As an avid reader of historical fiction, I was eager to dive into Betty Webb's latest novel, "Lost in Paris." Drawing parallels to beloved works like "The Da Vinci Code" and capturing the allure of the Gilded Age, Webb seamlessly blends cozy mystery, historical intrigue, and elements of romance to create a captivating narrative.

Set against the vibrant backdrop of 1920s Paris, the story follows Alabama debutante Zoe Barlow as she navigates a new life in the City of Light after being exiled from her family. Immersed in a world of expats and artists, including the likes of Hadley and Ernest Hemingway, Kiki de Montparnasse, and others, Zoe finds herself embroiled in a thrilling mystery when a valise containing Ernest's manuscripts goes missing.

Webb's evocative prose transports readers to the enchanting streets of Paris, capturing the essence of the era with vivid descriptions of fashion, culture, and societal norms. The characters are richly drawn and imbued with depth, each playing a distinct role in Zoe's journey of discovery.

One aspect of the novel that stood out to me was its exploration of racial relationships and class differences, a theme rarely addressed in historical fiction. Webb deftly weaves these elements into the narrative, adding layers of complexity to the story and enhancing its authenticity.

However, despite the novel's many strengths, I found some characters to be underdeveloped, particularly Ernest Hemingway. Given his stature as a literary icon, I expected more depth and nuance in his portrayal, which was somewhat disappointing.

In conclusion, "Lost in Paris" is a captivating blend of mystery, history, and romance that will transport readers to a bygone era of glamour and intrigue. While the novel excels in its world-building and suspenseful plot twists, it falls short in fully fleshing out certain characters and maintaining accuracy in its French references. Nevertheless, it remains an engaging and enjoyable read for fans of historical fiction.

What do you do when you're an Alabama debutante and you've disgraced your family name in the 1920s? You move to Paris and become friends with Ernest and Hadley Hemingway, of course! At least that's what Zoe Barlow does after she's been sent packing from Beech Glen, the family plantation, by her older brother and her stepmother.
Zoe is an artist and finds comfort and camaraderie among the bohemian artists in Paris just after the War to End All Wars. One day Hadley Hemingway contacts Zoe. In a rush, she left a bag on the train, and in the bag was Ernest's latest manuscript - the only copy, of course. Hadley fears it may have been stolen and asks for Zoe's help to track it down. But in the process of searching for the manuscript the pair discovered the murdered bodies of a Russian man and his daughter, rumored to be the Princess Anastasia Romanov.

As more people around her are murdered, Zoe realizes that there may be much more than a missing manuscript at stake and that unfortunately it would seem that someone in her bohemian artist circle is the killer.

I have found that I enjoy historical fiction set in the 1920's and this book, with its artists in Paris, really sounded like something I could sink my teeth into. What I found, though was a book that was perfectly fine.

Fine. Just fine.

Paris. Artists. 1920's. A missing Hemingway manuscript. This book should have been much more than just fine. This should have been an exciting adventure but it lacked the energy and grit to really make this story work. It moved along steadily but there was no building of excitement and present danger, despite the attempts to create such (she's nervous enough to start carrying her own gun, but that nervousness was never shown, only described). Any solid mystery needs to have some 'highs' and 'lows' to keep the reader engaged but the even pacing was a disservice to the story.

I never fully understood Zoe's character. Her banishment from her home, her being an artist herself - never came into play other than to put her into a place where she would meet Hadley Hemingway.

Looking for a good book? Lost in Paris by Betty Webb has some nice descriptions and a great time-frame and location, but is otherwise an all-around average read.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Publishers, and Betty Webb for gifting me a copy of Lost in Paris in return for my honest opinion.

3/5 stars

Four years after being exiled to Paris for disgracing the family name, Alabama debutante Zoe Barlow is still reeling from the horror of her ejection. Still, she's managed to create a new family among fellow expats and artists, including Hadley and Ernest Hemingway. When a valise containing all of Ernest's writings goes missing, Zoe volunteers to help Hadley track it down. Unfortunately, the valise leads to two murders-the train porter who stole the bag, and a young woman rumored to be Anastasia Romanov-shot to death on the edge of a small village. With much more at stake than the missing manuscripts, Zoe risks everything she holds dear to find out who among her adopted family is a murderer.

This had so much potential to be a fantastic book but there was some moments that confused me. There were quite a few parts where the author threw in plot twists and they were boring and not needed. The side plots were not interesting at all. I wish she had just focused on the main plot, which was very enjoyable.

