The Black Tower

Louis Bayard is one of the best writers of historic fiction. He has a talent for taking familiar characters in reality and fiction, such as Charles Dickens's Tiny Tim Cratchit or Edgar Allen Poe, and turning them around.

In Bayard's latest offering, The Black Tower, he relates a more obscure, but still memorable character, Eugene Francois Vidocq, a real-life detective who some believe was the inspiration for Poe's C. Auguste Dupin.

In 1818, Vidocq becomes the unwilling recipient of a message from a dying man leading him to Hector Carpentier, a young medical student and the book's bemused narrator. Following the message, Vidocq and Carpentier are on the trail to find Louis-Charles, the dauphin and supposedly missing son of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. The trail leads them to Charles Rapskeller, an eccentric young man who may or may not be the prince.

Bayard writes very convincingly of a France left scarred by the Revolution and the Reign of Terror. The fear and uncertainty is filled from the highest nobleperson to the lowest beggar. Characters switch allegiances faster than most people can think, from Royalists, to Revolutionaries, to Napoleon followers, back to reluctant Royalists. There are many scenes where former revolutionaries, such as Carpentier's mother, feel the need to hide "N" insignias and tri-colored flags that once proudly decorated their homes. Bayard does an excellent job of capturing the suspicion and paranoia reflected in France's post-Revolution and Napoleonic days.

Bayard also writes three very interesting leads for his book. Vidocq is a brilliant and brilliantly flawed character. Very observant and deductive, Vidocq has the talent but has a very different personality from Dupin or Sherlock Holmes. He has colorful turn of phrase, mostly of the four-letter variety, and is very seductive with the ladies. When he isn't busy solving peering through clues to solve murders or investigating Rapskeller's identity, he is usually in the bed of a willing female companion.

Carpentier and Rapskeller are also two memorable characters and make for an interesting duo. Carpentier's isn't too far removed from Bayard's Tim Cratchit, a cynical narrator with an upsetting childhood and disillusioned adulthood Rapskeller is a perpetually childlike oddity. His obsessive love of gardening and his incessant rambling make him both pathetic and sad at the same time.

Nonetheless Carpentier and Rapskeller form a strong friendship, as Carpentier protects the lonely Rapskeller and Rapskeller provides the confused Carpentier answers that he had been seeking. Their scenes together are some of the most touching and the highlights of this book.

Armchair Interviews says: Wonderful historical fiction that is a 5-star read.

"All it takes some nights is a shift in the wind's direction, a creak on the stair, and the name flies like an oath from their throats..."

Eugène François Vidocq is not as well known as Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot, but this French ex-convict had the honor of being one of the first private eyes, as well as creating the concept of plainclothes cops.

He's also the brilliant mind which Louis Bayard's latest novel revolves around, on a dangerous hunt for the presumed-dead dauphin. But instead of a stuffy historical slog, "The Black Tower" is an exquisitely detailed thriller, set in a dark period in France's history. And at heart, it's also the story of a timid young man's quest to finish his late father's work.

Hector Carpentier is understandably shocked when the legendary Vidocq deceives his way into Hector's house, and drags him to see a murdered man, Leblanc.

And because Leclanc had Hector's name on his person, Vidocq insists that Hector accompany him as he tries to find out who killed him and why. And they soon discover that Leblanc was somehow involved with the young dauphin Louis-Charles, who supposedly died after years of torment and misery in the Black Tower. That was twenty years ago, but rumors of the dauphin's survival still linger.

Then after another man is murdered, they stumble across a strange, childlike young man named Charles, who Hector suspects may be the lost dauphin. His involvement grows even deeper when he learns of his father's long-ago connection to Louis-Charles, and the diary that may prove or disprove Charles' identity. But Leblanc's murderer is still out there -- and the two young men may be his next targets.

The horribly abused, orphaned dauphin is still a mystery to history buffs -- nobody really knows if he died in the Tower, or somehow escaped. Even now with genetic testing, there's no definite proof one way or another. That's a pretty fascinating premise for a murder myster/political thriller right there -- and Louis Bayard plumbs it to the depths for all the suspense he can muster.

