Thank you Net Galley for the advanced copy for an honest review.

Charlie James is an Australian journalist who lands a new job at The Times in Paris. She is in the process of a divorce and needing a fresh start. Her first byline is interviewing Lady Ashworth who knows EVERYONE in-the-know inParis society. Lady Ashworth is hosting a solstice eve circus-like party and Charlie is invited. At the party Charlie, Violet (The secretary to the editors and Charlie's new BFF) as well as their new photographer Conrad document all the who's who at the party. However, the party is soon disrupted by a loud scream, a woman holding a bloody knife and a prominent banker dead on the ground.

This is a book that has a journalist as a detective, a list of characters who could have done it, a police detective who may be attracted to Charlie, and descriptive scenes of couture, food, locale, and action. There are parties, fashion shows, scavenger hunts, evil deeds and so much more. I was surprised at the ending. I thought I knew who did it but there was a twist I wasn't expecting. Dang it - I SHOULD have figured it out, LOL

The characters are well thought out, have great back grounds but they could be fleshed out a little more.
I did skim through the continual description of the clothes simply because I was tired of reading about it. This was only because it is not of major interest to me anymore. A few times is great, but not as many as in this book. In defense of the author, the main character WAS writing about Paris - fashion - and who's who in the year 1938.

All in all I did enjoy reading this book and would read this author again. I wouldn't consider this a hard read but one to pass the time between serious books that I normally read.

This was a little intriguing, an interesting plot idea. The protagonist, Charlie has relocated and is determined to make being a reporter in Paris work for her. Somehow it just didn't grab me. Perhaps it was the police sharing so much with a journalist or Charlie's role in showing off designer clothes. Im not sure.

It was two/three out of five for me.

With thanks to Netgalley, Penguin Random House and the author for my advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was an enjoyable story with an entertaining historical setting. It was a bit melodramatic at times and over the top, but I liked it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was an enjoyable mystery that I read in one day. The characters were well-drawn and the descriptions of 1930's were spot-on. The mystery aside, it was especially interesting to read of the effects that current events had on the characters.

Newly divorced reporter Charlotte (Charlie) James arrives in Paris in 1938 to take a job with the Times. Her first assignment is to interview Lady Ashworth, the wife of a British diplomat. Charlie secures an invitation to one of Lady Ashworth’s galas—a circus ball.

Murder is afoul when a well-known Paris banker, Maxime Marchand, is found stabbed on the Ashworth’s property. Charlie is assigned to report the murder and soon strikes up a working relationship with the police detective in charge of the investigation.

The plot is adequately paced, and everyone on the suspect list—among them are a photographer, another reporter, a British Naval officer, his wife, and a Russian dress designer—had a reason to kill Marchand. I wasn’t sure who the murderer was until the end.

The setting is Paris not long before the German occupation, a time for lavish parties and when the wealthy flaunted their lifestyle. The author seems to be fond of bias-cut dresses and sash windows, but even so, those references aren’t overdone.

Thanks to Net Galley and Penguin Random House for an advanced reader copy.

Charlie aka Charlotte arrives in Paris from Australia in 1938 to become a reporter for the London Times bureau in Paris. While not happy Charlie is female her editor decides to let her stay as she is a good reporter. Immediately she is assigned to cover Lady Ashworth's grand circus themed party and with the help from a fashion forward employee at the paper, learns much about Paris society quickly. At the party, a controversial wealthy banker is murdered and Charlie finds herself working with a police detective to solve the case. A fun cozy with intriguing characters and the promise of more mysteries for Charlie to solve in the future.

The clothes were good, if slightly improbable. Everything else, plot, characterizations, dialogue, was...utterly forgettable. But, so, the clothes sound nice.

The Paris Mystery is a light, easy, cozy mystery. Kirsty Manning has created a quick read that at the same time is fun and enjoyable. The rich definitely lead lives quite differently than those of most Parisians, but all that wealth doesn't mean that people are happy. The Paris Mystery reads like the first of a series, and I hope it will be a series. It is a nice break to read about the rich, with their lovely homes, fancy dresses, and great food, which means The Paris Mystery is escapist reading. But what is a terrific party without a murder to liven things up?

Charley James is an intrepid woman reporter, who is isn't interested in writing society news. Luckily for James, her first fancy dress ball, held in Versailles, includes a murder in need of solving, especially since the police inspector is handsome and interested in working with James. Since the victim was hatred by most of his wealthy friends, as well as those who are not wealthy, there are many suspects. There are several wrong turns in the search for the killer, but since this wrong turns involve beautiful clothing and romance, the journey toward solving the murder(s) is an enjoyable trip.

Since I was just in Paris a few weeks ago, The Paris Mystery was a bit like visiting an old friend. I enjoyed the plot, even though the identity of the murderer was not a surprise. Thank you to Manning and to her publisher, Penguin Random House, Vintage, for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Thank you also to NetGalley, who has introduced me to so many new authors, including Manning.

