Review for Crossing the Line by Frederique Molay

Crossing The Line

By Frederique Molay

Translated by Anne Trager

Publisher: Le French Book

Release Date: September 23, 2014

Genre: Police Procedural/Crime Thriller

Length: 244 Pages

ISBN: 978-1939474148

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About the book: 

It's Christmas in Paris. Chief of Police Nico Sirsky returns to work after recovering from a gunshot wound. He's in love and raring to go. His first day back has him overseeing a jewel heist sting and taking on an odd investigation. Dental students discovered a message in the tooth of a severed head. Is it a sick joke?

Sirsky and his team of crack homicide detectives follow the clues from an apparent suicide to an apparent accident to an all-out murder as an intricate machination starts breaking down. Just how far can despair push a man? How clear is the line between good and evil?

More suspense and mystery with the Paris Homicide team from the prizewinning author Frédérique Molay, the "French Michael Connelly". This is the second in the prize-winning Paris Homicide series.

Still recovering from being shot three months ago, Chief Nico Sirsky returns to his offices at “La Crim”.  Immersing himself back into work full time, Nico is happy about the direction both his personal and professional life have taken.  Especially with the Christmas holidays just around the corner.  While Nico and his team look forward to working together again, another man, realizing his days are numbered, finds an unusual way to alert the police about his murder.  And so begins Crossing the Line, the second book in Frederique Molay’s Paris Homicide series.  Having established her characters in The 7Th. Woman. Ms. Molay, challenges them, and her readers, with a mystery that will take them through the hallowed halls of universities and hospitals, dedicated to helping their fellow man, to find a killer willing to do whatever it takes to have his way. 

While Ms. Molay spent a lot of time in developing Nico’s character and giving us insight into his personal life, this book takes a different direction concentrating more on the procedural and investigative aspect of Nico’s professional life.  Don’t get me wrong, we still get to see his personal relationships, but now we are seeing Nico relishing life more – getting shot reminded him life is fragile, even for the members of a crack police team.  Perhaps more fragile than even he can imagine.  

We also get to meet some new characters in this book, characters who I look forward to getting to know more as the series continues to develop.  I particularly enjoyed meeting Claire Le Marec, Nico’s deputy chief, and Marcel, a body processor at the Paris Descart University, a colorful character who provides yet another philosophy on life. 

Nico and his team also have two crimes to solve in this story; a high profile and high dollar theft, which has naturally sent his superiors into near apoplexy, and a murder, which may or may not be tied to one of the most prestigious, and well known, universities in France. Both cases that could have a huge public and professional impact on Nico’s future. 

Especially since his mentor, and one of his bosses, Deputy Police Commissioner Michel Cohen is worried about how long it’s taking them to solve the high profile theft.  I also enjoyed getting to see Nico interact with Police Commissioner Nicole Monthalet more; it’s nice to see women in high profile, high powered positions in a traditionally male dominated field.  Nico's team, a colorful group of men and women, also gets more time in this installment and we get to know a little bit more about some of their personal lives - like the rest of us, they too face challenges both professionally and personally at the same time. 

Will Nico and his team be able to solve both crimes before the holidays?  Will Nico’s surprise Christmas gift to his family bring them all closer together and bring them closer to their heritage?  You’ll have to read Crossing the Line to find out.  I can’t wait to dive into the next book in this series, The City of Blood, to see what happens next. 

My Rating:  4.5 out of 5 Crowns   

FTC Disclosure:  I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley as a part of a book tour for a fair and honest review.  I received no additional compensation for my opinion.