I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I loved that each of the characters each had their own complications in their private life but it didnt detract from the murder mystery element.

It was well paced, good number of twists and very well thought out.

Can't wait to read the next in the series!

3 stars

This is a murder mystery surrounding the theater in Paris. I like that after the first few chapters you’re well into the investigative process. I always worry that in murder mysteries the backstory will be drawn out in the beginning to a point where I’m already bored, but this book gets right to the point, which I liked. There’s a murder pretty much right in the beginning in chapter 1 and it needs to be solved! The rest of the book takes you down the twisty road of catching a killer.
I’ve never been to Paris, so this book was also a fun mini vacation for my brain into another country, another culture. There was a lot of fun emphasis on the food of Paris, characters meeting at restaurants many times. Many names of dishes were new to me.
Suspense was built throughout and the book moves along well without laboring too much on any individual character development. There were quite a few characters, and I was thankful for not having to sift through a lot of extra fluff and backstory about each one. I was glad to be kept moving almost strictly through the investigative process.
I enjoyed the story, the mystery. However, I did not necessarily prefer the character descriptions. Some of the descriptions of the characters were a little critical and it seemed like it was for no reason. Did we need to know that so-and-so character was unattractive and mousy and unremarkable for example? It just seemed the character descriptions were at times unnecessarily harsh/degrading, negative, and added little value to the story. Even though the story kept moving, I felt that these descriptions were irrelevant, detracted, and went on throughout the book.
Some of the male opinions of women seemed rather harsh, judgmental, and negative too. And almost all the backstories and situations of most of the characters were rather negative as well which made all the characters lives seem depressing. Maybe other readers will overlook those details, but a lot of times I read a book to escape into something fun, positive, and exciting, and some of the negativity just annoyed me more than anything. It felt unnecessary.

My final thoughts:
I would have liked just a little bit of positivity in the book or in any of the characters lives. I would have liked some character development and descriptions that gave some positive vibes. Even if most characters lives are not ideal, I would have preferred a few happier moments or at least one character who wasn’t experiencing tragedy.
However, the story was suspenseful and kept moving at a reasonable pace, minus some of the irrelevant physical descriptions of some of the characters. In this book everyone is a suspect and I was constantly trying to guess who the killer was till the very end! I kept vacillating between so many of the characters potentially being the killer!
I liked the setting (Paris). This book was easy to breeze through and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a less in depth, light, and quick murder mystery.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Victoria Zackheim, and Level Best Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

In 'The Curtain Falls in Paris,' Victoria Zackheim weaves a engrossing mystery against the colorful background of a Parisian theater. Disgraced American reporter Aria Nevins, looking for a new beginning, finds herself in the middle of a murder on the backstage of a play's premier. Teamed with the mysterious Chief Inspector Noah Roche, Aria's reporter senses conflict with his systematic way of working, producing an enthralling relationship.

Zackheim brings to life vividly Paris and the theatre, locating them at the center of the drama unfolding. The tension accumulates gradually as the investigation leads into the life of the galaxy of cast and crew, who all have something to hide and a motive behind. Rich atmosphere and interesting characters make 'The Curtain Falls in Paris' a good beginning for a new mystery series.

Murder, mystery, theater and PARIS! Yes, please.
I love live theater and Paris, so this was a fun one for me. Everyone is a suspect.
Aria Nevins is a fascinating character whose own past as an American journalist proves to be an integral part. She ends up following a homicide detective and her motives come into question, even though this was approved.
Nothing like live theater and the main attraction ends up with a murder which haults EVERYTHING!

I love a good book set in Paris! The vivid descriptions of the city and naming known streets had me planting myself back there walking the streets. Add in a grisly murder in a theater and you've got a recipe for success! I enjoyed that Zackheim was able to intersperse some humor into the book as well without detracting from the overall tone of the story.

The story sucks you in from the first chapter as that is when the murder occurs and the pace really doesn't slow from there. I was kept guessing whodunnit until the end and everyone is a suspect! Guessing correctly matters less to me than seeing how an author brings it all together for the reveal and Zackheim didn't disappoint. I noticed on the cover "An Aria Nevins and Noah Roche Mystery" so I'm excited at the possibility of encountering these two characters again!