Note: Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and author Helena Dixon for the advanced reader copy of this book. This review will also be posted on NetGalley. What follows is my unbiased review of the book.

Murder in Paris is the twenty-first book in Helena Dixon’s Miss Underhay Mystery series, and she shows no signs of slowing down. There’s a bit of an ongoing story regarding Kitty Underhay’s husband, Matt, and his past, but otherwise these books stand pretty well on their own.

Kitty’s grandmother is invited to Paris by her friend Eliza, who also happens to be Kitty’s godmother. Eliza recently lost her husband and is planning to move back to England, so this is a final chance for the two women to enjoy an adventure in Paris like when they were young. Eliza also baits the hook with a fashion show at a Couture House, where her Simone, her son Julian’s girlfriend, is a model. Kitty and Matt are looking forward to the brief holiday and are enjoying their time in Paris when tragedy strikes. Following the fashion show, Simone is killed before she can come out to meet them. Her sister, Nathalie, is standing over her body holding a pair of scissors.

The French police don’t treat them with the disdain they often feel from the authorities in their home country, and they find themselves involved in the murder investigation. It would seem to be open-and-shut that Nathalie is the killer, but as Kitty and Matt dig, they find several people who had a motive to want Simone dead. When Nathalie is also attacked in her apartment, it would seem the killer isn’t finished with them yet.

I had the right motive early on, but had enough doubts thanks to the circumstances surrounding the killing that I was guessing for a long time. I loved Dixon’s descriptions of life in Paris. Although I find it a bit of a distraction that all of this is taking place during the Great Depression, and there is no mention of it, the city feels enchanted and alive. Kitty and Matt move in higher social circles and seem to have the funds to do whatever they want with no worries. This makes for a great escapist story, even if the setting in time feels a little off.

Dixon has created a couple of new characters who may have the potential to reappear back home where Kitty and Matt live. I enjoyed the characters new to the story and do hope some of them are heard from again. That has happened with a few other people Kitty and Matt met through their investigations.

The ongoing story involves a fellow soldier from the Great War. There has been a little bit teased on this through the more recent books I’ve read in the series. I do think that to follow this part, you need to have read earlier books. However, it’s not a huge part of the story in Murder in Paris except to draw Matt away for a brief time. This is a nice mystery that isn’t too deep, with a great setting. I really enjoy the series as a bit of light, fun reading after some heavier topics, and I can recommend people pick up Murder in Paris if they enjoy a good historical mystery.

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