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Loading... The Man in the Black Suitby Sylvain Reynard
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. Acacia Santos is a concierge working at a prestigious hotel in Paris. The man in the black suit is a highly valued guest Nicholas Cassirer though he's under an assumed name. Nicholas and Acacia clash though he admires her honesty when she turns him into the police because she thinks he has stolen artwork (he doesn't). But this interaction causes her to be drawn into his world of stolen art, gun running, spying, and other international intrigues. I loved the Gabriel Inferno series as well as the Florentine series by Mr. Reynard, but this one was kind of meh. There's a lot of 'telling' in the story which leads to an emotional distance for the reader as well as a very slow pace, especially in the beginning. Both characters have reason to feel a lot of emotion but both are so self-contained it blunts the relationship between them. Besides all the international intrigue, the book touches on anti-semitism, anti-muslim, and anti-immigration themes. Throw in some personal issues with personal disfigurement and jealousy over the exes. All this creates more of a mess that jumps from issue to issue. I would rather the story concentrated on one of these issues to give a deeper insight into the characters rather than glossing over so many of them. The locales are great as always in Mr. Reynard's books. I just felt the book was a bit flat. I hoping for more in his next book. no reviews | add a review
Acacia Santos excels at her job as concierge at the prestigious Hotel Victoire in Paris. When her superior, Marcel, is attacked in a supposed random mugging, she is tasked with serving one of the hotel's most mysterious and attractive guests. Nicholas Cassirer checks into the hotel under an assumed name every three months. Usually, he stays in the penthouse suite with a beautiful female companion but on this occasion, he arrives alone and is displeased in having to deal with someone new. A match of wits ensues as he tests Acacia's expertise with a series of almost impossible demands. Her intelligence and creativity rise to the challenge, earning his respect. They strike a tenuous accord until Acacia discovers a famous stolen painting in his suite, she contacts a former boyfriend who works for the elite BRB, a unit of French law enforcement that deals with art thefts. Nicholas is questioned by police and released when it is revealed the painting is a reproduction. Irked with her behavior, Acacia's supervisor demotes her threatening dismissal and the cancellation of her work permit. But Acacia has already attracted Nicholas' attention. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.6Literature English (North America) American fiction 21st CenturyRatingAverage:
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The story starts with an insight into Acacia's role as a concierge at an upscale hotel in Paris. She is Brazilian and has a mysterious and dangerous past, but she's put the latter behind her and given her life to the very proper, very discreet role of a professional concierge.
Nicholas Cassirer is an intriguing character. Especially in the hands of narrator Robertson Dean who has a beautiful baritone voice.
This is one of those romances where the man knows what he wants, and that's Acacia. He wins her over, and he goes to every length to keep her safe when she falls into the clutches of her baddy dad. It's like he's met the one and she's the overwhelming, never to be shaken love of his life.
Such simplistic romances can be true to life I'm sure. It's a feel-good extreme but there is something missing, something unrelatable, a little daydreamy. But I don't mean to put anyone off - escapism, from an enticing concoction of romance and adventure is never to be sneezed at.
Thank you for your comments below NW Moors, which I read after I posted - you've put into words what I couldn't put my finger on - I agree with the lot of what you say. ( )