Title: The Orphan’s Tale
Trilogy: Book One (Malet’s Story)
Author: Diana Wilder
Genre: Historical
Sub Genres: Mystery, Romance
BLURB:
Autumn is beautiful in 1834 Paris. But to Chief Inspector
Paul Malet, raised in a prison by the greatest master criminal in French
history the season's splendor is overlaid by a sense of gathering danger:
something is afoot.
When Malet learns that Victoria, England's young Heiress
Apparent, will be traveling to Paris at Christmas for a state visit, all
becomes clear. Her assassination on French soil would shatter the accord
between France and England. And war can be a profitable business for those
daring enough to mold events to suit their own purposes.
Malet, familiar with the workings of evil, embarks on a
hunt. The safety of everything he loves is at stake, and he intends to fight
this battle on ground of his own choosing.
Intentions are not necessarily accomplishments. The foes Malet
is fighting are formidable. Adding to his problems is the fact that he has
succeeded in angering an urchin named Larouche, who is determined to bring him
down or, at least, ruin his hat.
And he has fallen in love.
It is proving to be a busy season.
BUY LINKS:
EXCERPT:
The
hero, Chief Inspector Malet, is preparing to pursue a master criminal. His campaign will involve his taking rooms at
an inn under an assumed name. In this
scene, he has met the proprietress of the inn, engaged a suite of rooms, and is
heading back to Police headquarters, where he is filling in for the Prefect of
Police for Paris. He does not know that
a little boy named Larouche, whom he
succeeded in offending the day before, is laying in wait for him with a
rock in his hand…
Malet paused in the stableyard
and looked around at the Rose d'Or as he pulled on his gloves. He nodded to
himself. The inn was a fine
establishment, and the two owners certainly appeared to be ladies of character
and quality. He would enjoy his stay
there.
He looked around at
the neat, well-tended houses with flowerboxes at the windows. Very nice,
indeed! His eyes moved from the faces of the passers-by to the beds of late
roses along the street and the window-boxes of the inn.
He donned his hat and
set off at a brisk walk, intending to head northwest, back toward the
Prefecture. He considered twirling his
walking stick. It was a magnificent fall day, he was in his usual splendid
health, they were closing in on that group of vicious killers and, best of all,
he had miraculously been given another chance to nail Constant Dracquet.
He decided against
it, finally. Cane-twirling was appropriate for the Champs Elysees, but not a
street in middle-class Paris. Besides, it was not dignified–On the heels of that
thought, like a defiant jeer, came a dark blur from the left, a blow, the
sudden feel of wind in his hair, and the clatter of his hat against the
pavement.
Someone had thrown a
stone and knocked his hat off.
It took him a moment
to understand what had happened. He stared at the hat, bent and picked it up,
and stared at it again.
Someone had thrown a
stone and knocked his hat off!
No one had ever done
anything like that to him before! People had stopped and were laughing at him.
It was worse than being shot at!
"Damnation!"
he hissed, looking intently toward the left as he set the hat back on his head.
It was on the
pavement again a moment later. This time the stone had come from the right.
He waited some
minutes before replacing it. Nothing happened. He took a deep breath, released
it, and started walking again. A second later the hat was on the ground again.
"Best give it
up, Captain!" someone called as Malet retrieved the hat for the third
time.
"You're
right," Malet growled, and set off toward the Prefecture, feeling an
unaccustomed itch between his shoulder-blades at the thought that the next
stone might hit him on the back of the head. It was almost infuriating when no
more came.
After another block
he hailed a cab and gave directions to the Prefecture. Once inside, he replaced
his hat.
** **
**
Larouche watched him,
grinning, and then turned away toward the Rose d'Or. They gave generous
hand-outs there, as he recalled.
BIO:
Diana Wilder grew up all over the United States courtesy
of the United States Navy (which stationed her father in landlocked New
Mexico!). This gave her quite an
opportunity to watch people and weave stories about them. She has been telling stories as long as she
can remember, and writing them down since she was fourteen years old. She still likes to watch people. When she isn't busy with her storytelling,
she enjoys riding horses, especially now that she is able to stay in the
saddle, clerking at cat shows, traveling and trying to knit.
AUTHOR LINKS:
@diana_wilder
Also by Diana Wilder:
(Coming out just under a year)
Also by Diana Wilder:
MINI BLURB, BOOK 2
Autumn and winter are seasons for looking back to the
past and forward to the future. For
Malet, the shadows of the past have parted to reveal the truth of the
present. But while the present holds the
promise of happiness, it also holds a threat as revolutionaries target the
police.
Winter's onset holds no fears for Larouche, who has found
a safe, comfortable place to pass the cold months. Now he can think about meeting Monseigneur
again and, who knows? perhaps become his friend? One can dream.
Malet slips disastrously for the first time in his career
and is sent into exile - or is it?
Wait and see.
(Will come out after Book Two)
MINI BLURB, BOOK 3
Paul Malet, recalled from the provinces, is now serving
as Deputy Prefect of Police. Winter and
spring have passed, summer brings the threat of unrest. The southern districts of Paris are alive
with whispers and the rattle of weapons.
Larouche listens to the whispers as they become rumbles
of defiance.
The storm is about to break.
QUESTION:
What do you think of Diana's Historical Fiction trilogy?
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