Mistress of the Ritz

Mistress of the Ritz by Melanie Benjamin     384 pages

 I love all things Melanie. Ever since I first picked up “The Aviator’s Wife,” and was swept away, I’ve been a huge fan. I’ve devoured all her other works. The only thing bad about a new Melanie Benjamin book is that when I’m finished, I have to wait until she completes her next one. Such is the woe of a reader.

When I was able to get my hands on an Advanced Reader’s Copy of her latest, “Mistress of the Ritz,” I truly had no idea of what it would be about…and didn’t care. From the cover, I gleaned that it was set in 1940, and of course, the story takes place in Paris. The mere mention the Ritz evokes imagination pictures of elegance and opulence.

I had no idea that the central characters of Benjamin’s were based on a real-life couple until I read the author’s notes at the end.

A Frenchman, Claude Auzello, is the Ritz’s director. He lives on-site with his American-born wife, Blanche. Claude oversees all the details of running the most glamorous hotel in Paris, and Blanche mingles with the guests. They seem happy, but behind closed doors, the Auzello’s marriage is falling apart.

Then the Nazi’s marched into Paris. The fear that gripped Paris was palpable and jumped off the page. The Auzello’s, like the rest of the Parisians, did what they had to do, whether it was serving the Germans with a smile or tryin to stay out of their way.

The story isn’t a page-turner nor is it slow and plodding. It’s a look at life among the Germans in the occupied city. Readers get to truly know the characters, their fears, their personalities, what makes them tick.

Both Claude and Blanche are recruited by the Resistance, and they gladly, although unknown to each other, serve their country. There were some tense moments and awkward situations, but I always felt that they would overcome any obstacle. Until there was only less than one-third of the book left that is. Then, BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! Let’s just say all hell breaks loose, and the book has an ending that I never, ever saw coming. Yeah! As I turned the last page, I almost fainted, I as was unconsciously holding my breath.

I highly recommend “Mistress of the Ritz,” and it receives 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.