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| November 3 – 28, 2025 Virtual Book Tour |
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| The Blackwell and Watson Time-Travel Mystery Series |
Hall Ways Review: In
Murder at the Moulin Rouge, Carol Pouliot masterfully pulls readers this
way and that, convincing – and misleading – us, right up to the surprising,
spectacular end. I cannot wait to go back to the beginning of this engaging,
clever time-travel series and binge-read forward while I wait for the next
installment.
Although
Murder at the Moulin Rouge is the fifth book in the Blackwell &
Watson Time-Travel Mystery series, it’s the first that I’ve read. Right from
the start, I appreciated that the author provides an extensive “Cast of
Characters” whom readers will meet in the book. Honestly, I only rarely had to
consult it because the author didn’t overwhelm me with them, and I could easily
keep them straight. Perhaps it helps that practically everyone is a suspect at
one time or another.
As
a lifelong Francophile (with an upcoming trip to France – SQUEEEEE), I
absolutely loved being immersed in Paris. Even though this was the 1895 version
of Paris, Carol Pouliot’s richly detailed descriptions are a reminder that
the city is timeless. Numerous places I most recently saw in 2014, aren’t much
different from the 1895 version described, so it feels realistic and evocative.
Plus, the inclusion of French traditions, foods, and words lends authenticity
to the story, and Pouliot does it in an organic way so that no translations are
needed. Further enriching the story is the sprinkling of interesting historical
factoids that are sure to pique readers’ interest. (The fascination with the
Paris Morgue? The slanted floors at the Opéra? Who knew?) As a bonus, there’s a “Note from the Author”
section at the end that separates fact from fiction, and it even includes links
for further exploration.
“It had been worth all of it just to spend this one evening with the woman who was going to become his adored mother.” – Adult Stephen Blackwell, in 1895, speaking of Evangeline, with whom he’d just spent an evening and who would give birth to Stephen sometime in the next several years.
To
say it’s complicated is an understatement. Reading the first few chapters of Murder
at the Moulin Rouge, without having the benefit of the information from the
four prior books in the series, I stalled because my head was spinning with loads
of logistical questions. But, that’s on me for being late to the series party. By
actively suspending my disbelief and giving the author the benefit of the doubt
that all has been explained if one starts at the beginning, I was released to
enjoy the book as the superior stand-alone mystery it is.
I
would be remiss if I didn’t say bien fait, Mme Pouliot, for providing
readers a cleanly edited novel. I didn’t notice even a single misplaced accent
aigu, and that’s refreshing. Beyond the obvious lack of lead-up details, my
only regret starting with book five is that I’ve not had the background and
build-up to the relationship between the main characters, Stephen and Olivia.
As such, there’s a part towards the end that’s a bit spoiler-ish, but it’s also
quite clear that there will be more to come.
Murder at the Moulin Rouge is a well-researched historical mystery with sharp writing that gives readers sneak peeks into the lives of both Paris’s upper echelon and the working class, with a bit of social commentary on each. The quick escalation to the story’s surprising big reveal kept me rapidly flipping pages to a quick but satisfying resolution in this oh-so-French novel. Magnifique!
A former language teacher and business owner, Carol Pouliot writes the acclaimed Blackwell and Watson Time-Travel Mysteries, traditional police procedurals with a seemingly impossible relationship between a Depression-era cop and a 21st-century journalist. With their fast pace and unexpected twists and turns, the books have earned praise from readers and mystery authors.
Carol is a founding member of Sleuths and Sidekicks, four mystery writers who have banded together to share their love of mysteries; she's the immediate Past President and Program Chair of her Sisters in Crime chapter; and she's Co-Chair of Murderous March, an online mystery conference. When not writing, Carol can be found packing her suitcase and reaching for her passport for her next travel adventure.
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