THE PARIS ENIGMA
El Enigma de París #1by Pablo de Santis | Translator: Mara Faye Lethem
Harper| June 15, 2007
Genre: Fiction, Mystery | Rating: ★★★
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It is 1889, and the entire world breathlessly anticipates the Paris World's Fair and the opening of Monsieur Eiffel's iconic tower. The Twelve Detectives—a society of the twelve most famous, compelling, and dazzling detectives from around the world—have been asked to discuss the secrets of their trade as part of the fair's lineup of events. The Twelve travel to Paris to convene as a single body for the first time, but also, if some whispers are to be believed, to debate the very philosophy that underlies their pursuit of the world's most wanted criminals.
But one detective is conspicuously absent: the legendary founding member of The Twelve, Renato Craig, will not attend. In his place he sends his novice assistant, Sigmundo Salvatrio—son of a shoemaker, a lifelong detective-arts devotee, and the only remaining student of Craig's famed Academy for Detectives in Buenos Aires. Salvatrio arrives in Paris, carrying a secret message meant only for Craig's best friend and cofounder of The Twelve, the brilliant, brooding, and fiercely competitive Viktor Arzaky.
When a member of The Twelve is discovered dead at the foot of the gleaming Eiffel Tower, the first in what turns into a series of grisly murders, Arzaky and Salvatrio find themselves in a race against time around glorious fin de siècle Paris, encountering all manner of secret societies, solving philosophical puzzles, while also trying to save a dangerously beautiful woman.
The pair soon realizes that the stakes involved are unimaginably high; they must not only catch the stalking murderer but also alter the fate of their precious brotherhood.
Written in a strikingly original voice, and poignantly evoking a world about to lose its innocence forever, The Paris Enigma opens a window onto crime solving's early days, when wit, common sense, and intelligence were the only tools a detective could rely on.
But one detective is conspicuously absent: the legendary founding member of The Twelve, Renato Craig, will not attend. In his place he sends his novice assistant, Sigmundo Salvatrio—son of a shoemaker, a lifelong detective-arts devotee, and the only remaining student of Craig's famed Academy for Detectives in Buenos Aires. Salvatrio arrives in Paris, carrying a secret message meant only for Craig's best friend and cofounder of The Twelve, the brilliant, brooding, and fiercely competitive Viktor Arzaky.
When a member of The Twelve is discovered dead at the foot of the gleaming Eiffel Tower, the first in what turns into a series of grisly murders, Arzaky and Salvatrio find themselves in a race against time around glorious fin de siècle Paris, encountering all manner of secret societies, solving philosophical puzzles, while also trying to save a dangerously beautiful woman.
The pair soon realizes that the stakes involved are unimaginably high; they must not only catch the stalking murderer but also alter the fate of their precious brotherhood.
Written in a strikingly original voice, and poignantly evoking a world about to lose its innocence forever, The Paris Enigma opens a window onto crime solving's early days, when wit, common sense, and intelligence were the only tools a detective could rely on.
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THE PARIS ENIGMA started off by narrating the back story of Sigmund Salvatrio, a cobbler’s son, who has a great fascination with the renowned detectives and their solved crimes. Purposely, he joined the Buenos Aires Academy opened by Renato Craig, co-founder of The Twelve Detectives (the group of the world’s best private investigators). When Craig’s best student was killed, both the academy and Craig’s health took a spiral dive.
"…during the day we worship syllogisms, but the night belongs to the metaphor."
Only a few days are counting before the grand opening of the Paris World Fair and Eiffel’s Tower in 1889 when Craig sent Salvatrio in his stead. Upon arrival, Salvatrio was instructed to confidentially give Viktor Arzaky (Craig’s co-founder of The Twelve Detectives) two things. The first one is Craig’s multi-purpose cane, to be showcased as part of the fair; and second is the true details behind Craig’s last solved case.
"Gentlemen, though we want to live in glass bubbles, to use pure reason, to interrogate witnesses without ever being interrogated, we are always surrounded by questions, and we answer them –subconsciously, through our actions. Through our investigative methods, we show who we are. It is us and not the poets, who aspire to live in ivory towers, but time and time again we come down to earth, and we reveal, without realizing, our worst secrets."
At first, the Twelve Detectives were cajoled, but when he finally reached the end of his patience Arzaky mandated them to share tools of their trade to showcase for the fair. Apart from that, they are to congregate and share truth-seeking insights about enigmas. Until real detecting called Arzaky to investigate the murder of one of their colleagues.
"But detectives are like artists. In the life of every actor, musician, singer, or writer there is always a moment when they begin to play the role of themselves, and everything that they do in the present is merely a ceremony with which they evoke something from their past. And life becomes, for the artist of the detective, the incessant fine-tuning of their own legend."
The Paris Enigma has a surreal feel to it. This is not a clear-cut detective story, not a detective story in the typical sense, more like the art of detection. Every now and then, I was knocked by some thoughtful quote, which I find very intriguing that those have wormed into this genre. This is filled with a digression, too, whenever the detectives share their past cases and theoretical way of looking at enigmas. And I had some few snooze time while reading, but it’s a decent read with good, flowing translation.
Only a few days are counting before the grand opening of the Paris World Fair and Eiffel’s Tower in 1889 when Craig sent Salvatrio in his stead. Upon arrival, Salvatrio was instructed to confidentially give Viktor Arzaky (Craig’s co-founder of The Twelve Detectives) two things. The first one is Craig’s multi-purpose cane, to be showcased as part of the fair; and second is the true details behind Craig’s last solved case.
At first, the Twelve Detectives were cajoled, but when he finally reached the end of his patience Arzaky mandated them to share tools of their trade to showcase for the fair. Apart from that, they are to congregate and share truth-seeking insights about enigmas. Until real detecting called Arzaky to investigate the murder of one of their colleagues.
The Paris Enigma has a surreal feel to it. This is not a clear-cut detective story, not a detective story in the typical sense, more like the art of detection. Every now and then, I was knocked by some thoughtful quote, which I find very intriguing that those have wormed into this genre. This is filled with a digression, too, whenever the detectives share their past cases and theoretical way of looking at enigmas. And I had some few snooze time while reading, but it’s a decent read with good, flowing translation.
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About the Author:
A journalist and comic-strip creator who became editor in chief of one of Argentina’s leading comics magazines, Pablo De Santis is the author of six critically acclaimed novels, one work of nonfiction, and a number of books for young adults. His works have been published in more than twenty countries. He lives in Buenos Aires.
A journalist and comic-strip creator who became editor in chief of one of Argentina’s leading comics magazines, Pablo De Santis is the author of six critically acclaimed novels, one work of nonfiction, and a number of books for young adults. His works have been published in more than twenty countries. He lives in Buenos Aires.
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