You don’t have to be a mystery lover to enjoy Yves Fey’s new novel Floats the Dark Shadow. Any lover of good historical fiction will find it delightful. Fey not only captures the last decadent decade of nineteenth century Paris, but she does so decadently, not in a stylistically over-the-top way as too many writers might do, but by writing very readable and realistic prose about a large cast of characters that includes poets, tarot readers, artists, police inspectors, and endangered children.
Through this vibrant—when not dead—cast is woven a tapestry of the occult, the Parisian art world, and even the history of Jeanne d’Arc. And at the heart of this world is a series of terrible murders committed by someone pretending to be Gilles de Rais, the captain of Jeanne d’Arc’s army, who after her death became a depraved man who murdered and mutilated children. Let me say up front that some of the novel’s scenes are a bit grisly, especially when you consider these are dead children we’re talking about so some readers might feel squeamish, and there are also some scenes, including a Black Mass, that might be deemed offensive too some, but overall, I only found a couple of the scenes disturbing enough for me to skip to the next paragraph. Fey describes these scenes quickly and moves on with the story, which I appreciated. Overall, the book is very readable for anyone who enjoys a good mystery and good historical fiction.
The novel centers around two characters. Theodora Faraday is a female artist raised in America who has come to Paris recently and is becoming part of a circle of artists and poets, who include her cousin Averill, for whom she finds herself developing feelings (but don’t worry; this is no romance novel). Soon Theo realizes that children she or her friends know are starting to disappear and she becomes involved in trying to solve the mystery. Inspecteur Michel Devaux is on the hunt for the child-murderer while he also tries to sort out his own haunted past. Willingly or not, Theo and Michel will work together to solve the crime that goes down many unexpected paths and leads to a satisfying ending I did not see coming.
Fey does an excellent job of weaving in the historical details throughout the novel. Cameo appearances are made by historical figures that include the Irish poet William Butler Yeats and Leo Taxil, a French journalist and writer who exposed Freemasonry and wrote on anti-Catholic subjects. I had never heard of Taxil, but I found him and his subject matter interesting.Floats the Dark Shadow is the first novel I’ve read by Yves Fey, but it’s made me her admirer. As a historical novelist myself, I can greatly appreciate how much research she must have done for this book—her website lists several of her main resources from the “dozens” of books she said she read, which I can well believe. But what I really admire is how she effortlessly has incorporated all these details into the storyline so that I never felt she was trying to teach me anything, but instead, I was transported back to Paris in 1897 and living the experience. I was so absorbed in her fictional world that I only came up for air when I wondered whether something really was historical and went searching online for more details—speaking of which, her website is a wonderful resource for additional information about the novel, complete with historical poetry and Taxil’s posters from the period.
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Posted November 28, 2012
Reviewed by Alice DiNizo for Readers Favorite
The setting is 1897. Theodora "Theo" Farraday was adopted and raised in California by John Farraday. When he and his family were killed in a train wreck, Theo fled to Paris with only her clothes, her paints and her grief. A lawyer contacts her with information concerning her biological father, Phillipe Charron, a French portrait painter. Theo lived alone in Paris. She loved her cousin, Averill Charron, but the Charrons are less than charming. Theo was an artist like her father and sketched people and places. Her portrait of a missing boy, Denis, brings her into contact with Inspector Michel Devaux of the Paris police, the Surete, who has a working relationship with powerful crime boss, Blaise Dancier. Devaux watches Averill and his friends for they are Revenants, poets. Could one of them be responsible for impersonating the long-dead character of Gilles de Rais, Jeanne d'Arc's murderous lieutenant. Young boys are missing and a young sightless girl has been flayed and brutally murdered.
"Floats the Dark Shadow" is a terrific book! It is a extremely well-written mystery and gothic thriller. That will keep readers on the edge of their seats as main characters Theo and Michel move in on a sadistic child killer. The dialogue is rich with the feeling and understanding of fin-de-siecle Paris with the violence, love of the occult, and the eroticism that flourished in the past. Each chapter has a quotation from writers and poets popular in that era. Author Yves Fey gives readers an example of Paris in that era. "Floats the Dark Shadow" belongs at the top of reading lists everywhere! Don't miss it!
ReadersFavorite2
Posted November 28, 2012
Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers Favorite
Yves Fey offers readers an exciting 19th century mystery in her book “Floats The Dark Shadow.” The story takes place in 1897 when Paris, France was at the pinnacle of elegance, decadence and temped so many to move toward evil. Theo Faraday was an American artist living in Paris, seeking fame in her field; she became entangled with the Revenants through her cousin Arverill. When children she knew disappeared she turned to Detective Michel Devaux, who suspected she knew the killer. Together they searched for clues leading them to cemeteries, catacombs, insane asylums and even to a black mass. What they discovered is frightening; the murderer believes he is the reincarnation of France-Gilles de Rais, a serial killer of children from the 1400s.
