Miss don't touch me

Blanche, a virgin working as a dominatrix in a belle epoche Parisian brothel, solved her sister's murder in volume one. Now she works to sort out her dissolute mother's life and finds herself falling in love with a sweet, rich, and secretly gay client. In spite of the many titillating possibilities, Hubert and Kerascoet tell this episode with artfulness and empathy that allow readers to appreciate Blanche's dignity as well as her energy and creativity. Beautiful coloring suits the era, and visual details range from the gorgeous flow of gowns to the hideous reality of cranial surgery as a cure for homosexuality.--Goldsmith, Francisca Copyright 2010 Booklist

In this graphic novel from the team behind Beauty, to learn the truth about a notorious serial killer and the connection with her own sister's violent demise, the enterprising but naïve Blanche decides to seek employment as a maid at the Pompadour, the most exclusive bordello in all of Paris. Instead she becomes its main attraction, a virgin-dominatrix who quickly earns a devoted following. On the way to uncovering the gruesome reality behind the notorious "butcher of the dances," who has been terrorizing Paris, Blanche faces daunting odds and various attempts on both her life and her chastity. And when "Prince Charming" comes along, she is swept into a chaotic romance that seems to be the answer to all her dreams-but for the poor beleaguered Blanche nothing is ever quite what it seems. Set in the Paris of the 1930s, alternating between the glitzy and the very gritty, this dark and disturbing tale is both a fantastic noir and a tense exploration of various societal themes like class, inequality, political corruption, and most of all the staggering depravity of the elite. Inspired by racy classics like The Story of O, but somehow much more readable, this smart coming-of-age shocker is irresistible. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

If you had told this reviewer that she would be calling a graphic novel about a homicidal virgin dominatrix compelling, she would have given you the side eye, but Hubert and Kerascoet made it happen. Paris between World War I and World War II provides a rich background for this tale of revenge, perversion, and determination. After Blanche's sister is murdered, she will stop at nothing to bring the killers to justice. Her investigation leads her to the Pompadour, a high-class brothel that caters to the top tiers of Parisian society. In order to learn more about her sister's murderers, Blanche becomes Miss Don't Touch Me, a prostitute who never lets her clients touch her. Part murder mystery, part historical novel, and part morality tale, the story is well paced. The characters, settings, and costumes are perfectly stylized, softening the sordidness of the plot and preventing the book from becoming too jaded. Verdict Definitely for mature readers and delightfully French, this graphic novel, collecting the full "Miss Don't Touch Me" series, is unusual and unnerving and sure to pique the interest of even the most diverse readers.-E.W. Goodman, Art Inst. of Pittsburgh (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.