Another fun book for fans of Frances and George. When Julia, George's aunt, asks the pair to come to Paris to investigate the death of an up-and-coming artist, Frances hopes that the trip might be the perfect time to have an overdue honeymoon. After all, the Paris Exposition is taking place. But the couple soon find themselves involved in another mystery. Frances and George are likable characters and the late Victorian setting is a fascinating period. Dianne Freeman gives readers a delightful look at the Paris art scene and wonderful descriptions of the Paris Exposition. However, the plot didn't grab me as much as the previous six books but not enough to give it lower than 4 stars. This is a solid historical cozy mystery series. Best read in order.

Frances thought she would enjoy the 1900 Worlds Fair in Paris while her husband George looked into the death of his aunt Julia's pal the artist Paul Ducasse. But things take a turn when Julia herself is murdered-and George is her heir. This latest in a dynamic historical cozy series (enjoyable as a standalone) sees the couple learning about the art business as well as about France. These two have a good bantering cooperative relationship. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

I have loved this series from the start. I love France’s and George and how they work together to solve crimes. This one was no different. I enjoyed the twists and turns and surprises throughout this book. I cannot wait to see what comes next!

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

cozy historical murder mystery? sign me up! i didn't know this book was seventh in a series when i requested it but i thought it was also good as a standalone. i am now interested in the beginnings of frances and george's story, but not really enough to go through the trouble of six other books you know... it wasn't entirely unpredictable but still kept me engaged.
thanks to netgalley, the publisher, and the author for this copy.

This book was so much fun! Dianne Freeman is simply consistently excellent! The Countess of Harleigh series is everything a historical cozy mystery should be. As much as I loved following the primary plot of the book - and I did oh-so-thoroughly enjoy that - I was surprised by how much enjoyment I gained from the setting. Beautiful scenes and brilliant inventions were woven in, transporting me to the magnificence of the exposition. It flowed in well with the pacing and made for an absolutely remarkable book. The setting's perfection was such an unexpected joy for me. Frances's happiness with it just sort of transferred to me!

As for the core mystery, I quite appreciated all the twists and turns of it. There were, as usual, plenty of motives and lots of questions before all the details came together. I found myself wondering alongside the Hazeltons how everything would come out. This seventh installment in the Countess of Harleigh series felt like it was moving us forward in Frances’ life at a realistic and delightful pace, as well as bringing us to the case at hand. I continued to appreciate the dynamic between George and Frances. They're well and truly married now and still quite fond of each other. I'm overjoyed for them. They're just such good partners. This might just be my favorite Lady Harleigh installment yet! That’s hard to say with absolute certainty, because I’ve enjoyed so many of them, but this was superb and I am delighted by the opportunity to read it. It was a long 18 months without Frances and company and I’m glad to have that drought broken with such a wonderful new novel!

3.75 stars

Another romp and adventure in the Countess of Harleigh historical mystery series. Frances and her husband George head to Paris for the exposition and so George can investigate a suspicious death for his Aunt Julia. But she quickly changes her mind and they discover the victim was an old lover of Julia's - and the mother of her teenage daughter (a surprise to the family).

But before they can resolve the disagreement, Julia is also killed. Frances and George try to navigate the craziness of Paris during the exposition and the acquisition of a new family member. But Julia's daughter wants little to do with them and is rebellious to the extreme.

These mysteries are great fun. Some humor and banter among the lead characters is entertaining. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was yet another fun, entertaining, and exciting mystery from this author. This time, we got to visit Paris during the Exposition and it was so much fun to picture all of the excitement of the time and the marvelous things that were displayed. Oh – and while we were there, we got to solve a couple of murders.

Frances was just mentioning to George that their lives were getting a bit ho-hum when they received a missive from George’s Aunt Julia requesting him to come to Paris and investigate the death of Paul Ducasse – a renowned French artist. Though she is very secretive about her reasons, they want to help if they can – and – well – Paris.

If they thought there was little information in the missive they received, that was nothing compared to the tight-lipped Aunt Julia they met when they arrived. Julia had totally changed her mind and wanted them to leave it alone, yet she seemed nervous and out of sorts. Had she seen, heard, or learned something that made her fearful?

Almost as soon as they arrived, Aunt Julia was murdered. Surely the two murders were connected, but how and why? It seems anyone who might be a suspect had an alibi for one murder or the other. Should they back away and let Inspector Cadieux of the Sûreté investigate? Surely, they could help from the background!

