In book #2 in the Inspector Paul Mazarelle series, he has been transferred back to Paris where he has been promoted to the position of commandant in the elite Brigade Criminelle--the top one hundred detectives in France. After his team helps stop an attack on the president, they are assigned a high profile case of murder. A man named Alain Berthaud, a private investigator, has been found hanging upside down under a bridge over the Seine. Mazarelle discovers a matching tarot card tucked in the victim's pocket. Is his killing a warning? Or is it the work of a twisted serial killer?

This is an enjoyable police procedural with lots of intriguing layers. The characters are interesting and quirky people; I cared enough about them to worry. But perhaps Paul is a bit too quick to fall in lust. Can he keep his wits about him?

One of the author's continuing themes is racism in France. Immigration has become a big problem for those who want to keep France pure. A detective of African descent has dealt with racism all his life and knows he is judged by his skin color. Mazarelle's boss jumps at the chance to pin the blame on a 'gypsy' for the crime so they can speedily close the case. But Mazarelle wants only the truth...

I received an arc of this suspense novel from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I am glad that the author has returned to writing this series.

The Hanged Mans Tale was intriguing but also confusing. So many characters, so many crimes. While I enjoyed Mazarelle, perhaps I would have appreciated him more if I had read the first book? The last third of the book was the best part- everything became clear. I will try another in the series- see if my brain can keep up.

This is a new author for me and even though this is the second book in the series I didn’t feel out of the loop. This police procedural progressed at a quick pace and evoked the French landscape and sensibility quite well. I liked the characters and would read more books involving them but would have appreciated a glossary of the French terms used to help with understanding the meaning. I thank #netgalley and the publisher for #thehangedmanstale to read and review.

3 stars
I love serial killers tales. I did click this thinking I would be able to just go in, but I had a hard time connecting. The book is fine.

This book is about the second in the series featuring French Detective Paul Mazarelle. It takes place in 2002 and involves corruption in the police department. It is well written and a fast paced novel that holds the readers attention. I recommend this for anyone looking for a new series mystery/crime series.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon, Facebook and my nonfiction book review blog.

"In the shadowy back alleys and opulent homes of Paris, hard-nosed police inspector Paul Mazarelle of The Paris Directive sets out on the trail of a serial killer.

A murdered man is discovered dangling inside the tunnels of a Paris canal - the only clue, the tarot card in his pockets: the Hanged Man. When an innocent suspect is railroaded into prison for the homicide, Mazarelle sets off on the hunt for the real killer.

For the charming, hot-tempered, impulsive Frenchman - now back from the provinces and leading his own homicide unit out of Paris’s famed Quai des Orfevres - it’s an investigation that takes him far from the comforts of Beaujolais and bouillabaisse, and plunges him into an underworld of ruthless white supremacists looking for scapegoats in Paris’s growing immigrant community, corrupt cops eager to cover up a shady side business, and a conspiracy of secrets that threaten his own life.

Meanwhile, Claire Girard, an irresistible and ambitious journalist at a popular tabloid, is wrapped up in the same story. On the trail of the Tarot Card killer, Mazarelle finds himself blindsided by their growing attraction. And when his team’s case collides with Girard's latest scoop, and the body count keeps rising, Mazarelle himself becomes a prime suspect who must clear his own name. Gerald Jay’s latest Mazarelle adventure is a riveting, fast-paced thriller about a classic French detective making his way through the dangerous streets of a very modern world."

I might be a bit serial killer and tarot obsessed, therefore this book is SO in my wheelhouse.

Hmmm. I’m torn about this one. Perhaps it was the pages of what I thought to be extra description about mundane things, but this was equal parts difficult to get absorbed in but also engrossing when the action moved along. I already figured out what the motive was for the murder but the process of having it play out was interesting. It might have helped if I read book 1 in the series but overall it’s a perfectly fine detective murder mystery that entertains.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Tense chilling dark so involving so well written.I sat down to read a few pages wound up reading late into the night could not put down.An edge of your seat thriller that I will be recommending.#netgalley #doubleday

Suspense, mystery, gruesome. What more could you ask for? This book definitely had me on the edge of my seat. 4⭐

Review of Uncorrected eBook Proof

The murder of a man left hanging inside the tunnels of a canal in Paris puts police inspector Paul Mazarelle on the trail of a killer. There’s only one clue: the tarot card of the hanged man stuffed into the breast pocket of the dead man’s jacket. It doesn’t take long for a suspect to emerge, but he is an innocent man railroaded into prison in an attempt to end the investigation.

While Commandant Mazarelle investigates, journalist Claire Girard investigates the same story. Both are seeking the Tarot Card Killer. And, in the process of his investigation, the inspector discovers a ruthless syndicate of white supremacists and an unexpected cabal of corrupt police officers.

As the killer claims more victims, secrets and conspiracies threaten Commandant Mazarelle’s life. Will he find the Tarot Card Killer or will he fall victim as well?

Set in Paris in 2002, the occasionally gruesome narrative is both compelling and intriguing. The strong sense of place and the nuanced characters give depth to the telling of the tale.

As the mystery slowly unravels, readers will find themselves drawn into the story despite the nasty undercurrent of racism that is a bit off-putting but that plays an integral part in the telling of the tale.

The sometimes-gritty story takes several surprising turns, keeping readers guessing and the pages turning until the fast-paced denouement plays out to a satisfying conclusion.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Doubleday Books and NetGalley
#TheHangedMansTale #NetGalley