Death in Paris: Màiri Maguire Cozy Mysteries

I need to start off by saying, what a cute read! It definitely lived up to it's title of being a cozy mystery.

This book follows Mairi Maguire, a school teacher in Glasgow, who decides to take a spontaneous job offer as Head of English Studies at a top school in Istanbul after her boyfriend of twelve years comes home from a work trip engaged to a woman he met in Singapore. Mairi is naturally devastated so she calls up her best friend Lianna, who is having problems of her own. Over ice cream they decide that Mairi will accept the job offer in Istanbul and Lianna will join her as her personal secretary. But first, they will go to Paris and have a short vacation before boarding the train to Istanbul. It doesn't end up going as planned and what was meant as a fun girls trip turns into Mairi needing to clear her best friends name of murder in only six days!

This book gave me all of the cozy feels. It reminded me of reading a Nancy Drew book for adults. It was witty, entertaining, cute, and mysterious all in one. One thing that I especially enjoyed in this book was the addition of the "Mairi's Mental Note" when she was going through the case.

This book has a release date of April 6, 2022! So if this book sounds up your alley, I highly suggest picking it up!

Would you and your BFF both move off to a new country just to get away from unhappy things? Well, that’s exactly what Mairi and Lianna do. But first…a vacation in Paris! Where Lianna finds her trouble unescapable as the problem is one of their tour group members.

When Lianna becomes a murder suspect, Mairi puts on her sleuthing hat and tries to clear her friend…only to find herself in danger now. Will Mairi be able to figure it out before things go from worse to complete disaster?

This was a great read. A little bit of a slow start, but it got there and once it did, the book flew by. I recommend this book and can’t wait for more adventures with Mairi and Lianna.

By escaping what Mairi considers an embarrassing situation she finds herself in an even worse position trying to get her best friend Lianna free of a murder rap. This could be difficult considering the victim, a corrupt tax inspector, probably has plenty of enemies and the police have ample reasons to hold Lianna for his murder..

This is a fast paced mystery full of intrigue with an ending that leaves you wanting more. Thanks to Ad Astra Press and NetGalley for an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

This was the perfect cozy read other than the start was slow. This was a good book once you get into it. I loved th characters Mairi and Lianna. I cant wait to see what happens next.

A nice cozy read! I didn't have much problems except that the pacing was a bit off and boring sometimes. But other than that it gave what it needed to. It was more engaging by the end.

What more can you ask for, a vacation with you friend and you murder descends on you. Loved all the twists and turns within in the story!

I enjoyed this book! The beginning was a bit slow and hard to follow. There was something about the writing that just didn’t keep my attention. But, once in Paris, it was smooth sailing after that. Besides all of the confusion, It’s a great read and I highly recommend it.

Original review posted to Goodreads,

I really enjoyed this! It was a fun read. I'm a big fan of the cozy mystery genre! Set in the 1970s we follow our MC, Màiri Maguire, who takes a surprise job offer in Istanbul. I devoured the mystery in just a few days! I highly recommend this book to murder mystery lovers of all ages! It was so fun and such an easy read for me! After a little of a slow start, it reached great cozy mystery heights! I would definitely read again! I can't wait to buy a hardcopy!

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I think this is my first 'Cozy Mystery'. And it definitely was that.

A murder mystery in Paris is pretty much always a good idea. This one was pretty straight forward. The protagonist is a school teacher, and that's kind of how the mystery goes. She is very methodical- has to prove her friend innocent in 6 days, and it unfolds just by her investigation and statement of facts. It is all laid out in front of you easy peasy- though no obvious bad guy.

I can definitely understand the genre, and if that's what you're looking for, it does well. It doesn't bog you down in random super spy pretense of some other mysteries. It doesn't get too scary or horrific. So like a Hallmark movie, but with mystery. Though after it being pretty formulaic, I was intrigued by the ending.

Thank you netgallary for this ARC.
What initially drew me in was the title. I have a love for all things Paris and it being a cozy mystery was a bonus. It's written in present tense but set in the 1970s. The friend pair is on vacation and over the course of a few days Mairi now is set with the task of clearing her friends name of murder. This is the first In a series and I look forward to the next book.

’Death in Paris’ had three of my favourite things - a Glasgow lass, Paris and murder so I was bound to love it and I did! I don’t read as many cozy mysteries as I used to and I loved this one, as it was a light-hearted romp but serious enough that you didn't question the events! It has a great cast of characters with Mairi and the Major being the standout ones - who couldn't love a girl from Merrylee as we are practically neighbours.