Lady Julia Hazelton had been estranged from her family in England for many years. It wasn’t that there had been a disagreement, it was that Julia had secrets – deep secrets – that she wanted to keep from them. Only a couple of her relatives knew her secrets and they had kept them for her. Was her murder because of some of her secrets? There are many suspects, but none of them fit both murders. What connects them?

Oh! What tangled webs we weave when we practice to deceive. This was a delightful, entertaining mystery with more suspects than you could imagine – but not so many motives. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Frances and George flit all over Paris looking for suspects and motives while unraveling clues and getting in the way of Inspector Cadieux.

If you enjoy a light and entertaining mystery with lovely characters that invite you into their lives and make you love them, then you’ll enjoy this book. I surely did! However, Aunt Julia’s death made me really sad because of the daughter she left behind and I wish there had been another way to accomplish the same plot line.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Dianne Freeman does it again with another captivating mystery. In An Art Lover's Guide to Paris and Murder, the dynamic duo of Frances and George never fails to impress, and this time, the change of setting to France adds an exciting twist to the story. This is the seventh book in this series and the books keep improving with each installment. The historical details were correct, and the research was evident. The characters are believable and endearing. The dialogue is consistent to the period and the banter is engaging. The chemistry between Frances and George continues to shine. The mystery is well-crafted, and the conclusion is fulfilling.

All of this adds up to a fabulous read and I highly recommended this book. I am so looking forward to the next installment in this fantastic series. Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am so glad Austenprose put this series on my radar recently. I quickly devoured the first six books in a few weeks so that I’d be ready to read this one when it arrived in the mail. I was so ready to get back into the action with George and Frances and this book delivered with a satisfying mystery. It was great to meet more Hazelton family members in this installment and take in the sights of Paris along the way. I enjoyed a glimpse into the life of Parisian artists in 1900 and the Paris World Exhibition which debuted the world’s first escalator. So interesting!

George and Frances are the best detective duo and their sweet romance makes the novels even more charming. I absolutely adore this fun mystery series and highly recommend it!

Thank you to Kensington Books and Austenprose for a gifted copy of the book. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

George and Frances are off to Paris to deal with some business for George's Aunt Julia. Before she can enlist their help, Julia is murdered and George and Frances are drawn into solving this crime as well as the murder of her old lover. There are plenty of twists and turns in this story and it takes a bit for it all to become clear. Love this problem solving duo and now they have new responsibilities for the future. A good read with plenty of action and excitement.

Frances and George Hazelton fear they are becoming a bit dull. After George receives a missive from Paris, the couple decides to head off to the City of Light to visit the Exposition and find out what George’s Aunt Julia is asking of him. The couple is taken with the city, but Aunt Julia appears to be indecisive about engaging George’s services in investigating the death of her former lover, a rising artist. Tragedy strikes and Julia is murdered during the chaos of a bridge collapse at the Exposition. Julia, they learn, was hiding secrets. Many secrets. Francis and George realize there’s a killer on the loose and it’s up to them to bring the miscreant to justice.

Danger and secrets lurk in every corner in this delightful cozy mystery. This is the seventh book in Diane Freeman’s Countess of Harleigh series and it is just as fun as the previous stories. Familiar characters make appearances and even George’s sister, Fiona, gets involved in trying to uncover the truth. Frances spars with the local inspector assigned to the case, but he soon understands that she has a knack for getting to the truth.

This book is great for readers who enjoy historical fiction and cozy mysteries. An Art Lover’s Guide to Paris and Murder could be read as a stand alone mystery, but the interactions among characters make more sense if the reader has a history with the series.

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley and Kensington Books, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was such a cute book! First of all the cover is beautiful. I loved this book so much. The banter between the main couple was so cute and I really liked their dynamic.

"Filled with Victorian-era intrigue for readers of Rhys Bowen, Deanna Raybourn, Tasha Alexander, and Julia Seales, Dianne Freeman's Agatha Award-winning series takes a delightful jaunt to the City of Light as Frances Wynn, the American-born Countess of Harleigh, encounters a murder scene at the Paris Exposition.

Frances and her husband, George, have two points of interest in Paris. One is an impromptu holiday to visit the Paris Exposition. The other is personal. George's Aunt Julia has requested her nephew's help in looking into the suspicious death of renowned artist Paul Ducasse. Though Julia is not entirely forthcoming about her reasons, she is clearly a woman mourning a lost love.

At the exposition, swarming with tourists, tragedy casts a pall on the festivities. A footbridge collapses. Julia is among the casualties. However, she was not just another fateful victim. Julia was stabbed to death amid the chaos. With an official investigation at a standstill, George and Frances realize that to solve the case they must dig into Julia's life - as well as Paul's - and question everything and everyone in Julia's coterie of artists and secrets.

