my own.97 s1 comment Kerrin 336 221

Die Around Sundown is the first in a new mystery series about Henri Lefort, a French detective in German-occupied Paris. After impressing Princess Mimi Bonaparte during a burglary investigation, Lefort is promoted to the murder division. Unfortunately, his first assignment is to find out who killed a German officer inside the Louvre. An unreasonable German commander gives him a list of suspects but forbids him from entering the museum to investigate. The commander will have Lefort executed around sundown if the crime is not solved within five days.

The author, Mark Pryor, uses a clever plot device to introduce us to Lefort’s back story. After her spacious home is taken over by the Nazis, Mimi Bonaparte moves into an empty apartment just below Lefort. Having trained under Sigmund Freud, Mimi convinces the detective to undergo psychoanalysis. During the sessions, Lefort tells of his time as a World War I soldier and gradually reveals his past.

Lefort is witty, clever, and uncompromising. He has a unique connection to his very smart assistant, Nicola. Her knowledge of the art world helps him crack the case so he can live another day. As a historical fiction fan, I enjoyed the setting of 1940 Paris.

4-plus stars. I am looking forward to reading this series. Many thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for my advanced reader copy. This novel will be released on Tuesday, August 16, 2022.74 s Blaine DeSantis977 138

I had read good of this author before I got this book. It is the first book of a new series that features Paris Police Detective Henri Lefort. Had no idea what to expect and I must admit that I was blown away by this first book. So well done, such a fascinating plot and well-defined characters. It was a joy to read this book, and the way it was written tells us so much about the characters backgrounds. Just Superb!!!!
Lefort is a Robbery Detective in Paris during the beginning of the German occupation of WW2. The events take place about 6 weeks into their overthrow of France and we can feel the anger and resentment in most all the Parisians. Lefort is called to investigate a burglary at the home of Princess Bonaparte, yes the distant relative of Napoleon. Lefort makes a big discovery and impresses everyone, so much so that the next day he promoted to be a Murder Detective and is given the unenviable task of having to solve the murder of a German Officer. The officer had been assigned to The Louvre, and was deciding what works of art should be “repatriated” to Germany when he was killed. Lefort is given, by other German officers, a list of suspects, as well as being directed that he is not allowed to enter the Louvre in order to solve the murder. Not only that, he has been given a one week time limit to resolve the case!
He enlists the help of the leading secretary in the police office, and together they try and find a killer. Along the way the Princess has her home coonfiscated by the Nazi’s and has to move into an apartment, from which she contacts Henri and advises him that she studied and worked with Sigmund Freud and that she herself is a psychoanalyst. Henri was in WW1 and still has much emotional baggage and so she helps him begin to get over those matters. This is a marvelous way that Pryor gives us the backstory of Henri Lefort and we learn much about his life, his service in WW1 and is great way to tell two separate stories in one book and set up so much more for future books. You can hopefully see Henri, his secretary Nicola, and Princess Mimi Bonaparte in future books.
Suspects are killed, the mystery deepens, and the motivating factor for Lefort is that if he cannot solve this case in a week, then Lefort himself will be tortured and killed.
This is a great read, a fast read and one that will most ly explore much of the French/German relations of WW2 in future books in this series. If you history and detective novels this is a great book for you. I was so impressed that I have already gone out and purchased the initial book of his first series. This is a quality writer and a book that most everyone will thoroughly enjoy and not want to put down until the very end. Oh, so good, and oh so many fascinating characters and plotlines. Great job, Mr. Pryor!


44 s1 comment Cathy S. 45 18

A solid 3 stars
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