The Brightest Star in Paris

A prima ballerina in 1870s Paris is haunted by the ghosts of wronged women in this atmospheric sequel to Biller’s The Widow of Rose House. Amelie St. James has made herself into a living saint in the eyes of the public in order to cover up her ballet company’s scandals. Exhausted and with an untreated hip injury, she’s grimly enduring the two remaining years until she can retire. Then she starts seeing the ghosts of women she once knew: Lise Martin, a murdered ballerina; Rachel Bonnard, who was executed for arson; and Violette, a cabaret singer and Amelie’s former neighbor. The only person who can help is Dr. Benedict Moore, Amelie’s first love, with whom she shares dark memories of the horrific traumas of the Franco-Prussian War; the Siege of Paris, which ended the war; and the 1871 Paris Commune, an insurrection that followed. The anachronistic-feeling Moore family offer significant mood whiplash, as their 21st-century sitcom antics do not mesh well with an otherwise dark story. Historically minded readers especially will take issue with how these characters speak, think, and act like modern Americans. Still, Biller’s fans will enjoy the feminist romance filtered through familiar gothic tropes. [em](Oct.) [/em]