Death in Paris is the first book in Kate Darroch's Mairi Maquire Cozy Mystery series. Mairi is looking forward to many things in life, but most of those things are about to be derailed with the return of her boyfriend. You see, he's bringing a surprise for her and...well, let's just say that it's a surprise she'd rather do without.
So! What do you do when life hands you lemons? Well, you make lemonade! Mairi originally turned down a new teaching job opportunity, but with the bunch of lemons life has just thrown her way she decides that a change of scenery is a must. Unfortunately, the change of scenery comes with...(dum dum duuuummmm) - MURDER! Brace yourself! When the tax man that Mairi's friend, Lianna goes to turns up dead at the Eiffel Tower, Lianna is suspect #1. Did she kill the infuriating man? Most likely not, but without a solid alibi, she's going to have a tough time proving her innocence.
For readers who love a good whodunnit, this book is definitely one worth checking out. The author takes you to the 1970s and to Paris. Ahhh, Paris. The city of love, the place of dreams, romance, delicious French food, fantastic croissants, but the tea...well, let's leave that to the British...for this story. LOL!
Not even in Paris for 12 hours and already trouble is afoot. Lianna is in trouble, and suspect #1! Things aren't adding up, and the suspect list? Well, it's not a short one. Mairi is on a quest with the help of Major Ellis Peverel to uncover the truth of what happened. What she stumbles upon is something much MUCH bigger. Her friend Lianna? Caught up in something more dangerous than she could ever know. Is she safer in the French jail? Probably. It's Mairi who needs to watch her back.
The story is well-written and has many engaging moments. The beginning really will engage you as it sets the story in play and showcases exactly why Mairi has decided to make this last-minute trip.
Mairi is a mixed bag of a character. She has interesting moments, and then she falls flat. I might be being a touch harsh when I say that some of her moments of "outrage" are misdirected, but that's how I feel. She gets angry at someone who is simply pointing out to her - don't wallow in self-pity. Do what you can! Find the truth. She feels that they are being judgmental and I think that particular reaction is misplaced, and just shows that that is HER personal interpretation of their intended encouragement.
The depth of the mystery of this book is well done. You don't have a clear-cut suspect based on the reality of the situation. So, the author encourages you to dig deeper makes this story intriguing, to say the least. You get a nice variety of characters that keep you coming back to the story, and you're really going to appreciate the nice timeline that is laid out for you with each chapter as well.
I'm choosing to rate this book 4.25 out of 5 stars. The push and pull of the storyline kept me coming back for more. A couple of the characters fell a touch flat, but the story was enjoyable nonetheless as it takes things a touch beyond just a cozy mystery since they are traveling.
Thank you to the author, Kate Darroch, and Cozy Mystery Review Crew for the opportunity to read and review this book! I look forward to what comes next!
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