Mute Witness: An Anne Cartier Mystery

by Charles O'Brien

Book Overview

The years just prior to the French Revolution were filled with conflict, although many chose to ignore the signals of the coming storm. The Palais-Royal was the scene of much gaiety and a constant round of pleasures--perfect cover for darker activities such as the murder of a Parisian actress. That same evening, her lover, Antoine Dubois, died in a fatal fall. Was his death a guilt-induced suicide?

Soon word of Antoine's death reaches his...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1890208752
• ISBN13: 9781890208752
• Release Date: November 2011
• Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.7" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

a [price] trip to pre-revolution Paris

Mr. O'Brien has not only succeeded in creating a gripping story: he has animated historical places and characters, weaving them effortlessly with the twists and turns of his plot. I was a history major, but never learned about revolutionary or pre-revolutionary Paris/France, and have never had a chance to travel there -- a good work of historical fiction is probably the best way to learn. Mute Witness has left a wonderfully alive picture of the times and places its characters inhabited.WARNING: If you are prone to reading-induced insomnia, have someone hide this book before bedtime.

Exciting and Authentic

Absolutely a good read, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and found it very authentic - even with some French spelling of titles. The story has drive, the personalities are well designed and seem to ring true. Read it when you have enough time, it's hard to have to put it down to do other things. I'm looking forward to Charles O'Brien's next book.

A Stunning Combination of Mystery and History

Mr. O'Brien vividly captures the years just prior to the French Revolution, with a fascinating cast of characters and a story that's gently laced with suspense throughout. It's a crime novel and a history lesson, woven together with skill and clarity. It well rewards the scholar and the mystery buff. I couldn't put it down.

History Mystery Winner

Mute Witness is three hundred and twenty five pages of mystery and intrigue, and a tad of romance thrown in for good measure. It takes place in London and Paris just before the French Revolution. The sleuth is Anne Cartier, a vaudeville actress training to be a deaf teacher at two, soon to be famous, deaf schools. Colonel Paul de Saint-Martin of the royal highway patrol is sent by his aunt to find Anne and give her the sad news that her stepfather is dead. He lets Anne help in finding the truth about her stepfather's death by pairing her up with Georges Charpentier, who goes undercover. It's a story of politics, trickery, adversity and emotional awakening. The era itself is captivating and romantic; Mr. O'Brien successfully enriches it with full-bodied characters and a multifaceted mystery of twists and turns. I found Mute Witness to be a lengthy, sound read. It is an impressive story to be read and enjoyed a bit at a time in order to make the experience last.

Very well written

In 1785, France is predominantly a two-class society with the frivolous aristocracy running roughshod over the common folk and the small bourgeoisie. Nowhere is that more indicative than the so-called justice system where very little evidence is needed to throw a peasant in jail. The privileged hide behind their wealth and position to stop any charges being brought against them.The alleged murder-suicide case of Antoine Dubois and Lelia La Plante is based on skimpy circumstantial evidence to draw such a conclusion. Antoine's stepdaughter Anne rejects the official position. At the invitation of Countess Maria she comes to France accompanied by her nephew Colonel Paul de Saint Martin of the Royal Highway Patrol. Marie confides in Anne that there is more to Antoine's death than a simple suicide. Working together with Maria and Paul, Anne goes undercover where she begins to find proof that a double murder occurred. As she steps closer to the truth, several influential people want her to end her investigation or they will dispatch her just as they did her stepfather.Charles O'Brien uses the fictional narrative to show why the wide gap in class structure led to the revolution. The historical background allows the clever story line to easily flow over it. The heroine refuses to back down from her quest to obtain the truth. Before they realize it, readers are flowing along with the absorbing plot that makes MUTE WITNESS a riveting historical mystery.Harriet Klausner