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In pre-Revolution France, a police detective has managed to procure himself a specific and distinct post: the Inspector of Strange and Unexplained Deaths. Whenever a particularly unusual murder occurs, Volnay is called in. On a spring night in 1759, the body of a young woman is found, and her face is simply gone. Volnay arrives on the scene immediately to assess the surroundings, to look carefully at the body, and to question any witnesses. Making the situation even more noteworthy: The man who discovered the body is none other than the infamous Casanova.
Volnay ends up spending quite a bit of time with the Venetian well-known for his sexual exploits, though he’d much rather not have to collaborate with such a man. Volnay also finds himself often in the company of a strikingly beautiful young woman, an Italian as well, who is intelligent, scientific-minded, curious — and utterly frustrating. The three work together, in a way, to collect clues and talk to various suspects. But Volnay can’t truly trust them, or anyone, except for the erstwhile monk who aids him in his investigations, particularly by performing careful examinations of the bodies of victims.
The inspector faces danger everywhere he turns and has to proceed very carefully as he tries to solve the initial murder, then a subsequent similar killing. The debauched king himself may be responsible for the young woman’s death, and secret societies have spies and assassins everywhere trying to keep Volnay from learning what they need to keep hidden.
The Inspector of Strange and Unexplained Deaths places a Sherlock Holmes-style investigator into a historical setting where he’s in many ways ahead of his time; his methods, even so, are not entirely implausible for the era. So the book combines murder mystery with historical fiction. Readers are plunged into a time where the French monarchy is on its last legs, and certain groups and the citizenry are ready to revolt against the abuses of the king. Madame le Pompadour is a prominent character, doing all she can to keep some level of control over the king and hold a place for herself in court. Science both looks forward and back, as many characters are still working alchemy, hoping to find ways to turn baser metals into gold and elude death and aging. This novel is an entertaining book, with a lot going on.
Rated: Moderate. There are 3 instances of strong language and occasional uses of milder language. Sexual content is frequent but generally more talk than anything; the infamous Casanova is a main character, after all. There are some scenes that have some details but aren’t lengthy. The book is set in the time of Louis XV of France, and it alludes frequently to his debauchery, mostly mentioning the many young teen girls the king has taken and used. Casanova talks about his exploits with many willing women of varying ages, including referring to being with multiple women at one time. Violence includes the description of bodies of young women who were killed and the skin on their faces removed, as well as some sword and knife fights in several places.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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