The Paris Directive

Set in 1999 and lightly cloaked in thriller garb, the pseudonymous Jay’s entertaining first novel pays homage to George Simenon and his legendary detective, Inspector Maigret. When the young wife of Paris policeman Inspector Mazarelle falls terminally ill, the couple relocate to the village of Taziac in the Dordogne region of southwest France, where hired assassin Klaus Reiner happens to be on the prowl. Soon Mazarelle is investigating the slaughter of four American tourists in the farmhouse where they were staying, a crime loosely connected to the real-life accidental NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade. Never mind the international intrigue. The main draw is the charming, indomitable Inspector Mazarelle, who enjoys puffing on his old pipe, stopping for cognac in the middle of the day, and dining on sausages and lentils or his favorite dish, duck confit, at the Café Valon. Mystery fans will look forward to seeing more of him in the promised sequel. Agent: Georges Borchardt, Georges Borchardt Inc. (June)