Petite Mort by Beatrice Hitchman

On Kindle

In 1963 a film is discovered in a basement.   Entitled Petite Mort it was made at the famous Pathe studios in 1913 and it's star was Adele Rous a young unknown who never appeared in a film again.   A young journalist, Julliette Blanc, tracks down Adele and goes to interview her and the narrative cuts between her interview and re-enactments of the events of 1913.

In 1912 Adele arrives in Paris determined to break into films and is employed in the sewing room at Pathe.   She is spotted by leading director Andre Durand who makes her his mistress then employs her as assistant to his wife Luce who acts in his films under the name Terpsichore.   Adele moves into the Durand mansion in the Bois de Boulonge and Luce appears indifferent to Andre's visits to her room but when Andre is away she seduces Adele who falls in love with her.  

At this time another Pathe director is constantly asking Luce to appear in his film Petite Mort but she refuses and so he uses Adele, a fact that she tries to conceal from Luce.   A further complication is that Adele's young sister, Camille, has turned up also trying to get into films and hopes to use Adele to do this which she does but this is not revealed until the end.   Violence and murder are also on hand to tangle the web nicely and bring the tale to a satisfyling conclusion.

Beatrice Hitchman has written a subtle and entertaining tale which, considering I bought it on Kindle for ninetynine pence, is as good as books ten times the price.   I hope to see more from this author.

The Yard by Alex Grecian

This novel, a debut by an American writer of comic books, is set in 1889 as the Metropolitan police attempt to salvage their reputation following the Ripper murders.

As the book opens the body of Inspector Little of the newly formed Murder Squad is found in a cabin trunk at Euston Station.   Sir Edward Bradford, newly appointed Commissioner of Police, knows that the morale of his force depends upon a swift solution to this direct attack on his men.   Eyebrows are raised when he puts in charge of the investigation Inspector Walter Day recently transferred from the Devonshire force and who has to cope with the resentment of older members of the squad.   Fortunately he is supported by Inspector Blacker and Constable Hammersmith (an unlikely name but the writer is American) who render him the assistance he needs to solve the case.   The character of Doctor Bernard Kingsley is used to introduce the newly developing science of Forensics and makes a major contribution to the plot.   To try to outline the action would result in too many spoilers and so I shall refrain.

All in all Alex Grecian has spun an entertaining yarn which shows much research and attention to detail and is just the thing for a quiet afternoon.

The Racing Factions by Robert Fabbri

On Kindle

This is another of Fabbri's novellas featuring the Crossroads Brotherhood and published exclusively on Kindle.   The Brotherhood operate a protection racket in their neighbourhood and also act as bodyguards for Senator Pollo who is the uncle of Vespasian the hero of Fabbri's full length novels.

The action opens in the Circus Maximus where Magnus and the gang have just won a sizeable bet.   However, the bookmaker, Ignatius, refuses to pay up which is a major mistake on his part.   The rest of the story concerns Magnus organising an elaborate plot to get his revenge.  

This is a very entertaining story if a rather amoral one but by now we should all be used to the attitudes of Rome at the time.   There is also a tendency to portray as appealing characters what are essentialy a gang of vicious thugs but Fabbri is not alone here think Mario Puzo and the American Mafia.