Thank you to the author, Kirsty Manning, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this mystery! It was bright, fun, and well paced. The descriptions of physical places in 1930s Paris were vibrant. There was a level of complexity to the plot in which there existed not only the mystery itself, but also the effect of various current events upon the characters. Utterly enjoyable!

This is a quick and fun read. I enjoyed getting to know Charlie, coming to a Paris after a failed marriage, her friendship with Violet and all the interesting characters she meets. Her first story as a reporter for the Times is a murder. Working with the police, she actually helps solve two. And the little twist in the epilogue, loved it!

This has been compared to the Great Gatsby, but I think it smacks of Downton Abbey even more so. I won't tell what the book is about - others have done a commendable job. But you've gotta admire Charlie James, the main character, for being a strong woman figure in the early to mid 20th century. I love the details in the book that sit you right on the set of the story. I thought the ending came a little soon, but then the REAL ending came just later. Shocker really.
You will keep turning the pages while Charlie works with the police in solving the murders (yes, there are two).

1938. Journalist Charlie James arrives in Paris to begin her new job as a foreign correspondent for The Times. She’s after a big story and needs to get in with the very highly placed Lord and Lady Ashworth. When Charlie is invited to Lady Ashworth’s Circus Ball she is sure it will lead to that big breaking story. Unfortunately what she finds is the body of a man whose death means a lot to many people. And so, Charlie will stop at nothing to solve the crime, and get the story.

I have to say, this one just didn’t enthrall me. While it was a bit of light reading, I also found it a bit slow. Too many times the story is interrupted by Charlie’s continued reflections on her failed marriage and philandering husband back in Sydney. And much as I love Paris, it’s food, drink, art, fashion, etc., that all became too much a part of the story. Instead, I would have liked more of the prelude to war that was offered at the beginning of the book. It could have offered much more for future books (just an opinion).

“‘There’s a lot happening in Paris.’ George pointed at Charlie. ‘You need to make Lord Ashworth your business. The Prime Minister made sure Lord Ashworth was posted to Paris as a diplomat when King Edward abdicated. He’s lost face in London with the top brass, but he still has friends in high places right across the Continent—people in governments and industry…Chamberlain might not listen, but the people will. We’ll give them the truth.’”

I must say there was a real twist at the end which was quite a surprise, and which I really did take issue with. But enough said about that (no spoilers here). On the plus side, I did enjoy Charlie, who comes across as strong, confident, intelligent and interesting.

So, not really a bad book, just not what I was expecting (or maybe hoping for).

Kirsty Manning takes readers into the opulence, glamour and decadence of 1930s Paris in her historical mystery, The Paris Mystery. The atmospheric story is an excellent introduction to pre-World War II Paris as seen through the eyes of an outsider, reporter Charlotte “Charlie” James.

Charlie was a successful reporter in Sydney, Australia, and she hopes to continue that career in Paris, fleeing there after her separation from her husband. In 1938, she’s hired by the British-based newspaper, The Times, but her editor is surprised to discover his new reporter, Charlie James, is a woman. She’s going to have to prove herself. He tells her to get to know Lord Rupert Ashworth and his wife, Eleanor. Lord Ashworth is a diplomat, and his wife knows everyone who counts in Paris. Lady Ashworth will hold her annual Circus Ball on the eve of the summer solstice, and Charlie’s boss expects her to attend, take a photographer, and uncover secrets.

Thanks to her new friend, Violet, the administrative assistant who runs The Times office, Charlie gains access to Lady Ashworth, to high couture dresses she normally couldn’t afford, and to the Circus Ball. The ball is more decadent than Charlie expected, with bare-bosomed women on ponies, tightrope walkers, and a murder. And, it’s another foreign correspondent, a woman from Harper’s Bazaar, who has a bloody knife in her hand when a wealthy, powerful man is found dead in the gardens. Now, Charlie’s boss wants her to cover the story, while avoiding British politics and the Ashworths as much as she can.

Manning brings a sparkling pre-war Paris to life. What struck me, though, was Charlie’s discovery and conversations. She was just one person who came to Paris to try to escape her past history, her marriage and the ugly end of it. She’s told that people came to Paris to reinvent themselves “in the city that flouted rules”. Despite the drinks, the dresses, the parties, the wealth, Charlie realizes she can’t really escape her past. She’ll have to live with it, and move on.

I’ve read other mysteries set in Paris in this time period. The Paris Mystery features one of the best-developed, most interesting amateur sleuths. Pair her with Inspector Benoit Bernard who is running the current investigation, and the murder investigation is intriguing.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for allowing me to read this early!

