Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
"An Art Lover's Guide to Paris and Murder" by Dianne Freeman is the 7th book in the Countess of Harleigh Cozy Mystery Series.
I have been lucky enough to have read all the books in the series & this book continues the witty, clever & entertaining vibe of the 1st 6 books in the series.
I'm so glad Ms. Freeman decided to set this book in France this time because it gave the reader a fresh & interesting storyline.
What I love so much about this cozy mystery series is:
1-there is always great murder mysteries, where you never suspect the person(s) who is/are the actual killer(s);
2-some nice romance;
3-great characters;
4-it takes place in an interesting time period, 1900.
I am anxiously waiting for book# 8 in this great series.

I have enjoyed this series by Dianne Freeman since her first Countess of Harleigh novel
A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder.

In this novel - they travel to Paris but find a mystery again before them. As the mystery untangles, they find more relatives.

This is a great series and I highly recommend starting from the beginning and seeing the characters build. Frances and George are fabulous.

I just reviewed An Art Lover's Guide to Paris and Murder by Dianne Freeman. #AnArtLoversGuidetoParisandMurder #NetGalley

Frances and George are the perfect partners. George recognizes and appreciates Frances's investigative talents and utilizes them. I love how she has learned to wield her authority as a lady to get results. They are visiting Paris to aid his Aunt Julia at her request and George reveals that Julia is the reason for his enlightened view of women. This story is full of family secrets and tragedy, but also love and romance.

What a fun book, to be in Paris in 1900 to visit the Exposition Universelle and investigate a murder with Frances and George. It doesn't get any better than this in historical fiction. Readers who have enjoyed the series will love this book, and new readers will be able to appreciate the people and the times. Hoorah!

Frances is back, but this time in Paris! Not that I could ever tire of Frances and George solving crimes, bantering and being generally as charming as possible, but the change of scenery from aristocratic London to the bohemian world of artists in Paris (timed to the Paris World Fair of 1900) gave this book an extra shot of fun! With a whole new cast of characters, the backdrop of so much history, and all the discussion of the post-Impressionist art world made this a memorable entry into the Countess of Harleigh series.

I won't give any spoilers on the plot, but suffice it to say, this is another five star read for those who love historical cozy mystery with more than a heavy dash of wit and fun.

I am always excited to read more of Frances and George's adventures---and book seven is even better than I expected! Dianne Freeman writes some of the best historical fiction set in the Victorian era. Her characters have distinct personalities, charm, and witty conversation.
This story takes place in Paris, France with descriptive prose that sweeps the reader straight into the story and keeps them there. I read this one straight through. The mystery starts early and when a murder occurs the pace fairly flies down a twisted path of clues and suspects. I had a hard time trying to solve it before all was revealed.
I recommend this book to others who enjoy tightly plotted historical mysteries. I appreciated the opportunity to read an early ARC of this book. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
#AnArtLoversGuidetoParisandMurder #NetGalley #KensingtonBooks #DianneFreeman

“An Art Lover’s Guide to Paris and Murder” by Dianne Freeman is a fun mystery that takes place during the Victorian era in Paris during the Exposition (Worlds Fair) of 1900. The Countess of Harleigh and her newly-wed husband arrive for a belated Honeymoon and at the same time look into the death of the artist lover of a beloved Aunt. The balance of history, havoc and intrigue make for a light and entertaining read.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Frances and George did it again!

George's aunt Julia asked for his help in investigating a secret matter (surprise, surprise, it's a murder), so Frances and George head to Paris to solve their next case.

I love this series and these two. George is an adorable cinnamon roll and I always melt when he calls Frances "my love".

It was an entertaining read and I enjoyed buddy reading it with my favorite detective Kristina.

The mystery was very well done, which is the standard in this series. There was a lot going on and I didn't solve the puzzle until the end (I guessed some things right!).

This series keeps reminding me of playing Cluedo/Clue; the setting is fairly similar and so is the fun. The characters are never overly emotional, even if the victim is someone they knew very well. It's all about solving the puzzle. The dynamic between Frances and George is a very appreciated bonus.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

An Art Lover’s Guide to Paris and Murder is a cozy mystery set against the backdrop of the 1900 Paris Exposition, and it offers a solid mystery and a ton of fast-paced fun.

