Review: Fast-paced thriller
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 6, 2012
Paul Sirenne owns a small bookstore in Canada and is just living a normal life until his parents are brutally murdered, leaving him with one clue - H.N.  His father had prepared for such tragedy and had sent Paul a note before their untimely demise. The content holds a long, hidden family secret which sends Paul to Etretat, France where a hundred year old family mystery lies within the book "The Hollow Needle" by Maurice Leblanc.He isn't alone on the mystery hunt as he is assisted by Leblanc's great-granddaughter, Raymonde. Together they try to unravel the puzzle that has been unleashed before them, which takes them to the caves in Etretat's chalk cliffs.It took me several attempts to get interested in this book as it really wasn't my cup of tea. Once the action picked up, I became interested in the plot. The main character, Paul, is very likeable as he is a regular person who is thrown into this espionage to try to solve his parents' murder. He is intelligent and loves solving codes, so he is the perfect person to solve the mystery. Sometimes when an author throws in a romance, it doesn't work, but not here, as Paul and Raymonde have great chemistry. The author must have spent a lot of time researching the Etretat caves to make the plot tie into history. Overall, I enjoyed reading the book and once I got sucked into the plot, it was a page turner. The Caves of Etretat is a fast-paced thriller that should satisfy most mystery fans.