Kirsty Manning – The Paris Mystery (Literature Review)

Australian author Kirsty Manning gets better and better with her latest novel, The Paris Mystery, the first featuring journalist turned sleuth Charlie James.

Kirsty Manning has fast become a master of the historical fiction genre, praised by readers like myself, critics and fellow authors alike for her captivating storytelling and charismatic characters. From The Midsummer Garden to The French Gift, it seems she could do no wrong.

And the same is true of her latest release, The Paris Mystery. This is the beginning of the adventures of Charlie James, an Australian reporter who takes up a position as foreign correspondent in Paris just before the outbreak of World War II.

Paris offers Charlie the chance to start over and escape a marriage she’d rather forget. But, having proved herself worthy of the front page in Australia will do her no favours in the City of Lights. Here, her seemingly misogynistic boss is dubious of her skills and she must work hard if she’s to ever get beyond the fashion and society columns of her new job.

But when she attends the illustrious ball of Lord and Lady Ashworth, the last thing she expects is to become embroiled in the murder of a billionaire. Now she must stay ahead of the story and find the murderer before it’s too late. Not only does her job depend on it, but her life just might as well.

I was first introduced to Kirsty Manning’s work with her second novel, The Jade Lily, and have loved every one of her books since (as well as her debut The Midsummer Garden). I love the effortless way she sews history into her expertly written stories, the engaging plotlines and enigmatic characters who simply leap of the page. Whenever I hear she has a new release on the books, I can’t wait to read it, and The Paris Mystery is no exception.

Charlie James is a revelation, an enigmatic, flamboyant character more than worthy of her comparisons to Agatha Christie’s cast and Kerry Greenwood’s Phrynne Fisher.

Her upbeat, bubbly personality and the friends she makes as she follows the murder through to its conclusion bring this book to life, making you feel as if you were right there, helping her solve the mystery on the streets of Paris in the 1930s. Charlie James is enigmatic to a T, and because of her and her engaging story, I could simply not get enough.

I for one certainly hope this is not the lasts we’ve seen of Charlie James, because I will read everything she’s featured in, just as I will read everything Kirsty Manning writes. The Paris Mystery was a revelation that combines history and crime so seamlessly. It’s a rollickingly good time if there ever was one.

If you haven’t read The Paris Mystery (or any of Manning’s work) yet, what are you waiting for?

The Paris Mystery is out now through Allen & Unwin. Read more about the books they publish via their website.