A great tale of a strong, capable, career woman in Paris during the thirties. Charlie has moved to Paris to be a reporter for the Times and escape her failed marriage. As a reporter she meets the most interesting people and attends fabulous parties, all while trying to solve a mystery. A fun, absorbing read. Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC.

I seem to be picking up a lot of books lately that take place in Paris. That’s fine by me. I have been there twice in the last year which makes them more fun for me to read. This book like a few others I have read recently, takes place on the eve of World War II. It’s not a war time navel but the setting and time add character to the story.
A youngish journalist Charlie, don’t call me Charlotte, James takes a huge leap and moves to Paris from Australia after an unfortunate end to her marriage to take a job at the Paris desk of a large London based newspaper. Her potential employer mistakenly thought he was hiring a man, oops, but instead gets a determined, gifted female writer intent on making a name for herself. When a murder occurs during a huge social event, Charlie realizes she must try and solve the mystery in order to get her scoop. After another murder follows, Charlie is on a race against time to figure out which of her multiple suspects is guilty and which are just hiding something. She must tread carefully since upsetting her sources could cost her her job.
Great fun and loved the fashionable sidekick.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book which looks to be a first in what is to become a series. I liked the characters, the plot was believable and not obvious, and the author did a great job of blending in some factual information which always adds to the depth of the story. I will look for more books in the series.
Thanks to NetGalley fir proving an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is set in Paris in the 1930's. It follows a divorced Australian journalist (Charlie) after she moves to Paris to take on a new life. She is thrown into the glamour and fever of Paris. Suddenly a murder happens at an aristocrat's party and Charlie starts the hunt for the murderer.
This book has promise and is definitely set up for world building and sequels. Charlie is a tenacious character who defies the feminine stereotypes of the time. She is smart, resourceful, but also has skeletons in her closet. The other characters in the book show different sides of Paris, from the wealthy elite to the working class. You follow Charlie on her journey to solve the murder of a friend and she becomes entangled in the secret lives of the rich.
I think it was an enjoyable read, at points it can be slow. The pacing is either focused on characters or moving the plot, but not both. This impacts the pacing and can take you out of it sometimes. The ending hits you all at once and kind of comes out of nowhere. It feels like the author was aiming for a huge reveal with shock value, but it just didn't come together.

I enjoyed this so much! The fashions, the mystery, the characters, the setting...everything was lovely. The mystery was brilliantly paced, the characters were all uniquely distinct, and the setting; c'est magnifique. I really hope that this becomes a continuing series as I would love to learn more about our MC's background and past; we were given enough to make us want more, but was done in a way that I wasn't confused. And, this was a bit steamy, which I definitely didn't expect, but did enjoy.

The year is 1938, and Charlotte (aka Charlie) James moves from Australia to start over in Paris. She is excited to begin work as a correspondent at the British newspaper The Times. She needs to prove herself to her boss, as well as to her male-dominated co-workers. Her ally at work is Violet, who helps Charlie settle in and navigate the circle of upper society. Her first assignment is to report on the society's biggest ball - the Circus Ball, complete with elephants, jugglers, and bare-breasted women on horseback, given by ex-pats Lord and Lady Ashworth. The extravagant ball takes a deadly turn, when a well-known banker is murdered.

Relying on her up-bringing with a father who worked for the Crown as a prosecutor of homicide cases, Charlie follows the clues and her gut, in trying to solve the murder. Balancing her duties to submit good copy for the paper and solving the murder keeps her on her toes. Set against the background of the City of Lights, where the people are not as they seem. Can she solve the murder before harm comes to her?

This is the first in a series featuring Charlie James, and I can't wait to read more! Available now everywhere - add this one to your TBR list for an enjoyable "whodunit" read! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this novel; all opinions are my own.

Paris, 1938. Charlotte, ‘Charlie,’ a reporter recently arrived from Australia, gets involved with the society crowd. Parties, wealthy characters and then a murder! First in a new series.

The Paris Mystery is a great easy to read mystery. I love the strong female character and the story is very entertaining and drew me in.

Fun read, loved the characters. Good storyline and liked learning about late 1930s. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

This was a fun, little mystery.
It had a good female lead.
This was an enjoyable summer read. I’m glad I read it. Thanks, Netgalley!

Indomitable
female lead. Speedy, beach read.
Fun setting, glitters.
⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟


I write haiku reviews but happy to provide more feedback.

Thanks, NetGalley and Penguin Random House, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review! This is one of the better books that I have read lately - and I loved the correspondent angle for Charlie. I love the atmosphere that the author creates, the characters that weave together and the quirky personalities throughout the book. I thought this was a glamorous book and will be cheering on Charlie in the rest of the books.

The Paris Mystery by Kristy Manning introduces us to Charlie James the new foreign correspondent in Paris in 1938. This is a light easy read type of story. It takes you through Paris and Versailles, talks about fashion and has you drinking champagne. Charlie is at a Circus Ball where a murder has been committed. She goes in to investigate and meets up with Inspector Benoit Bernard. Thank you to NetGallery and Vintage for letting me review this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book.

Charlotte "Charlie" James is not what the editor of the Paris edition of the London Times was expecting. For one thing, SHE is female, which is not common for a foreign correspondent in the world of 1930s newspapers. But here she is, and she has a job to do, so she gets right to it. Her first assignment is to interview the fabulous ex-pat Lady Ashworth, who has become a leading light in the decadent Paris society in the years preceding WWII. As Charlie thinks at one time, "who needs Berlin when you have Paris"!

