Murder in Paris

Charlotte 'Charlie' James #2

by Kirsty Manning

Charlie James is back in this glamorous historical mystery of murder, fashion, food, secrets, and danger in 1930s Paris.

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.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Historical Mystery, Historical, Cozy Mystery, Mystery Thriller

320 pages, Paperback

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

[ColleenSC (colleenallbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Vintage Books @ireadvintage for a free copy of Maisy Bell is Missing by Kirsty Manning.

I loved being swept away to France in this descriptive and vivid novel. The details about the locations, the fashions, the food, the wine, are all so delightful. Charlie is a fantastic character, a female reporter determined to make her mark in 1930s Paris. I loved that the story balances an idealized view of Paris with a realistic view of coming world problems and gender disparities. The pages turn very very quickly in this book; it was a thoroughly enjoyable read.

[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.

[Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

After reading a review thought I would read this.....a simple read only saved by its location.
I will not be reading #1 !

[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.

[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.

[De Rosewarne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Long winded.

[celestialpixels_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

🥂 Champagne, Secrets & a Missing Maisy 🔎.

As someone named Maisy, I was obviously going to be curious about a book called "Maisy Bell Is Missing." I don't see my name in books very often, let alone right there in the title, and apparently that's all it takes to get my attention!

Luckily, "Maisy Bell Is Missing" ended up being much more than a title I couldn't resist.

Finding out it was a historical mystery set in 1930s Paris just sweetened the deal. A missing starlet, a female investigative journalist, glamorous parties, murder, and a feminist edge? It was basically checking all of the boxes off of my list at that point.

What I really enjoyed about this story was the way its mystery grows out of something frustratingly simple: people aren't taking Maisy's disappearance seriously.

When Maisy Bell vanishes, it's far easier for the people around her to come up with convenient explanations than to consider that something might actually be wrong. She's a young woman in Paris. Maybe she met a man. Maybe she ran away. Maybe there isn't really a mystery here at all.

Charlie James isn't quite so willing to accept that.

As an investigative journalist trying to make her own way in a profession dominated by men, Charlie understands what it means to have your instincts questioned and your ambitions underestimated. Her determination to find out what happened to Maisy gives the mystery a feminist perspective that I really appreciated. This isn't only about finding a missing woman. It's also about refusing to let that woman be dismissed, spoken for, or reduced to whatever explanation is most convenient for everyone else.

And I think that's what made Charlie such a great character to follow. She's curious and determined, but she's also navigating the expectations placed on women in her own life. While she's searching for Maisy, she's constantly pushing against assumptions about where women belong, what they're capable of, and when they should stop asking questions.

Of course, all of this is wrapped up in the kind of historical mystery atmosphere I absolutely eat up.

1930s Paris feels glamorous and exciting, filled with fashion, champagne, parties, beautiful hotels, and people who always seem to know a little more than they're willing to say. But underneath all that sparkle is something much darker. The deeper Charlie digs, the more that glamorous world begins to reveal its secrets, and I loved that contrast between the beauty of the setting and the danger hiding beneath it.

I also appreciated that the book still allowed itself to be fun. There's plenty happening beneath the surface, but it never loses that sense of adventure that made me want to keep following Charlie from one clue to the next. It has that wonderfully old-fashioned mystery quality where everyone is suspicious, appearances can't quite be trusted, and you know our heroine is going to keep poking around whether anyone wants her to or not.

More than anything, "Maisy Bell Is Missing" reminded me why I have such a soft spot for historical mysteries. They can give us all the glamour, intrigue, and escapism of another era while still asking us to look at whose stories were believed, whose ambitions were taken seriously, and whose voices were easiest to ignore.

So yes, seeing another Maisy on the cover may have been what first caught my attention. But throw her into 1930s Paris, add a determined female journalist, murder, glamour, and you've pretty much guaranteed that this Maisy is going to have a good time.

Thank you to author Kirsty Manning, Vintage, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of "Maisy Bell Is Missing" in exchange for an honest review. 

