The Paris Library Murders: A 1930s Mystery

by Benedict Brown

Books! Bodies! And… baguettes!The son of a powerful politician is found strangled in a grand Parisian library. The police call it a mugging gone wrong, but master sleuth Lord Edgington is not convinced. When a second body turns up in another library – this time with a note promising more violence – a chilling pattern is revealed.

The victims belong to a group of radicals who frequent the café terraces of the City of Light. The menacing note speaks of revolution, but is it all just a smokescreen for the killer's true motive?

With his grandson Christopher at his side, a snooty French rival at their heels, and a murderer terrorising the city, Lord Edgington has three days to crack the case. The body count rises, the clock ticks towards a grand finale at the Paris Opera, but who will be standing centre stage when the killer is finally revealed?

“The Paris Library Murders” is a fast-paced 1930s whodunit full of real-life locations, intrigue, and a dash of mischief. Whether it’s your first or your fifteenth, the latest entry in the bestselling Lord Edgington saga may turn out to be your favourite.

331 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 9, 2026

About the author

Writing has always been my passion. It was my favourite hour a week at primary school, and I started on my first, truly abysmal book as a teenager. So it wasn’t a difficult decision to study literature at university which led to an MA in Creative Writing. I spent a long time writing kids’ books, including funny fairy tales, dystopic adventures and serious issue-based YA, before switching to murder mysteries last year.

I grew up in a crime fiction family and spent a long time dreaming up the idea for my detective Izzy Palmer’s debut novel. A Corpse Called Bob is my first full-length book for adults in what is already becoming a long series.

I’m a Welsh-Irish-Englishman originally from South London but now living with my French/Spanish wife and slightly muddled daughter in Burgos, a beautiful city in the north of Spain. I write overlooking the Castilian countryside, trying not to be distracted by the vultures and red kites that fly past my window each day.

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lord Edgington and Christopher with their entourage have arrived in Paris. Home to rival ex-detective Xavier Duroc. But soon there is a death. One of Christopher's new friends.
An entertaining historical mystery

[John Presler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lord Edgington and Christopher are visiting Paris as part of their European Tour. While there, Lord Edgington greets his friend, Inspector Fleurot of the Prefecture de Paris. Meanwhile, Christopher meets a young man named Didier and goes to The Cafe de Flore hoping to find information about where to find a girl named Kassara, whom he had met on the train. At the cafe, Christopher meets several men who seem very friendly and welcome him with open arms. One of the members of the group, Thierry, had promised to take Christopher around the Latin Quarter where Kasssara lived. They had agreed to meet, but Thierry never showed up. Rather than showing up to help, Christopher learns that Thierry has been murdered! When they arrived at the library, they found that Thierry had initially been presumed to be asleep, before realizing he was dead. Remi Fleurot and Lord Edgington were joined at the library by another private investigator, Xavier Duroc who had previously worked cases with Lord Edgington and Remi at least 20 years earlier. Duroc sees the investigation as a challenge between himself and Lord Edgington. Duroc is determined to solve this mystery before anybody else. The case gets complicated when a second body is found in another library and that person was also in the group Christopher met at the Cafe de Flore!

Who is responsible for the murders? Will others die before the case is solved? Will Duroc solve the case before Lord Edgington and Christopher?

Benedict Brown has another complex Lord Edgington Mystery. The twists and turns along the way will definitely keep the reader engaged all the way to the end.

[June Lynch · Rating 3 out of 5]

BEST TWIST EVER!!

If you haven't been following this series, Lord Edgington Investigates Abroad, you are missing out. One of the best cozy mystery writers in my opinion is Benedict Brown. If you like Christie , you will love Brown. He can weave a tale through twists and turns and leave you scratching your head wondering, Who done it, then floor you with a jaw dropping reveal at the end of a wild ride. I have read every book in both of the Lord Edgington series and have yet to solve a single case. At the end of the story when he lowers the boom, it always makes perfect sense. "I didn't see that coming!" I read a lot of mystery novels most of which do not stack up against the brilliant writing of BB. I believe it is do to the amount of research and attention to detail he puts into every book that makes them a cut above the average mystery novel. You can tell he puts a lot of himself into them. They are very real and believable with lovable characters and just enough humor to make them feel like family. So cozy up with your favorite drink and your furry friend and settle in for a long night of glorious fun.

