This was the best yet in the series! Loved the new setting, Louise is as feisty and sharp as ever. I just wish she would drink a little less and eat a little more.

I received an ARC of this book before I realized it was a series, so before I read this, I read the first two. And this book was by far the better of the three. I almost didn’t read this because I wasn’t a fan of the first two but they progressively got better as the characters developed.

Louise’s character and personality finally felt natural and unforced. In the previous books some of her attitudes and beliefs seems so rigid and felt like someone telling you who they are, so in this installment it felt like she finally acted like who she is as a person.

I think I enjoyed this story more because it was more like a PI novel and not a police vendetta.

The author does imagery well and I have felt the grittiness of the time period and gruesome nature like a film noir throughout the series.

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC :)

This book would be fabulous for historical mystery lovers who just want that atmospheric extra to transport them. I recommend reading the previous books first.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for a ARC. I wished I enjoyed this book more. The cover is gorgeous and the synopsis is what drew me in. Set in 1920s Paris. The plot was interesting but I had a hard time connecting to the characters even the FMC Louise as she seemed underdeveloped even though we have a lot of background information about her. The story centers around her solving a mystery, the disappearance of Iris Wright even she is underdeveloped so it was hard to get invested in finding her. This is book three however I have not read the first two books as I was not aware that it was apart of a series but there are a lot of references to the first two books so I recommend reading them before picking this one up. The ending was somewhat predictable but overall it was still a fun book and a quick read.

The third in the series, I recommend reading the first two in order to understand how the characters know each other and their motivations. I was so excited to see that Louise, after a string of hardships in Harlem, was moving to Paris for a fresh start! This is in line with other prominent expats during the Harlem Renaissance. Advertised as historical fiction, I find that this novel is lacking in depicting race. Yes, things were better in Paris than the US but the characters move as if race doesn't exist. There are no other African American characters that have a significant influence in the novel and the main character is treated almost as an equal or only her sex is a barrier despite her meddling in an investigation. It's a little perplexing and took me out of the story. I think I need to go into this series moving forward as if there is a little bit of revisionist history and let the character exist in the world the author has created rather than put her in this time period I have studied.

Instead, we focus primarily on a group of white artists, a secret society of women skilled in various artistic mediums. The mystery is certainly interesting, one of their own is missing and her mother has reached out to Louise's friend to ask her for her aid. There are several suspects-- her loveless, cheating husband; a fellow (though less talented artist) who is having an affair with her husband; and her lover (yet another woman artist).

Some smaller parts of the story concern Louise's relationships back home--- her friends, her sisters, and her ex-girlfriend. They are part of the story via letters with a couple of her friends visiting her in Paris later in the novel, but Louise almost treats the letters like mosquitos that she keeps swatting away. I couldn't understand why Louise didn't read the letters but as readers of the books we do. We see how concerned they are and how much they love her but Louise never reads them. This feels unresolved to me in the novel. Yet, she reads and researches extensively about the dead woman. A lesser part of the novel is Louise's love life--still healing from her break-up, she finds herself attracted to two women in Paris. I wanted more time to explore these relationships.

Perhaps, the author is setting us up for the next in the series, but overall, I was unsatisfied with the mystery, the obvious person-of-interest, and the main character's lack of development. Despite this review, I am still invested in this series and hope it continues!

A Lethal Lady by Nekesa Afia presents an intriguing mystery with a well-crafted plot and engaging premise. While the novel offers some suspenseful moments, its overall impact may vary depending on readers' preferences for character development and pacing.

This is book 3 of this series and of course I haven’t read books 1 and 2, but have no fear, that’s ok. I feel as though you don’t really need to, to enjoy or follow what is happening here. I did enjoy following Louise in her quest to help find the missing daughter.

