I very much appreciate being gifted this copy of April on Paris Street
by Anna Dowdall, and the opportunity to read & review it. Thanks to the publisher.

It took me far too long to settle into these pages for what turned out to be a delightful read. I enjoyed the novel not only for the story but even more so for the exquisite scene-setting, from the interiors of a Paris apartment to the city of Montreal. There isn't a spare word but the story never felt short-changed.

From Paris to Montreal! Well that’s the setting tick of approval right there. ✅ Black market fashion dealings and of course a Quebec connection. A competitive mystery that beckons to walk on the wild side. A slow burn with all the right ingredients made this a compelling read.

A Guernica ARC via NetGalley
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own)

What starts out as simple turns complex in this intriguing mystery brimming with unexpected twists and turns. I loved visiting Paris, albeit a side of Paris that one wouldn't necessarily see as a mere tourist (I hope), which made this read all the more enjoyable, especially since my traveling was via armchair. Not at all predictable, this page-turner kept me on the edge of my seat.

This is a tale of two cities with a fashion crime plot that aptly conceals a domestic suspense charade. A twenty something private eye gets caught up in a maze of deception that follows her from Paris back to Montreal, where more deception and revelation await.

A bit of humor mixed in with a mystery made April on Paris Street a delight to read. This story is about a young detective who takes on a case thinking it's one thing when it's not. There are mini-stories within the story making it a great and fun story to follow. Loved the characters. Well done!

If you like “exotic” locales, you should consider this book. Set in Paris during the winter Carnaval, PI Ashley Smeeton is on the job. A Montreal businessman had hired Ashley to go to Paris and escort his wife Mirabell back to Montreal. But while in Paris, she is drawn into Carnaval’s world of masks and deception and encounters the Bortnik brothers who are involved in black-market fashions. People know what happens if you cross the Bortniks. Then there is a murder, and Ashley becomes concerned about Mirabell’s safety when she is followed by a dark SUV. Are the Bortnicks involved?

When Ashley returns to Montreal, she has to deal with personal relationships and her family’s complicated history. She isn’t as confidant about her personal life as she is with her professional one. At first, I wondered about the significance of the Paris storyline as it seemed to just go away once Asley was back in Montreal. But fortunately, a connection to the original case was made and the story picks up again.

The book was a slow start for me, and I thought the narrative was overly descriptive. I ended up scanning much of it to move the story along. This book definitely falls into the literary category.

I received a complimentary copy of this book, but the opinions expressed are my own.

April on Paris Street by Anna Dowdall is set in both Paris and Montreal. I wanted to read as it is a Canadian author and I’m glad I did.
It did start off slow but it is worth sticking to it.. There were mini stories woven into the story of Charles and Mira.
I felt it was a complex mystery and worth the read if you love that type of story.

I requested and received an advanced readers copy from the publisher and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.

This mystery is set in both Paris and Montreal. It is a slow start but definitely worth reading. There are many mini stories intertwined into the story of Charles and Mira. It is a complex mystery worth the read if you love mysteries.

First off, my thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC prior to publication in return for a fair and unbiased review.

This story takes place both in Montreal and in Paris. Anna Dowdall does a good job in segueing between the two locations...where you think there are two different stories but there are not.

Our MC (Ashley) is a private investigator, and she takes on a job to bring a wayward wife home to Montreal from Paris. At first, she turns the job down, but after the holidays reconsiders, and is off to Paris. Many interesting things (probably not legal) happen while in Paris, and she learns quite a bit about the personality of her client. She also learns that there was a murder and her client may be in danger.

Fast forward to Montreal. It appears as though the bad guy may have followed them to Montreal. And then tragedy occurs.

This book is well written and the story line is engaging. The story seems to stop after leaving Paris; there are new cases to solve while back at home in Montreal, but we become reengaged with the original plot line and the story continues. It was seriously hard to put down. There are mini-stories woven in our main story of Charles and Mira...other cases to solve. Ashley also has some new to her family members to meet and get to know. There's a family history here that is teased out during the course of the book.

A great read, and one I would recommend to anyone who likes a complex mystery.

This noir mystery set both in Montreal and in Paris has a slow build, but is definitely worth the patience to read. The main character, Ashley, a young, female part-Abenaki PI based in Montreal, has an intriguing back-story and is authentically drawn and complex. Other characters also come to life in the pages: the wealthy Charles St Cyr and his childlike wife, Mirabel, her dying sister, Isabel, and Ashley's friends Chantal and Aram. The reader comes to care about their stories and how things will play out for the various actors in the drama. The novel explores lost family relationships restored, love found and lost, and a compelling riddle at the center of things that leads the detective now in one direction, now in another. The brooding atmosphere of the darker streets of the two cities contrasts with the glittering, artificial splendor of the artistic and high society venues into which her clients draw Ashley as the mystery unfolds. The suspense factor isn't intense, but the setting and the characters make the novel a satisfying read.

Beautifully crafted, April on Paris Street is a thrilling novel set against the backdrops of Montreal and Paris. An excellent storyteller, Ms. Dowdall has a wonderful eye for detail and a gift for creating a strong sense of place. I could easily imagine Ashley Smeeton, dressed to the nines and partying during Winter Carnaval. And within days returning to Montreal in its endless winter phase. I was also impressed by the smooth handling of plot twists and the unexpected ending. Ms. Dowdall has surpassed all expectations and presented us with her best work to date.