Cozies aren’t usually my thing, but I was charmed by this series a few years back after reading the first one for a Book Riot challenge. I really enjoyed the change of scenery and the new characters introduced in this book, and I hope we see more of them in future installments. Along with the new, it also delivered the same humor, intrigue, and plotting that I am used to with this series. I find the mysteries to be neither too predictable nor too outlandish (though there are plenty of moments that are over-the-top in the best way).

If you’re already a fan of the Countess of Harleigh mysteries, this next installment will not disappoint. If you haven’t read one of these books yet, you should give them a try. This might be the perfect place to start! I think it can be read out of order without any real issue.

Overall, this was a fun, quick read, and I am looking forward to #8 already!

*Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!*

Another fun, and fast paced mystery!

As usual, I love spending time with Frances and George, and in this book they are detecting in my favourite city ever, Paris!
This was a solid, fast paced mystery that had me guessing the whole way through, but the usual thing I love about this series seemed to be missing a bit in this one. It felt like drinking a watered down version of my favourite beverage. I can taste the thing I like about it but it’s not full strength.

I think I can pin point it down to the lack of time that George and Frances spent together. Most of the investigating was done separately, and we only got a few cute scenes of them working together. Much of the action happened with them separately and their time spent together was recapping what they had learned and told to the reader as ‘I explained to George what I had uncovered’.

Love this cozy mystery series and the most recent installment did not disappoint! Married life looks good on Frances and George.

This next investigation takes us into the art scene of Paris after George’s independent aunt calls him to take a closer look at a suspicious death of a friend.

Great characters and plot! Always love these books. The cover art is getting more gorgeous too!!

I really enjoy this series and this was a fun journey with Frances to Paris in 1900 as the the Paris Expo took place! I'm a huge art fan as well and loved getting a glimpse into the Paris artisan life at this time. I had to look up some of the inventions that Freeman included from the expo. The mystery was great and introduced new characters that I'm hopeful we'll see again soon!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

My Thoughts /

First and foremost, a huge THANK YOU to NetGalley, publisher Kensington Books, and author Dianne Freeman, for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review. Publication date is currently set for June 25, 2024.

An Art Lover's Guide to Paris and Murder is the seventh book in the Countess of Harleigh Mystery series. Drawn to the title, I went back and scoured my 'have read' list to see whether I'd read any of this series previously, which revealed - Book #1, A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder - ✅.

Quickly refamiliarizing myself with the start of the series - American-born Frances Wynn, the Countess of Harleigh has just ended the mandated period of mourning for her late husband, Reggie. To gain some independence from her late husband's family, Frances decides to relocate herself and her young daughter, Rose, away from her late husband's family estate in the country, to a house in Belgravia.

Fast forward to July 1900, and we are into book #7 of the series, and there has obviously been a bit going on. For a start, our heroine is now Frances Hazelton. Interestingly, her new husband, George Hazelton, happened to be her neighbour in book #1, and one of only a very few who knew the full story about her late husband's death. Settling into married life as newly-weds the pair are living in their town-home in Belgravia with Frances' eight-year-old daughter, Rose.

George has received a letter from his aunt who lives in Paris. In the letter, George's Aunt Julia has hinted that she might need his assistance. She's looking into the death of an old friend, an artist by the name of Paul Ducasse. It would mean travelling to Paris. Frances hinted to George that while he is tied up doing business with his aunt, she meanwhile could explore the sights and sounds of the Paris Exposition. A world's fair, held in Paris, to celebrate the achievements of the past century and to accelerate development into the next. Frances, for one, was keen to attend such a highly celebrated and hugely successful international exhibition. That settled, the Hazeltons are now Paris bound!

Arriving in Paris it seems that Aunt Julia has done an about face and has decided that she no longer needs George's assistance. When questioned why, Julia is quite secretive about her reasons and George is certain she's hiding something. Frances and George take Julia on an outing to spend the day at the Exposition, but it was this day that a bridge chose to collapse. There were many people who sustained serious injuries because of the collapse. Aunt Julia was also injured and died on scene.

Aunt Julia's injuries were not consistent with having been caused by the bridge collapse, and both George and Frances are concerned that someone had deliberately killed her and made her death appear as part of a freak accident. As both George and Frances start to investigate, they will need to work with Inspector Cadieux of the French Police to ultimately solve not one mystery, but two. Who killed George's Aunt and, whatever happened to Paul Ducasse?

