Timothy Schaffert’s sixth novel has so much going for it that it’s hard to pinpoint only a few reasons why you will love it, but let us try nonetheless ... It’s a thrill to be in Clem’s mind, to follow along as she sinks deeper and deeper into this mystery, as she worries about how to keep her loved ones safe ... With a healthy dose of romance, fashion and espionage and a glimpse of the lives of openly queer artists under Nazi occupation, The Perfume Thief is a reminder that Paris, even in the pages of a book, always makes for a great escape.
... a vivid and striking story ... Through Clem’s perspective, the novel evokes a tapestry of smells and their obscure origins. Paris is wistfully recalled through the scents of each character’s freedom before the war. As secrets and truths are revealed of all, the destiny of each character—and the choices they make—cause reverberations in the lives of the others ... Small acts of bravery during the Resistance may be less known, but this novel gives imagination to the courage of queer lives during the Occupation. Clem embodies the wisdom of a fully-rendered life, filled with deception, compassion, and transformation. A luminous character invented to populate the queer history that was lost. Once she’s allowed herself to love others, she deceives one last time for those she loves.
Schaffert concocts a memorable work that oozes atmosphere and originality ... The plot sometimes gets buried beneath all the descriptions, but it boasts beguiling characters who gain depth with each unveiled layer. Schaffert creates a lasting impression through his tribute to these unique artists, the “alchemists of the city’s very soul,” and their courageous and creatively daring methods of resistance.
The volume of research that went into creating Clem’s world is apparent in the novel’s little factual details, like the subcutaneous perfume craze and mentions of the ties between perfume and chemical warfare. In spite of the amount of research and thought Schaffert put into his novel, it disappoints overall. For a book focused on perfume, the sensory descriptions are too few and far between ... While the concept, the characters, and the well-researched details of the setting are intriguing, the plot drags, resulting in an underwhelming read.
Schaffert’s intoxicating blend of decadence and intrigue brings Nazi-occupied Paris vividly to life ... Schaffert’s evocation of Paris and its wartime demimonde is sensual and alluring ... This is a rich and rewarding tale, as original and unique as the handiwork of its eponymous character.
Lush description of scents and extravagant lists of everything from butterflies to poisons underscore Clem’s prodigious powers of observation, but the novel’s beautifully rendered atmosphere is no substitute for suspense and conflict ... In what passes for an overarching plotline, Voss and Clem form an uneasy alliance ... For most of the novel, Clem, her young protégé Blue, and her friend Day, seem to be enjoying themselves far too much for the setting. A discordantly frothy vision of Paris’ darkest chapter.
