The Black Swan of Paris

 The Black Swan of Paris by Karin Robards   480 pages

Fans of  Kate Quinn’s “The Alice Network” and Pam Jenoff’s “The Lost Girls of Paris” will love Karen Robards’ latest novel, “The Black Swan of Paris.”

Paris 1944.  The French Resistance is in crisis. One of its leaders, Baron Paul de Rocheford is dead following an air raid and his wife, Lillian, has been captured and sent to Germany. The Nazis are certain that Lillian knows the exact time and date of the upcoming Allied Invasion and will stop at nothing to get the information out of her.

British officer Max Ryan has been given the assignment to rescue Lillian…or kill her if a rescue cannot be carried out. No matter what, Lillian cannot give the information to the Nazis or the world is doomed.

 Max is working undercover as the show business manager of Genevieve Dumont, the singing toast of Europe, known for long black hair.  The Nazis adore Genevieve. But what no one, not even Max, knows who Genevieve’s people are as she has been estranged from them for a dozen years. Genevieve is the daughter of Paul and Lillian de Rocheford, and she may not have had contact with them, she cannot allow the Nazis to have their way with her mother.

Genevieve reaches out to the Resistance, and she joins their efforts without Max’s knowledge. The Resistance puts Genevieve in contact with her sister, Emmy, and the two plot on how to free their mother.

The first half of the novel didn’t flow as fast as I had wanted it to, but something told me to keep reading.  And I’m glad I did!  The second half ripped and roared to a stunning conclusion. Therefore,  “The Black Swan of Paris” receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.