[Carole Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

An escapist mystery set in pre-WWII Paris

Maisy Bell is a young, beautiful American from a wealthy family who has recently graduated from college and is spending a month in Paris under the watchful eye of her aunt Clementine. She meets a handsome man at an elegant affair one night who invites her to spend a day with him visiting a villa outside the city and, being an adventurous sort who is perhaps not as sheltered as her family might think she is, she accepts. She assures her aunt that she will be perfectly safe without her as chaperone for the day, and Clementine agrees. Maisy sets off as planned but a week passes and she hasn't returned. Her aunt is frantic, but the police see it differently....a wealthy young girl having a romantic escapade. Maisy's family is acquainted with the influential Lady Ashworth, who upon hearing the story brings it to the attention of her friend, journalist Charlie James. Charlie meets with Clementine and soon finds herself agreeing with the worried woman....this seems to her like something far darker than an amorous interlude. Has something terrible happened to Maisy? Is it because of her family's money, perhaps, or her captivating looks? Charlie starts digging into the story, but soon with little to show for her efforts her supervisor at the newspaper tells her to drop the investigation and look into two other cases involving dead bodies...but Charlie can't just abandon the missing young woman and her agonized family. She won't rest until she finds out just what has happened to Maisy.
Maisy Bell Is Missing is the second book in author Kirsty Manning's series featuring Charlie James, a talented investigative journalist who left behind her native Australia to pursue her dream of a career in journalism as well as to help heal herself after the break-up of her marriage. As a woman she must fight each day to cover stories more substantial than just the usual women's fare like fashion (although she does write about it when necessary). She is smart and a shrewd observer of people, and through her friend Violet is having fun navigating the world of French fashion and the glitzy parties where the wealthy sport their sartorial choices. This is not as emotionally or intellectually deep as, for example, Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs series, but it is a fun mystery full of glamour and atmosphere. Fans of the first book in the series as well as readers of Cara Black, Rhys Bowen and Kerry Greenwood will likely find this of great appeal. It was a fun read, a 3.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 4. My thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor Books for allowing me access to the novel in exchange for my honest review.

[boogleloo · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 stars: This is Manning's second entry in the Charlie James Mystery series, which is a Historical Mystery set in Paris 1938. Featuring an Australian investigative reporter living and working in Paris as she finds herself turning sleuth in search of a missing young American oil heiress who's disappeared without a trace. After the Paris police laugh off the American's aunt's missing persons report, stating that plenty of tourists ‘disappear,’ losing themselves in foolish flings. But soon her aunt starts to receive telegrams and ransom notes. Feeling a kinship with the missing American, she follows the young woman's designer footsteps around Paris and soon finds herself plunged headlong into the heady world of diamonds, haute couture, opera, bohemian wine bars and soirees in grand country chateaux, before being pulled headlong into the sordid underworld. Despite the obstacles thrown at her by her editor, male colleagues, the missing woman's family and a dashing police detective, she's determined to find the woman before it's too late.

With plenty of twists and turns, Manning has masterfully crafted a mystery that deftly balances the suspects and weaves in plenty of clues and red herrings that will leave you pondering the whodunit until the final reveal. Manning's writing and character work are stellar; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining likable with a secondary cast that are well crafted and uniquely voiced. The historical research Manning's done is evident and well done without overshadowing the overall mystery plot and providing a sense of time and place perfectly.

While you could read this as a stand-alone, you'll gain so much more by reading the series from the beginning; so be sure to pick up book one, The Paris Mystery.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Vintage in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

[A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Maisy Bell Is Missing is a historical fiction mystery based on a true story of a young American tourist missing in Paris. The Parisian police don't see any foul play in the disappearance of a young woman on vacation; but her family, and intrepid reporter Charlie James, disagree.

I much prefer this title and cover to the previous edition; I'm not ashamed to say I picked this book because of them! This was a quick, light, pleasant read; it had tons of fun descriptions of clothes, food, locations, art, etc. that fully deliver on the atmosphere of 1930s Paris. Unfortunately, the mystery side is...lacking. The real-life case this is based on played out pretty much identically, save for the name changes, so there's no room for Charlie, ostensibly the main character, to actually affect the story or solve anything herself. Her boss is honestly the MVP here, for happening to assign her to places that allow the story to progress. The culprit himself pretty much gives them the answers. On the other hand though, this story has some "modern" inclinations of the characters that some would consider to be shoehorned in by the author (like some proto-feminism or anti-Nazi sentiment), and even while I agreed with all these takes, I thought they seemed unrealistic to the time period. But those are also accurate to the historical case! I gotta reexamine my personal biases.

[Moriah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the publisher - all opinions are my own. Maisy Bell is Missing is the second book to feature Charlie James, but readers can easily jump into the series as I did without feeling too lost. Charlie is a reporter for The Times in Paris and finds herself investigating the disappearance of American oil heiress, Maisy Bell, who went missing after traveling outside of Paris with a man she met at an event at the Ritz. The Paris police refuse to look into the case insisting that Maisy decided to leave on her own and would likely turn up at some point even though it had been over a week since she was last seen. While leads into what happened are slim and the case eventually becomes old news, Charlie can't let it go; she feels an intense need to find out what happened to Maisy and provide closure to her family even if it is increasingly unlikely she is alive. As she covers other murders, it begins to seem that there is a connection between the cases that may even tie back to what happened to Maisy.