The protagonist was very interesting to read about, but I felt like her back story was very dark for the type of book it was. She went through so much in her life that it felt out of place with the murder mystery aspect, it felt like it would have fit more in a thriller or suspense.

This was an enjoyable read, would I reread it, no. Would I recommend it no.

An interesting plot with atmospheric writing. The mystery was good and I love this era of time.
Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion. .

I couldn’t really get in to this book, pace was slow and wasn’t exactly what I thought it was gonna be maybe I’ll try it again

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the advanced read of Lost in Paris by Betty Webb.

Zoe Barlow had a painful childhood full of loss and in the 1920's finds herself in Paris alone, without friend or family to help her land on her feet. However, years later, she has built a life for herself as a painter and is surrounded by fellow artists and expats as her new chosen family.

This book follows her quest to track down a lost valise containing Ernest Hemingway's writing, Ernest being her friend Hadley's husband. This quest, however, leads to more questions, more loss, and a fear for her own life.

Lost in Paris had all the hopes to be a gripping, suspenseful, historical mystery. However, it fell flat for me. I couldn't full immerse myself in the story, never quite connecting with the characters as I hoped I would. The plot didn't keep my attention at times. However, I did enjoy parts and therefore give the book three stars.

If you are like me and really enjoy murder mystery in the 20's then this book is right for you. Zoe's character was very developed compared to the other characters( felt like they got the lazy part ). she's fun, intelligent, caring and beautiful. As for the world building, the author beautifully captured the lost area I would say of the 20's. ( Love how she added the different historical elements). The coziness and romance was a pure delight ( it's been super nice and flowers are blooming in my city so it's a great book to read at the park). The only issue I had with the book were the grammatically error in French words ( French is my native language so it kinda bother me a bit ) after that I do recommend this book it's a good and fast read

I went into this not knowing what to expect so the main storyline surprised me. The MC, Zoe, finds out that her friend has lost Ernest Hemingway’s manuscripts! Even though this is the main storyline running throughout the book, there are other stories revolving around it. With a murder mystery that I found impossible to solve, hints into Zoe’s past and clips from another character’s point of view, when I finished and reflected on the book I realised how apt the title was.

Originally I rated this a three star, I found there were a few too many characters to keep track of, but on reflection I’d give this an extra half!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Protagonist Zoe, of what I hope will be a new series, takes readers to an atmospheric 1920s Paris. Zoe is an ex-pat artist who lives in a bijoux home and has weekly poker games to keep her finances in order.

Paris in the 1920s was a vibrant city that attracted writers, artists and dancers among others. Zoe knows many of them; everyone from the Hemingways, to Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas, to Djuna Barnes and, and, and…Readers who recognize these names will enjoy that insider feeling.

In true fact, Hadley Hemingway once lost many of her husband’s works when a suitcase containing them was stolen. What happened to them after they were taken? Were they lost forever? Ms. Webb has some ideas about this.

In her desire to help Hadley, Zoe goes to the rundown outbuilding where two ex-pats were living because Zoe was told they were involved. Some think that one of these Russians was Anastasia. To her surprise, Zoe finds no manuscripts but rather their murdered bodies. What happened? Why? Who did this? And who went on to commit more murders?

There is so much to enjoy in this historical mystery. Recommended for those who like stories with a strong sense of place, a mix of real and fictional people and a good mystery complete with Zoe’s backstory.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this title. All opinions are my own.

Another WWII novel that was just non-distinct from the others I have read recently. Another novel I wanted to love and another novel that just left me bored.

A clever take on the story of Hemingway's missing manuscript and the possible driving forces behind Hadley's momentary forgetting. Webb introduces a while new layer of complexity with love, intrigue and betrayal.

Great main character, eclectic supporting characters, actually good story. But didn't captivate me very well.
The WWII is becaming a tired background for literature.
It might be the timing of the reading, but it wasn't a memorable story or a book to come back to.

Zoe is a young artist who flits and associated with the Illuminati of 1920s Paris.
I liked the author extrapolated about the lost manuscripts of Hemingway because I’ve always thought and wondered about what happened to those.
Webb depicts Hemingway accurately and I still didn’t care for him.
Readers finally get all of Zoe’s back story which has a lot of hurt on it.
It’s a good novel for the roaring 20s in Paris.

