The Paris Mystery is the story of Australian writer Charlie James. Charlie is a newspaper writer who left Australia after discovering that her husband cheated on her. Charlie is determined to make a new start in Paris. Charlie works hard to meet the local celebrity figures and secures invites to events. Until one night, a murder occurs at the party and Charlie is thrust into a fast-paced investigation. Every newspaper wants the scoop and Charlie will have to use all her skills to try and uncover who the murderer was in time to beat the other newspapers and solve the case. 

The Paris Mystery is a lighthearted mystery that was very enjoyable. Charlie is a likable and smart heroine. The descriptions were beautiful, readers will definitely feel that they are racing around Paris with Charlie to uncover the clues. Manning captures the time period well, with lots of details that historical fiction fans will love. However, the dialogue was straightforward and at times repetitive (“Understood.”). Since Manning’s writing has an almost sepia feel to it, it didn’t affect my overall enjoyment too much. I particularly liked the twist on the answer to the mystery. I look forward to seeing what happens next to Charlie in Paris! 

Thank you to Kirsty Manning and Vintage Books for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.