They have no shortage of suspects. There is Paul's inscrutable widow, Gabrielle. Paul's art dealer and manager, Lucien. Julia's friend Martine, a sculptress with a jealous streak. And art jurist, Monsieur Beaufoy. The investigation takes a turn when it's revealed that George has inherited control of Julia's estate - and another of her secrets. While George investigates, Frances safeguards their new legacy, and is drawn further into danger by a killer determined to keep the past buried."

From that delightful cover to namechecking Tasha Alexander to the art, this book has me sold three ways!

This was not my favorite entry in the series. It was a decent enough mystery, but I was disappointed in the setting, and the new secondary characters were awful. I'm not looking forward to reading more books with Lissette and Christine at all.

What an enjoyable book! This is my first in this series, and it reads wonderfully as a standalone. Frances and George make a great team as they work together to find out who murdered a painter in Paris.

The historical element is well done, and the mystery itself really keeps you guessing. There are many characters, and each one has a reason to be suspect. The reader can sense that there is a lot more going on than meets the eye, and that while one of the characters is the culprit, the others are hiding secrets as well.

I would have liked some more French parts, like references to food or more "French" types. The English and French here seem to get along too well :) Predictably for this kind of book, there are parts that are a bit too contrived, like being in the right place at the right time for a clue to fall into their lap. The protagonists make fun of it themselves, though, which was cute. And many of the secrets that came out at the end seemed like they didn't really have to be secrets, but were kept that way to create more tension and mystery..

Altogether an excellent cozy mystery that I would recommend to readers who enjoy them or those who enjoy historical fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an advanced copy for review.

I can’t believe this is already book 7! Another excellent Lady Harleigh Mystery, though this time the murder victim hit closer to home for George and Frances. The mystery was very sharp and kept me guessing. With how events unfolded, I can’t wait to see how their lives change in future books!

Another fun cozy mystery following the adventures of Frances and George! If you are a fan of the series you’ll love following along as a murder on the other side of the channel brings our favorite crime solving spouses to Paris.

Another adventure for Frances and George Hazelton in Victorian England. George is summoned the Paris, site of the Great Expedition, by his aunt…Lady Julia…the very private sorta “black sheep” of the Hazelton family.. Julia has no contact with her family except for George who did some legal work for her in recent years. A stickler for privacy, Julia like doesn’t want Frances to come to Paris as well…but Frances is a force and travels with George anyway. Julia had said she thought someone had been murdered but that’s it. When they arrive, Julia is very circumspect about the murder and, in fact tells George never mind. Unfortunately, at a collapsed bridge on the grounds of the Great Paris Expedition, Julia is murdered and the Hazelton have no choice but the investigate. Until then, George didn’t tell Frances that Julia had a child with famed French artist Paul Ducasse and that the’s the child’s guardian. The “child”, Lisette is 15 years old, is understandably traumatized by the death (and likely murder) of both of her parents, and wants nothing to do with George or Frances. The race to identify the murdered before someone else is harmed lead Frances and George to partner with the Sûreté as they encounter a number of artists and those involved with the art world that may endanger them and Lisette.

This is a new series and author for me. Although it was well into the series, book seven, I believe, the thought of the Paris Exhibition, Art and a married couple as investigators in 1900, was just too much to pass up! I am glad I took the chance, Frances and George are wonderful characters. I am sure the experience of reading the book would have been enhanced with some backstory, but I didn't feel lost at all, and their communication as a couple helps fill in a lot of gaps. George is summoned to Paris by his Aunt Julia, who has been living and working, as an artist, in Paris and the nearby countryside. As far as George is aware, he is her only family member who knows about her secret life in Paris, and she fears a major figure in her life has been murdered and she wants George to figure it out. When Frances and George arrive in Paris, his aunt suddenly appears to be afraid and tells them she has changed her mind. Before George can get to the truth with his aunt, she is murdered. What have Frances and George gotten themselves into? It is definitely worth your time to join these two on their quest for the truth! Thanks to #NetGalley and #Kensingtonbooks for an opportunity to meet George and Frances and join them on their quest.

I’ve been a fan of Dianne Freeman’s Countess Harleigh Mystery Series from book one and now that we are at the seventh installment, I can say they are among my favorite historical mysteries. The series keeps getting better and better. The historical details are well researched. The characters are realistic and likable. The dialogue is period accurate and the banter is on point. The mystery is nuanced and the ending is satisfying. All of the above add up to a fabulous read. Highly recommended.