Murder on the Champs-Elysees — Alex Mandon

Paris, 1900. The height of the Belle-Epoque: decadence, wealth, hedonism...and murder.

Homicide investigator Guillaume Devre stands for the silenced victims, bound to seek justice as he makes his way from the wide boulevards frequented by the tout-Paris to the narrow byways of Montmartre, to the shadow of the Tour Eiffel and the lush elegance of Maxim's.

When the most famous courtesan in Paris becomes the prime suspect in the death of a wealthy young man, Inspector Devre is reluctantly drawn into the opulent parlors and witty manners of high society. As the investigation unfolds, he must contend with a bloodthirsty press and the outrageous behavior of his suspect...as well as his own prejudices and unfulfilled needs, and Devre soon realizes that solving this murder could expose him and his darkest secret.

"Murder on the Champs-Elysees" is the first in a new series featuring Inspector Guillaume Devre, a homicide detective from la Surete who lives a secret life on the fringes of respectable society, the powerful courtesan known as La Balise--with secrets of her own--and the gruff but brilliant American pathologist Dr. Jackson.