The Perfume Thief by Timothy Schaffert

An aging American con artist returns to the scene of the crime so to speak when she travels back to a Nazi occupied Paris in 1941. She loves very well tailored men's suits, all the finer things in life and becomes fascinated by a singer at Madame Boulette's named Zoe. Zoe needs to get out from under the thumb of her Nazi captive and needs Clementine to steal a secret recipe book by a famous Parisian perfumer. Clementine sets out on a journey to charm the Nazi who wants the book as well putting herself in great danger. The pace is slow with an undertone of danger and the writing is a feast for the senses. We feel the frigid French winter, taste the food and wine and smell those glorious (and not so glorious) scents used in perfume. Timothy Schaffert captures the mood between the Paris of the present and Clementine's past there and in New York. This is a must read for those lovers of Amor Towles, Ken Follett or subtle stories of WWII Europe.  4 stars