Praise for A Man in Uniform
“Author Kate Taylor’s portrait of honor and deception in turn-of-the-century Paris is alluring and suspenseful, an even greater testament to her skills as a writer when one considers that she draws her story from France’s most notorious political scandal. … A Man in Uniform provides twists and turns fitting for a cozy mystery with an interesting historical setting. The charm of Taylor’s novel lies in her seemingly effortless prose and plotting — and her ability to make room for touches of subtle humor.”
— Associated Press
“… a rich sense of time and place … a fascinating look at a historically based what-if.”
— Boston Globe
“This page-turning historical novel … is an intriguing and enjoyable reimagining of a major event in French history. ”
— Library Journal
“… entertaining period piece with deftly rendered period details (how would one photograph secret documents in 1896?) and a dash of mystery …”
— Booklist
“… an awfully enjoyable romp. Taylor writes clearly and transparently, leaving nothing to abstraction. The book moves along at such an admirable clip that it’s hard to believe it won’t carry on without you if you dare put it down.”
— Toronto Star
“Taylor’s twisting plot is rich in romance and disturbing in its implications about the fragility of human rights.”
— ELLE (Canada)
“… the novel begins to race with the urgency of a literate thriller. … Today, the Dreyfus Affair continues to serve as a bracing reminder … that we dare not have blind faith in the willingness of our leaders to defend our most cherished rights and freedoms. Taylor’s engaging novel, in creating a detailed historical world, reminds us of that ever-present danger.”
— Globe and Mail
“Whether you are a history buff or not, it’s an engrossing mystery that neatly bridges literary and popular fiction.”
— CHATELAINE
“Taylor demonstrates tremendous talent for breathing life into the people and places of bygone times. Late 19th-century Paris comes vividly to life in her capable hands as she perfectly captures the social conventions, turns of phrase, wardrobe stylings and modes of transportation and communication that characterized that era. … Unlike Dreyfus, François Dubon is a fictional character. But given the care and detail with which Taylor has imagined him, he seems very real indeed.”
— Winnipeg Free Press
“… a novel filled with enough twists, turns, and double crosses to keep even the most jaded mystery reader glued to the page.”
— Owen Sound Sun Times
“It is a truth universally acknowledged that using an actual historical event as the focal point of a fictional story is a tricky business. The author must combine historical research with linguistic dexterity to convincingly recreate a past era.
Happily, Taylor does this rather well. For example, her descriptions of early photography are fascinating, and she writes effective dialogue and creates a credible and suspenseful fictive world. Mind you, she had has practice — her first novel, 2004’s award-winning Madame Proust and the Kosher Kitchen, was also set in fin-de-siècle Paris, and clearly Taylor, who grew up in France, has an affinity for and wide-ranging knowledge about this era.”
— Edmonton Journal
“At the end of the nineteenth century, the Dreyfus case tore France apart, dividing families over its caustic mix of anti-Semitism and treason. Kate Taylor’s new novel follows a mild-mannered lawyer whose involvement in the case reignites his passions, upsetting the equilibrium of his placid bourgeois life. With its fluid mix of detective fiction and domestic drama, A Man in Uniform is a gripping read.”
— Kate Pullinger, author of The Mistress of Nothing
“A deeply enjoyable book, A Man in Uniform is subtle, suspenseful, intelligent — and rife with false beards and lace peignoirs. If Proust, Poe and Wodehouse had raised Georges Simenon, he might have written such a classic caper of ratiocination.”
— Marina Endicott, author of Good to a Fault
“Kate Taylor has created that literary prize — a book whose pages the reader cannot turn fast enough.”
— Fredricksburg.com