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.

The Paris Mystery by Kirsty Manning. Vintage, 2023. ISBN 9780593685549 (paperback), 320p.

FTC Full Disclosure – I received a galley from the publisher through NetGalley, with no promise of a positive review.