Murder in Pigalle (Aimee Leduc)
AiméeLeduc is crashing around Paris again, this time—during the 1998 World Cup in France—in search of her pal Zazie, a 13-year-old wannabe detective who has disappeared and may be the latest victim of a serial rapist preying on young girls in the Pigalle district. Ah, but that’s not all: Aimee is five months pregnant and is doing her running accompanied by the Bump. Black cleverly mixes the domestic situation (Aimee has yet to tell the Bump’s father what’s happening) and the red-herring-laden mystery (Is Zazie’s disappearance even connected to the rapist?). The plot gets a little crazy this time, and the resolution seems a tad abrupt, but series fans won’t notice, as they’ll be thoroughly caught up in the ongoing story lines regarding Aimées romantic life, her relationship with partner and best friend Rene (struggling to keep his own romantic feelings for Aimée secret), and, of course, Aimée’s terrorist mother, now confirmed to be alive but still off the radar. The combination of vividly evoked Parisian neighborhoods and a bewitching, stylish heroine (now adorned in vintage Dior maternity togs) continues to make this series as tasty as a chunk of French chocolate. --Bill Ott