Review: Very Interesting
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 9, 2014
THE PARIS LAWYER by Sylvie Granotier is a fascinating book on several levels. First, it's a French publication that is translated. This takes a little getting used to, but then you feel comfortable with the flow. It is a multi-layered  story about a French Lawyer, Catherine Monsigny, whose mother, Violet, was murdered when she was out walking her baby daughter (Catherine) in her stroller. Her father,  Dr. Claude Monsigny, took on the roll of mother and father in raising her and protecting her. In so doing he made sure that Violet's memory would be erased to ensure that his baby girl would never again be reminded of that terrible day. She did not even know where her mother was buried.At twenty-five-years, Catherine Monsigny was on the brink of her first big murder case in The Creuse region of France. Gaston Villetreix died and his African wife, Myriam, was accused of murdering him. The case could be at big break for Catherine. She would have to go to the village in The Creuse. Before leaving Paris, she was defending Cedric Devers in an assault and battery case, and  started getting flashbacks about her mother and the day of her murder. The flashbacks became more frequent when she arrived in the village. This was odd. She was just a baby, way too young, to remember what really happened that day.What did this mean?The following months would become a trial for Catherine in more ways than one. She had two murder cases, her own love life, as well as betrayal, deception, secrets, and strange events to deal with. For the first time in her life, she was forced to address the suppressed memories and emotions linked to her mother's death.THE PARIS LAWYER is a suspenseful thriller with some racial undertones and a unique ending. Brilliant!  It is fast paced and kept me turning the pages to the satisfying conclusion. A very good read!*Copy received from NetGalley and the publisher.