Charlie is such a likable lead character; she's tenacious and serves to illustrate how women were viewed back then if they didn't conform to a narrow view of acceptable behavior. Many of the opinions expressed about Maisy still happen today with the idea that because she went off with the mystery man on her own that she is somehow responsible for what happened or not deserving of an investigation into her disappearance. The secondary characters are interesting in their own right, especially her best friend Violet who is a force of nature prodding Charlie into living after her ugly divorce and encouraging her interest in Detective Allard. I found the mystery engrossing and didn't want to put it down - I couldn't wait to see if Charlie was able to find out what happened to Maisy. The description of pre-WWII Paris really make the reader feel like they are there. I'm hoping to see many more titles in this series.

[Dorothy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is not a murder mystery. In Chapter 1, when socialite Maisy Bell disappears on a trip to the country, the obvious suspect is the handsome stranger who invited her. When various bodies are found in subsequent chapters, he's still the obvious suspect. If you're waiting for a twist, there isn't one. The only mystery is who and where the handsome stranger is. Our heroine, Charlie, reports on the disappearance and the murders, wears gorgeous dresses and chats up sexy inspectors, but doesn't turn up any worthwhile clues until near the end.

I picked this up forgetting how much I'd disliked the first Charlie James 'mystery'. Apart from the lame mystery, I disliked this one for the same reasons: the attitudes and actions of the characters felt too 21st-century for 1938.

There were some big clangers, which then made me doubtful about all the descriptions of place and fashion. For instance, I lost count of the number of times Charlie wore "kitten heels", which weren't invented until the 1950s. There's a suggestion she has to wear them because she can't balance in high heels, but if the author means "low heels", then they would've been Cuban (square) not kitten (spindly). In any case, it's absurd to suggest a woman who'd grown up in the 1930s wouldn't be comfortable in heels. All women's shoes had heels in those days, from 1 inch to 2.5 inches tall, even 'sensible' shoes.

There's a reference to a character "looking like Scarlett O'Hara". Gone With the Wind was released in 1939 and would've taken time to get to Europe.

[Kim Pet · Rating 4 out of 5]

“We grow up with all these fairy tales with princes…But you know sometimes, they turn out to be a frog in real life.” Amen, sister! Pre-war Paris is a dream, but turns into a nightmare for Maisy Bell when she goes missing, and for the detectives who are trying to find her. The thing is, a missing woman in 1930's Paris isn't taken seriously. Shocker, I know!. Women are "flighty," and prone to "having flings," at least according to the policemen of the time. It’s this casual dismissal that gives the kidnapper a serious head start, which is both infuriating and realistic.
In comes investigative reporter Charlie James who doesn’t give up on finding Maisey. She’s not just chasing a story, and she runs into her own misogynistic walls in the process. With a fierce determination to uncover all the clues, James and her inspector friends run into all manner of experiences and obstacles before eventually solving this one.
Manning delivers all the glitz and glamour you'd expect of a Paris-set James mystery, but she also doesn't shy away from the less swanky side of life and the harsh realities of the time. This one has a bit of a bite to go along with the glamour, and strong women who simply won't be dismissed.
*I was invited to read by the publisher, Vintage Books, through NetGalley, for an honest review

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own. I read the first Charlie James mystery and was glad to get a sneak peek at this one, too. I find the main character refreshing, likable, and a nice strong female character. The mystery aspect of this one didn’t disappoint, and I felt like the story lent an air of mystery while still showing Charlie coming into her own as an independent woman and reporter. I do have trouble picturing the time period these take place in as details aren’t in there as much as I’d like to see to set the stage, but it doesn’t ruin the reading experience. Also, although I do enjoy a good love story, I feel like any sexual content in here seems forced and out of place. I have no issues knowing a Charlie has a love life because, go her, but the book itself doesn’t feel like that much description is needed of any romantic encounters she has. It just felt out of place and unneeded. Overall, a fun series mystery lovers would enjoy. FYI sexual content, some violence and peril, mild profanity

[Reda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This Charlie James mystery did not do it for me. I love a good Parisian period mystery, but this one was light on the glamour and light on the heart. It is the second Charlie James book in a series, and though it's billed as a stand-alone, the previously story is so frequently referenced that if you haven't read it, it will begin to feel like a group of people constantly telling an inside joke they know you won't get.