In fact, Bayard's talent for historical mysteries has never been more impressive than it is here. He winds together political, social and personal issues into a tight little plot, peppered with the increasingly desperate diary entries of Hector Senior ("I have never cared for bullies, regardless of what office they hold"). And the feeling of dread he slowly spins over the story is absolutely harrowing, right to a truly shocking climax.

And his handling of this book shows that he's the perfect writer for this sort of novel. Rather than scrabbling to show off his wealth of research, he settles for the atmosphere of Paris during the Restoration -- tense, scarred and full of painful memories. He brings the mud and sewers of Paris to life, seconds before switching to a lovely little flower garden or a cute little side shop.

Though the hesitant, timidly courageous Hector is the narrator of this adventure, Vidocq is the star. He's lusty, brawny, larger-than-life and full of vital energy like some kind of lost earth god. Yet he's also given some very human quirks, such as his love of costumes, or the nicknames he frequently bestows on poor Hector ("Please, Doctor-eating-off-your-convict-made-china, tell me why I need papers"). As for Charles, he's a simply adorable child-man.

"The Black Tower" takes a real-life mystery from centuries ago, and spins it into a magnificent, suspenseful historical thriller, with a powerful detective and a strange goal.

Louis Bayard's "The Black Tower" is told in flashback by its narrator, Doctor Hector Carpentier, a twenty-six year old medical student of limited means. The year is 1818 and France has been through numerous political upheavals in the wake of the bloody French Revolution that toppled the monarchy. The Bourbons have since been restored to the throne, which is currently occupied by His Majesty, Louis XVIII. Hector's quiet and predictable life with his widowed mother in their Paris boarding house is abruptly disturbed by an imposing man named Eugene Francois Vidocq. The latter is a former convict, who is now a feared and legendary detective. He has a tenacious and uncompromising disposition worthy of Hugo's Inspector Javert. Vidocq is investigating the murder of Chretien Leblanc, and the policeman has good reason to believe that Hector's father knew Leblanc. In fact, both the older Carpentier and Leblanc may have been involved in an unpleasant business involving the imprisonment of the young Dauphin, Louis-Charles (Louis XVII). It is common knowledge that the boy died at the age of ten after being imprisoned in deplorable conditions.

Part fact, part fiction, this is a plot-driven tale of derring-do, whose large cast includes men and women from all strata of society, including prostitutes, street thugs, assassins, an elderly professor, and several aristocrats. In spite of the time line and genealogy that the author helpfully provides at the beginning of the novel, the plot is almost impossible to follow. Conspiracies abound, and as the story progresses, a host of clues crop up, such as a long-buried journal, missing artifacts, and a birthmark, all of which lead Vidocq to believe that there has been a massive cover-up. With Hector as his improbable assistant, Vidocq (who is a master of disguise, a terrific street fighter, and possessed of a photographic memory) endangers both their lives to uncover a long-hidden conspiracy that may thrust France into chaos once again.

Although "The Black Tower" is entertaining enough for a while, it soon becomes apparent that the characters serve as props for the many implausible twists and turns that seem to crop up on every page. This is yet another example of "less being more." A less tortuous plot with fewer and more well-rounded characters could have made this a memorable and gripping work of historical fiction. Instead, the book drags towards the end, and some readers will scratch their heads trying to figure out just who did what to whom and why.

To open Louis Bayard's latest novel is to take a step back in time, to the introduction of the world's first detective. From the cover art promising sinister goings-on to the surprising final chapter, THE BLACK TOWER cannot fail to delight thriller fans. And the old-fashioned touch of chapter titles is a pleasure in and of itself.

The headings break the book into a series of wonderful little stories that all join together into a giant adventure. Each chapter is filled with history and mystery told through the words of one Dr. Hector Carpentier, a man specializing in venereal diseases. Who could be a more unlikely hero? Carpentier is not really cut out for sleuthing but has some very good advice in the opening chapter: Never let your name be found in a dead man's trousers.

He teams up --- without really meaning to --- with Eugene Francois Vidocq, criminal turned cop, now a famous detective of somewhat shady character and a man with a gigantic reputation and an ego to match. Vidocq has an air about him reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes crossed with Lt. Columbo (of the old TV series).

"Vidocq."

"Not the scoundrel!"

"Why, he's not!...He's the terror of criminals everywhere, he's - he's the reason we can sleep with our throats bare."

"Oh, that's good! He's the last man in the world I'd trust with my throat."

