The Paris Key

Xe Sands's soft voice and subdued delivery are good matches for this melancholic novel set in the City of Light. After her marriage falls apart, Genevieve Martin escapes to Paris, the city to which she also fled as a young girl grieving the loss of her mother. As a child, Genevieve was an enthusiastic apprentice to her Uncle Dave, a locksmith, and she now has the opportunity to take over his business. She is immediately, almost overwhelmingly, embraced by her late uncle's many friends and neighbors who all knew of Dave's great affection for his American niece. Genevieve soon discovers that her mother also viewed Paris as a refuge and her visit just before Genevieve was born holds the key to many family secrets. While Blackwell's (Spellcasting in Silk) narrative slows occasionally, it is well structured and wraps up nicely. VERDICT Recommend to those who enjoy armchair traveling with popular fiction. ["A solid contemporary fiction purchase, especially for Francophiles and those who enjoy Paris settings": LJ 9/1/15 review of the NAL pb.]-Beth Farrell, Cleveland State Univ. Law Lib. © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

As a child, Genevieve Martin spent a wonderful summer in Paris at her uncle's locksmith shop, recovering from her mother's death. While falling in love with the city, she also learned tricks of the locksmith trade. Now, grown up and on the verge of divorce, Genevieve returns to Paris after her uncle's death. While she enjoys spending her time in the city she never stopped loving, and begins to work through her uncle's life in locks and keys, she uncovers mysteries about her family that will change everything she thought she knew. Mystery author Blackwell's (Spellcasting in Silk) foray into women's fiction starts off a little slowly, but eventually unravels the backstory of Genevieve's mother, and at that point, readers will become more invested. The cast of Parisian characters makes the story all the better. VERDICT This is a solid contemporary fiction purchase, especially for Francophiles and those who enjoy Paris settings.—Brooke Bolton, Boonville-Warrick Cty. P.L., IN