MURDER IN MONTPARNASSE

Howard Engel makes a departure from his Benny Cooperman mysteries to deliver a roman à clef set in Paris in the ‘20s. Canadian journalist Mike Ward, living in the City of Light, has befriended writers Jason Waddington and George O’Donnell (a.k.a. Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald). When the lovely Laure Duclos is killed by a “Jack the Ripper” style killer, Ward uncovers troubling secrets about his friends. Narrator Geoffrey Howard does a fine job portraying a multi-continental cast of characters. He effortlessly transports the listener to cafes and bars where conversations transpire over cups of coffee and glasses of wine and reproduces the energy and competitive spirit among the bohemian writers. K.M.D. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 03]