Le French Book
In this story Sylvie Granotier introduces us to Catherine Monsigny a
young, ambitious lawyer and a rising star at a major Parisian law firm. Catherine
finds herself with a major felony case and sees an opportunity for her career
to take off. She has to defend a black
woman accused of murdering her rich husband in a pastoral village setting on
the outskirts of Paris. The journey to the
village to meet her client and investigate the case becomes a journey of self-discovery
for the young lawyer.
Always close to the surface of Catherine’s mind, is the unsolved
murder of her mother that happened when Catherine was a toddler; she often
finds herself in a whirlwind of questions, memories or dreams related to this traumatic
event. Unfortunately, she has a father unwilling to provide any answers that
might help ease her mind. As Catherine attempts to uncover her past, she is
unknowingly being manipulated in the present and complicating her
future. Happening in parallel is the
story of her client, a woman who quite deftly hides her past and ingeniously
manipulates the present to ensure she has a future.
As we meet the many characters in this story who provide
insight into both the murder of Catherine’s mother and the case of the murdered
husband, we witness different types and different aspects of love and
relationships. There is the passion of
lovers, the love of husband and wife, and the love, devotion and loyalty between
parent and child. We also see happy marriages,
marriages of convenience, the fallout from divorce, and the ramifications of lovers
betrayed.
As there is a lot going on in Catherine’s mind and life, there
is also a lot going on in the story line.
Some readers will find the back and forth between past and present, dream
and reality, a little confusing but it reflects the main character and makes
this book so much more than just another procedural thriller. Some readers may not like that the
ending to the Paris Lawyer, isn’t neatly wrapped up and tied with a bow. However, you are left
with a feeling of closure for the past and a sense of hope for the future.
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