Now, I enjoyed unraveling the mysteries here with the drama and fighting to get ahead by any means possible in the artistry world with lies, deception, and jealousy! I never knew it could be cut through, but I guess if you’re passionate about something. Anyway, this was an easy flow through this book with Louise and friends (or not so much friends) and love interests in the streets of Paris! From/
reading I could picture the scenes which I was excited about since Paris is a bucket list place of mine. Then to throw in the historical aspects, sold.

Like I said, this is a cozy murder mystery, so not much of the tense action you would see In a high stakes murder mystery, but it was a nice easy read to listen to!

Read if you like:
🎺 Jazz Era/ Scene
🎷Historical Fiction
🔍 Mysteries
🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQ Characters

For 10 months, Louise has enjoyed a break in Paris, living in a tiny 6th floor maid’s quarters, directly above Irish playwright Ciarán Dunne. Her time in Paris is almost like her time in Harlem-cafés, work, dancing-but no death, no murder.

Instead, it’s Dauphine’s Café for coffee and flirting with Clémence, work at Allaire’s parfumerie, nights with friends at the Aquarius club, dancing, smoking, and drinking way too much.

Then Lucy Wright begs her help locating her missing artist daughter Iris Wright Montgomery. Red-haired, blue-eyed Iris frequents Madame Blanchet’s elite dinner parties, and is in a privileged group of artists who hang out in a Montparnasse pied-à-terre and call themselves La Mort des Artistes.

Detective Daniel Toussaint closes the case, but Louise has a bad feeling. With help from reporter Emme Foster, Louise plunges into a web of lies, jealousy, and betrayal to find the truth.

Louise is a troubled spirit-flawed but strong and sensitive, a fast-talking, fast-dancing Jazz Age woman who drinks to forget.

Her book explores women’s lives, hopes, dreams, fears in the context of late 1920’s history, slang, fashion, attitudes. There are red herrings-no one is quite what we think.

Thank you so much to the publisher for my ARC in exchange for my review!

Thank you, NetGalley and Berkley, for the free E-copy for review.

A Lethal Lady by Nekesa Adia takes readers on a captivating journey with a young woman seeking anonymity and a fresh start in the vibrant city of Paris. When a desperate mother asks Louise Lloyd for help in locating her missing artist daughter, Iris Wright, Louise is reluctantly drawn into a mystery that will challenge her hard-won peace of mind.

This cozy, jazz-era tale is enhanced by the author's clever use of letters, which provide insightful glimpses into the protagonist's past and background - a welcome touch for those new to the series. I was particularly struck by Louise's courage and independence, in embracing her new life in the city and her unwavering determination to uncover the truth about Iris's disappearance.

Beyond the central mystery, the story also explores the complexities of Louise's romantic life, as she navigates her feelings for Clemence and Emme. This added layer of emotional depth lends a relatable and compelling dimension to the narrative.

A Lethal Lady emerges as a multifaceted tale, blending the suspense of a cozy mystery with poignant themes of friendship, envy, and the hope for new beginnings.

I’ve enjoyed the series up to this point, but found my attention flagging as I tried to get into this one. It’s competently written for the most part, and Louise is a solid character, but I just found a lot of the other characters underdeveloped and the mystery uninteresting.

Book 3 of 3 - This is a story about a missing girl. Louise is trying to forget her past and live a new life. She is asked to search for the girl. It is an interesting story.

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

"Louise Lloyd's time away in Paris is everything she was hoping it would be until a shocking murder turns her entire world upside down.

Louise Lloyd is finally living the quiet life she'd longed for, working in a parfumerie by day and spending time with her new friends every night at the Aquarius club in Paris. When a desperate mother asks for help locating her artist daughter, Louise initially refuses to keep her hard-won but fragile peace intact. But the woman comes with a letter of introduction from an old friend in Harlem, and Louise realizes she has no choice but to do what she can to find the missing young woman.

