Die Around Sundown

Mark Pryor

Historical Thriller

Mark Pryor’s Die Around Sundown is the first entry in an exciting mystery series set in Paris during World War II, where a detective is forced to solve a murder while protecting his own secrets.

Summer 1940: In German-occupied Paris, Inspector Henri Lefort has been given just five days to solve the murder of a German major that took place in the Louvre Museum. Blocked from the crime scene but given a list of suspects, Henri encounters a group of artists, including Pablo Picasso, who know more than they’re willing to share.

With the clock ticking, Henri must uncover a web of lies while overcoming impossible odds to save his own life and prove his loyalty to his country. Will he rise to the task or become another tragic story of a tragic time?

Five days. One murder. A masterpiece of a mystery.

-Excerpt taken from Goodreads.

Check Goodreads to see the book’s ratings.

My Opinion

(3.5 / 5) Henri is handed a murder investigation with no access to the crime scene and a list of people the German’s picked for him to investigate and choose from. Not only was this unorthodox but completely against all he believes in.

I liked that it was not only a WW2 story but a murder investigation. Having the Germans occupying France at the time added an extra element of excitement to the story. While the psychoanalyst sessions were interesting, I didn’t find their purpose until the end. I just wish I could’ve been more endeared to Henri at the beginning. I loved that Sigmund Freud and Pablo Picasso were referenced and added to the story, what a fun addition!

“I was scared though, because when a man holds onto a secret for so long, letting go of it is like letting go of a part of himself.”

My interest wavered at times but continued to come back with certain elements of the story. I found I truly was endeared to the characters and interested in their story towards the end. Mimi was fabulously shrewd and I loved listening to her analyze Henri. Henri was off-putting until you hear his story and then he made complete sense. Nicola was admirable in so many ways. 

While this quote didn’t relate to a huge part of the story, it was my favorite; “I’d seen so many variations of hate that almost any type of love was acceptable to me, but I didn’t have those words and I knew he’d not believe them even if, magically, they came to me.”

General content summary: F words: 23, language, shootings and death (multiple), blood, physical violence, alcohol, corpse (details), story of torture, previous infidelity, previous drugging, m/m relationship (no details), shooting deaths, war story with some gore, previous physical abuse, suicide (few details, 2x), torture and death (few details), house fires and escaping, previous child abuse (few details), murder and accidental murder (few details). 

Thank you to Minotaur Books for the gifted copy!

The book releases August 16, 2022.

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