There's a love triangle of sorts that never really goes anywhere, meanwhile there's another love story happening that's kind of treated like a throw-away.

Meanwhile, there's more on the page about Charlie James being underestimated than there is about the actual mystery. And then there's the actual mystery, which I found to be deeply unsatisfying in the end. I finished this book wondering what was the point?

Many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for an ARC in exchange for my honest assessment of this work.

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Young American Maisy Bell has gone missing in Paris. Charlie James is an investigative reporter for a local paper and is trying to find out what happened to her. The local police seem to think she ran off with a mystery guy. Charlie isn't so sure.

While digging into Maisy's disappearance, three other people turn up dead. are they related? A new detective isn't quite convinced.

This is the second book in the series and while it does stand alone, there were a lot of references to the first book that I felt like I was missing something.

I'm giving this book 3.5/5 stars

[Bev Stegmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written mystery of the disappearance of a young woman on holiday in Paris from America. Enter a persistent journalist, Charlie James, bent on getting to the bottom of the disappearance. Diligently she peruses lead after lead coxing the police department to see this is not just a young woman on a romantic interlude. Very good historical fiction. I was given an advanced reader copy of this well written book by NetGalley and I am freely sharing my review. #netgalley @netgalley #Kristymanning @authorkristymanning #knopfpantheonvintageandanchor @knopfpantheonvintageandanchor

[LESLIE J (mrsj_readsbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Vintage and NetGalley for my complimentary eArc of Maisy Bell is Missing. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this second installment of the Charlie James Mysteries. It may be read as a standalone.

Charlie and her friends are once again in the middle of a mystery. This time a missing heiress and a killer are keeping them on their toes in this pre WWII Paris mystery. I love the sights and sounds of the upper crust enjoying life before the war. It is sad indeed when Maisy Bell goes missing in the prime of her young life.

Charlie is adamant that something sinister has happened to Maisy but the police write it off as “a young woman in love with Paris and she’s decided to run away with her new beau”. I admire her tenacity and investigative nature to solve this mystery.

[Blessing Okwuofu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maisy Bell, a young American heiress is missing in Paris. The police have given up the case, but investigative reporter, Charlie James' dogged pursuit of the case amidst other seemingly unrelated cases brings a resolution. This book started slow but picked up in the middle, especially with the romantic element. Nice read
I got the ARC from Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Vintage via Netgalley. This is my honest review

[Amber K · Rating 3 out of 5]

A missing person investigation turns to murder mystery in this 2nd installment of the Charlie James mysteries!
Tho I enjoyed this story, the twists, and the terrific characters, it was a bit slow for me, and I struggled a bit to finish.
I would absolutely read another from this series, I really liked the characters and the setting, I just feel like this particular story didn't hit for me.

[The Page Ladies Book Club · Rating 5 out of 5]

This sequel ramps up the stakes and the suspense! When a vibrant young American tourist vanishes after meeting a mysterious stranger at the Ritz Hotel ballroom, the police dismiss it, but Charlie senses something far darker. Following Maisy’s designer footsteps through diamond dealers, grand country chateaux, and Paris's sinister underworld made for an addictive, delightfully tense ride.

[Lizenbyl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charlie James is a reporter in France, when Maisy Bell an American tourist goes missing. The French police do not take Maisy’s missing seriously. Soon there are multiple murders which may or may not be connected to the missing Maisy.

[Kate Wells · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was OK, not outstanding. I finished it which is always worth a point. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In pre-WWII Paris, young socialite Maisy Bell has arrived with her aunt Clementine for the summer. Fresh out of college, Maisy has hopes of being on the stage as a dancer and singer. When she goes off with a handsome man she met at a party and doesn’t return, her aunt fears the worst.

Enter Charlotte “Charlie” James, a newspaper reporter trying desperately to be accepted by her male counterparts and to be able to write articles with depth, rather than the “fluff” articles she’s been assigned. When several men turn up murdered, she convinces her boss to let her investigate and report back what she finds. Her gut tells her they are tied to Maisy’s disappearance. Can Charlie solve the murders and find out what has happened to Maisy, without putting herself in danger?

This is the second in the series, but it certainly can be read as a stand-alone. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed both books in this series. Out now, so add to your TBR if you like mysteries with a dash of the elegant fashion of Paris thrown in! Thanks to NetGalley, and Vintage Publishing for an ARC of this book; all opinions are my own.