With a likable protagonist, a great setting (1922 Paris), a flamboyant and eclectic cast of characters, and different kinds of trauma arising from a personal choice, or the outcomes of three large conflicts: the First World War and its damaged veterans, the Armenian genocide by Turkey, and the Russian Revolution, this book should have grabbed me immediately. Instead, though I could appreciate the great setting and story elements, my attention kept sliding away as I read. I'm not sure why, as this book has all sorts of things I enjoy. And much as I wanted to like this book, my wandering attention points to a different experience.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the chance to read Lost in Paris. The synopsis and the cover is what drew me to request this ARC. Unfortunately I found I was putting it down constantly; I just couldn't get into the book. I tried to push through, but finally had to DNF at 40%. This may have been a personal issue, so if you think it sounds like it might be a book for you, take a chance to read it.

Zoe Barlow has been exiled by her family to Paris. The debutant is still reeling and with a heavy heart of being dejected, she decides to make a new family amongst her artist friends. When a valise holding a manuscript by Ernest Hemingway goes missing she helps her friend Hadley look for it. But the missing valise lead to murder and a mystery to unfold.

This is a historical fiction and mystery story. Think sort of like the Da Vinci Code with missing historical artifact and two females who go on a mission to recover it. Set in the 1920s, it’s lyrical with the culture and the beauty of art.

Most historicals are hit or miss with me, but I rather enjoyed the story Betty Webb weaved and the character Zoe is. It definitely took me a different journey than I’m use to reading.

If you’ve ever wondered what a stroll through 1922 Paris would look like, you’ve found the right book. With thefts, murders, and more mysteries at every turn, this creative time in Paris has no dull moment.

“If you want to ruin your life, fall in love.”

No matter how peaceful we imagine the time between the two wars to have been, it had its own drama and charm to say the least. A group of friends in the great city of Paris amidst war stories, political agendas, and love definitely make for a great story.

“A friend is God’s way of bringing hope to the hopeless."

Thank you, @netgalley for my advance copy.

Zoe, a young woman who has been exiled to Paris by her family because of a scandal in the 1920s, but does receive a monthly allowance, is left alone in Paris in the 1920s. A painter, Zoe becomes with other artists and writers—many of whom are ex-pats and basically starving artists. Consequently, Zoe holds weekly meetings at her house where she supplies the food and wine making sure that those in need leave with a care package and a Friday night poker club which helps to supplement the allowance for her art supplies and the food and drink meetings. I enjoyed the historical fiction of Paris and the mention of so many names that were prevalent during this timeframe. While agreeing to assist Hadley Hemingway in locating a valise with her husband (Ernest) writings, she stumbles upon two murders and she is determined to continue her search for the papers and the murderer. Yes, it contains gluttony and everything one has read about that time period but Zoe has a caring heart but has to face her own demons. My favorite character is Madeline, Zoe’s housekeeper, because she truly likes Zoe and is a real friend to her. I did feel cutting some of the characters would have worked better. Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press/Sourcebooks for an ARC ebook; this is my honest review.

“Jazz was nothing more than a disguise for the world’s howls of grief.” ~ Lost in Paris

That quote captures the mood and feel of this book. Paris in the roaring 20s was an era of glamour, the embodiment of creativity, love, and wit. But it was also hurting like the rest of the world.

Webb weaves an exciting tale peppering the pages with fact-based historical references of the famous artists creating their masterworks of art, the tense political scene occurring with the Russian Revolution, to social issues concerning racism and the rising women’s movement. I found it fascinating to brush up on my history knowledge and recall how many things were happening then. Webb’s descriptive writing added notes of humor and brought this fictional world to life.

This story was unlike any historical mystery I have read yet. There were quite a few things to follow, and I didn’t see the whodunit or the simple reasoning behind it till the reveal at the end. Having the audiobook truly enhanced my experience with this story. The narrator was excellent and did a superb job with accents and French word pronunciation than I would have done. Her modulation and pace kept the story flowing nicely.

Readers of historical mysteries that enjoy their stories with grit, tragedy, and social commentary will enjoy this book.

Lost in Paris is a wonderful mystery set in the 1920’s with members of the Lost Generation. Zoe Barlow is a Bright Young Thing who has endured unimaginable hardship but has retained her Joie de vivre and has made many friends amongst the artists and writers of Paris.

When Zoe’s friend Hadley Hemingway loses her husband Ernest’s (yes that Ernest) manuscripts Zoe agrees to assist her in their retrieval. When Zoe tracks down the manuscripts she finds two bodies as well, Not quite the ending she was expecting. Zoe must solve the case before her friends or herself becomes the next victim.

I love the time period and the mystery. Zoe was a likeable character who despite the tragedies in her life has made a life and a family for herself.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher Poisoned Pen Press and the author for the chance to read ad review this book.