Paris by the Book by Liam Callanan

About Liam Callanan

I'm the author of two novels -- The Cloud Atlas (an Edgar Award finalist set in WWII Alaska; to learn more, see http://bit.ly/cloudatlas71) and All Saints (set in a beachfront high school in California; http://bit.ly/1jxdUHf) -- and a short story collection, Listen and Other Stories (more scoop, even a short video at http://bit.ly/listen2liam). I teach in the English department of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, which hosts an awesome creative writing program (to judge from its students, anyway).
I also write shorter things, including essays, short stories, and public radio commentaries (listen in at http://bit.ly/radiofreeliam). I don't write poetry, but envy those who do, and am generally a big fan, which is how I came to create and co-executive produce the Poetry Everywhere animated film series, which you can view on iTunes and Youtube, and found the Eat Local::Read Local program, which distributes local poets' poems to diners at local restaurants during National Poetry Month.
I was born in Washington, DC and grew up in Los Angeles, but now call Wisconsin home, and root for every last one of its teams, especially the Brewers.
That about covers it, but there's more about me, my writing, and even a literary children's guide to Paris at http://bit.ly/amazonaboutliam. Happy reading!

BIBLIOPHILE MUSINGS:

I’m a Bibliophile + Francophile. I read the blurb for this book and thought cool! Paris, mystery, books… what’s not to like? The premise is great and the writing leaves little to be desired. All this said the book still only ended up 3 stars in my opinion because it still fell flat for me somehow. Reading it felt like plodding along without an end in sight for way too long. The resolution bugged me as not being a resolution but rather just avoiding one by the characters and the author. Somehow I felt like something beside the person in the story who was missing that was intrinsic to the plot was missing for me and whatever that mysterious missing element was caused this to only be a so-so read in my opinion. Keep in mind that is only one reader’s thoughts and some people have thought this was a wonderful read. If the book had been much longer than it is I probably would have met my first DNF book. However, I plodded along and finished this one. I also will see what else this author has written just in case my picker went awry on this one. As I said both the premise and the writing pointed to a winner yet I felt otherwise. Hopefully, this author might have something else out there more to my taste.

Paris by the Book by Liam CallananParis by the Book by Liam Callanan
Published by Dutton on April 3, 2018

A missing person, a grieving family, a curious clue: a half-finished manuscript set in Paris. Heading off in search of its author, a mother and her daughters find themselves in France, rescuing a failing bookstore and drawing closer to unexpected truths.
Once a week, I chase men who are not my husband. . . .
When eccentric novelist Robert Eady abruptly vanishes, he leaves behind his wife, Leah, their daughters, and, hidden in an unexpected spot, plane tickets to Paris.
Hoping to uncover clues--and her husband--Leah sets off for France with her girls. Upon their arrival, she discovers an unfinished manuscript, one Robert had been writing without her knowledge . . . and that he had set in Paris. The Eady women follow the path of the manuscript to a small, floundering English-language bookstore whose weary proprietor is eager to sell. The whole store? Today? Yes, but Leah's biggest surprise comes when she hears herself accepting the offer on the spot.
As the family settles into their new Parisian life, they can't help but trace the literary paths of some beloved Parisian classics, including Madeline and The Red Balloon, hoping more clues arise. But a series of startling discoveries forces Leah to consider that she may not be ready for what solving this mystery might do to her family--and the Paris she thought she knew.
At once haunting and charming, Paris by the Book follows one woman's journey as her story is being rewritten, exploring the power of family and the magic that hides within the pages of a book.

ISBN: 9781101986271
Pages: 368

I received this book for free from the Edelweiss, Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Source: Edelweiss, Publisher
Format: eARC

Goodreads
Genres: Contemporary, Literary, Mystery, Suspense
Rating Report
Plot
4 / 5
Characters
3.5 / 5
Writing
3.5 / 5
Overall:

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