[Mercedes · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book series is built on the strength of a great recurring protagonist, and there’s a lot to love about Charlotte “Charlie” James. This is the second instalment in the series, a follow up to The Paris Mystery.

It’s Paris in 1938, that last sigh of summer before the war, and we meet back up with Charlie, a Sydney journalist recently arrived to work as the Paris correspondent at The Times. But it’s not just a new city that challenges her, she is also up against the boys club that rules the newsrooms.

When she hears about the disappearance of young American socialite, Maisy Bell, Charlie convinces her editor it’s a story worth chasing. On the surface it’s grand country chateaux, the ballroom of the Hotel Ritz, the opera and the glamorous soirees of Paris, but Charlie is soon plunged into the city’s seedy underworld.

If you like a little high glamour with your murder, you’ll love this series. And at less than 300 pages, it’s an easy weekend binge.

[Amy Escobar · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thoroughly enjoyable. I loved the twists and turns. The denouement felt just right. Would definitely read more by this author.

[Malvina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've enjoyed reading the two Charlie James mysteries back to back. This one further deepens Charlie's relationships at work and also with a certain handsome detective. To me the ending seemed a little rushed, with things falling into place maybe a little too easily (if you can call 300 pages of detective work 'falling into place too easily') - but also without much motive except for being evil. Anyway.

P.S. This book has the green dress on the cover that should have been on the cover of the first mystery. However, a different, blue dress was required this time. Publishers, please get it right next time.

[Jan Mawdesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tall stranger stood surveying the ballroom at the Hotel Ritz, Paris. His white tuxedo jacket was ill fitting, his air of intrigue captivating for young American heiress Maisy Bell; this was not the first time a man of his years had caught her attention. As the Krug flowed, the talk escalated and couture fashion was worn with elegance, Maisy introduced herself to this intriguing man.
An air of mystery and mystique introduces Murder in Paris from Kirsty Manning as Charlie James, still enjoying life in Paris, still trying her hardest to be accepted as an Investigative Journalist is asked to discretely look into the disappearance of Maisy Bell, who according to her Aunt Clementine went for an outing a week ago and failed to return.
Charlie taps into her contact in the Paris Gendarmerie, the delightfully shy Inspecteur Bernard, who while sympathetic seems to think Maisy will eventually return, but Charlie is none too sure. She talks her boss George into allowing her to follow through with the story of the missing American.
When a murder is committed in Tours, Charlie is sent to cover the story but also decides while she is there to see if she can discretely find out more about Maisy Bell’s destination, a Villa in Saint-Cloud,
Nothing goes according to plan as she is refused admission to the murder site, hides behind a tree, meets a man whom she believes is the gardener, but is Detective Gilles Allard, of the Tours Police Department and officer in charge of the case.
As the details of the murder become apparent, Charlie finds she and the handsome Gillies Allard spend time together sharing information, trying to place all the pieces in the ever-increasing puzzle that seems to be connected to the disappearance of Maisy Bell.
Captivatingly woven between the high society of Paris during 1938, Haute Coutre and murder, Charlie James realises that moving to Paris with a bruised heart, determined to become a reporter with her own by-line, has also shown her that sometimes a second chance at love can be offered, in the most unusual circumstance.
Murder In Paris is book two in A Charlie James Mystery series.

[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.

[Rina · Rating 4 out of 5]

In her second adventure, investigative reporter Charlotte ‘Charlie’ James is called to action when young American tourist Maisy Bell vanishes after a glitzy gala at the Hotel Ritz. While the Paris police dismiss the disappearance as a summer fling, a ransom note reveals a far more sinister truth. Charlie’s search for Maisy takes her from the world of haute couture and extravagant châteaux to the city's sordid underworld. Glamorous and fearless, Charlie must navigate 1930s Paris to solve the mystery before time runs out.

It had been a while since I read the first book in this series, so I was glad there was a mini-recap at the start to remind us of Charlie’s previous adventure. I immediately remembered Violet (everyone’s dream best friend!) and Lady Ashworth, as they are such distinctive characters.

For a cosy mystery, this one had much higher stakes than a typical story in the genre - and I loved it for that reason. The first third of the book was nicely chilled and slow, but once Charlie started unravelling the mystery and how certain characters were connected, the pace snowballed into real suspense.

This had the perfect level of complexity and unexpected twists for me. I thoroughly enjoyed Charlie’s high-adrenaline journey, and I loved that she started opening herself up to a potential romantic interest. The ending definitely sets us up for some exciting future adventures!

(Thanks to DMCPR Media and Allen & Unwin for a gifted review copy)

See my bookstagram review.