“Floats The Dark Shadow” takes the reader deep into the bowels of evil. There are plenty of suspects to keep the reader guessing. The clues are there but the reader will have to be in top form to find them. Fey is a name dropper; she had me researching the relationship Joan d’Arc had to Gilles de Rais. Fey creatively incorporates these people into her plot making the reader want to know more. It is obvious Fey spent much time in researching the era. The lead characters both have strong personalities; Michel and Theo are very different which is what makes them work so well together. I felt as if she had transported me back in time to the 1800s. The theme of this book can be stated simply as good versus evil but the plot is much more complex keeping this reader guessing what would happen next.
ReadersFavorite1
Posted November 28, 2012
Reviewed by Darin Godby for Readers Favorite
A winged cross, graveyards, occult practice, tarot cards, innards lying outside a dead body, brazen sexual acts, orgies, virgin blood for sacrifice, degrading of women, and harmful practices that would affect one's life. These are just a small portion of things the reader will discover while reading Yves Fey's book "Floats the Dark Shadow.”
Inspector Michel Devaux has spent much time dealing with crime and satanic activity. The killing of innocent people puts him on the path to find a killer who has gone rampant. This book also displays artist Theodora Faraday in a very interesting manner. She has come to Paris by way of America and now here in this historic town she is continuing her artistic ways.
There is a great amount of history and details of late 1800's in this book moving the reader back in time. The details of location, art, and the occult are thoroughly studied out and not written just whimsically. The reader will be traveling alone wondering how things can work out in any form possible. There is so much trouble, death and satanic worship that the church and God seem to have no way to prevail. However, as you read the story you will be drawn to the encouragement of the writer as she leads the reader down this path.
ReadersFavorite3
Posted November 28, 2012
Reviewed by Stephanie Dagg for Readers Favorite
"Floats the Dark Shadow" by Yves Fey is all about atmosphere. Set in fin de siècle, Paris, it contrasts the bohemian, pampered life of the wealthy with the grit and grime of the ordinary poor people. The gendarmerie, including Michel Devaux, come somewhere in between, disliked by both sides as they try to do their job in a crime-ridden society. Comfortably-off Theodora Faraday, an American artist now living in Paris, is a member of a bohemian circle that includes her cousin, Averill Charron. They are Revenants, the literal translation of which is ‘ghosts from the past’. In essence they are spiritualists, and Theodora illustrates Averill’s evocative poetry for his similarly minded coterie. But in contrast there is a darker revenant, carrying out Satanic rites involving kidnapped children. Only when Theodora is brought into close contact with this horror does she begin to see Parisian life for what it truly is. She links up with Michel and assists in solving the horrific puzzle that takes them to the catacombs and an asylum on the trail of evil Gilles de Rais, executed centuries ago, who appears to have returned.
This is a very powerful and challenging novel. There is brightness in the airiness of artistic Paris, but generally there is a dark atmosphere, threatening and suspenseful. Fey has clearly done a lot of research to recreate this period of history and added plenty of authentic details - the love of absinthe, the salons, and the cabarets. Theodora is a sympathetic heroine. She is privileged but she knows it and is fully aware of the plight of the less fortunate. Averil, robust and self-centred, retains a sense of mystery about him, enough for Michel to suspect him of involvement in the sadistic murders that are going on. Tenaciously Michel hunts for the truth and equally as tenaciously Theo believes in her cousin’s innocence. This is a book of strong, well-contrasted characters. The plot is fascinating, making for a totally absorbing novel that you won’t soon forget.
Reviewed by Bernadette Acocella for Readers Favorite
"Floats the Dark Shadow" by Yves Fey transports the reader back in time to 1897 France. Our tale begins in a dungeon where someone was impersonating the owner of the castle. It appears he unexpectedly found a child, bound with ropes, hanging from the ceiling. The man pretended he was there to rescue the child. After untying the captive child, he led him to another room where the boy found more children. Theodora Faraday is an American artist living in Paris. When she realizes that children she knows are missing, she joins forces with Inspector Michael Devaux in the search for the murderer.
From the beginning of "Floats the Dark Shadow", there is a sense of darkness, suspense and lurking evil. Yves Fey obviously spent much time in research for this book. She successfully captures the essence of the era with its cabarets and the depraved life style that ruled the period. The romanticism of the era will draw in readers, but the need to solve the murders will keep the reader turning the pages. Fey never rushes the plot allowing the story to flow along at its own pace. The characters are vivid and bring out strong emotions in the reader. Knowing that the victims are children is painful and more than a little frightening. "Floats the Dark Shadow" is a murder mystery replete with elements of the occult including a Black Mass and tarot cards. The Black Mass left me more than a little uncomfortable and the gruesome murders of the children left me angry and sad. Fans of dark suspense will not want to miss this one.
Anonymous
Posted September 5, 2012
No text was provided for this review.
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