Murder in Paris

Charlotte 'Charlie' James #2

by Kirsty Manning

A glamorous historical mystery of murder, fashion, food, secrets, and danger in 1930s Paris.

A Charlie James Mystery

At a glitzy gala in the ballroom of the Ritz Hotel, young American tourist Maisy Bell meets an intriguing man. She accepts his charming offer to take her on a day trip.

When Maisy Bell fails to return that evening, her chaperone and aunt, Clementine Bell, contacts the Metropolitan Police to file a missing person report. The Paris police laugh the request away, saying plenty of tourists 'disappear', having lost themselves in foolish flings. After all, summer in Paris is the perfect time pour un beau couple d'amoureux.

Then Clementine Bell receives a ransom note ...

Enter investigative reporter Charlotte 'Charlie' James. As she follows Maisy Bell's designer footsteps around Paris, Charlie is plunged headlong into the heady world of diamonds, haute couture, opera, bohemian wine bars and glamorous soirees in grand country châteaux, before being pulled into the sordid underworld.

Despite obstacles thrown at her by her editor, male colleagues, Maisy's family and a dashing police detective, Charlie James is determined to find Maisy Bell.

260 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 28, 2026

About the author

Kirsty Manning grew up in northern New South Wales. She has degrees in literature and communications and worked as an editor and publishing manager in book publishing for over a decade. A country girl with wanderlust, her travels and studies have taken her through most of Europe, the east and west coasts of the United States and pockets of Asia. Kirsty’s journalism specialising in lifestyle and travel regularly appear in magazines, newspapers and online.
With husband Alex Wilcox, Kirsty is a partner in the award-winning Melbourne wine bar Bellota, and the Prince Wine Store in Sydney and Melbourne.

Reviews

[Anabela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paris, 1930s. Think luxury hotels, haute couture, glittering soirées… and a missing American oil heiress.

The story swept me straight into a world of glamour and intrigue, where beneath the champagne and chandeliers lies a gripping mystery. At the heart of it all is Charlie (Charlotte) — a sharp, determined investigative journalist carving out her place in a male-dominated world. She’s clever, independent, and exactly the kind of heroine you want leading the story.

I loved the rich cast of secondary characters and the vivid atmosphere of Parisian life — from chic bistros to sprawling châteaux. This is the second book in the Charlie James series, but it works perfectly as a standalone (trust me, I haven’t read the first… yet).

If you love a cozy crime with style, substance, and a touch of old-world glamour, this one’s for you.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in 1930s Paris, Australian journalist Charlotte “Charlie” James again finds herself in the thick of things when a young American tourist, Maisy Bell, goes missing. With the French police not interested in looking for her, Charlie steps in to try and find the woman and hopefully write a great story too. However the more she digs, the further she is pulled into a dangerous world of crime. With obstacles in the form of her editor, male colleagues, Maisy’s family and a handsome police detective, will Charlie ever find the answers she’s searching for?

I adored being back in this glamorous setting full of fabulous parties, haute couture and grand country estates. Charlie was a force to be reckoned with, never backing down from a story and certainly never giving up on finding the missing woman. I enjoyed following the clues and also loved the addition of the handsome romantic interest.

Violet, Charlie’s best friend, colleague and fashion advisor was again a fantastic part of this story and I loved seeing her accompanying Charlie in her investigations.

1930s Paris and the world of newspapers was certainly very male dominated but seeing Charlie uncover stories and stand up for herself was so inspiring and made for a compelling and engaging read.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5★s

Charlotte (Charlie) James was an investigative reporter for The Times in Paris when she heard of an American tourist - Maisy Bell - who had gone missing. It'd been reported that she'd joined a companion for a day of sightseeing and entertainment, but she didn't return to her accommodation that evening. The police weren't interested when her Aunt Clementine informed them. Until the ransom note was received.

Charlie journeyed to a destination outside Paris when she heard of a murder. Her editor, George, had sent her to follow up for the paper, and when Charlie met a suave Detective at the scene, who was friendly and attentive, they agreed to share certain things. Of course plenty was kept from Charlie, but her own investigative juices had been stirred. Suddenly there was a second murder, then a third. Charlie and her best friend Violet followed the clues. But would they find the culprit/s? And was there any link to the disappearance of Maisie Bell?

Murder in Paris is the 2nd in the Charlotte 'Charlie' James series by Aussie author Kirsty Manning and I enjoyed it very much. Charlie is a great character; a strong, independent and determined young woman, originally from Sydney, Australia, and certainly shows everyone her smarts. I've read most of this author's work, and highly recommend this one, and them all.

With thanks to NetGalley & Allen & Unwin AU for my digital ARC to read and review.

[Anita D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Advanced reader copy review of Murder in Paris by Kirsty Manning.
🌟🌟🌟 I liked this!
I haven’t read the first Charlie James book, The Paris Mystery, before coming into this story. However, I don’t believe that made the book any worse.

Charlie James is a smart and brave investigative reporter for The Times in Paris. Her friend, Violet, is clever, fashionable, and ultra-organised.

Charlie has some friends within the Metropolitan Police from the last book. Both they and Charlie’s editor, George, want to keep Charlie safe from harm.

Charlie is told about a missing woman, Maisy Bell. The trail runs cold, and Charlie is forced to explore different cases instead.

It felt like the solution to the mystery was wrapped up very quickly. Charlie’s determination encouraged the police to continue investigating, even though the evidence was sometimes lacking.

Violet also played a major part in helping Charlie achieve her goal of finding out what happened to Maisy Bell.

I enjoyed Mannings’ writing style and didn’t notice any major typos or syntax errors in the book.

If you like Kerry Greenwood’s Phryne Fisher series (or the television series), you may like this!

Thank you to Kirsty Manning, Allen & Unwin, and NetGalley for the ARC. I was not incentivised to read or review.

[Sharon J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder in Paris by Kirsty Manning is a delightful story set in Paris in the 1930’s; well delightful except for a few murders which keep our Australian journalist, Charlie (Charlotte) James, busy in a world dominated by men. Fighting workplace sexism Charlie comes to the fore to show how it is done!

While past relationships make Charlie circumspect, romance does manage to creep in to make the story interestingly complicated. There are many delightful characters such as Violet making it was an easy and enjoy read.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from Allen & Unwin via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#MurderinParis #NetGalley

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Despite not reading the first book, this book was perfectly fine as a stand alone, but count me in as a new Charlie James fan. This book is well-paced and Charlie was a compelling heroine fighting 1930s workplace sexism to be taken seriously as a journalist who can cover politics and crime as well as society pages. I loved the dash of romance (is that a love triangle there?!). Supporting characters were also delightful, especially her best friend Violet.

I'm looking forward to reading the next and will also go back and read the first book. Recommended for those who like Tara Moss's Billie Walker series or Fiona Veitch Smith's Poppy Denby Investigates series.

[Barbara Rohde · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charlie James is an investigative reporter in this historical mystery series. She’s Australian but has fled to Paris after a failed relationship and must prove her worth as a reporter in Paris. At a party held by Lady Ashworth, she meets Texan Maisey Bell briefly but is soon involved in an investigation into Maisey’s subsequent disappearance.

This was an enjoyable read that would make good holiday reading as it’s not taxing or very suspenseful but is certainly mysterious enough to keep you turning the pages. Personally I could have done without Charlie’s romantic escapades but I don’t claim to represent the majority in this regard.

[Angelynn23 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second instalment of Charlotte’Charlie ‘ James a great mystery crime story. I did enjoy the fast paced story and loved the characters. With so much thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher Allen & Unwin for the ARC.