In a city that flouts all the rules, journalist Charlie James has come to Paris to break news and, even more importantly, to break with her past.
A Charlie James Mystery
Intrepid reporter Charlotte 'Charlie' James arrives in Paris in 1938 eager to make a fresh start, but little does she know the trouble that awaits her…
Charlie is chasing her first big scoop, needing to prove to her boss that she can do this job as well as, if not better than, her male counterparts. And the best way to forge the necessary contacts quickly is to make the well-connected expats, Lord and Lady Ashworth, her business. The Ashworths know everyone who counts, and at their sumptuously extravagant annual party, a Circus Ball, Charlie will meet them all.
On the summer solstice eve, the party is in full swing, with the cream of Parisian society entranced by burlesque dancers, tightrope walkers, a jazz band, fireworks lighting the night skies… and a shocking murder. As Charlie tries to determine who the murderer is, she finds herself drawn into the magical parties, couture houses and bohemian wine bars of the City of Light. Soon secrets start to unravel, including her own. Putting a foot wrong could spell death …
In this magnificent new beginning to the joyful Charlie James series, Manning beguiles with glamour and mystery set in pre-war Paris.
Charlie is chasing her first big scoop, needing to prove to her boss that she can do this job as well as, if not better than, her male counterparts. And the best way to forge the necessary contacts quickly is to make the well-connected expats, Lord and Lady Ashworth, her business. The Ashworths know everyone who counts, and at their sumptuously extravagant annual party, a Circus Ball, Charlie will meet them all.
On the summer solstice eve, the party is in full swing, with the cream of Parisian society entranced by burlesque dancers, tightrope walkers, a jazz band, fireworks lighting the night skies… and a shocking murder. As Charlie tries to determine who the murderer is, she finds herself drawn into the magical parties, couture houses and bohemian wine bars of the City of Light. Soon secrets start to unravel, including her own. Putting a foot wrong could spell death …
In this magnificent new beginning to the joyful Charlie James series, Manning beguiles with glamour and mystery set in pre-war Paris.