Mairi decides on a whim to take a new job in Istanbul but on the way there stops in Paris with her best friend Liana. Within 12 hours Liana has been accused of murder and it's up to Mairi to work out what has gone on! She has six days to save her friend…

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The author's love of Paris shined bright and I loved this as it really meant the location and atmosphere was on point. Mairi was a character that I fell for from the first page - strong, loyal, intelligent, loving, adventurous!

The only niggle I had was actually an editing one and that was when Mairi was compiling the times and actions of the main players I didn't know to press the arrow button to scroll across the table. I didn't even know you could do that on kindle! It made me kind of bypass those sections and it was a shame as I wanted to engage with the timings a la ‘Murder at the Vicarage’ style.

As I am a sucker for a murder mystery on a train I honestly can't wait for the next one! Also, Liana is right - I need a steam trunk in my life, preferably a vintage Louis Vuitton.

Death in Paris by Kate Darroch is the first book in the Màiri Maguire Cozy Mysteries and is a fast paced, fun cozy crime novel. 


After receiving news that makes her feel she needs a change, Màiri decides to take the job she has been offered at a school in Istanbul and move from Glasgow.  As support and someone she knows in a new city, she brings her best friend Lianna.  As a stop on the trip, they will spend a week in Paris, but a wonderful trip to the big city will soon turn into something completely different.  After just a few hours in Paris, Lianna is locked up I  jail charged with murder. Màiri decides to begin her own investigations in order to help free her friend. To her aid in search of the true killer she has Major Ellis Peverel to assist her. Major Peverel has lots of good contacts and knows where you can get a proper cup of tea.

I had a hard time getting into this book and at first found the writing to be a bit lacking. But soon had the lovable characters, the luxurious tea drinking made up for it and as the plot thickened I was completely into the story and how it would go for Màiri and Lianna. This is a great example of cozy crime and now I am very eager to read more.

Death in Paris by Kate Darroch.
Mairi Maguire Cozy Mysteries Book 1.
8:10 a.m. on 15th August 1970. They’ve been in Paris only 12 hours. Lianna is locked up in jail, charged with murder. Màiri is being hunted by murderous criminals. She never dreamt that travelling outside Scotland would be so dangerous. Will Màiri ever again see her comfy home in Merrylea, her loving sisters Morag and Katriona, her schoolboy nephew Niall?
I really enjoyed this book. Couldn't put it down. Had no clue who it was. 5*.

Death in Paris: Màiri Maguire Cozy Mysteries was exactly as the title indicated it would be. This quirky, fast-paced cozy mystery had me hooked the whole time (I couldn’t put it down!). I laughed out loud at a few parts and felt like I was solving the mystery alongside Màiri. I love a good whodunnit and this gave me exactly that!

Who really killed the corrupt taxman for whose death Lianna has been framed? Màiri has only 6 days to find the murderer. Can she free Lianna in time? Or must she choose between her friend's freedom and her own livelihood… if she’s still alive. A clever, engrossing story with fabulous characters and an unexpected ending.

Death In Paris was a fantastic cozy mystery.
I really love the characters, so well written.
The mystery was great, and I really enjoyed following the clues.
The end really surprised me.
This was the first book I read by this author but it won't be the last.

The book is set in the 1970 s and you would think that it would not hold my interest but the quirky ways of mairi mcquire really hold my interest and the way she is telling a story which is very alien to me but I still enjoy it because it's a cozy mystery and I have never read a mystery like this and I like to dabble in genres like these and if you are from Glasgow and native to that place you will definitely connect with the story and have even more fun with the story and the mystery of the death of charlie stout.

I really enjoyed my reading ! It was a little bit slow at first but it was necessary for the plot.

This type of book is a cosy reading, like it's a book that you can't close before finishing it because it's so cute and the mystery part makes you want to know what will happened next. I really love this book so I want to thank you NetGalley and the publisher for send me this ebook.

I will definitively read the next one because Mairi is a comfort character. It is a really good cosy mystery book.

The mystery was good. Hard to get into this book at first but I kept on because I liked the characters. May not be everyone's cup of tea but give it a try. Fast paced read. Thanks #netgalley and #BooksGoSocial for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

Wow... this was such a fun read. I really liked how Darroch was able to create such dimensional and fun characters. I also enjoyed the "coziness" of this mystery. I think that this was an unpredictable game of Clue. I can't wait to read more from this author.

