The Sorbonne Affair: A
Hugo Marston Novel. Mark Pryor. Prometheus Books. August 2017. 270 pp. ISBN #: 9781633882614.
Hugo
Marston is attending a funeral when he is approached by a very well-known
romance novel writer, Helen Hancock.
Immediately after the funeral she asks him to help her as she’s
discovered someone has planted a camera in her hotel room. The reader is puzzled about how important
this was that she had to stalk Hugo out at a funeral and how she knew he was
there. Later for that. For now, Hugo does discover a camera in her
room but is unable to do anything more as Helen doesn’t want the hotel notified
and wants no publicity.
Before
they can do anything more, a hotel bell-hop is found murdered in the stairwell
of the hotel. Not a clue is evident and
the tension rivets upward when the next day reveals an internet video showing
Helen Hancock with one of her writing students, Ambrosia Silva, naked and
embracing.
Hugo
now realizes that someone is being bribed for an ulterior purpose and yet another
death confirms that theory. Hugo himself
has a suspicious encounter with someone outside of his home and realizes he
must be careful as it appears he is to be the next victim.
The
mystery plot thickens and Hugo Marston follows his instincts as well as his
well-honed investigative skills to discover a most surprising perpetrator of the
constant death and mayhem.
One
of the lovely side notes in this novel includes Hugo’s appreciation for the
food, drink, architecture and weather of Paris, making the reader long to visit
and partake of the experiences that so satisfy our resident investigator who
works for an embassy but would love to remain in Paris forever, if
circumstances should allow that dream!
All
in all, The Sorbonne Affair… is a
terrific read that will satisfy all mystery genre fans and anyone else looking
for a very good read! Nicely done, Mark
Pryor!
