City of light, city of poison : murder, magic, and the first police chief of Paris

“A fierce tale of conspiracy and retribution... Thanks to Tucker’s sympathetic necromancy and her luscious resurrection of everyday detail, even in gilded palaces the human psyche seems familiarly deceitful and self-justifying.” ―Michael Sims, author of The Story of Charlotte’s Web and Arthur and Sherlock Appointed to conquer the “crime capital of the world,” the first police chief of Paris faces an epidemic of murder in the late 1600s. Assigned by Louis XIV, Nicolas de La Reynie begins by clearing the streets of filth and installing lanterns throughout Paris, turning it into the City of Light. The fearless La Reynie pursues criminals through the labyrinthine neighborhoods of the city. He unearths a tightly knit cabal of poisoners, witches, and renegade priests. As he exposes their unholy work, he soon learns that no one is safe from black magic―not even the Sun King. In a world where a royal glance can turn success into disgrace, the distance between the quietly back-stabbing world of the king’s court and the criminal underground proves disturbingly short. Nobles settle scores by employing witches to craft poisons and by hiring priests to perform dark rituals in Paris’s most illustrious churches and cathedrals. As La Reynie continues his investigations, he is haunted by a single question: Could Louis’s mistresses could be involved in such nefarious plots? The pragmatic and principled La Reynie must decide just how far he will go to protect his king. From secret courtrooms to torture chambers, City of Light, City of Poison is a gripping true-crime tale of deception and murder. Based on thousands of pages of court transcripts and La Reynie’s compulsive note-taking, as well as on letters and diaries, Tucker’s riveting narrative makes the fascinating, real-life characters breathe on the page. 8 pages of illustrations; 1 map Nicolas De La Reynie, Appointed By Louis Xiv As The First Police Chief Of Paris, Pursues Criminals Through The Labyrinthine Neighborhoods Of The City, Unearths A Tightly Knit Cabal Of Poisoners, Witches, And Renegade Priests, And Discovers That The Distance Between The Quiet Backstabbing World Of The King's Court And The Criminal Underground Is Disturbingly Short. As He Continues His Investigations, La Reynie Suspects That Louis's Mistresses Are Involved In Many Of The Nefarious Plots He Has Uncovered, And He Must Decide Just How Far He Will Go To Protect His King. Tucker Has Crafted A Gripping True-crime Tale Of Deception And Murder Based On Thousands Of Pages Of Court Transcripts And La Reynie's Notebooks, Letters, And Diaries. A Note On Currency -- Burn Notice -- Part I: Day And Night They Kill Here. Crime Capital Of The World -- City Of Light -- The Street At The End Of The World -- To Market -- Part Ii: King Of Hearts. Agitation Without Disorder -- The Dew And The Torrent -- The Door Marked 1 -- He Will ... Strangle Me -- Part Iii: She Will Turn Us All Into Poisoners. The Golden Viper -- Madame Is Dying, Madame Is Dead! -- Poison In The Pie -- An Alchemist's Last Words -- The Faithful Servant -- Brinvilliers Is In The Air -- Part Iv: Cease Your Scandals. House Of Porcelain -- Offering -- The Sneakiest And Meanest Woman In The World -- Burn After Reading -- Dinner Guests -- The Question -- Monsters -- Part V: She Gave Her Soul Gently To The Devil. Quanto -- Search And Seizure -- A Noble Pair -- The Burning Chamber -- Beginning To Talk -- Fortune-teller -- From One Fire To Another -- Part Vi: Wicked Truths. The Poisoner's Daughter -- Sacrifices -- A Strange Agitation -- Lock And Key. Holly Tucker. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.