A Bouquet of Rue: A Maggie MacGowen Mystery

Hornsby’s winning 12th Maggie MacGowen mystery (after 2018’s Number 7, Rue Jacob) finds documentary filmmaker Maggie living with her dashing diplomat lover, Jean-Paul Bernard, and his 18-year-old son in Jean-Paul’s Paris apartment. As Maggie tries to fit into her new surroundings, she struggles to fill the shoes of Jean-Paul’s late wife, who was universally adored. Instead, as an American, Maggie arouses both suspicion and disdain among her Parisian neighbors and Jean-Paul’s friends. Meanwhile, 15-year-old Ophelia Fouchet goes missing, and an immigrant boy, Ahmad Nabi, is badly beaten after being linked to her disappearance. As Maggie looks into Ophelia’s case as part of a film project, she glimpses the seamy underbelly of the girl’s upscale community, which seethes with secrets and intolerance. Maggie’s digging uncovers multiple suspects, and a death raises the stakes. This outing is indeed filled with rue, along with love, hate, and loss. A solid plot, plenty of intrigue, and the always entertaining Maggie will please Hornsby fans and newcomers alike. (Apr.)