Hervé Jubert

In this dark fantasy world, the eccentric Count Palladio has re-created various cities at specific points in history (i.e., Venice during the Renaissance) as vast tourist spots. When someone begins wreaking havoc in historic London by murdering as Jack the Ripper did, veteran sorceress Roberta Morgenstern and young police investigator Clement Martineau are called in to solve the case. However, when it seems that La Voisin is also on the prowl in historic Paris, the investigators realize that show more there’s a bigger problem at hand. If someone is resurrecting famous murderers, Morgenstern and Martineau are determined to find that person. This volume, weighing in at just more than 500 pages, is a bit slow going. It took me until about page 130 to really get interested in the story, despite the appearance that it would be suspenseful and action-packed. The mystery aspect is actually not all that mysterious, and some of the action sequences seemed to drag on longer than necessary. In particular, there is one extended scene in which Morgenstern and Martineau escape a villain by literally jumping into a painting and making their way through the landscape of the painter’s mind. This section went on too long and was just too cheesy in my opinion. Also, I have the feeling that the book’s language suffers from the translation from French to English. There were some obvious translation errors here and there (“preserved” instead of “observed,” “service” instead of “serve,” and so on), and because of this I couldn’t help but wonder how well the overall translation represented the original text. However, one thing I did enjoy in particular was the snappy dialogue between the two investigators. But, overall, I did not find the book entertaining enough to continue on with the series. show less

A mysterious killer strikes in a city where crime should be impossible.
For generations, police investigations have been unnecessary in the city of Basle. Tiny tracers identify any criminal as soon as an illegal action takes place, and this has made the city virtually crime-free.
But now the city is torn apart by a series of gruesome murders committed by a shadowy figure known only as the Baron of the Mists. And qualified witch and detective Roberta Morgenstern and her young associate show more Clément Martineau are on the killer's trail.
High-speed chases across rooftops and through the city's winding streets lead Roberta and Clément to the Queen of the Gypsies, the pirates of the lagoon, the practicers of some very dark alchemy, and finally to the deadly Baron of the Mists himself. . . .

This is the second in a trilogy of supposed teen fantasies. I found it hard going in a few spots, and wonder whether it really would be suitable for a teenage audience, but overall a light & enjoyable read. show less

Reviewed by Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen for TeensReadToo.com

In the first novel of THE DEVIL'S DANCES trilogy, DANCE OF THE ASSASSINS, Herve Jubert created virtual-reality theme parks in various cities, all pertaining to a different time period. Roberta, a sorceress, has been trying to figure out if famous serial killers have come back to further their murders.

The Killers' Quadrille has come to handle the devil's work.

This second novel of the trilogy, DEVIL'S TANGO, brings back show more Roberta to solve another murder mystery, this time in the city of Basle. Located in the mountains of Switzerland, Basle was one of the very few cities that had remained after a terrible flood. Tracers, invented by witches, are the cause for the lack of work for the detectives in Basle, since it monitors all the areas.

But now that a series of murders are discovered, the tracers aren't much help with this case - and it's up to Roberta to figure out who the mastermind is.

With a mix of a future and virtual world, Herve Jubert creates a world that we will never forget, although at times it's a little confusing. The scenes are haunting and the murders are chilling, and it is the perfect suspense novel for every occasion. show less

This short-story was and is offered by Éditions ActuSF (see here). It takes place in the world of [b:Blanche|39933220|Blanche (NAOS)|Hervé Jubert|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1524580450s/39933220.jpg|59976312]. Blance Paichain is a 17-year old detective in Paris in the year 1871, when the Prussians attack Paris. She's lives with her uncle - for reasons surely explained in the book itself - and is contacted by Henri Regnault (Wikipedia-link), a French painter, who's the son of show more Henri-Victor Regnault, also a painter. Apple and tree, n'est-ce pas?

After one of his visits at The Louvre in Paris, he sees that the Venus of Milo (link of the Louvre) has disappeared and fears it's been stolen. Blanche and he decide to go on an investigation. Not all goes smoothly, but it seems there is some Greek mythology involved in the process, even though Blanche was told by someone else that the statue was moved to hide it from the Prussians. Meanwhile, there are at least two people who are murdered during the investigation. The gods themselves decided to play a role to give Blance a bit more work.

All in all, an entertaining story (also part of the book), but with a strange ending. Still a bit too many questions left unanswered. Unless the book itself can fill those gaps? show less