It’s December 1947, and Huguette Faure is preparing to testify at a murder trial under the tutelage of Detective Claude Leduc, whose specialty prior to this was missing persons. He happens to be the grandfather of Aimée Leduc, who stars in Cara Black’s long-running Paris mystery series, and plays a huge role in this superb thriller.

The story takes a step back two-and-a-half years earlier when 17-year-old Huguette is at a maternity hospital run by nuns on the outskirts of Sceaux, where she has just given birth to a baby boy who she has consciously not named. This child was born out of hate instead of love when Huguette was raped by a German officer prior to her father being slain at their family business. Now, holding the boy close to her, she realizes that she doesn't want to give him up for adoption. When that happens in spite of her wishes, she escapes and hunts down the family who has her baby, even though she doesn’t have the means or ability to raise him.

"It was so great to spend time with Aimée Leduc’s grandfather. No one creates humanistic historical crime/mystery tales quite like Cara Black."

When Huguette discovers that the maternity hospital received payment for the adoption, she makes it her business to get her child back. Unfortunately, Huguette has found out in the past couple of years that disappointment and heartbreak seem to be her way of life, and she must leave him behind. While at the local precinct, she is befriended by young officer Claude Leduc, who sees to her release, mainly due to her youthful age.

On her own, Huguette attempts to gain much-needed income by chasing down a man who still owed money to her father when he was alive. But instead of paying her, he gets her work with famous filmmaker Louis de Jouvenal. She makes herself valuable by using her creative accounting skills as she did with her father’s business to help cook the books for Louis and keep his interests afloat.

For Huguette, her end game is to see her father vindicated and his killer brought to justice. A major step towards this goal takes place when an aging and ill Louis buys a cinema for her to run and launder money through to get her the wealth she requires to make her revenge plan a reality. Along with working undercover for Claude to bring in some war profiteers in post-liberation Paris, Huguette gets her taste of satisfaction that would have made her father proud. There are several roadblocks in the path to her success, as well as more than a few individuals who wish to keep her down and possibly jailed. But with Claude’s assistance, she works out a plan that will allow both of them to have their day.

Claude has his own issues to overcome, not the least of which is one of his colleagues. Beck is a German national now living as a Parisian, and Claude doesn’t know if he can trust him. This, and the burgeoning feelings he has for Huguette --- even though he is married with a small family --- troubles him to no end.

The cover of HUGUETTE states that it is a novel of liberation. This is historically accurate due to the post-war period in which it is set. However, I found the book to be more a novel of redemption, specifically for both Huguette and Claude. Their fates are bound to the case that involves the brutal murder of Huguette’s father, and their partnership is wonderful to see as the reader roots for justice to prevail.

It was so great to spend time with Aimée Leduc’s grandfather. No one creates humanistic historical crime/mystery tales quite like Cara Black.