The French Widow by Mark Pryor/Review by Tim Suddeth
The French Widow
Mark Pryor
Seventh Street Books
$15.95
ISBN 978-1645060239
Publication Date: Sept 15, 2020
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Any book that promises to take you to the ultimate romantic city, Paris, deserves a second look. And The French Widow by Mark Pryor, more than lives up to the billing.
This is the ninth installment in the Hugo Marston series. Marston, a former profiler with the FBI, is now the head of security at the U.S. embassy in Paris. In the country who first complained about the “ugly American tourist,” being a hero can be a fleeting thing. When Hugo stops a gunman indiscriminately shooting bystanders on the street, only a few snide comments of gun-toting Americans are heard. When it’s learned that the person he shot was also an American, and connected to the Embassy, the cries against Americans and the accusations of a conspiracy become even louder.
Getting Hugo away from the Embassy seems a good idea. The Ambassador asks him to attend an annual gala at one of Paris’s most prominent estates. The one time each year that the bluest-of-blue-bloods Lambourd family come together. A little wine, some history, and rubbing shoulders with the French elite should help Hugo deal with the trauma of the attack.
Until thefts and assaults begin happening at the chateau. Hugo learns just how cold the disdain of the upper crust can be, especially when they all have secrets they would prefer to keep to themselves.
Politics, family intrigue, unique characters, they’re all there for us to enjoy. Definitely this is one book that leaves you wanting more.
Tim Suddeth was the 2017 Jimmy Loftin Memorial Scholarship Award winner. He’s currently working on his fourth novel. He currently blogs for The Write Conversation and is trying to make a dent in his to-read bookcases. You can follow him at on his blog at timingreenville.com or on Twitter @TimSuddeth.