En el legendario Quai de Orfèvres, sede de la Policía Judicial de París, el comisario Nico Sirksy sufre más estrés del que su estómago puede aguantar. De vuelta en una visita a la atractiva doctora Carolina Dairy, le informan de un macabro asesinato ocurrido ese mismo día, un lunes. La víctima, una profesora de historia, ha sido hallada muerta y atrozmente mutilada. Al día siguiente, la policía encuentra el cadáver de otra mujer, muerta en circunstancias similares. En el espejo del cuarto de baño, el asesino ha dejado escrito con sangre: Siete días, siete mujeres... Comienza entonces una trepidante carrera contrarreloj.

I enjoy mysteries and recently I have been trying to read mysteries from different parts of the world and have found it very interesting to see how these types of stories play out in different cultures. Cotteril’s Dr. Siri Paiboun series set in 1970’s Laos is full of self deprecating humor and a distrust for authority figures. Camilleri’s Inspector Montalbano series set in Sicily is dry with an interesting disdain for any sort of procedural method in detection. Crimes are solved, and the detectives are equally effective and skilled in their own distinct ways.



It seems to me that the British and American crime solvers are similar. Often times, going all the way back to Sherlock Holmes, they are either completely outside the criminal justice system (amateurs, private detectives, or retired police officers) or if they are actually police officers, they are either damaged in some way or have their own code and procedures that they follow. We like the free agent, the rebel, the detective who puts his moral code above the letter of the law. At least we do in novels because that type of behavior in a police officer would most likely be a nightmare in real life. Harry Callahan is fine on the movie screen, but we don’t want to see him walking up to our vehicle when we blew that red light trying to get to work on time.

Molay’s Nico Sirsky series is set in Paris and they love their rules. They have tremendous respect for their bosses. Everyone is supremely skilled and devoted to their jobs. Even being well dressed and physically fit and attractive is important enough to be mentioned as a sign of success and competence. The French are a bit different I guess.

The Seventh Woman is a very well done “race against time” type thriller. The killer has promised to kill seven women in seven days and we are off at 90 miles per hour from the start. I read it in two sittings and thoroughly enjoyed it. I have already read the second in the series and have put the third on my TBR if that tells you anything. ( )

Begins blandly but does pick up as the serial killer starts to get going. I hope it won't count as a spoiler alert, given the title, but it does cost the cop 6 lives to catch the perp, which I think is too many, especially when the author is forced to waste lives in an almost throwaway fashion towards the last quarter of the story. The murders are disgusting, which you may like, and the maniac becomes distinctly madder, murder by murder, which means daily, and this gets a bit silly. Some of the machismo on display is pretty off-putting, to the extent that I was genuinely surprised that this was written by a woman. ( )

Nico is the police chief in charge of the division who investigates murders. A woman is found dead in her home and his team is called to investigate. A second woman is found the next day with the same MO. Now the stakes are raised as the murderer left a message for Nico that seven women would be killed in seven days. Can Nico and his team stop the murders?

I was on the edge of my seat with this book. I wanted to know who is was. I had it down to two people and I was right about one of them. A lot of secrets come out and a lot of emotion is displayed by the cops but not in a bad way. They are as frustrated as can be as the murders keep happening and there is collateral damage. I enjoyed how the team were so involved with the murders and each other. I look forward to reading more of the series and this author. ( )

The 7th Woman (Paris Homicide Book 1). Frederique Molay. 2012. I usually avoid all Kindle books that are numbered. I’ve been burned too many times, but it is hard for me to resist a book set in Paris! And I saw this title on the Facebook page, Le French Book so I hoped it would be a notch above the books on the Amazon lists. Turns out it is an award winner in France. Nico Sirsky is head of the division of the Paris Police Department that investigates murder. He and his team face a murdering monster who preys upon young women and leaves no clues. The book switches between the gruesome victims and Sirsky’s personal life. He is divorced from a troubled woman and has a son. His sister and brother-in-law also play a part in the plot. As does the woman he is falling in love with. Tension mounts as his personal life become more and more involved in the murder investigation. Lots of good scenes in Paris too! I will add this series to my “must read” list. ( )