[Teddi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read all of the Lord Edgington books so far and we really get to see how far Chrissy has come. I have gotten a bit tired of his mooning over a girl though and the whole budding romance angle. I think I liked his character better as a young awkward teen! This was really Chrissys story and Lord Edgington was more of a secondary character.
The author himself said this is his longest book yet and I felt it...lol. There were a lot of descriptions I found myself skipping them over quite a bit to get on with the story.
And for the first time, I had the killer pegged by about the halfway point!
Also for the first time, I didn't read all of the information sections at the end. They were much too long at 15% of the total book!

[Sherry Charis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loads of surprises! This latest murder mystery reveals more of the through-story of the Lord Edgington series, including Christopher's love life and his maturation as a sleuth. He's becoming more of a partner to his famous grandfather than just the bumbling teenager he was in the beginning. But there's still plenty of humor, often at Chrissy's expense, along with Benedict Brown's meticulous attention to details (the location--Paris--and its landmarks, food, clothing, etc.). And, of course, red herrings galore, plot twists you probably won't see coming (okay, okay, sometimes because they stretch credulity and willing suspension of disbelief) and all the things we love about these characters and the situations in which they find themselves. A good, fun read!

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite Lord Edgington books. in this adventure, Chrissy, and Lord Edgington are in Paris. Chrissy is a little distracted, looking for the mysterious Kassara.
As he travels through the city, he meets a group of young adults who attend a local university.
When one of his new friends is murdered, Chrissy and Lord Edgington pair up with M. Duroc to solve the crimes. This becomes more than just another murder to solve, as the men are also rivals. Will Duroc out smart the famous Lord Edgington?
Will Chrissy find Kassara?
The book has many twists and turns. It is filled with laughter and sadness and love. I think you will enjoy the book.

[Joan Husmann · Rating 2 out of 5]

sorry

I have enjoyed both this series and the Marius Quinn series. (Sadly, Izzy Palmer left me cold. I didn’t finish the first one.)
While I did finish this novel, it was a struggle. Too much florid description of Paris sites, too little witty repartee. Characters were introduced briefly, only to reappear many chapters later, often for no apparent reason, leaving me scratching my head, asking, “Just who is that?”
Sadly, Lord Edgington’s staff were just along for the ride. None of them played any real part, especially Todd, who is usually a much more central character.
I hope the next book has a more ruthless editor.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerfully written ‼️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This most recent adventure is a masterpiece in camouflage! Multiple murders, multiple suspects ~ obvious and inconspicuous~ brilliantly crafted piece of fiction. There's a bit of humour when Christopher goes into his 'future' scenarios and there's a bit of romance on tap though the reader will have to wait on those developments.
The descriptions of various locations and historic spots is always interesting and well placed in the narrative. Information provided at the end by the author enhances the storyline. Well done yet again‼️

[Kim Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh yes!

Another really great adventure for Christopher and his beloved grandfather Lord Edgington. Benedict Brown does a great job bringing Paris of 1929 to life for the reader. I just wonder though, is it odd that when I read these books I now hear George Blagdon's voice, especially when reading Christopher's dialogue? Whether it is or not, I hope this series goes on for a long time yet. They are really enjoyable.

[Anja Peerdeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this brilliant next adventure of Lord Edgington and his grandson Christopher we are on our way to France !

I have great affinity with France, and great affinity with books. So a murder in a library in Paris is very fascinating to me.
The story is entertaining, at times very funny, constantly puzzling, and always interesting!
Trés bien, j’aime bien ça !

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

I love how Christopher is coming into his own! Will he one day join Scotland Yard? Open a detective agency? Join Marius in an adventure, without his grandfather? As usual, an unexpected twist! Highly recommended!

[Mary Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Paris Library Murders by Benedict Brown is so full of plot twists and turns the conclusion was a total surprise! Entertaining and un-put-down-able to the very end! Lord Edgington and Chrissy are once again at the top of their game!

[Michael Nims · Rating 5 out of 5]

fabulous, well written

I say this after each of his books but this IS the best one yet. The only problem is how hard it is to wait for the next one !!!

[Jini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like it more for the feel of Paris than the mystery. I had a nagging suspicion of what was going on but I had hoped it wouldn't be true. Alas it was!

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read everything by Benedict Brown. That said, 'The Paris Library Murders' has Brown outdoing himself! I hope that I am around for the sequel!

[Lizabeth Tarr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

This was a great book, with romance and mystery, twists and turns and a totally unexpected result of who the bad guy was!

[Shirley · Rating 1 out of 5]

The least favourite book ever

This was really disapointing to me. It felt disorganised, too many characters and not enough story. a Waste of time.