The Paris Mystery is a solid start of a series! I am not sure if this one is for me and if I will continue reading them. Though the characters, plot were incredibly well thought out and developed I was every so slightly underwhelming.

I want to thank Netgalley and Penguin for this Arc.

This was such am enjoyable cozy mystery yet it wasn't set in a sleepy town but in Paris. Having visited there, this book went to all the famous places including Cafe de Flore and the Lourve. There is also immaculate descriptions of Versailles, the sheer decadence of the parties and the opulence of the homes featured.

These are woven in well into the plot of a death at a party. There are a host of suspects and we follow alongside Charlie, our journalist extraordinaire, who lands in Paris to prove herself.
She is a regular Nancy Drew, and with the help of her Beth, english born Violet, she finally helps solve the case.

We are also given a glimpse into her past, and a few characters are set up in this book, which I hope to see in the following books as well.
The pacing was lovely as well and loved the writing style.
I will be reading more of Kirsty's work.

The Paris Mystery focuses on Charlie (Charlotte) James, a young Australian journalist hoping to make it as the Paris correspondent for a large British newspaper in 1938, and to leave her broken marriage behind. Charlie's tryout in her new job necessitates her involvement with "le tout-Paris"-- the upper class, affluent elite--and she successfully wangles invitations to high-end events, including those sponsored by wealthy British expatriates Lord and Lady Ashworth. At one of these events, a prominent Paris businessman is found with his throat slashed, and Charlie may have seen something that will be helpful to the police inspector, not to mention fodder for her newspaper articles.

What I particularly enjoyed are the lavish descriptions of high-end events, including a decadent circus ball and a banquet at the Louvre, glorious couture gowns, impressive estates, and beautiful gardens. Although this isn't the sort of plot that requires a lot of character development, my favorite characters were Charlie's vivacious new friend Violet, office manager at the news bureau, and green-haired Lady Eleanor Ashworth, a former actress and interior decorator--both of whom are sympathetic to Charlie's efforts to succeed in her job. The mystery of who killed the businessman and another victim is well developed, although I found the final twist a bit difficult to accept. At the end of the book, we still don't know a lot about Charlie's background, but as this is the first in an expected series, it leaves a lot to be explored in future series entries.

My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House, Vintage for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

The first in a new series. Charlie James becomes the Paris correspondent for The Times, and she almost immediately gets caught up in a murder. Set in the late 1930s with great descriptions of the setting, the clothes, and the threat of imminent war. Interesting characters with lots of hidden motives. The plot of the murder wandered a bit and some parts were implausible (the French police detective shared a surprising amount of information with an unknown foreign journalist, and Charlie breezes rather quickly over some ethical dilemmas like accepting free clothes) but overall a good start to the series. Between 3 and 4 stars. Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC.

Your new favorite cozy mystery has entered the chat.

I was in a huge reading slump for WEEKS, but this is the book that got me out of it! The entire story was nothing but fun from the start to the finish. If you’re looking for a really creepy mystery, this isn’t it. If you are looking for a crossover episode between The Great Gatsby and Nancy Drew, this IS it. I fell in love with Charlie’s character in this story, and I had a blast reading about her ambition and lack of tolerance for people who underestimate her. It was so nice to read about women who were strong, resilient characters whose lives had multiple aspects to them.

The author’s descriptions throughout this book were INCREDIBLE. The pure opulence of some of the settings and outfits kept me dazzled the whole way through. This story was fast paced, and felt like it was just the right length. It didn’t drag at any point, but I also didn’t wish for it to be any longer. There were some aspects that weren’t my favorite, however. One thing that I really didn’t enjoy was Charlie being written to consistently think of the men in her life. It seemed exceptionally out of place for Charlie to be solving a murder but only ever contemplating her feelings for the men she knows. In addition, the ending didn’t come together quite as seamlessly as I hoped. It was a decent ending overall, but to me it felt like some aspects were a little forced. Overall, I gave this read a 3.75 star rating! I will definitely be tuning in for the series to get my fix of cozy mysteries.

Thank you to Net Galley and Penguin Random House for this ARC of The Paris Mystery!

I've been enjoying books from Kirsty Manning for a while and am glad I got to read this mystery book from her. It had what I enjoyed from those books, this had a great concept for a mystery and I enjoyed reading this. The characters were what I wanted.

"I’d best be moving on. I can see you were seeking out a quiet corner to be alone. I’m sorry to have interrupted you.’ Charlie softened. This man was perceptive, and she found herself liking him more than she should have. ‘No, honestly, you aren’t interrupting anything. I just have a lifetime habit of crowd avoidance. Ran away from my own fifth birthday party!"

This historical mystery wad good, very good infant. It had a great story line and I loved Charlie! Can't wait to see what other adventures she goes on!!
I just reviewed The Paris Mystery by Kirsty Manning. #TheParisMystery #NetGalley
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