Peril in Paris - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads: Peril in Paris (A Royal Spyness Mystery #16) by Rhys Bowen

Rating: Liked It (3.5 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  Lady Georgiana Rannoch and her dashing husband, Darcy, are awaiting a bundle of joy, but an unexpected trip to Paris will thrust them straight into a tangled web of international intrigue in this all-new mystery in the New York Times bestselling Royal Spyness series from Rhys Bowen.

What a delight it is to finally be able to enjoy a simple meal again! I have been in the throes of morning sickness for the last few months as Darcy and I prepare to welcome a brand-new addition to our little family. Now that I am feeling better, I have realized I am dreadfully bored! It seems that all my nearest and dearest are off leading their own busy lives while I sit at home and attempt to train our two adorably naughty puppies. Fun as it may be, it is hard not to long for a little adventure, a change of pace, before my true confinement begins when the baby comes.

Happily, it seems that Darcy has read my mind. When I receive a letter from my glamorous best friend, Belinda, Darcy suggests we take a trip to Paris to visit her. It seems he also has a spot of business of which to take care, so I will be staying in Belinda’s flat as she works feverishly on Coco Chanel’s fall collection. I happen to know Coco from a disastrous encounter in Nice years ago, and I am hoping this visit will go much more smoothly. But I soon learn that nothing about my time in Paris is going to be simple . . . or safe for that matter.

Darcy has asked me to take on a small chore as a part of his latest assignment. I am to covertly retrieve something from an attendee of Coco’s show. It seems easy enough, but I discover that this little errand could have terrifying consequences for a world on the brink of war. When things go horribly wrong, I am left to find a killer all while trying to fend off a French policeman who is certain that I am a criminal mastermind. But I have no plans to deliver my darling little one in a prison cell, and so I will muster every ounce of my courage to save the day . . . and, quite possibly, the world!

Genre: Mystery - Cozy 

Why I Picked This Book:  I really enjoy this series so of course I had to pick the newest book up!  

My Impression: 1930s Paris is a bit of a tumultuous time period.  Germany is making some unsettling rumblings and people are aligning with different sides.  Georgie is in Paris though not with her husband but with lots of regular side characters from previous books in the series - including Coco Chanel herself.

I like seeing Georgie happily married and at least semi-settled and I always love seeing her with Belinda.  They are so different but at the same time their friendship feels very authentic.  The chaos and behind the scenes scheming of the Chanel fashion show was fascinating and entertaining.  I do wish that the investigation aspect had started a bit earlier.  The murder did not actually occur until almost halfway through the book and while I love the characters in this series it did make the pacing feel a bit slow. As well, I found Darcy asking Georgie to do a favor involving his latest assignment a bit hard to believe.  Georgie causes chaos doing the simplest tasks so passing information during a high profile fashion show seemed a bit of a stretch and one would think that he would know better.

All in all this was a fun read with likable characters in an interesting time period.  Because the characters have such strong backstories this is a series best read in order.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely!  I really enjoy this series and am looking forward to see what happens next.

Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy cozy mysteries and historical fiction this is a fun mix of the two.

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *