This is my first time reading the author. I thought Night Train to Paris was a fantastic book. I will definitely read the first and any new Fen Churche mysteries. Historical Fiction has become one of my most-read genre’s this year and I find new authors all the time. I loved the setting. Paris is my favourite city. The author does a brilliant job of bringing it to life during the era the book is set in. The book starts off innocently enough with Fen heading to the city of lights for a new start and in search of happiness, but peace is far from easy when an old friend is brutally killed, and accusations rise that she was involved in some nefarious activities. Fen is determined to prove her innocence and find out the truth. This is well written, engaging and I thought the characters were great.

Fen Churche is back! After solving murders and the disappearance of her fiance Arthur in A Dangerous Goodbye Fen travels with Captain James Lancaster to Paris. They visit childhood friend of the family Rose. Fen stays with her, but as Rose has recently let a room to a lodger, Simone, James is forced to stay in a nearby hotel.
James cannot take his eyes of the lovely Simone, who works as a model and used to work for La Resistance during the war. The three of them go out and have fun together, until one day Fen and James return to Rose's for the shock of their lives.

"... a paintbrush jabbed fully into her neck..."

As Night Train to Paris is part of the Fen Churche Mystery Series I was waiting for a murder to happen. At a certain point I was wondering if the murder would happen at all, until I almost cried out loud at the sudden brutality of it! Welcome back, Fliss Chester!

Although this second novel seems to have a slower pace than the first had, still it was again a lovely read. I love the way Fen cannot seem to hold her tongue and act like a proper lady. I can visualize her standing there in the entrance of a fancy hotel sopping wet from following someone on a whim during heavy rain. Then noticing James and Simone enjoying an intimate (and secretive?) moment in that certain hotel, them noticing her and causing her to blush heavily and while mumbling running out into the rain again. Simply adorable!

One of the most important things for me in a murder mystery is whether I guess correctly who the murder is or not. I can tell you I picked the right one, but couldn't figure out exactly how it must have happened. So even though I knew who the killer was before the end, I was still surprised by it!

A tummy bug and a blog tour stop at the same time could produce a terrible review but I will try to write something rational and intelligible as I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I loved A Dangerous Goodbye, an excellent start for a historical mystery series, and I loved Night Train to Paris.
We met again Fen and we are in Paris, just after the WWII ended.
This is a well written, engrossing and highly entertaining story that kept me hooked.
The historical background is one of the elements that fascinated me as I learned something new about arts stolen from Jews by Nazis and I loved how the author describes the places and the atmosphere.
The character development is excellent and I loved Rose, a great characters, and Fen. Fen is clever and likable character with a knack for puzzle.
This is one of those mystery that creates the scene for the murder and there's plenty of clues and backstory before you meet the victim. The mystery part is full of twists and turns and I liked the solution even if I guessed the culprit quite soon.
I can't wait to read the next book in this series, this one is highly recommended.
Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Now it’s 1945 & Fen Churche arrives in Paris, determined to put the horrors of the war behind her. But the city of lights has lost its spark, except inside the beautiful apartment of Fen’s godmother, artist Rose Coillard. Fen can’t wait to hear about Rose’s war work – under the nose of prominent Nazis, Rose created a secret list of the precious paintings they stole. Now Rose will be able to return them to their rightful Jewish owners. After a blissful few days reuniting with old friends, Fen finds Rose dead: stabbed through the neck with one of her own paintbrushes. Bewildered and scared, Fen is determined to solve her beloved friend’s murder, just like she does with her favourite crossword puzzles. Then she discovers the cypher that unlocks Rose’s list is missing. When Fen finds a blackmail letter in Rose’s mailbox, accusing her of selling Jewish-owned paintings to the Nazis, she can’t believe what she’s reading. Then another member of Rose’s Resistance network, who transported the artwork, dies in a volley of gunshots and Fen is sure the deaths are the work of the same villain.
This is the second book in the series & it could be read on its own but to fully appreciate it I’d recommend reading the previous book first. I love Fen & how she uses her love of crossword puzzles to solve the mystery, I also love James & hope we find out more of his backstory as the series unfolds. A well written book that is a slow burner, it starts slowly but the pace gradually increases until I found myself engrossed & eager to find out if my guesses were correct. I look forward to more in the series
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Two of my favorite types of mysteries are historical mysteries, and mysteries set in France. Night Train to Paris fits in both categories, so I was happy to receive an advance copy from the publisher to review. And I liked it!

The book opens as Fenella Churche is travelling from Dijon to Paris - on the civilian “night train” that isn’t really supposed to be a night train, but actually is, since pretty much every other train on the tracks in the aftermath of World War II has higher priority than it does. After learning details of her fiancé’s death in Burgundy during the waning days of the war, Fen is intending to stay in Paris for a while with her long-time friend, Rose. (These events are apparently detailed in the first book of the series, which I haven’t read, but now intend to. Not having read the first book wasn’t a problem, though, because author Fliss Chester provided enough background and information about the characters that I never felt lost.)

The overall story revolves around efforts to track paintings that had been stolen from Jewish families by the Nazis while Paris was occupied. Fen’s friend Rose had been instrumental in coding these paintings at the time they were taken, and is now involved in trying to find and restore them to their original, rightful owners. But soon after Fen arrives in Paris, Rose is found murdered. And the story proceeds from there…

One of the reasons I like historical mysteries is the chance to learn something, in a relatively painless way, about a time I don’t know much about. Night Train to Paris delivered on this. I knew some general facts about the German occupation of Paris, about art thefts during that time, about the Resistance, etc., but I enjoyed having these threads pulled together into the background for a nice puzzle. And in this case, since I’m reasonably familiar with Paris, I also enjoyed recognizing many of the sites in the book. I also just liked the mystery itself, which kept me guessing right until the end. All-in-all, this was a solid read, which kept me up late into the night wanting to know who did it!

Please note that I tend to try to fight star-flation a little bit, only giving five stars to maybe one in thirty or forty books that I read. So four stars really is a good rating from me and means I definitely do recommend a book. And my thanks again to Bookouture/NetGalley for the ARC!

I thoroughly enjoyed the second Fen Churche mystery, Night Train to Paris. The characters are interesting and well developed, With a setting in post-WWII Paris and a challenging mystery, I read the book in one sitting. The first mystery was good and I am looking forward to the next one! Thank you to #NetGalley for letting me read an early copy of #NightTraintoParis.

I absolutely loved the first Fen Churche mystery, A Dangerous Goodbye and was very excited when I spotted this second instalment was due out. If you've ever looked at the kind of books that manage to get five stars, it's generally the historical murder mysteries, but only if they are well written. There's something about that genre that just does it for me. The Fen Churche Mysteries definitely fall into that category. Night Train to Paris, the second book in the series, is, fortunately, just as good as the first.
Fen is now in Paris, her new friend and ally, James Lancaster has joined her for the journey and together they find themselves plunged into another murder mystery. I have to admit that Fen, (and this goes double for James) was a little behind in this one. I had a good idea who and done it and why from quite early on in the book. Not that it reduced my enjoyment at all, I still really enjoyed the unfolding story.
This was a brilliant read and I can't wait to see what's next for Fen. I have one or two ideas where she might find herself ultimately, but who knows if I will be right or not. Either way, I'm looking forward to reading more of her adventures and hope that I don't have to wait too long.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was an interesting mix of historical fiction and mystery. The crime actually took place almost half way through the book, so a word of warning to those who expect a fast paced thriller. I enjoyed the read. The characters were all introduced and the story was set up very well so I was keen to know more about each person. In fact, the characters carried the story.
I was drawn into post WW2 Paris. Everyone had a tale to share and this was a good reminder of the hardships people had to undergo back then. There was a great focus on the art thefts and forgeries of the time, which was very interesting to read. The culture and lifestyle of 1936 Paris was also carefully depicted - right down to Christian Dior and the fashion houses!
The mystery was not very intricate, and there were a handful of credible suspects. My guess turned out to be correct so it is possible to figure out the whodunit if you pay attention to the little details.
Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Following on from A Dangerous Goodbye, Fenella Churche left the small town of Morey-Fontaine in Burgandy where she’d been involved in murder while trying to find the details of her fiancé Arthur’s demise. Now she was on the night train to Paris with her new friend, and Arthur’s very good friend, James Lancaster, where she was going to see one of her parent’s friends, artist Rose Coillard. She hoped to stay with Rose in her apartment for some time, needing to be reminded of those days before the war when she’d lived in Paris.

Catching up with old friends, making some new, strolling with James through the galleries – which were much depleted since the war – Fen was enjoying the days of relaxing and reminiscing, but she was also hearing snippets about the resistance and what happened to paintings and art belonging to the Jewish families that were displaced during the war. She didn’t like what she was hearing. But one afternoon on returning to Rose’s apartment, Fen discovered her friend dead on the floor, murdered. She was devastated – who would murder the woman who was friends with most people around? With the local police declaring it a burglary gone wrong, Fen and James decided to find justice for Rose; her killer didn’t deserve to be free. But would they? Could they?

Night Train to Paris is the 2nd in A Fen Churche Mystery series by Fliss Chester and I quite enjoyed it. Slow to get started with nothing much happening, it soon picked up the pace and raced along. I worked out who the perpetrator was almost before the murder, but confirmation was satisfying. The buildup and working of clues like Fen’s beloved crossword puzzles was clever and she soon came to a conclusion. I also enjoyed the letters which flowed back and forth between Fen and her friend Kitty, from the Land Girls in London during the war. Recommended to fans of historical mysteries, and of course Paris; I think it would be best to read #1 first.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for my honest review.

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Fliss Chester's historical mystery NIGHT TRAIN TO PARIS.

Having been transported back in time to post war France in the tail end of summer 1945 with the first in this cosy series featuring cryptic crossword cluer Fenella Churche, I was excited to sink my teeth in yet another of her historical mysteries with NIGHT TRAIN TO PARIS. And while I didn't find it as enthralling as the first, it was still an engaging read.

October 1945: After uncovering a murderer in a Chateau winery along with the truth about what happened to her fiance Arthur, Fen Churche travelled by train from Burgundy to Paris to visit an old family friend and bohemian artist, Madame Rose Coillard. Accompanied by her late fiance's friend James Lancaster, Fen is looking forward to relaxing and showing James the galleries and beauty of Paris.

Upon arrival they discover that Rose has no room for James as she has recently taken a lodger, Simone, and James is left to find a hotel in which to stay. But his presence has not gone unnoticed by the young Simone who works at a fashion house with upcoming designers Christian Dior and Pierre Balmain, as she sets her sights on the dashing James. Fen is concerned that Simone is only interested in his title and sees him as a meal ticket, having come from meagre beginnings herself. Her almost unseen disdain at Fen's Jewish friend Magda who has, since the war practically gone from riches to rags, did not go unnoticed by me as I felt her niceness was a facade for some other ulterior motive. I didn't like her from the beginning nor did I trust her.

Rose, however, is an accomplished artist she has spent many years copying the artistic greats but also adding her own flourishes to make them her own. But some have accused her of selling forgeries to some of the more affluent dignitaries in the City of Love. Unless her agent has been less then forthcoming with her works, passing them off as originals, and reaping the benefits of the sale without passing it on to Rose herself. She may be bohemian and a little eccentric, but Rose is not a fraud. She just appreciates art.

But that may not be the only aspect of her past that is catching up to her. Rose spent the war on the side of the Resistance by keeping track of all the stolen art from Jewish families and the like by the Germans during the war. All she needs is to find her cipher to decode her list to reveal exactly where these stolen paintings are today. But apparently someone does not want these paintings returned to their rightful owners...or so it would seem.

Then when Fen and James return to Rose's apartment one afternoon, they are shocked to discover her body on the floor of her studio with a paintbrush through her neck! The police are called and a quick search of the apartment reveals some of Rose's more valuable paintings as well as most of her jewellery are missing, and the police rule it as a robbery gone wrong. After the initial shock of finding her old friend's body, Fen and James then join forces to do some investigating of their own...to uncover who really killed Rose Coillard. Was it just an opportunistic killing? Or was it the work of the WW2 double agent known only as The Chameleon?

It took me a while to get into the story as all that seemed to be happening was Simone fluttering her eyes at James and Fen frequenting galleries whilst Rose paints and entertains them for tea. It wasn't until about 40% that the pace started to slowly pick up and things started to happen. Admittedly, I was tempted to give up prior to this as it was taking far too long to get interesting. And Simone was frustratingly sickening. As it was, the subject matter is not one that interests me a great deal as I know very little about art and found some of it confusing. However, the story did get marginally better and was a fairly engaging read.

I found some parts a little repetitive at times with "after hearing a knock at the door and Tipper's usual reception, Fen is relieved to find it is only James". This occurred a couple of times in the space of a chapter that one might assume that door knocking and opening to be an integral part of the story.

As the story took a while to build or go anywhere, I was able to identify the murderer before the said murder even took place! Not that it deterred me in anyway as I was eager to discover if my sleuthing proved to be correct. And despite the slow start, NIGHT TRAIN TO PARIS was something of a page-turner.

Although I did enjoy the first book "A Dangerous Goodbye" far more than this one, NIGHT TRAIN TO PARIS is a delightful step back in time to post-war Paris steeped in history and alas, murder! I enjoyed catching up with Captain (or rather Viscount) James Lancaster and had hoped for a bit more of time together with Fen rather than the sultry Simone. But as the reader is to discover, there is more to learn about James Lancaster, a former SOE operative during the war, than meets the eye.

I am not familiar with Paris or its traditions so I do look forward to Fen's return to England and hope that her next mystery will find her tucked up in her West Sussex village with James Lancaster as a nearby neighbour perhaps, so as to be on hand to assist in future mysteries.

A light and engaging read for fans of cosy and historical mysteries.

I would like to thank #FlissChester, #NetGalley, #Bookouture for an ARC of #NightTrainToParis in exchange for an honest review.

Fen has accepted that Arthur, her fiance is dead. It's 1945 and the war is over- thus a perfect time to visit Rose, her godmother, in Paris. Rose, an artist, helped save art owned by Jewish families but someone thinks she did otherwise- and has killed her. Fen, along with Captain James Lancaster, her fiancé's best friend, find themselves working through puzzles to find the murderer, as well as the truth about Rose. This is wonderfully atmospheric and creative in the use of cypher. I very much enjoyed the first book but this one will be fine as a standalone if you have not read it. Chester has rounded Fen, added to James, and advanced the story while not losing sight of the reality of the period. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A very good read for fans of historical mysteries, especially those featuring strong female characters.

This is one of those delightful cozy mysteries that one can lose oneself in on a cold winter night sitting in front of a nice warm log fire.
It is 1945. The war has just ended as Fenella Churches and her friend James Lancaster arrive in Paris. Within a few days another of Fen's friends is murdered with a paintbrush stuck through her neck. So ... A cozy mystery with a bit of a punch in a plot involving stolen art and forgeries, and a double agent in the Resistance.
A well written modern approach to the tropes of Golden Age crime writing. I wonder how many readers will notice the homage to Agatha Christie's Dumb Witness.

I missed the first book in this series by Fliss Chester. However this Fen Churche mystery number 2 is nonetheless very enjoyable.

I hadn't read the blurb about the story before starting, so it took me a while to get into the book. In fact at about 30 percent I'll admit, I nearly gave up. However in the end I really enjoyed the storyline.

I won't go into detail about the plot for fear of spoiling the book for other readers. What I liked was the way the characters were developed. I also liked the way the book explores what life was like in Paris in the immediate aftermath of the German occupation.

On the strength of this novel I will look out for the next book in the Fen Churche series.

I give my thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for a copy of this novel in exchange for this review.

What a treat this was to visit Paris of yore and to enjoy some history of fashion as well as art at that time in the City of Light. It was a sensual delight for me to re-visit Paris via the descriptions in this novel.

The crux of the novel had to do with the Nazi’s rape of French art. Some was taken to Germany, some was sold and some was stolen by the French, themselves. It was a good reminder of what went on during the Nazi occupation of France – and post war.

It was interesting and a good way to spend a few hours.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, Bookouture, in exchange for an honest review.

I really like mysteries that double as historical fiction. This mystery is set in beautiful Paris, post WWII. Fen is staying at her family friend, Rose’s, apartment with her late fiancee’s friend,James Lancaster. Rose is active in trying to restore art, stolen from many Jews by the Nazis, and return it to their rightful owners. A series of murders, as well as an interesting group of suspects, create the tension. I recommend this mystery, and thank NetGalley for the ARC.

Fen Churche and her late husband's friend James visit Paris after the war. Fen stays with her good friend Rose, an artist who secretly made a coded list of precious paintings stolen during the war, to enable them to be safely returned to their owners. They find themselves caught up in a mystery when Rose is brutally murdered. Fen goes on a mission to find the killer and bring them to justice.

I was hooked from page one! The characters were interesting and intriguing, as was the plot. I felt like I was right there in 1945 Paris. The descriptions were so vivid, the dialect, the sights, the sounds, the aromas and the fashion!
I loved Fens crossword puzzle type way of collecting clues. A very likeable protagonist. I did manage to work out whodunnit before the reveal which made the ending all the more satisfying! i will definitely be reading more from this author.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of Night Train to Paris, the second novel to feature former land girl Fenella Churche.

Autumn 1945. After the events of A Dangerous Goodbye Fen, accompanied by James Lancaster, her late fiancé’s friend, takes the train from Burgundy to Paris to stay with family friend, bohemian artist Rose Coillard. She hasn’t been there long when Rose is murdered, a paintbrush in her neck. The police say it’s a burglary gone wrong, Fen thinks Rose’s wartime activities may have caught up with her.

I enjoyed Night Train to Paris which is a very readable cosy mystery with likeable characters. It is told entirely from Fen’s point of view so the reader can get stuck in without distraction and concentrate on finding the killer. The novel is slow to start in terms of murder as the body isn’t discovered until 40% in. This first pre-murder part is spent setting the scene about Rose’s past and current preoccupations. From a historical point of view this is interesting and sets Rose up as a woman with enemies. I must admit that this long set up let me guess the murderer and part of the motive, not that it spoiled my enjoyment of the novel as I was interested to see how it played out. In fact I found it to be a page turner.

The novel does a good job of painting the broad brushstrokes of the era but I spotted several errors in the detail. I’m not particularly pedantic but Fen wanting to visit the Musée d’Orsay that didn’t open until 1986 is particularly egregious. It’s sloppy and annoying.

Night Train to Paris is a fun read that I can recommend.

I love Paris and historical fiction, so the 2 together was an enjoyable read. I liked reading about Paris and finding out about this characters and their exploits at the end of 1945.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

First off a huge thank you to the publisher Bookouture,the author Fliss Chester and Netgalley for inviting me to join the blog tour for this book as well as letting me read and review it . Now here is where I would list why I loved and enjoyed a book so much but there is only one reason for this one and to me that's the biggest one to have to pick up a book and that's how the author makes you feel while reading it, as well as the characters, the fashions , the descriptions of Paris, the buildings, the people, the food, and the beautiful scenery that came to life to with each turn of the page.

A murder mystery involving like-minded people involved in the art world. Love, betrayal, fraud, and theft unite artists and art lovers. It brings you into the dark side of the Jewish tragedy in France. A surprising ending you are not expecting.