Did someone say 'queer espionage'? Clementine is one of the best protagonists of the summer... Other authors have had clever takes on World War II spy novels, but none has created a voice like Clem's, at once a true artist and a woman spinning a tale to save her life.--Los Angeles Times

A hint of Moulin Rouge, a whiff of Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale, a little spritz of Hitchcock's To Catch a Thief... The Perfume Thief is a pulse-pounding thriller and a sensuous experience you'll want to savor.--Oprah Daily

[An] intoxicating blend of decadence and intrigue . . . Schaffert's evocation of Paris and its wartime demimonde is sensual and alluring, but the heart of his novel is Clementine's demonstration through her own adventures of how every life is its own heady perfume. . . This is a rich and rewarding tale, as original and unique as the handiwork of its eponymous character.--Publishers Weekly *starred review*

"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. . . 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."--Bookpage

"Incorporating the tense setting of Nazi-occupied Paris, Schaffert concocts a memorable work that oozes atmosphere and originality. . . 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."--Booklist

The Perfume Thief is an exceptional novel told in an extraordinary voice, a book about finding beauty at the most difficult times: in the walls of your room, inside your closets, and in those you love. It's also a hell of a yarn. What more could you want?--Elizabeth McCracken, author of Bowlaway

"For the perfume to work, the wearer has to believe what I tell them. And you, too, will believe every word from the unforgettable Clementine, the perfumer and thief who shares her breathtaking story with dazzling notes that seduce over time. Like the very best fragrances, this book lingers on all of your senses, continuing to enchant, long after the final page. A truly remarkable tale."--Steven Rowley, author of Lily and the Octopus and The Editor

Oh, how I adored this book! In The Perfume Thief, Timothy Schaffert treats us to a wartime Paris with a sharply delicious difference. As the habitués of the city's late night demimonde perform an uneasy tango with the Nazi occupiers, we learn that resistance can take many forms, but it's never easy. This novel is beguiling, sumptuous, and gripping. And the writing is so gorgeous, it will slay you.--Alex George, author of The Paris Hours

The Perfume Thief is Schaffert's best novel yet... at once a lush, sometimes chilling work of WWII-era historical fiction and also a fanciful queer romp about outcasts and thieves, lepidopterists and lesbian perfume... Intoxicating--emily danforth, author of Plain Bad Heroines

The queer spy novel about WWII Paris that I never knew I needed and now could not possibly consider living without... Elegant and elegiac, a paean to the Old Paris, or perhaps a Paris That Never Was, The Perfume Thief is perfectly pitched by the publisher as A Gentleman in Moscow meets Moulin Rouge.'--CrimeReads

"A long-lost romance! Espionage! Fashion! Crime! History! The resistance! A 72-year-old reformed con artist who just has to do one last crime!!! If you're reading this and thinking to yourself, 'Wow this is up my alley, ' I can promise you, it's all you wanted and more."--Alma