This was great - I can't wait to read more of this series. The heroine was lovely and resourceful and her secret service sidekick (with a hint of romance) made for a good pairing.

this is a lovely cause you read and it is a proper nostalgic to technical that you could always return to read to when you feel like it the writing style is very engaging and it is so sorry that I didn't want to put the book Murray has been teaching up the k Academy for Girls in Scotland however during summer break she expected that her longtime boyfriend had an announcement. This book is and I would highly recommended to us to read.

1970- Mari is running from a bad breakup and decides to include her best friend in her plans to leave home and go teach in another country.
A messy divorce leading to troubles with a slimy taxman make this opportunity very appealing to bestie Kianna as well. Taking a vacation trip before reporting to the new job seems like a dream. The dream becomes a nightmare as they find the evil taxman is on board and Kianna is not the only one seeming to have issues with him.
When the tour they are on arrives in Paris, events take a turn and the taxman is discovered thrown to his death from the Eiffel tower.
Kianna is arrested as the prime suspect but Mari and her mysterious new friend Major Ellis Peverell take on the task of digging through the lies to find the real killer.

Not what I was expecting but a nice surprise.
I had no idea going in this book took place in the '70s and must admit when I read that on the first page I felt nervous. I was looking for a quick cozy mystery not a history lesson.
I soon realized that although the time period matters to the story in no way does it effect the tale negatively. Although the '70s were the era of woman's lib and fighting for equality it was not was not overdone with the main character being told to mind her place or her ideas not taking seriously. I liked that a lot. Only 2 things kept this from being a 5 stars read. I found the jumping back and forth between characters,both good guys and bad to be confusing as well as the introduction of so many characters at once ,it was hard to keep them straight . That said I enjoyed this tale and will be continuing the series soon.
4 stars on goodreads
I received this book free from #netgalley for a fair and honest review

Thank you NetGalley,

Just started it, and so far I’m loving it and so interesting, I have a pretty good feeling a lot people are going to love it :)

Mary is one of the poshest, most hilarious and an intriguing sleuth in the history of thriller fiction. The book was a little slow in the beginning but once it hit the action peak, it was an amazing read that kept me giggling and reading non-stop throughout.

Would definitely recommend it to cozy mystery fans.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review .

A good cozy mystery book, I had fun reading it.

Death in Paris was a wonderful read. I quite enjoyed the well-crafted characters, as well as, the overall story. It was entertaining and kept me intrigued until the very end. Great job! Can’t wait to read more by this author in the future.

This is an interesting mystery.
Màiri Maguire teaches in top schools all over the world, but on days like today she wishes she had never left Glasgow!
8:10 a.m. on 15th August 1970. They’ve been in Paris only 12 hours. Lianna is locked up in jail, charged with murder. Màiri is being hunted by murderous criminals. She never dreamt that travelling outside Scotland would be so dangerous. Will Màiri ever again see her comfy home in Merrylea, her loving sisters Morag and Katriona, her schoolboy nephew Niall?
Major Ellis Peverel seldom leaves Màiri's side. Respected by the Paris police, shrouded in secrets, who is this man? Is he a true friend to Màiri, or does he have an agenda of his own?
Who really killed the corrupt taxman for whose death Lianna has been framed? Màiri has only 6 days to find the murderer. Can she free Lianna in time? Or must she choose between her friend's freedom and her own livelihood… if she’s still alive.
Headed for a teaching job in Istanbul via Paris Mairi never expected to be the victim of a murder and bombing threat.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

This was my first time reading a cozy mystery and I really enjoyed it. It was a great read, easy to dip in and out of and still follow the story. I enjoyed the characters and the pace of the book.

Death in Paris is the the first book in Kate Darroch's Màiri Maguire Mystery series, and I was soon hooked! It didn't take long for me to become acquainted with Màiri, a school teacher in Glasgow, who takes a job in Istanbul. On the way there she stops in Paris with her best friend Lianna, but Lianna ends up in prison. Great characters - Màiri is strong, loyal, intelligent and adventurous - and an engrossing plot resulted in a terrific read. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from BooksGoSocial via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

I received this book from netgalley for an honest review
A very cool cuz he mistreated with very interesting characters and I love the setting.

"Death in Paris: Màiri Maguire Cozy Mysteries" is a delightful and engaging cozy mystery that transports readers to the charming streets of Paris. Màiri Maguire, the endearing protagonist, is a compelling amateur sleuth with a keen eye for details and a talent for solving puzzles. The story is filled with intriguing twists, vivid descriptions of the City of Light, and a cast of quirky characters that keep you guessing until the very end. With its perfect blend of mystery, humor, and a dash of romance, this novel is a delightful read for cozy mystery enthusiasts and Francophiles alike.