The woman's daughter, Iris Wright, is part of an elite social circle. Louise soon finds herself drawn into a world of privilege and ice-cold ambition - a young group of artists who will do anything to get ahead - but would they murder one of their own? With the help of some friends from home, Louise must untangle a web of lies, jealousy, and betrayal to find out what really happened to Iris while fighting to keep her new life from crashing down around her."

Ah, the duplicitous lives of starving and striving artists!

Louise is in Paris trying to escape, so of course she gets caught up in a new murder. I loved reconnecting with her and Rafael, and Afia introduces readers to several interesting new side characters too. Afial's prose pops off the page as usual. Another great installment in this series!

Louise, a woman of Harlem Renaissance uses her detective wits to help uncover and solve a murder in Paris. While living her best life yet, and finally at a sense of peace, her world suddenly feels upside down when she can’t help but get involved with helping solve this murder. Full of twists and turns, lies and betrayal. I didn’t know this was a series but I enjoyed this one!

Louise, the main character in this third book in a series, is in Paris. She finds the solace she has been seeking and is living her best self.

Until a mystery happens (a missing daughter) that she just can't ignore. Her friend back in Harlem encourages her to help this mother so Louise dives in.

The water is murky and she becomes part of an elite group of artists to whom the daughter belongs. Is it possible that one of them is the killer?

I love this series but this book wasn't as good as the first two. The characters are not as fully developed and the plot not quite as thick as before.

It is worth the read especially if you enjoy the series as much as I do.

Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley and Berkley Publishing.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

It was a idyllic trip to Paris but it quickly went downhill. She is introduce to a desperate mother I search for her missing daughter turns into a murder, But can she trust thee woman even though she was given a letter of introduction from an old friend for Harlem.

She’ll enter a world of privileged as she tries to unravel the truth. All is not what it seems in this compelling mystery as lies will quickly unravel.

This was mislabeled. It's a LGBTQIAP+ soap opera more than a historical mystery. We're not told relevant information from previous books beyond Louise left her ex-girlfriend behind to live in Paris, but her reputation as a detective followed her. At 30% (where I quit), she's spent a lot of time lusting after a woman at a café, looking at a portrait of a nude woman, sitting for a nude-on-top portrait with a bunch of artistic women (at least some of whom are bisexual or lesbians), and the like.

The mystery is a woman with a husband and both a male and female lover on the side (that we know of so far) has died. She was last seen about to run away with her lesbian lover. The only real detective work Louise has done is to find no clues in the studio were the woman died. Most of that 'detecting' scene was describing her kissing the woman reporter who was with her. While there have been no sex scenes so far, I'm not sure it's going to stay that way. Sorry, this is just not interesting to me.

I had a difficult time connecting to the characters in this book - even Louise, the main character. We are told many things about her, but I feel like I didn't really get to know her for the most part. The rest of the cast feel like stock "artsy expats" and aren't fully developed, and this includes the woman at the center of the mystery, Iris Wright, which makes it hard to get invested.

I love books set in Paris, but A Lethal Lady had some "tell, not show" issues and it felt like it was more atmosphere than plot.

This was a wonderful and thrilling continuation of the Louise Llyod series. Nekesa Afia has an incredible way with words and her characters fall off the page. She has yet to give, my girl, the love of my life Louise time to nap. But you know what, it's busy being her.

The new city and setting we find Lou is was wonderful. Paris truly sparkled and came to life in these pages and I wanted so badly to be sitting in the Aquarius existing with all the artists, actors, writers and dancers. As always, the characters I loved, I loved immediately and the ones I hated I wanted walked right off the page.

I loved the letters from all our old faves and missing friends. (and the way they all helped Lou, in various manners).

A brilliant addition to an already great series, highly recommend!

I first came across this book because of its gorgeous cover art. I wasn't aware the novel was part of an ongoing series but decided to stick through the plot. Nekesa made it very easy for readers to jump in at anytime to the novel and get fully invested in the story, setting, and characters. The world building in this novel is out of this world and makes me want to visit Paris. I’m definitely going to read the two other books in the series.