I found this to be quite a complicated story, more so than the first book. There is a long list of suspects who might have wanted Ducasse dead (all those years before) and the same list of suspects could well be said to have reasons for wanting Julia dead as well. I had first thought to categorise this as a cosy, but really, it's a much more intricate and complex mystery, that has at times seemingly confusingly interrelated parts. I guess what I'm saying is - it's more of a historical mystery, and once I had decided that I could settle my thoughts into a more logical order.

This was an interesting and well plotted story that incorporated themes of art and the history of art in France, fraud, family ties, and, of course, murder. Our MCs are engaging, likeable characters and both play of each other to successfully solve this mystery. I enjoyed the inclusion of real events, like the Paris Exposition and the Paris art world theme was also particularly interesting.

I really must go back and read the titles I've missed.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to publisher, Kensington Books for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

#AnArtLoversGuidetoParisandMurder #NetGalley

Frances and George are a nice couple, but I would say I can stop here for now with their series. By now as detective stories they are not even particularly interesting and the story between the two of them is already "over." It was nice while it lasted.

Frances e George sono una bella coppia, ma direi che per ora posso fermarmi qui con la loro serie. Ormai come gialli non sono nemmeno particolarmente interessanti e la storia tra loro due é giá "conclusa". È stato bello finché e durata.

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

Frances and her husband, George, travel to France to attend the Paris Exposition and to look into the suspicious death of artist Paul Ducasse. George’s Aunt Julia had an affair with Ducasse years ago and is the father of her daughter. And she is determined to learn the truth behind her former lover’s death. While visiting the Paris Exposition, Julia dies from a stab wound during the chaos of a bridge collapse. There is a long list of suspects who might have wanted Ducasse dead and was willing to murder Julia as well. When the police arrest George for Julia’s death, Frances must team up with Julia’s teenage daughter to find the killer.

AN ART LOVER'S GUIDE TO PARIS AND MURDER is a great addition to the Countess of Harleigh Mystery series. It was interesting to see Frances and George in a new location with some new characters. That being said, I did miss some of the secondary characters that have made appearances in the first six novels of the series. George’s cousin Lissette and her caretaker, Christine, are going to fit in well and add some new subplots going forward. Aside from the ending being a bit abrupt, the novel was very well plotted and written. There were plenty of suspects who all had viable motives. The French police focusing on George as a suspect added some heightened drama and really put the pressure on Frances to find the killer.

Although this is the seventh book in the series, Ms. Freeman continues to deliver a cast of well-rounded characters, a story that moves quickly and enough twists and turns to keep me guessing until the dramatic reveal. Ms. Freeman's descriptive narrative made Paris and the Paris Exposition come alive as we follow Frances and George throughout the city looking for clues.

I loved the historical significance of the Exposition and the art scene at this time in Paris. Ms. Freeman ably wove the historical facts along with French societal rules and the changing art scene into this intricate mystery that kept me turning the pages.

This was a nice story that had developed characters and a decent plotline.
I found the pacing to be a little slow though.

This might be my favorite book in this series. Now that George and Frances are settled into married life, Paris and another mystery come calling. Featuring mysterious deaths, artists, french countrysides, and the Paris Exposition. The mystery kept me guessing until the very end, and I loved the twist for the two new characters introduced in this book.

I have read all prior books in this series, but a reader could pick this novel up and never realize there were earlier books. France and George travel to Paris for the 1900 Exposition and also to help George’s Aunt Julia.

There are fabulous descriptions of the city of light, as well as the world’s fair. I have enjoyed all the books in the series, but this one may be my favorite. There are twists and turns and a great deal of action. There is art, fraud, murder, and some teenage angst. All the while, Frances and George support each other in trying to figure out the murder mystery and keeping their ward safe.

It is a fun read but also the reader learns some history too.

Frances and George travel to Paris. Their cover story is a visit to the Paris World Expo in 1900, but really George's Aunt Julia wants them to look into the death of her friend Paul Ducasse. Julia's murder shortly after they arrive leads them deeper into the secrets of her life and has them working with (and sometimes competing against) Inspector Cadieux to learn what happened.

Fast-paced, interesting new characters who may become regulars, lots of motives and suspects in a complex plot. It works as a standalone, especially since George and Frances are removed from their usual lives in a new setting, but it's worth reading the other books to see how their relationship developed. Thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for the ARC.