But, at one of the Ashworth's lavish parties, there is a cold-blooded murder. And most of the guests could be a suspect in this murder of a not very well-liked French businessman, whose business practices are not always above reproach, and who has made enemies all across the Continent.

Charlie teams up with the very attractive Inspector Benoit Bernard to try to solve the mystery - and get the story that will truly start her successful career as a Journalist and Foreign Correspondent. But it takes a second unfortunate death to finally bring everything into focus and allow Charlie and the Inspector to solve the case. Or did they?

I really enjoyed this first of, I hope, MANY Charlie James adventures!

ARC for The Paris Mystery by Kirsty Manning
*Pub date: July 25, 2023* Buy it TODAY!

I have always been a fan of Agatha Christie and Kirsty Manning comes very close to bringing back the mystery and intrigue of a Christie novel but with a bit more, bubbly escapades, glamour, and fun in her new cozy novel- The Paris Mystery.

Three good reasons to read this book today:
1) I just love how Charlotte “Charlie” James finds her way to her dream job in Paris…they hire her because they think she fabulous journalist and a MAN. She wins herself the converted chair of correspondent for a major International newspaper and quickly finds herself entangled in a murder mystery. Her attempts to keep her work and sleuthing balance aligned is a playful, intriguing romp through the parties of 1930’s Paris.
2) The characters are over the top with Glitz and Glamour. Fashion, food, and drink are their delightful vices, and they flaunt them with pride at every turn of the page. Charlie even gets to embrace her passion for the designs of Paris haunt couture.
3) The ending is a surprise, just like in a Christie novel. Kirsty Manning keeps you guessing until the last page and leaves you happily satiated with the shocking finish. I also loved the relationship between Charlie and Inspector Bernard---unusual to see such a partnership. I hope they get to solve mysteries together again soon.

Available now! READ IT! 5 Stars

*I was given the opportunity by Net Gallery and the publisher to read a copy of The Paris Mystery in exchange for a fair & honest review.

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC! I would give this one probably 3.5 stars. Charlie is a strong female journalist with a mystery to solve and a mission to prove herself as a female journalist in a man-heavy field while also trying to get over her ex. The mystery itself was pretty solid. I did figure it out about halfway through, it the twist kept me doubting myself throughout (& kept me interested in continuing the book pretty quickly). While liked the main characters and how the book ended, I thought the sexual references thrown in were just that-thrown in. I’m not sure if the author was just trying to add some spice to the novel, but to me, they seemed awkward and unnecessary. Overall, it seems like a possibility for a solid series, and as I have always been a fan of mysteries since my Agatha Christie phase in middle school, I would be interested in more adventures with Charlie. FYI pretty clean in terms of language from what i recall, not too graphic with violence, but some sexual situations thrown in

As Charlie James begins to make a name for herself writing for the London Times, she falls into a friendship with Lady Eleanor Ashworth, the dramatic British society queen (wife of Lord Ashworth, a friend of the British Prime Minister) thriving in Paris. Charlie gets insider information from her new friend and learns what it takes to become part of the social crowd including how to dress. A drama-filled masked ball, interrupted by a wind storm and electricity failure, lights return and reveal a murder and possibly the murderess holding the murder weapon. Investigating the murder and knowing the obvious people are not the guilty ones, Charlie meets a host of quirky characters and possible suspects. It's always like a circus in Paris. Enthralling from the beginning, it's worth a read or two to get all the nuances.

An enjoyable spin through 1930s Paris and a solid historical mystery.

There are a lot of books out there like this one and it’s not especially unique in setting or plot, but it’s well-crafted and fun and has a lovely heroine who I’ll look forward to spending more time with as the series continues.

Plucky lady reporter isn’t my favorite for these types of books, but it works well enough with the plot here, and Manning gives us enough atmosphere and period detail to make the story feel immersive and compelling even if the newsroom stuff feels a bit trite.

In 1938, Charlotte, "Charlie," James is looking for a fresh start. She moves from Australia to Paris to become a reporter for an English newspaper. She is assigned to interview Lady Eleanor Ashworth, a socialite, famous for her lavish parties. While at the Ashworth's Circus Ball, a wealthy financier is murdered. Charlie is sucked-into the investigation, and she begins to collaborate with a dashing police detective.

Kirsty Manning does a terrific job of setting the atmosphere of 1930's Paris. There are wonderful descriptions of people, places, food, and especially fashion.

Paris Mystery is set in 1930’s Paris where Charlotte “Charlie” James is ready for a fresh start as a journalist. Quickly into her new city, she’s invited to interview socialite and philanthropist Lady Ashworth for a feature. At Lady Ashworth’s summer gala, someone is brutally murdered and Charlie can’t help but dig in deeper.

I really enjoyed the light tone and setting of Paris Mystery - I loved the rich and indulgent aspects of Paris in the 30s. It was so fun and all the galas were a vibe. This is absolutely “rich people behaving badly” territory, but it’s not obvious on the face. I also particularly liked Charlie’s attitude and I thought her personality was so fun - she was kind but good at her job and didn’t allow anyone to push her around.

I will absolutely be picking this series back up.

ARC was provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4/5 stars: A great start to a new Historical Mystery series. Manning's not only written complex and incredibly likable characters but I loved seeing the glittering world of British expats and 1938 Parisian high society through Charlie's, an Australian, eyes. Most importantly, Manning's mystery plot’s well balanced with plenty of clues, red herrings and suspects to keep you guessing ‘til the last page. This is the first book in the Charlotte 'Charlie' James series and I look forward to reading the next.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House, Vintage in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.