This crime thriller set in Paris introduces Nico Sirsky, a
chief of police who, not unusually, is suffering symptoms
associated with a stressful job. He's had to see a doctor
about a long-lasting lower stomach ache, and next thing
another murder case is added to his load.
THE 7TH WOMAN proceeds to an unpleasant crime scene where a
woman has been tied, killed and mutilated in an apartment
in the Latin Quarter. No-one who sees this can remain
unaffected but the police, medical examiner and criminal
profiler have to be professional. The victim, Marie Helene,
had a boyfriend, but although there was no sign of a break-
in, the boyfriend, who found the body, is sincerely upset
and can't think of anyone who would wish his girlfriend
ill. They're just ordinary people, he says. The beautiful
city is crowded with Parisians and swarming with tourists,
but nobody saw anything unusual.
Sirsky's sister Tanya is his closest family; their mother
is Russian, their father Polish, and Nico is divorced with
a teenage son. Nico tries to cope with the added pressure
by working later hours, giving him little time with his
son, and makes friends among his workmates. The criminal
profiler, a lady psychologist named Domenique Kreiss,
declares that the killer was highly organised and may well
be a serial killer. Nico can hardly countenance that such a
monster could be loose in Paris. As the title indicates
however the killer is determined to continue his evil task.
Readers need a fairly strong stomach for this read, but
there is
good characterisation and sympathy for the stress-filled
life of the police officers. Paris is a character in its
own right. THE 7TH WOMAN should interest any fans of serial
killer
stories who want to try an unusual location and new police
characters. The author Frederique Molay has experience of
political work and the French civil service. THE 7TH WOMAN
is a relatively short read at under 200 pages and
introduces her Paris Homicide series. The story was
translated from the French by Anne Trager, who has also
brought us the French 'Winemakers Detective' series.
There's no rest for Paris's top criminal investigation
division, La Crim'. Who is preying on women in the French
capital? How can he kill again and again without leaving any
clues? A serial killer is taking pleasure in a macabre
ritual that leaves the police on tenterhooks.
Chief of Police Nico Sirsky—a super cop with a modern-day
real life, including an ex-wife, a teenage son and a budding
love story—races against the clock to solve the murders as
they get closer and closer to his inner circle. Will he
resist the pressure? The story grabs you by the throat and
doesn’t let go until the last page, leading you behind the
scenes with the French police and into the coroner’s office.
It has the suspense of Seven, with CSI-like details. You
will never experience Paris the same way again!
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