A master of disguise, Vidocq takes Carpentier on a dangerous chase around Paris and the surrounding countryside. The dead man whose trousers the good doctor's name was lodged in was Chrétien Leblanc. The name rings no bells with Carpentier, but that doesn't stop Vidocq. He pesters Carpentier with an exhaustive barrage of questions until he extracts several revelations. Despite skepticism on Vidocq's part --- likely stemming from a personal tendency to deception --- Carpentier was not trying to conceal anything; he simply did not understand the significance of facts in his possession.

It is 1881, the early days of the Restoration in France. The political climate is changing, albeit slowly. Loyalties that are even perceived to lean the wrong way can land one in prison, and with only the shakiest of proof necessary. So when someone suggests that the dauphin --- Louis-Charles, Duke of Normandy, son of Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI --- might still be alive, it is best said in hushed tones. The king's execution and that of Marie Antoinette, for treason, seems explanation enough for exercising extraordinary caution. Could a hint that the dauphin survived be the reason Leblanc was murdered? If so, why did he have Carpentier's name in his pants pocket, and why was he seemingly headed to see the doctor?

The official story goes that the dauphin was tossed into a filthy cell in the Temple, a cruel and unforgiving prison, on the fourth floor of the black tower, and that he eventually died there. But with Leblanc's death, followed by yet another, the possibility that young Louis-Charles somehow escaped starts to look plausible.

Before Vidocq and Carpentier can interview someone who sounds like a reliable source with a wealth of information, the man dies. Vidocq handily arrests one of his assassins, wresting from him the story of how he and his partner were approached for the job, and by whom. Unfortunately, the man knows his employer simply by the moniker "Monsieur." In France, that is certainly not very specific. Another attempt at proving the truth of the story is foiled!

But Vidocq is nothing if not tenacious, pursuing all leads like a dog hot on the trail and dragging Carpentier along with him. To his amazement, Carpentier turns out to be almost as good a detective as he is a venerologist. Carpentier surprises himself, as well as Vidocq, as he ferrets out clues, follows them up, dissects them and trusts his instincts to expose the truth. But, in the end, can they prove that the young man they have found is Louis-Charles?

Louis Bayard's MR. TIMOTHY was a rare and refreshing delight in the historical fiction genre, and his PALE BLUE EYE ratcheted him up a notch further on the talent scale. But with THE BLACK TOWER, his amazing skill with words coupled with his firm grasp of history cannot be matched. Reading a Louis Bayard story is fun, informative, whimsical and dark as the forbidding tower he writes about.

--- Reviewed by Kate Ayers

Restoration Paris, 1818. It has been over twenty years since the Revolution, Napoleon is in exile and the Bourbon kings are back on the throne of France. But the past still echoes...


Hector Carpentier is an ordinary medical student living at home with his mother, where she takes in boarders to help make ends meet. He is suddenly thrust into a murder investigation when detective Eugene Francois Vidocq turns up on his doorstep. It seems Hector's name has been found on a piece of paper that was concealed on a dead body. Hector has never seen or heard of the victim before. He is at a loss to explain why the man might have had his name and been at pains to hide it.


Before he knows what's happening, he is swept along with Vidocq and into a case that has the potential to shake France to its core. The evidence points to a conspiracy to kill a simple, quiet young man who lives in the country and who just might be the heir to the throne of France, Louis-Charles.


During the Revolution, Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI were both killed. Their two children, Marie-Therese-Charlotte and Louis-Charles were imprisoned in the Black Tower. Marie was eventually released but Louis-Charles died in prison. Or did he? The rumors have always circulated that he might have escaped and impostors have turned up before. But this young man has no memory of his early life and does not claim to be the lost prince. Someone believes he is, though, and they are intent on his death. It is up to Vidocq and Hector to unravel the mystery and protect the unassuming, fragile young man.


Louis Bayard paints a fascinating picture of the little-known real life detective, Vidocq. The world's first real police detective, he had a background in crime and had been imprisoned in his youth. He knew the criminal mind from personal experience and was able to use his knowledge to become an extremely successful detective. To me he seemed to be a cross between Sherlock Holmes and Columbo because of his flair for disguise and his gruff demeanor. Restoration Paris is likewise brought to life brilliantly. This book is a wonderful historical adventure.