Short Synopsis
In the first book in an engrossing new mystery series from Mark Pryor, Hugo Marston and semiretired CIA agent Tom Green investigate the abduction of an elderly bookstall owner in Paris.

Full Synopsis
Max—an elderly Paris bookstall owner—is abducted at gunpoint. His friend Hugo Marston, head of security at the U.S. embassy, looks on helplessly, powerless to do anything to stop the kidnapper. Marston launches a search, enlisting the help of semiretired CIA agent Tom Green. Their investigation reveals that Max was a Holocaust survivor and later became a Nazi hunter. Is his disappearance somehow tied to his grim history, or even to the mysterious old books he sold?

On the streets of Paris, tensions are rising as rival drug gangs engage in violent turf wars. Before long, other booksellers start to disappear, their bodies found floating in the Seine. Though the police are not interested in his opinion, Marston is convinced the hostilities have something to do with the murders of these bouquinistes.

Then he himself becomes a target of the unknown assassins.

With Tom by his side, Marston finally puts the pieces of the puzzle together, connecting the past with the present and leading the two men, quite literally, to the enemy's lair.

Just as the killer intended.

"Pryor's steady and engrossing debut combines Sherlockian puzzle solving with Eric Ambler-like spy intrigue. With a cast of characters you want to know better and a storyline cloaked in World War II betrayals . . . the author winningly blends contemporary crime with historical topics." ---Library Journal Starred Review

"Once you've had a bit, you can't wait for more." ---OPRAH.com

"Hugo Marston . . . [is] a refreshingly unconflicted, likable hero." ---Publishers Weekly

"Fans of Alan Furst will find much to love. As strong and welcome as a hot coffee on a chilly Paris morning. Bibliophiles, Francophiles, and mystery addicts rejoice! The debut of Hugo Marston is one you don't want to miss." ---Steven Sidor, author of Pitch Dark

"Michael Pritchard's performance shines in this Sherlockian puzzle of drug deals, rare books, romance, and Nazi hunters. Pritchard adds needed color to the stony gray dampness of the City of Lights in winter." ---AudioFile

Library Journal Review