The Prisoner of the Riviera: 2 (The Francis Bacon Mysteries) - Softcover

"A writer who mixes venerated clue-chasing techniques with . . . political dynamite." -Hartford Courant "Law draws a sympathetic, even tender study of a self-centered but essentially decent soul in the kind of torment that isn't the least poetic." -The New York Times on The Lost Diaries of Iris Weed "Law powerfully evokes . . . uneasiness and rising tension, all in a narrative style sometimes verging on the poetic but always suspenseful." -Kirkus Reviews on The Night Bus "Law does a bangup job of recreating London during the Blitz and portraying real-life artist Francis Bacon as an unlikely sleuth." -Publishers Weekly on Fires of London "Artist-sleuth Francis, unflappable and acidly witty, is the star of [Janice Law's] latest nimble historical mystery series. . . . Law's crisp, wry humor, surreptitious revelations of France's deep partisan wounds, and great affection for the marvelously resourceful, suave, and irreverent Francis make for a delectably clever tale." -Booklist "Law is close to perfect in presenting the timeless charms of the Riviera, and she's just as satisfying in shaping Bacon as a reluctant but brave and somewhat lucky sleuth. At the same time, she never allows us to lose sight of Bacon as an emerging artist of immense gifts." -Toronto Star

In postwar France, a gambler finds that surviving his vacation may be a long shot Peace has come to England and the blackout is over, but the gloom has yet to lift from London. One night, leaving a gambling club where he has run up a considerable tab, the young painter Francis Bacon, accompanied by his lover, sees a man gunned down in the street. They do what they can to stanch the flow of blood, but the Frenchman dies in the hospital. Soon afterward, Bacon receives a strange offer from the club owner: He will erase Bacon's debts if the painter delivers a package to the dead man's widow, Madame Renard, on the Riviera. What gambler could resist a trip to Monte Carlo? After handing over the parcel, Bacon learns that Madame Renard is dead-and the striking young woman who accepted the delivery is an imposter. The Riviera may be lovely, but in 1945, its sun-drenched beaches can be just as dark as the back alleys of London. "A writer who mixes venerated clue-chasing techniques with . . . political dynamite." -Hartford Courant "Law draws a sympathetic, even tender study of a self-centered but essentially decent soul in the kind of torment that isn't the least poetic." -The New York Times on The Lost Diaries of Iris Weed "Law powerfully evokes . . . uneasiness and rising tension, all in a narrative style sometimes verging on the poetic but always suspenseful." -Kirkus Reviews on The Night Bus "Law does a bangup job of recreating London during the Blitz and portraying real-life artist Francis Bacon as an unlikely sleuth." -Publishers Weekly on Fires of London Janice Law (b. 1941) is an acclaimed author of mystery fiction. The Watergate scandal inspired her to write her first novel, The Big Payoff (1977), which introduced Anna Peters, a street-smart young woman who blackmails her boss, a corrupt oil executive. The novel was a success, winning an Edgar nomination, and Law went on to write eight more in the series, including Death Under Par (1980) and Cross-Check (1997). After Death Under Par, Law set aside the character for several years to write historical mysteries The Countess (1989) and All the King's Ladies (1986). After concluding the Peters series, she wrote three stand-alone suspense novels: The Night Bus (2000), The Lost Diaries of Iris Weed (2002), and Voices (2003). Since then, Law has focused on writing short stories, many of which appear in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. Prisoner of the Riviera (2013) is her most recent novel. She lives and writes in Connecticut.