The Black Tower by Louis Bayard

Final Rating: 2.8/5

   Graphic in description and creative in overall execution, The Black Tower follows the voice of a young medical student who finds himself pulled from his humble life into a murder investigation that involves the death of an unknown man who is curiously found with the name of the young student on his person. In 1818 Paris murder is common enough in the seamy alleys but when confronted with not only the scrawled name but the additional evidence that the deceased was tortured well that certainly will not do. It is up to the brilliant yet unconventional Inspector Vidocq to discover the motive behind such a baffling crime and with our narrator in tow they soon race into a tangled web of deceit, conspiracies and the chance to rewrite history.

   For this reader, The Black Tower was an energetic rendition of history that immediately grabbed my attention and appealed to my love of a good conspiracy and political intrigue filled novel. Being more comfortable with recognizing the late 18th-century historic events mentioned, I was vaguely familiar with the early 19th-century French history so it was a great opportunity to learn a new era of history and research the French monarchy and military history as I read. The intricate weaving of passages pertaining to the mysterious events that occurred in a locked room in a tower in 1795 and how they played a crucial part in this novel only added to my list of positives as unsolved questions were explored and expanded in the storyline. Although entertaining this novel did venture into the modern tone a few times with anachronistic terms and crass unexpected phrases that pulled this reader from the story. A few characters were a bit flat with lost potential and scenes toward the end seemed to blur together. There were also a few plot holes in this book that never closed for this reader and finally the mystery and collection of clues seemed forced and too convenient at times. Overall, not a bad selection for a rainy day and I may read another novel by this author. I would recommend The Black Tower to those who enjoy reading about the dark side of history, love a murder mystery and can stomach graphic descriptions of human misery and abuse. This novel may not be for everyone but its energetic batting with the idea of "what if" of historical events may be worth your time.

-read and purchased on kindle