The Black Tower

I am a big fan of the mystery genre and read these books much more frequently than most others. And it is difficult to find something fresh, exciting, new leading me to scour reviews in Entertainment Weekly and to scan the shelves of the multiple bookstores in my neighborhood. How many times can we read about an alcoholic cop on the trail of a murder suspect? I have read too many 'cookie cutter' stories, some from the same authors every six months, and I really don't want to waste my time until I find authors who are willing and able to give me something new.

This search is what lead me to Caleb Carr's "The Alienist" (one of my favorite books) and to the "Maisie Dobbs" series, to name but a few. What is the unifying theme? The authors attempt to transport us to different places and different times, perhaps fictionalizing a little bit of history in the process, bringing this time and era alive for us. This is so much more interesting than yet another novel set on the mean streets of Los Angeles. Enough of those. Unless you're Michael Connelly and such a superb writer you can make it seem fresh. For the rest of you, enough.

So, when I first read about "The Black Tower" on Amazon Vine, my interest was piqued. I have never heard of Louis Bayard, but the novel's setting in France, right after the Restoration, was intriguing. As soon as I picked up the book, I was unable to put it down.

Bayard immediately captures the feel of the time, giving us an almost photographic view of what the people and the sights were like. Of course, I have no first hand knowledge to compare against but Bayard writes about these things in both an open and authoritative way, making them accessible to us.

But Bayard also reinvents an actual historical figure for his detective. Vidocq, the first director of the Surete, is at the heart of this mystery. Known as a man adept at creating disguises. Vidocq dresses as a beggar familiar to Hector Carpentier, a 26-year-old doctor, in order to get past the young man's defenses. Hector soon learns a man was killed and had his address on his person, leading the detective to Hector. Soon, the two are working together to uncover the mystery of a young man who may be the long lost Dauphin of France. Naturally, there are many people who would both welcome and hate to have such a discovery made, so Vidocq and Hector find themselves in a lot of danger almost immediately.

Bayard has a real gift for bringing the historical facts into balance with his artistic license, blending them to create a story rich in detail while still entertaining. He introduces to Hector's mother, who has been forced to rent out rooms in their home since her husband died many years ago. The home is filled with a collection of boarders who add spice to the story. And Vidocq has a number of associates whom Bayard weaves into the story.

Another thing I really enjoyed about "Tower" was the fact that Bayard's characters actually experience some real danger. At times, they are in harm's way and come away with the scrapes, bruises and more to prove it.

As the story progresses, Bayard reveals the levels of a conspiracy so deep it would be as welcome in today's society. But from our limited knowledge of this period, and the well-documented attempts of various monarchs to retain their power, the conspiracy seems well founded and completely believable.

"The Black Tower" was immensely enjoyable. So much so that I purchased Bayard's two earlier books, both of which appear ready to deliver enjoyable, unusual stories much like his newest.

I almost gave up on this book, but I am glad I didn't. Louis Bayard has told an extremely well written, and interesting, story about the possibility that Louis-Charles (King Louis XVII) may have survived the French Revolution and was spirited away.

The story is told from the perspective of Hector Carpentier, a sometimes-doctor in Paris who's lured into the mystery by Inspector Vidocq, an actual historical character from 19th century Paris. Bayard's Vidocq is sort of a real-life Sherlock Holmes, although much more eccentric and less refined.

Unfortunately, the book is rather hard to get into because Bayard aims to tell an extremely complicated story with several twists and turns. For example, the book begins with an event that doesn't really tie into the main story for several chapters. The character of Vidocq is also an acquired taste in my opinion. I really didn't grow to like him until the end of the book.

Without trying to spoil anything for future readers, I'll also note that I didn't really like the ending at all. Ultimately, it stays true to the legend but falls flat and left me feeling extremely unsatisfied. However, this book will spark me to do more reading on the real Louis-Charles and the mystery surrounding his time in The Tower in Paris and the possibility he survived the French Revolution.

This book begins mysteriously, and there is an early murder which, at first sight, appears to have no relation to the principal protagonist. The detective on the case, however, uses his wits and knowledge to work at unravelling a mystery that is so convoluted it at times makes the mind reel. I understand this detective (who is based upon an actual French detective of that era) may have been the model for Poe's detective in "Murders in the Rue Morgue", and that is quite likely. There is almost non-stop action on every page, and this book is a real page turner! One shock and surprise after another awaits the lucky reader, and there are several twists at the end which turn the whole tale upside down. It's a very enjoyable read, and I highly recommend it!

I began reading this book on a Saturday morning and didn't stop until I'd finished it later that day. If you haven't ready any of Louis Bayard's novels, this is an excellent place to start and showcases his skills as an author. He is a very capable writer of historical fiction, weaving a first-person narrative with flashbacks from a long-lost journal to re-create France during the first years of the Restoration and the Revolution. The plot moves quickly, and Bayard successfully employs "cliff-hanger" chapter endings to impel the reader forward. There are many twists in the plot, and while he challenges the reader's suspension of disbelief, he never totally abuses it. Yes, there are a few too many coincidences, but by the time they emerge, you're so engaged in the story and so taken by Bayard's ability to write well that you forgive him.

The book's appeal doesn't lie just in its plot, but in Bayard's skill as a writer. He is able to paint a full-blown portrait of even a minor character with a few deft sentences, never over-indulging in lengthy descriptions that would slow the momentum of the story. His main characters are even more vivid and alive, with distinct and believable personalities. As other reviewers have mentioned, the character of Vidocq is by far the most memorable, and interesting enough that Bayard could launch a series of detective novels with Vidocq as the colorful and tireless investigator.

So, why only 4 stars? Within the last 30 or 40 pages, there was a relatively short section that was not as compelling or well-written as the rest of the book. For lack of a better word, there was a sort of slump that threatened to bring the whole thing down. Luckily, it only lasted for a few chapters, after which Bayard seemed to recover his former powers and the book rolled on to a satisfying conclusion. I don't know if this was a case of over-editing, or perhaps not enough editing, and it didn't spoil my enjoyment, but since the book as a whole was so outstanding, the weak section stuck out even more. Still, I can highly recommend the book with just that one small reservation.

The story of the little boy prince in the tower has fascinated people ever since the French revolution. Bayard takes the question of what happened to the prince and twists it into a really wonderful historical mystery. Well written and fast paced, this book is sure to satisfy anyone who loves a clever thriller with lots of twists and turns. Don't expect you can guess the ending until the ending! r.

Hector, who once trained to be a doctor but frittered away his inheritance on a woman, is unexpectedly drawn into this decades old puzzle. Hector's father was also once a doctor, one who practiced during the French revolution. And not just any doctor, for it turns out that it was Hector's father who was sent to the ailing little prince in the tower.

The little prince's father, the king, and his mother, had already been executed by the revolutionaries. Only the little boy and his sister were left alive. By French law, women were not allowed to inherit the throne, so only the small boy was left to threaten the revolutionists as a person for the monarchists to rally round.

And, as anyone with a history book can tell you, that little boy lived out an existence in the tower that was nothing less than shocking abuse. Likely sexually abused, forced to accuse his mother of sexual abuse, fed rarely, beaten, kept in the dark, taunted, he was finally little more than a weak and likely dying child.

But did he really die? Or was there a conspiracy to free him?

Trust me. You will enjoy this one.