The Black Tower

Welcome to Paris, c. 1818.

After the execution of Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI, and the death of their son, the Dauphin, the Bourbon monarchy has at last been restored. But a remnant core of Republicans is still working to fulfill the promise of the Revolution, and the great Napoleon is plotting his next return to power from the rocky exile of St. Helena. Partisans on every side will do whatever it takes to advance their causes.

Dr. Hector Carpentier is a partisan of no cause. His father, Dr. Julien Carpentier, saw first-hand the ravages of the Revolution and remained resolutely impartial to politics. His son, cowed by his domineering mother and missing his deceased father, leads a very quiet life. Until he meets Vidocq, Paris' most legendary police officer. As founder and chief of the newly created plain-clothes force called the Surete, Vidocq has used his mastery of disguise and surveillance and his extensive knowledge of the Parisian underworld to capture some of France's most notorious and elusive criminals.

And now he needs the help of the shy, provincial Hector Carpentier. Between the two of them, they may prove that the Dauphin, like Anastasia, lives, which could change the course of history.

About the Author

Louis Bayard is the author of the national bestseller The Pale Blue Eye and Mr .Timothy , a New York Times Notable book. A staff writer for Salon.com, Bayard has written articles and reviews for the New York Times, the Washington Post, Nerve.com and Preservation, among others.