Laura Lebow
on Tour
October 9-22
with
The Song Peddler Of The Pont Neuf
(historical mystery)
Release date:
September 4, 2018
at Settecento Press
410 pages
SYNOPSIS
PARIS, 1788
Facing bankruptcy after years of expensive wars, King Louis XVI calls a meeting of the Estates General, the ancient French legislature which has not met in 174 years. The city hums with talk about modernizing the assembly and changing France into a constitutional monarchy.
Paul Gastebois, a confidential inquirer, isn’t interested in politics. He’s busy with the daily tedium of detective work—following foreign diplomats for the Parisian police and helping artisanal guilds enforce their rules. He’d like to make a name for himself solving crimes, but few cases have come his way. Then Paul is hired to find a song peddler who sang bawdy songs to crowds on the Pont Neuf. The missing man had seen someone from his past on the bridge, and had vanished a few weeks later.
As Paul searches Paris for the song peddler, his investigation leads him into the world of underground publishing, where anonymous writers attack King Louis and his queen, Marie-Antoinette, and foreign governments manipulate public opinion for their own purposes. When a ruthless killer strikes, Paul must unravel the mystery of the song peddler’s disappearance, or risk losing everything he holds most dear.
Enjoy an Excerpt
September 25, 1788
The Pont Neuf, Paris
The old man heard the mob before he saw it—a hundred or more voices, most of them unemployed journeymen from the jewelry and goldsmith shops around the Place Dauphine, swarming up the quai des Morfundus toward the Pont Neuf. He tucked his violin bow under his cloak and put the small instrument into his battered leather satchel. There would be no more money made singing bawdy songs here tonight.
“Long live the king! We demand a doubling of commoner deputies in the Estates General! We want vote by head!” the crowd shouted. Now the old man could see the rioters, many with torches in hand, streaming onto the bridge, throwing firecrackers and smashing stalls as terrified vendors snatched what little of their merchandise they could save and raced away. The protesters surged toward the small café across the street, overturning its tables and chairs. In a moment they had stacked them and lit a bonfire.
The old man patted his satchel, assuring himself that the pamphlets were safely tucked inside. Then he turned around, looking for Marie. Where had the old hen gone to now? His friend Vincent was quickly making a last sale, handing a copy of one of his songs to a man in a porter’s uniform.
“Vincent! Where is Marie?”
His friend looked over.
“I don’t see her. She was across the street, past the café.”
The old man’s eyes scanned the northern end of the bridge, looking for the old woman through the smoke of the bonfire.
“Marie! Where are you!” he shouted.
He froze. There, at the very end of the bridge, at the corner of the quai de la Mégisserie, stood a familiar figure, tall and dark, watching the rioters as they advanced. No—it couldn’t be him, the old man thought. Back in Paris, after all these years? He must be imagining things. He peered at the figure again. His shoulders sagged. It was him. He had been a fool to think that they were safe.
“Here she comes!” Vincent shouted.
The old woman waddled toward him, struggling under the weight of the basket of cabbages on her back. “I can’t run, my basket is too heavy!” she cried.
She slipped on a pile of rotten vegetable leaves and fell. The basket flew off her back, the cabbages tumbling to the ground. Several of the rioters scooped them up and started to throw them into the river.
The old man ran over and reached out his hand to her.
“My cabbages!” she shrieked.
“Leave the cabbages!” he shouted. “Let’s go!”
He pulled her up, put his arm around her, and led her away toward the quai de la Mégisserie. As they left the bridge, he squinted through the smoke, searching for the figure he had seen. But the corner was now empty.
The Pont Neuf, Paris
The old man heard the mob before he saw it—a hundred or more voices, most of them unemployed journeymen from the jewelry and goldsmith shops around the Place Dauphine, swarming up the quai des Morfundus toward the Pont Neuf. He tucked his violin bow under his cloak and put the small instrument into his battered leather satchel. There would be no more money made singing bawdy songs here tonight.
“Long live the king! We demand a doubling of commoner deputies in the Estates General! We want vote by head!” the crowd shouted. Now the old man could see the rioters, many with torches in hand, streaming onto the bridge, throwing firecrackers and smashing stalls as terrified vendors snatched what little of their merchandise they could save and raced away. The protesters surged toward the small café across the street, overturning its tables and chairs. In a moment they had stacked them and lit a bonfire.
The old man patted his satchel, assuring himself that the pamphlets were safely tucked inside. Then he turned around, looking for Marie. Where had the old hen gone to now? His friend Vincent was quickly making a last sale, handing a copy of one of his songs to a man in a porter’s uniform.
“Vincent! Where is Marie?”
His friend looked over.
“I don’t see her. She was across the street, past the café.”
The old man’s eyes scanned the northern end of the bridge, looking for the old woman through the smoke of the bonfire.
“Marie! Where are you!” he shouted.
He froze. There, at the very end of the bridge, at the corner of the quai de la Mégisserie, stood a familiar figure, tall and dark, watching the rioters as they advanced. No—it couldn’t be him, the old man thought. Back in Paris, after all these years? He must be imagining things. He peered at the figure again. His shoulders sagged. It was him. He had been a fool to think that they were safe.
“Here she comes!” Vincent shouted.
The old woman waddled toward him, struggling under the weight of the basket of cabbages on her back. “I can’t run, my basket is too heavy!” she cried.
She slipped on a pile of rotten vegetable leaves and fell. The basket flew off her back, the cabbages tumbling to the ground. Several of the rioters scooped them up and started to throw them into the river.
The old man ran over and reached out his hand to her.
“My cabbages!” she shrieked.
“Leave the cabbages!” he shouted. “Let’s go!”
He pulled her up, put his arm around her, and led her away toward the quai de la Mégisserie. As they left the bridge, he squinted through the smoke, searching for the figure he had seen. But the corner was now empty.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Laura Lebow
holds a degree in European History from Brandeis University
and a Master in City Planning from MIT.
A long-time mystery reader and history buff, she lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Her previous fascinating historical mysteries include
The Figaro Murders and Sent to the Devil,
both published by Minotaur Press.
Visit her website and sign up to her mailing list
Preorder the book – paperback version to come soon
***
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CLICK ON THE BANNER TO READ OTHER REVIEWS AND EXCERPT
My Review:
The Song Peddler of the Pont Neuf is a pretty good read. I
liked being transported back in time to 1788 Paris, France. What a fascinating
time in history. I thought Laura Lebow perfectly describes the historical details
that brought the city and characters to life. The mystery and suspense that
surrounds the story kept me fascinated and intrigued. I had no problem wanting
to continue turning the pages until I was finished. I never knew what was going
to happen next. I found there were a few twists and turns that I could not have
predicted. I enjoyed the action, adventure and perfect pace of how it all
flowed.
The Song Peddler of the Pont Neuf gets a well-deserved five
stars from me. I highly recommend it. I look forward to reading more books by
Laura Lebow in the future. She definitely has just earned herself a new fan of her
work.
Great book!
I received this book from the author. This review is 100% my
own honest opinion.
so glad you discovered a new author to love! Before Paul Gastebois comes back for a new adventure, I highly recommend her 2 historical mysteries set in the world of opera, they are fantastic
ReplyDeleteThanks for the lovely review of my book, Amy! I appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteLaura Lebow
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